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!

Thanks guys! It's now progressed, after biopsy, to needing a hysterectomy and waiting on mri results to see if it's cancer and if it's spread.
I'll hear today 🫤
Meanwhile I'm hoping to keep riding but let the school know weekly if I can. It's really my joy- I only want to stop when I really have to!
Doing some great leg yields on my massive horse ☺️

Keeping everything crossed for you @gettingolderbutcooler

@gettingolderbutcooler
all the best for today.

I'm glad riding is your joy, I really don't think there is anything quite like it for being completely in the moment!

Mri showed no spread and it's stage 1A so good news. Hysterectomy booked for 25/6 so I've a few weeks riding before then!

gettingolderbutcooler so pleased for you. Get back in that saddle!

Brilliant news! @gettingolderbutcooler

@gettingolderbutcooler
So pleased for you!

@gettingolderbutcooler sending you my best wishes.

I’ve just ridden and I think it may have been my last time. I didn’t enjoy any of it. Before I used to be nervous beforehand, but then enjoyed it once I was on. But today the nerves just didn’t go. I’m going to give it a few months before making a final decision, but for now I’m having a break. I feel sad and frustrated.

Very sorry to hear that @theferry perhaps things will look different after a break. Could you see yourself doing riding if no jumping was involved?

My group of useless beginner adults has yet to jump beyond bars on the ground so I don't know how I'll take to it though I've seen DD fall off often enough times while jumping to give pause. The club does do dressage instead which I think I might prefer.

If it wasn't that riding is an activity I can do with teenage DD I know I'd be having more doubts than I currently do. Ironically it was having my first fall which settled my nerves though I still get the fear when it's foot-in-the-stirrup time.

@FestiveAuntFanny I didn’t jump. Managed about 10 strides of canter and I called it to an end early. I’ve never done that and I’m pissed off with myself for paying out for a private lesson and not making the most of it. My head is all over the place thinking about whether I should walk away. I used to love every minute of it and happily jumped 80cm (loved it). Now I can barely manage canter! The horse I ride is as bombproof as they come so I’ve no great reason to be so scared.

@theferry as I’ve said before it’s really not worth a lot of angst , especially with the costs involved however it’s a private lesson and there is no reason why you cannot just do walk trot , extended , collected and lateral work , shoulder in etc if that is what you prefer just talk to your instructor.

theferry sorry to hear that you had to stop your lesson due to nerves. It's so frustrating and I completely understand how you feel. We were meant to be hacking out today, but by the time I'd tacked up it was throwing it down with rain. I was sick with nerves and was so relieved when it got rained off.

@theferry a break sounds really sensible, give yourself a chance to miss it!

Can you take your riding down a level and go on some low drama hacks on a plodder, maybe some pub hacks? I know for me that reminds me why I love riding compared to some stressful lessons! Hacking lessons have also turned out to be my thing!

But I think we do all have to remind ourselves this is supposed to be hobby and not causing overt stress or anxiety!

@gettingolderbutcooler I hope you are doing well have you been able to fit in some riding?

@Hereforthedramaz the school I go to does not do hacks and I don’t want to start fresh with a new place/horse. As lessons are private I can ask to keep them quiet/easy & the instructor understands that. But this doesn’t seem to be working anymore for me. I’m my own worst enemy! At least I can go down to the stables and help DD with her loan horse so I can still get the horsey contact time.

@theferry ah fair enough, tbh hacking is my answer to everything but not necessarily everyone else's!

Horsey time with your daughter's loan sounds great in its own right! I think I enjoy the yard time as much as riding!

Thanks for the good wishes.
It's sometime a fucking arse to be a woman isn't it?
I went riding this week but told them I'll only have a few lessons left before op on 25/6.
I think I'll be out of action about 6 weeks- but there's no exact guidance.
Not a great lesson this week- couldn't get giant horse listening or bending much! But it was still lovely 🥰
@theferry sorry you're going through all that. I expect I will be v nervous when I get back on. Usually I am very - TOO- gung ho for a 59 year old!
Xxx

@gettingolderbutcooler good luck with the op. Hopefully you’ll be back in the saddle soon.

@gettingolderbutcooler sending well wishes and a hoping for a speedy recovery.

@theferry sorry to hear you're struggling as others have said if you're really not enjoying it then it isn't worth it. Hobbies should be fun. I suffered a real crisis of confidence after a major fall last year and doing more chilled lessons, going back to riding the plods and some lovely hacks really helped me get it back. I had a few wobbly moments when first riding my usual not so simple horse again (Ironically it was one of the plods I fell off not her) even a few tears but now I am back to loving it again.
I will say though usually it was the first 5 minutes of the lesson I would wobble and once we got going I would be loving it again.

Sadly the stables I ride at is majorly downsizing to pretty much entirely lessons for children, teens and complete beginner adults. They just don't have the interest from experienced adults to be able to justify the expense of the bigger and flashier horses. I am gutted, completely understand their position as most adults who are working on dressage and jumping courses move onto their own horse or loan but I just can't fit that into my life right now. I was loving getting to ride horses that where really well schooled, able to work properly over the back in dressage etc. as all the other schools I tried where typical riding school plods and I am a bit past that in my ambitions.
I have a friend who is going to let me ride her lovely retired event horse who no longer competes or jumps but is still fit and in regular work so that I can keep working on proper dressage skills but that will be once or twice a month. Will have to get my weekly fix elsewhere which will be difficult.

@Allthegoodnamestakken whereabouts in the country are you and someone may be able to recommend somewhere . So many places have closed completely over the last few years . Good luck with the operation @gettingolderbutcooler .

@Floralnomad I’m not in the uk at all which makes it harder sadly as lots of the schools I tried I had serious animal welfare concerns. I was so pleased when I finally found a place with beautiful cared for horses

@Allthegoodnamestakken oh that's such a shame, sorry to hear your RS is downsizing.

As an adult finding the right place to ride (either a school or a share/loan etc) is so hard!

I had a fantastic hack on my share pony today, some beautiful canters around the Oxfordshire countryside, albeit with a buck thrown in at the beginning! I felt like my canter position and transitions are starting to really improve!

@Hereforthedramaz a little buck to set you up! glad you're feeling like things are going well!
I have two options for riding going forward, one will be a lesson on a friends school master once or twice a month and I am talking to the school I've been riding at about potentially part loaning one of the mares I ride there. She wouldn't be my first choice of horse as she is a bit of a handful in terms of being spooky and a little Bucky, sometimes a little school sour also but when she goes well she is lovely and I am hoping perhaps no longer being on the riding school and just having three people riding her each month rather than the 10+ she would've had previously may help these issues.

@Allthegoodnamestakken those are interesting options,are you going to give the mare share a go for a while and see how it goes?

I had a lovely hack out in the (UK) heatwave. A bit more bucking from the grumpy 19 year old cob going into canter! I'm quite impressed he's still got so much sass in him tbh!

A between the ears of the Oxfordshire countryside!

Wow am jealous of these sunny outdoor rides, I realised last week (cold and rain again but horse required preparing outside) that I've had exactly one ride in a t-shirt since last September.

And now I've got one lesson left before the stables goes into summer holiday mode. It's been a great year, learned to tack and untack, get on, walk, trot, canter, fall off, get off, be scared and be happy on a horse.

Am hoping to ride on holiday on the beach and in the mountains so will keep going till the long holidays finally end again.

Hope everyone else on this thread has a good summer and gets some riding in.

FestiveAuntFanny whereabouts are you? It's actually lovely and sunny in the Midlands. I had a nice hack out this morning, apart from the pesky horse flies.