Adult new or returning riders up for a chat?

[Hereforthedramaz]

I have recently returned to riding after a very long gap.

I was a very casual rider as an early teen, happy hacking on plodding ponies rather than technical riding. I am thoroughly enjoying having proper lessons now.

I thought it might be nice to chat with other newbies or returners, all non-horsey people in my life and there is only so much they want to talk about it!!!

Also the stables I'm going to is so lovely and welcoming but, in their own words, aimed almost entirely at 8-12 year olds so it would be nice to talk to some adults!

@Greenfairydust - I started on a 16hh horse, but he was too big for me. I'm now on a 14.2hh pony (I think he's just on the cusp of being a horse) and he's about right. I'm petite, 5ft2 and about 7.5 stone.

I was only put on horses at the riding school.

I'm only 5"3 so I assumed it's a weight issue! Although I think also their horses are gentlemen and the ponies are quite cheeky!

But now I'm sharing I've been riding smaller and it's probably a more natural fit. The 16hh were gorgeous to ride but I really don't need that much horse!

So nice to hear some of you have been having really positive lessons lately!

I spent an hour today learning how to do clicker training with a pony share. It was so much fun and really helped with the pony getting to know me, as well as improving manners!

That's interesting to hear about people's experience with ponies vs horses.

I have a slim built and am only 5.ft4, so I am always puzzled as to why I usually end up on something half-horse, half-dragon in term of size!

I do actually prefer the bigger horses as I found them to be more comfortable and steady anyway :)

@Greenfairydust very true, I am currently missing the big comfy gait of the bigger horses.

I keep telling myself I just need to get used to the share's gait but I think that's slightly optimistic!

I think adult and older children beginners often end up on horses because they're generally more comfortable to ride and less cheeky. From when I worked at a riding school the ponies often got very cheeky because they learnt bad habits and how to get away with things when being ridden by small children learning to ride but we had limited people light enough and competent enough to school them properly. Where as if the beginner safe horses ever got a little naughty one of the instructors would ride them several times to correct the little bad habits.

I had a great lesson on saturday, starter with some flat work which went so well, horse was really collecting herself properly and listening to me which was great as it was the same mare i've had some terrible lessons on. We then did a little jumping, a mini course of 3 jumps and worked on changing the canter lead between them. My getting the stride right and canter lead changes where not great but I left feeling really positive as now I have something constructive to work towards and its nice to start working on those things and move past the clinging on for dear life and praying as I approach a jump stage.

Had another lesson yesterday. Absolute workout. Rising trot for 30mins. We tried to rising trot over poles and I felt like a bag of potatoes bouncing everywhere. :)

My confidence is coming back, especially with jumping. I didn’t expect that.

I ride a lovely 15.2hh part Welsh mare so she’s reasonably chunky. I went for a one off lesson at another stables and I was put on quite a petite 13.2hh. I didn’t like it. It was so bouncy and awkward. I much prefer cobs.

I’m normally put on ponies for my group lesson. I’m 5ft 4 but quite petite, there are other adults riding at the same time as me (including a man) so they tend to get the horses. I have ridden a couple of horses in my private lessons and it was a 15.2 that helped get my confidence back.

My group lessons are going much better now, and I’m feeling a lot less nervous before them and actually looking forward to them. I go on holiday at half term and I’m gutted I won’t be riding. I love a bit of pole work now!

Had a bit of a terrifying ride on Friday on my usual horse but she was feeling very fresh. It was the first slightly chilly morning of the year and quite a lot of horse flies around. The first 15 minutes there were quite a few little bucks and jumps up and trying to run into canter while I clung on for dear life. Thankfully she settled down and worked really nicely for the last 30 minutes.
The instructor complimented me on how calm I was keeping so clearly my internal fear wasn't showing 😅
@theferry glad to hear your confidence is returning, its so nice when you finally approach a jump and enjoy the whole thing instead of being terrified on approach and relieved after.
@CJCreggsGoldfish enjoy your holiday!

@Allthegoodnamestakken well done on staying calm!

Absolutely right about enjoying jumping. I think a big part of it is that I have reconciled with the idea that it’s OK if I don’t want to jump 1m. I enjoy it if they’re small and I trot over. I used to really beat myself up after each lesson and feel that I chickened out, but it’s OK now.

