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!

Placemarking

@Pleasedontdothat he is beautiful congratulations

He looks so lovely @Pleasedontdothat

You must be so delighted!

And now the fun of getting to know each other!

hoping I can join this wonderful group🙂 bit of background I rode when I was younger as luckily lived in a village were we could borrow ponies as parents wouldn’t buy me one😢🤣 I had my daughter 11 years ago and in a whim brought her a pony so she could have a hobby I could help with and enjoy our time together she was 18 months old 🤣🤣 fast forward 9 years she is now a very accomplished rider and we have gained a collection of ponies. I brought myself a beautiful mare 8 years ago with the intention of riding alongside her but weight gain put paid to that but I kept my very expensive pet much to the annoyance of my DP who has come along on the equestrian journey with us. Fast forward to now I too have lost weight approx 9 stone to get back on the saddle and it’s the best feeling in the world. I hack out mainly go on fun rides but I do need to get some lessons in for confidence really I do have a wonderful instructor who has taught my daughter for years so my plan is to have a lesson a month to improve the basics. I have loved reading a your stories and it’s great to know other people are enjoying this wonderful journey that I am on. I will pop a picture of me and my beloved Princess who has had the most wonderful life being a field ornament until now 😂😂

Wow @Marmi452 well done on the weight loss! Your horse looks beautiful 😍

Thank you @Pleasedontdothat i am very blessed to have my ❤️ horse. She is just perfect for me and getting back to riding to be able to hack out with my daughter was the inspiration I needed xx

@Marmi452 what a lovely story! well done on the weightloss and I hope you enjoy getting back into it.

@Pleasedontdothat how is the new addition doing?

I had another great lesson this week, rode a new horse and wasn't terrified for the first 30 minutes which I think shows how much I am improving that I can now get on a new horse and figure them out instead of panicking. He was a very sweet gelding who was a saint compared to the mare I usually ride so made a nice change.

@Allthegoodnamestakken I took him for a hack on Tuesday and he was pretty angelic - he has got the easiest trot, it’s impossible not to be in sync with him. Unfortunately I’ve been under the weather with a stomach bug since then so I’ve not ridden him again this week but I’m hoping to go up tomorrow morning. He’s having a couple of days off a week and my daughter’s been riding him in between so he’s in good hands. I’m desperately trying to find a saddler who can come to fit him properly but the soonest I can get one out is mid-October 😱. I’m hoping I can borrow the saddle he’s been using until then.

Wow @Marmi452 hello and how lovely you already have horses in your world. Can I ask how gas your horse fared as a ‘field ornament’ great term and not being ridden for you now to ride her? Sorry I’m a non horsey person who’s learning slowly and late in life so sorry if a bizarre question.

@cakeforme i brought her as a newly broken 6 year old but never really rode her. I have had friends jump on and ride but nothing consistent. I have always treated her like my pony so she has always had her grooming time in hand walks so we have a very special connection she knows my car sound and stands by the gate waiting for me😂 tbh if the pony feels loved I don’t think they care if they are ridden she has had a wonderful life with me and most of that has been with me working from the ground if that makes sense xx

Thanks @Marmi452 sounds lovely.

@Marmi452 she sounds like a sweetheart!

Lovely lesson for me yesterday, slowly feeling stronger and finally getting better with my upward transitions now to perfect the downward ones which are still awful. Did end on a nice canter to trot though despite the first 4 attempts being awful.

@Allthegoodnamestakken a tip for downwards transitions is to use your seat and legs to ride the horse UP into them rather than using the reins to pull them down into a trot. That way the horse remains more balanced and you don't a sharp or jerky transition. Use your stomach muscles to hold yourself too as it is a common mistake for the rider to collapse when doing downwards transitions, by holding yourself you will be able to help the horse.

@twistyizzy Thankyou, this is exactly what we where working on, trying to keep the horse balanced and together. I managed it once at the very end canter to trot. Couldn't quite get trot to a halt. I find it so counterintuitive to use my legs while slowing down so need to practice getting my head around that.

