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

How’s everyone’s riding going? I’ve had to find a new riding school as the fabulous one that has been my happy place for the last few years is closing down 😢. I’ve had two lessons at a new school and I’m so pleased with myself because I cantered! After my accident last year, which coincided with my favourite riding school horse being retired, I’d developed a block about canter - I’ve been fine in walk and trot, happy with no stirrups, pushing the trot on etc but as soon as I thought about canter I tensed up. I’ve been having lessons on a mechanical horse which have really helped get my seat more secure and the instructor at the riding school has been endlessly patient but I still had a block. Then yesterday I went for my second lesson at the new school and I finally managed to canter - and it was fine! I was in balance, I didn’t grip my knees or tip forward or bounce in the saddle - I didn’t do a lot but it was a start. I’ve been so annoyed with myself because I love hacking and cantering along a woodland bridle way or across an open field and my mind was stopping me from doing something I really enjoyed.

@Pleasedontdothatyou must be so delighted! That sounds fantastic!

Does the new riding school do hacks so you can get out cantering through the countryside soon?

My riding world has changed a bit.

I finally made the decision the Welsh cob x I bought in spring last year and I were just not a good match. I found him a lovely new home where they adore him and he’s thriving, so I feel 100% certain it was the right thing to do, we just didn’t work together.

Once he was settled I started looking around, no expectations and didn’t expect to find anything until spring but ended up finding an ISP mare, quite quickly!

Shes been with me for about 2 and 1/2 months and it’s just couldn’t be more different this time around. Plenty of teething issues and being a mare and immediately coming into season she took a little while to settle into the yard.

But she’s so much fun, she’s a keen forward (but safe ride), she just always wants to get going ideally at speed!

We’ve had loads of lessons, been out hacking and we’ve been doing Working Equitation Clinics (in fact another one tomorrow).

The world of mares is a steep learning curve plus she’s quite different to the cobs I’m used to so I’m having to adjust my mindset from very good doers to helping her put some weight on!

Nice to hear from everyone, I'm nursing bruised ribs after coming off when asking for the canter and my horse tripped then bucked me off. Really astonishingly annoying and sore but at least the airbag worked. I think I need some of your lessons @Pleasedontdothat because it's my hips according to dd.

Glad you have a new horse @Hereforthedramaz sounds very exciting and rewarding.

I’m enjoying the weather and have hacked in the last couple of weeks and have more booked while the weather holds. I have a new instructor so we are getting to know each other but she enjoys dressage so has given me some quite testing exercises in my lesson! I’m so busy thinking and concentrating I don’t have time to get nervous.

@Hereforthedramaz yes the new school offers hacking so I’m looking forward to getting out and about soon. Your new pony sounds lovely.

@NormalAuntFanny ouch - that sounds sore - I hope you’re feeling better soon

I'm doing a hack out every month or so which is lovely but the place has changed hands and they put the prices of treks up by quite a bit 😯
They have invested in a couple of new horses though so that's good.

Away for the weekend next week and have found an equestrian center near it so have booked a hack out somewhere new which I'm looking forward to.

I'm also volunteering once a week at a rescue nearby which gives me a fabulous weekly fix of pony snuggles.

I’m back cantering - yay!! It’s taken a while because of my stupid brain. Fifth lesson at the new riding school this morning - up to now I’ve been concentrating on transitions, the quality of the trot, varying the pace and sitting trot and I’ve felt completely comfortable with everything I’ve done so my instructor asked me how I’d feel about having a go at cantering as all the building blocks were in place. I squashed down any worries by concentrating on the process, got a really good trot going, sat for a couple of strides then asked for canter and it all fell into place. I did lots of transitions on both reins and got it every time - I’m so pleased with myself and very grateful to the lovely horse who’s so responsive - I feel very much in tune with him and can’t wait for my next lesson 😊

Just had my first class since bruising my ribs, had a nice horse and we played a sort of water filled cup relay game. Great fun and had a nice canter too. Did spill a bit doing standing trot but the horse didn't mind!

Shame I forgot the sun block but it's the first time I've been outside on a horse in a t-shirt all year.