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!

LikeAnOldFriend thereis definitely an autumn feel in the air early morning. Like you I love autumn. One of ours has sweet itch but it's not been as bad this year as he's developed Cushings Disease. Ironically he now produces his own cortisone. Luckily we seem to have it under control now and have had no laminitic episodes since last December. This is him with my daughter when she got married 4 years ago. He's a real sweetheart but is very delicate 🙄

@Hereforthedramaz dont beat yourself up - it’s just one bad lesson - progress won’t be linear. Try to concentrate on what went right, even if it was only a couple of seconds, rather than what went wrong. Next lesson will be another day!

@Hereforthedramaz thing is with riding - there are three of you to consider: you, horse and instructor. If the stars align and everyone is in a good state of mind the lesson will be the best sort. If any of you are a bit nqr it's not going to be as easy, imo.
Next week will be better

I can't wait for Autumn! @Mollyplop999 what gorgeous pics!

Thanks @Solosunrise and @Pleasedontdothat
You are both completely right, I think a few good lessons in a row and lulled me into a sense that it would always just fit!

The instructor did apologise for shouting so much!

Envious of those of you having gorgeous riding Saturdays, that's exactly where I want to get to, I just need to find someone who needs a sharer nearby one day!

Hi Im brand new to riding. Early 40s and over the past 2 months I've had 3 lessons and just booked another 3. It's very expensive isn't it and very hard!

Any tips for getting off a horse? I find it terrifying and I look an absolute tool!

@cheeseisthebest it's frighteningly expensive! Are you enjoying it?

Can you explain what you find difficult with getting off? Might be able to help (many moons ago I used to teach - wasn't going to admit that!)

Sorry I didn't mean yo post the same pictures 3 times. My phone was playing up. Really enjoying this thread 😊

@cheeseisthebest the cost really is eye watering, especially in certain areas.

I'd love to do some intensive riding to really improve but I just can really justify it.

Have you found a nice school near by?

It's a beautiful picture, totally worth of looking at three times!

I just sort of very inelegantly manage to swing my leg over with my arse flailing around and then, feeling terrified, sort of jump/fall off! I'm short so it's hard!
Yeh I've found a really nice school and instructor. She's very patient.

Feeling sad tonight.

I've been having 2 lessons a week predominately on a lovely sweet cob but occasionally on another slightly smaller horse. I was asked to get weighted when I got to the stables tonight which is fine but because they have decreased the weight limit for the smaller horse there's only 2 horses I can ride. The lovely cob and a ex hunter who everyone says hates women, bites and is grumpy.

As the cob is already out I'm given this huge horse to lead along to the arena. I was terrified and sure enough he's trying to bite me and chew the rein. By the time I get on him for my lesson I was a bag of nerves. He was biting at the instructor while she was tightening the girth and shaking his head.

It's only my 5th week so I just couldn't control his head and keep my reins straight so he won't walk or cooperate. Normally I'm trotting each lesson. Anyway I lost my bottle and said I wanted to get off. Feel like an absolute failure. I've lost 5 stones since March and the answe seems to be to quickly get another couple off because then there's many more horses I can ride.

@Therunecaster oh that's really tough.

Did your instructor understand how difficult the exracer was being for you, do you think they would be open to only scheduling your lessons when the cob is free going forward?

@cheeseisthebest It really is horribly expensive its what put me off starting again for so long. Only tip for getting off is bend your knees as much as you can when you land, I find if I stay stiff and don't bend them it really hurts my ankles.
@Therunecaster Sorry that is tough, I would talk to the instructor about how you find the ex racer a bit scary but also try not to let his manners on the ground scare you I've known several horses to have awful ground manners but be great when you get going. A lot of riding schools have very low weight limits for horses, its hard because you know its to protect the horses but can also be very frustrating. When I was looking for a school I found I was near the top of most of the weight limits despite having a healthy BMI. Is there any other schools nearby that perhaps have some bigger but gentle giants while you work on loosing the weight?

@Therunecaster I’m sorry you had such a miserable lesson - it is supposed to be fun! Definitely talk to your instructor about how you felt and if you can just have the cob you like for a few lessons to build your confidence back up. If I’m feeling nervous I find singing really helps - it makes you breathe (it’s so easy to hold your breath and tense up and that makes everything worse) and you feel a bit silly which helps me relax. One of the local riding schools has a strict weight limit of 11.5 stone, another is 13 and another is 14 - it very much depends on what the horses they have can manage, so you might find another riding school you can use for the time being.
@cheeseisthebest a tip I got given to help dismounting is to hold onto the right stirrup leather as you swing your leg over - it gives your swing a bit more ‘oomph’, and bend your legs a bit as you land

How much are riding lessons and hacks out now?

@Mollyplop999

The school I go to charges lessons and hacks at £30 per half hour if it's private.

If it's a group for either it's still £30 but it's 45 minutes.

£30 per half an hour seems to be fairly standard at the few places around hear I've looked at.

It completely depends where you are, the facilities available, the horses, instructors, whether or not the riding school has a ‘community’ focus or is being run for profit etc etc

Where I go it’s £40 for an hour’s hack, £36 for a 30 minute private lesson but another local school charges £75 for a hack and £90 for a lesson and that’s not the most expensive place around 😯

It's £45 for a weekday private lesson round here and £35 for a group at the RS I'm looking at.

@cheeseisthebest how fit and flexible are you generally? I'd suggest feet out of stirrups, right hand on pommel (front of saddle), lean forward, swing right leg over back of saddle with as much gusto as flexibility allows, then hold it for a
moment with your belly across the saddle, before sliding down and landing with knees bent.
If you're very inflexible, you can ask to be shown how to dismount onto a mounting block, keeping the left foot in the stirrup to use as a step. Only recommended on a very reliable horse and under supervision though.

I pay £53 for a group lesson and £70-80 for a private - all 45 minutes. Outer London very big riding school and livery yard

Wow that's a lot! The little pony trek I did with my daughter, a 20 min hack was just £12 each, but we are in rural-ish Scotland so it's not so bad here I don't think! Have just checked website and it looks like 50 minute lessons are £30 or £40 private (maybe keeping lengths shorter keeps price down!)

Absolutely beautiful

So sorry you had such a tough lesson. Sounds like you're doing amazing, you're an inspiration to me, I think I'm too afraid to let an instructor see / critique my riding!! I think I must have a million and one bad habits my wee boy has just tolerated over the years! Well done for going for it and here's hoping for a brilliant one next week - seems to be the way with horses, you never know what to expect!

I couldn’t resist a wee seat on this morning on way round from field… just took my hat and an extra rope to the field in case he was up for it and made a wee head collar bridle, and we literally just walked the shortest distance from field to barn, but it was lovely. He seemed full of beans, really enjoys feeling like he’s on an adventure! By the time he got back to his stable was standing very tall, I think he might consider those few metres a proper hack!😂