Recent content by Skib

Both private and deals hboth proved dire for me. I changed into my riding clothes and went to inspect a horse for sale privately. The viewing was at the seller's house, on her lawn and was not to be ridden, so I walked away. Ditto, I changed and went to see a horse at a dealers (nearby county...

May be not helpful to this particular problem but it is worth remembering that one can use a thick or folded blanket under the saddl, as Western riders do. A Cowboy rider owned his own saddle and took it from job to job, so the blanket and its thickness under the saddle could adapt the saddle...

I rode bareback in some lessons. Usually on the lunge If you ride with no saddle or stirrups, ones legs do hang forward. They are not pushed forward. They hang naturally into the hollow behind the shoulder of the horse. This is the way native Americans rode. It is described in the book Boy...

You would be better looking at the facebook horse share page for London and the neighbourng county or counties where you might want to share. Or look on line at the BHS list of recognised schools and call in to talk to them. Sometimes taking lessons at a yard is the best qulification for...

We had the same thing on precipice trails in the USA. The horses and mules walk down right on the edge. We were told that it is because horses can see that there is no predator lurking between them and the cliff wall, but a mountain lion or coyote could be hiding just over the edge so the horses...

This is very true. But the maths are complicated. I have ridden the same tracks for ca 25 years so know it well. And all year round. But the horse's knowledge may be more recent than mine. She is an RS share who may go round that track three times a day so she knows today's surface better than...

My darling Connie hated getting her feet wet. Since there was a possibility that parts of the track were completely under water in winter, I obliged her to walk through one puddle on each hack. One lesson learned was that where there is a puddle on the track, there is often hard footing under...

There are threads on hat design. But to start with, I would suggest that if you fell hard enough to cause a lump on your head, you could have it checked ot at A and E, where at least a doctor could look into your eyes which is how my Dr daughter checked me after a fall onto tarmac. The damage...

Is it her eye sight?

Our tiny front garden is under a council tree in the street. The blower blows all the leaves off the soft flower bed and crazy paving into a neat heap by the dustbuns. You can set the blower either to blow or to suck. So it will act like a hoover and suck all the leaves into a net but one...

I have always ridden mares and all of them have been regarded as opinionated. Some riders put it down to whether or not the mare is in season but it is easier to understand in terms of herd behaviour. Herds of ferral horses will consist of mares, led by a lead mare who knows the territory and...

I posted above that I bought one but found it tricky to use so never risked it

You could have lined her up again at the same stump. It is the repetition that matters, until the horse gets the idea and gets it right. When I arrived at my lessons, plus horse, the RI was always busy with more exalted students. There was a mounting block by the gate and I was bored so I led...

Hasnt she shown you that it isnt necessary? You have just taught her. I am by the way a solo hacker who previousy rode with one escort. I have remounted from a bench and from a fallen tree. I bought a stirrup extender but didnt feel it was safe so have never used it and dont take it out with me.

If you are scared of riding may be riding is not for you. But to find out, I would go to a local RS and ask for solo lessons on a succession of different horses. In my second year of learning to ride, I deliberately went to several different riding schools and hacking centres in order to ride...