Hello I need some advice if possible . I’ve gone back to lessons after a long break but don’t feel I’m progressing. I’ve been going for about 16 months but I’m only at the sitting trot stage. Yesterday the lesson was awful and I spent more time stood being talked at by the instructor rather than doing any practical stuff . I’ve booked in with another school next Saturday to go on a novice hack to see how this goes . We did start doing sitting trot but this has now stopped.

Omg I've found my people!

I've spend a disproportionate amount of time trying to post (literally and on here) so let's hope this works after a password reset!

Then I'll introduce myself and my laughable riding 'skills'

@Lovelycupofcoffee there are loads of really knowledgable riders on this thread who I'm sure will give you such really good advice.

My experience is having returned to riding and having months at one school, that I have no criticism of, I then had a one-off lesson with a freelance instructor and oh my god I learned more in an hour with her than in the total of all my other lessons. So don't underestimate the difference of different instructors.

A hack is a really good idea, it sounds to me like relaxing and enjoying a hack is a good idea.

Was your previously school used to adult learners, were you in groups with similar riding levels?

@Hereforthedramaz so I’ve had quite a long break from riding and have only been having lessons for about the last 22 months. I know lessons are important as my balance was awful but has improved a lot. Usually it was 2 of us ( adults)having a lesson as beginners but it’s now just me. I will talk to this new place when I go and see what they say . I feel that when i have the lady instructor she tells me one thing then if her husband teaches me he tells me other stuff that surely she should also be telling me . Also the lessons have gone up 😣

Hi all

I'm a beginner to riding following the odd hack on school holidays etc as a kid, but no formal tuition. Always loved horses and always wanted to ride.

Now my career is set and the kids are grown I have both the money and the time to explore interests of my own.

Learning to ride for about 10 months, couple of lessons a week at different places.

I've been slow to develop in my view, I never realised it would be so difficult. I play an intensive sport a few times a week (also returned recently to that after competitive play as a youngster) and my fitness is pretty good after years of gradually gaining weight and losing stamina and flexibility.

But damn riding is hard. I almost gave up a few months ago as my confidence was shot trying to be courageous enough to get into trot. Now it feels fine so I'm so glad I stuck with it.

I figured - during that period of low confidence - that I had two options:

1. Keep going, at my pace, and get there eventually no matter how long it took or how much it cost

1. Quit, and forever feel like a failure, but still have the desire to be that woman cantering along bridleways and fields

I chose the former and I don't regret it at all. I'm not particularly fearful about falling and haven't yet. I'm aware it will happen at some time. What scares me is the unpredictability, and the stumbling/tripping of the horse used to give me a cold sweat. I'm more relaxed about it now.

They are terrifying on the ground but i'm getting more relaxed. I spend time brushing and sponging horse and have recently had the balls to lead to and from the arena, even though in my head I'm thinking WTF this horse is MASSIVE.

Apparently I'm almost ready to start working on canter. My seat is better. I'm more relaxed. Sitting trot is variable depending on the horse, sometimes I get it and feel okay, other times I'm like WOAH STOP.

I'm determined to get to my goals. I want to be confident hacking and going faster. I want to be confident and secure and lighter and more flexible. I want to be able to look after the stable jobs, pick feet, and groom.

I'll know I've made it when I can take a selfie with the horses head over my shoulder and my arm around it 🥰

@HMPPS you sound a lot like me! I only started riding the end of last September after a fall and a horse taking off with me on a hack my confidence was shot. At the start of this year I was pretty much on lead rein and there was no way I was trotting.

I’m pretty stubborn though (and the school I’m at were so so supportive) and I stuck at it and I’m now trotting confidently and even had the discussion last week about cantering . I have also done an online intro dressage test - if you’d have told me I’d have done that in February I’d have laughed at you.

It is hard though but the sense of achievement is great. I am pretty good with them on the ground though and will happily groom and tack up.

@HMPPS yep riding is very hard and only people who have never ridden think it is easy 🤣.
The more you learn the more you realise how little you know but that's what makes it addictive!
It is great that you have set yourselves those goals, keep plugging away and you will get there! There are always peaks/troughs + plateaus with riding, a plateau means you are ready for the next step.