Most of the horses I ride are retrained racehorses so have a real tendancy to stick their noses in the sky if I am to heavy in the hand but go flat if I am to soft. Such a balancing act! hoping it will all click after more practice.

@Allthegoodnamestakken half halt prior to the transition helps to balance the horse and it lets them know that a change of pace is coming.
Also squeezing your bum cheeks together slightly, the horse will feel it and this acts as a blocking movement but make sure you release as soon as the horse slows down.

Think I'm going to put my riding on pause for a bit, DD is in a limbo where she needs to be able to canter confidently to move up to the next stage, but she's restricted to the learning speed of the rest of her group. So, I've said she can have my private lesson budget for herself instead. Can't afford for both of us to have lessons and it's more important for her to have them I think. I like riding, but it's not my passion, but it is utterly hers and it makes her so happy.

@LadyFlumpalot she will likely progress very quickly with private lessons , although it may also be worth looking for a riding school where lessons are less geared to the whole rather than the individual .

Yes, I had thought about that - but she's very happy at the school she's at, and has joined the pony club there, made friends etc, plus it's the only school really in our area. The problem she is having is that there is a girl in her class who absolutely does not want to be there, she is clearly only riding because her dad wants her to be horsey. She's terrified and almost cries when asked to trot and refuses to come off the lead rein. Her dad has to bribe her to go in before lessons and school-side teaches, yelling instructions and scolding his daughter from the side. It's bringing the whole group down. We've gone on the waiting list for one of the other classes, but it's a very popular school and as she doesn't want to change schools we are kind of stuck for the moment.

Have you spoken to the owner / manager about the disruption the girl / her father is causing , it seems to me that they need to tell him that she needs private lessons .

@Pleasedontdothat and @Marmi452 your horses are both gorgeous!

@LadyFlumpalot i really think that the school should be stepping in regarding the girl. They can’t hold back all the other riders because of her (it’s not her fault obviously but a I think a word with the dad is needed). It’s a real shame your own riding is being put on hold.

My own riding is going well. I’m not terrified anymore and I’m actually enjoying cantering. I need to work on getting a longer canter now. My last lesson was getting my downward transition from canter to trot better as I just sort of slumped in the saddle once canter was over (possibly due to the relief that I was still on)…by the end of the lesson I really felt it was getting better. I’m so pleased I didn’t give up.

@LadyFlumpalot i know how you feel. I’ve done the same. My son was in a group lesson where progression was slow and he was starting to lose confidence due to the ponies being misbehaved when in a group. So since March he’s been on privates and I’ve paused. I didn’t need much persuasion mind as got the fear with cantering myself!! That’s a problem to resolve in the future for me!! He has come on massively so if you’re happy to pause yours I’m sure you’ll see a benefit of the privates for your daughter.

@CJCreggsGoldfish and @Floralnomad - the owner teaches the lessons! I have mentioned it to her, gave it as the reason for switching DD to private lessons... so hopefully something will get sorted.

Pretty much in a hat how it is for us, I like riding but cars are my thing so I'll happily pause the riding for a bit to let DD progress. From her next birthday in a couple of weeks she will be old enough to join the helpers club at the stables where they can exchange hours helped for lessons so after she's gotten a few of those banked I may start my lessons again.

@LadyFlumpalot sorry to hear about the issues with the riding school, its a real shame when that happens. It happened to me as a teenager when everyone in my class decided they were too scared of a certain horse so I ended up riding him every week as the instructor couldn't be bothered with a fight if someone else was on him. He wasn't even naughty and I really liked him he was just big however it meant I rode the same horse for months and didn't get to learn on new ones. Eventually the owner did get involved. Hopefully the owner here will do something. Group lessons are hard though as while one child shouldn't hold everyone back you can't really have the rest of the group cantering while someone is on a lead rein. Hopefully they can move the one child to a more novice group so the rest can progress as a whole.

Oh that is awkward then. I think sometimes the parent/instructor dynamics can be difficult to manage (especially if a strong personality is involved).