Adult new or returning riders part 2

[theferry]

I thought I’d start a new thread seeing as the existing one is full.

I’m due to ride tomorrow. Maybe I’ll jump. I’ll see.

Gorgeous photos @LunaNorth

The riding school I’ve been going to is also struggling with horsepower @Tupperwarelid - my favourite horse had to be retired in the spring - with him I’d been happily doing dressage tests and had started jumping again but I just didn’t gel with his ‘replacement’ - he’s such hard work and not very generous. I’m now riding another horse who’s quite a bit more forward-going as long as you ask in the right way but she’s enormously wide so not that comfortable. The riding school has been desperately trying to find new horses but any that are the right size/age/temperament are massively out of budget.

And I’m sorry to hear about your horse woes @Hereforthedramaz - it’s gutting when a dream starts going wrong 😥

Gorgeous photos @LunaNorthMerlin looks so brilliantly cheeky!!

I’m really struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel with my cob!
He was strong on the ground from day one so he has to be led everywhere in a chifney, but I could get over that. Recently he’s started tanking off in a bridle, we are trialling some stronger bits but it puts me on edge tbh, he did it when I had to jump off on the road so that could have ended disastrously.

He is so stubborn in the school, first 10 minutes is convincing him to stand still, another 10 minutes of convincing him to take steps forward. It’s pure napping but it’s so hard, he’s started throwing in bucks and rears now too in protest. He’s never going to de-seat you and he’s not really trying for that, but it’s not nice. He eventually gets going and then is exhausting to even get trotting.

Hacking was our thing but we had a disastrous hack involving rearing, the aforementioned “bolt” and then spinning and bucking etc.

he’s not in pain and everything like saddle has been checked and fitted, chiropractor too etc. I’m confident he’s not in discomfort he’s just an extreme cob and tries everything on. I have a fantastic instructor and also an amazing behaviourist too.

I could probably get over 2 out of the 3 areas above if he was good in 1 but I’m really struggling with him atm.

Ive seen him be more than capable of all the above, so it’s my influence on him that isn’t working.

I think really he needs to be in an exciting home, with someone confident who will kindly not take his nonsense and does more of the things he likes, which is think is jumping and exciting hacking!

He’s a proper cheeky, loveable rogue cob who with someone more confident and with more time to power through will be an amazing partner. I’m just not good enough!

@Hereforthedramaz how much professional input have you had with him as it sounds to me like a horse that knows he can get away with crap so he is going to . How old is he and what was he doing before he came to you ?

@tinyspinyYes you are 100% right I think, he’s learnt at some point he can get away pushing boundaries so he gives it all a go.

Hes 9, but clearly a young 9, people also think he might have Welsh cob in him which is a spicy cob!

I have had professional help throughout, although in hindsight I wish I’d found my instructor earlier.

@Hereforthedramaz perhaps he needs a couple of weeks with someone else riding him as well as yourself to get him back inline .

I rode the new youngster in my lesson today and got on slightly better than Saturday! I think it will take a while to build my confidence with her but there is hope. It’s definitely a me and my lack of confidence issues not her.

Did my second ride back on the big bouncy grey and I was terrible, we were doing sitting trot and I was just bouncing up and down, could not get any hip movement and my legs were all over the place, very annoying esp as DD sent me a video of me jumping on the same horse at a sprightly canter last year.

Didn't fall off though which is my current main goal :-)

Hoping for better next week.

I don’t know for sure, but I think he’ll be bigger than mum.

I’ve just got him walking on a lead rein, so I can take him into the school with his mum now! I’ve given her a few gentle lunge sessions (I call it her Fit-mums Class) and he takes great delight in running around with her and generally pinging away on the bouncy floor

@NormalAuntFanny I’ve recently had a revelation about sitting trot - my instructor said instead of thinking ‘down, down, down’ as in ‘I must stay sitting down in this saddle’ think ‘up, up, up - my seat bones are plugged into the saddle and as the horse moves I’m bringing the saddle up with me’. If I think ‘up’ instead of ‘down’ I absorb the movement so much better!

That's a good image @Pleasedontdothat as soon as I can stop thinking 'don't fall off' I will try it out!

I got a lot of good ideas from an old book called Centered Riding which has some excellent ways the visualise yourself when you're riding.

Hopefully by Christmas I will be over the stiff scared stage and be able to relax in the saddle.

Jumping next week, gulp.

Hope everyone has a horsey Christmas, just been to the club with DD and a sack of apples, made some equines happy