@Lovelycupofcoffee hacking is really important in teaching you an independent seat and also how to control a horse outside the confines of an arena. A good riding school should mix up hacking/lessons/polework on a regular basis so maybe look at a different yard.
Look for BHS approved yards and query the qualifications of your instructor, sadly many instructors aren't fully qualified.

@HMPPS I appreciate not everyone has time but if you want to get used to handling horses on the ground, have you considered helping somewhere like RDA?

You get pretty familiar with handling, or initially walking next to a pony while others lead, and tacking, untacking and turning out etc. And the more experienced people there are always ready to tell/ show you want to do if you are unsure.

For me it's not the horses on the ground but learning all the yard stuff, I've found the RDA a far nicer place to pick it all up compared to riding schools which felt like teenage girls running around knowing what they are doing and yard managers who are quite shouty!

Feeling rather despondent - since we moved I’ve been struggling to find a riding school which is anything like as good as the one I was at before. It was really well-run - the horses were mostly cobs but extremely well-schooled and there was a great mix of private lessons, group lessons, hacks in beautiful countryside, adult camps, in-house competitions, musical rides, canter and jumping clinics etc. In less than 18 months there I went from struggling to rise to the trot to happily cantering in open spaces, doing my first dressage test and feeling like I was making huge improvements every week.

I had to have a few months off after my accident but although I’ve been riding again for about 6 months I feel like I’m going backwards. The first riding school I tried closed without warning after I’d only been there a month, the second one isn’t really set up for adults and the horses are nothing like as well-schooled as at the previous school so most lessons feel like a frustrating argument.

I’ve been for a couple of lovely hacks at a trekking centre but it’s about an hour away and not practical on a regular basis. I’ve found another school where the horses are better schooled but they can’t offer a regular slot and I can’t even get on the waiting list of the best school in the area - which frustratingly sounds very like my old riding school in what it offers.

Yesterday I got off after 10 minutes - the horse I was on was napping badly and I started feeling out of control. I know what I need to restore my confidence is a mixture of lunge lessons on a schoolmaster and hacking but I just can’t find anywhere nearby that offers that. I’m well aware that if I were a better/stronger rider I would/should have been able to desk with the napping but I’m not there yet - hence the despondency.

@Pleasedontdothat sorry to hear this. Unfortunately so many riding schools are closing due to rising costs etc which means that the good ones usually have a waiting list. Put your name on the waiting list and then could you look at doing some short residential courses eg weekends/holidays to help progress you in the meantime. There are some excellent yards which offer these short intensive courses plus somewhere like Freerein which offers guided or unguided trail riding holidays.

@twistyizzy I can’t even get on the waiting list of the good one - I’ve been trying since October last year 😢. I would love to do a short residential course but can’t find anywhere that offers those either - do you have any recommendations?

@Pleasedontdothat Talland or Ingestre. Don't be put off by their high level stuff, they cater for novice riders too. You do a bespoke course to suit you.

@twistyizzy thank you - my daughter has had dressage lessons at Talland but her riding is on a different level so I’d rather discounted them. Ingestre is a bit closer so I’ll give them a call

@Lovelycupofcoffee After that length of time I would expect most people to progress into rising trot and canter on a nice sensible well schooled horse. I Would second the advice to look at some different schools. It took me 4 to find one I really loved. Once I moved to my current school my riding came on so quickly I went from struggling to sit properly in canter to warming up alone, jumping and working on proper contact and basic dressage skills in a couple of months so it really does make a huge difference! (I am returning after a long break rather than a beginner so don't think you need to be jumping just an example of the difference a good school makes)
@Pleasedontdothat Sorry to hear you're struggling to find a school, so many have closed over the last few years. In my younger days I worked at a great school with a huge waiting list (unfortunately now closed) but some tips that may help you get a regular spot. If possible ask if you can do a call for cancelations, we used to give people a day where if they called at 8am when we opened we would offer them any spot that someone had cancelled and was suitable for them on a first come first served basis. Usually the people who called consistently every week would end up getting bumped up the waiting list. I am not suggesting you hound the school but we had such an issue with people taking regular slots once they reached the top of the waiting list only to then regularly cancel, not turn up, decide they hated it after a month. that we would often skip using it entirely and give it to the known client.
Also not so much use now but after summer when the weather gets bad a lot of people would stop turning up regularly, quit completely etc. so it was a good time to call and try and get a space.