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!

Hi everyone, I've just found you all...
I'm having my first riding lesson for about 35 years on Tuesday at the age of 51! I was always desperate to ride but only managed to have lessons once I got a Saturday job as a teenager. Couldn't afford to keep it up once I left home for university and have probably forgotten everything. Very excited and really hoping this is my time!

@TheNoodle how exciting! You may be surprised how much comes back (to an extent). The first time I rode again as an adult, I could not get the horse to canter! But it did get better after a couple of lessons.

Hi @TheNoodle that sounds fantastic, good for you!

Let us know how your lesson goes and if you get hooked again!

Mr Hairy and I had a lovely (hot) hack out yesterday, he was a bit nappy, partly I expect because his owner has put him on a diet and he's not impressed!

I also had a lesson on my instructor's hunting trained Connemara, it was incredible how different he felt on the end of the reins compared to my chunky ploddy share! Like going from my hybrid golf to a sports car!

@Pleasedontdothat that sounds great!
@FestiveAuntFanny I would be on constant poo duty, my instructor once made me sit on a leaf to force sitting trot and I lost that leaf so many times

@Hereforthedramaz lovely pics, your horse really does do a good line in suspicious stares.

@TheNoodle good luck, hope your muscles remember their duty after all that time.

Thanks! Will update tomorrow...

Well...had a fab half hour. First 10 mins a bit stiff and muscles very reluctant to move, but once I'd warmed up (and chilled out) a lot of things came back. Did some walk/trot transitions, some 20m circles, changed rein and diagonals and attempted a sitting trot - but that was terrible! She wants to see me canter next week - I'm not afraid but it's not going to be pretty!!
Any advice on sitting trot greatly received, I'd forgotten how awful it is!!

@TheNoodle that sounds fantastic!

What did you think of your instructor and horse?

The tip my instructor gave me last week with sitting trot was that if you are bouncing you are not leaning back enough.

@Hereforthedramaz thanks, I'll try that! Instructor was lovely, very encouraging. Alys the horse was a lovely coloured cob, very forgiving and once I'd managed to get her going felt lovely in trot. Can't wait for next week!

I think the answer to sitting trot is a very relaxed deep seat so you will only achieve that well if you are completely relaxed / at home on the horse you are on . Probably the same applies to a good canter but at least with canter you can go into a forward seat and get your bum off the saddle a bit to avoid a bounce .

I find the comfiness or otherwise of sitting trot is very horse-dependent - on some I’m absolutely fine, no bounce, can keep it going for ages but with others I’m (literally) all over the place 😳. Obviously I realise that if I were completely relaxed and sitting deeply it would be fine on every horse ..

I was going to say exactly this, also the bigger the horse for me, the more bouncy the trot and the canter.

There's a couple of perfect medium large horses at my stables, about 170cm, who are just so comfortable I can sit the trot endlessly then you go up 10-15cm in height and I have to really work at staying relaxed and moving or I feel I'm in danger of bouncing clean off, especially if we have to take our stirrups out which seems to go hand in hand with the sitting trot.

Sorry they don't use hands here, just centimetres!

True, some are just uncomfortable no matter what!

I really enjoy riding without stirrups to help with my seat, it's so comfortable!

It is comfortable but only up to the point that you suddenly need your stirrups because your horse has decided to veer off to avoid a terrifying invisible demon just ahead of you.

I don’t have the guts to be stirrup-free.

All being well, I have a lesson tomorrow. I may even ask to do a few tiny jumps—I’ll see now brave I am!

I need to start going stirrup less as I ride with mine way too short but it really makes my legs hurt. I expect the two are related!

I actually don’t ride anymore , or get too close to our remaining pony as my COPD / asthma is too bad but when I rode I always rode quite long which I think helps with getting your seat deep and your lower legs more sort of wrapped IYSWIM .

I always have mine a bit long as the arthritis starts to ache in my ankles and knees if I have them too short.

Taking my feet out is a blessed relief so I quite like those lessons where we do mise en selle even though trying to do rising trot or en équilibre, whatever that is in English, without stirrups really kills me.

I jumped! Only tiny, but they were still jumps.

Have a big smile plastered across my face 😁

@theferry congrats!

I have been doing a lot of no stirup work lately, the mare I loan is prone to seeing invisible demons but the instructor convinced me I would be fine and within 2 minutes I had managed to sit a major spook stirrup free and realised she was correct and I am perfectly capable. Hoping it helps me improve my position in canter

Bravo @theferry very glad you bit the bullet and continued, am jealous as still three weeks before we restart!

@Allthegoodnamestakken that sounds like a lesson and a half.

Found my people! Week after next I have some lessons and a hacked booked, it will be the first time I've sat on a horse in a few years. I'm frightened for my muscles already.

@Frontroomroomjungle good luck😀

I have another lesson Wednesday. Here’s hoping I have the confidence to jump again.

Joining this thread again as I am looking at going back to riding lessons and feeling anxious.

I started taking lessons about 4 years ago as a total beginner but have not had one for almost 12 months now (I bought an old house & it needed a lot work, so no money to pay for lessons...).

I think it is time to get back on the saddle but I tend to be a nervous rider so I am starting to panic without even having booked my first session back! :).

Interesting to see people mentioning being concerned about no stirrup work. I found bizarrely that I am more comfortable riding without stirrups and my sitting trot is better in that scenario.