Advice on what to do next after stop/start riding experience

[KEC]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice from new/experienced riders and owners:

I learnt to ride as a child and have ridden on and off since then. Worked as a groom in Italy for a summer to five horses, hacking them out and had a bad accident and bad experience with one horse that kept bolting with me on country roads with random traffic doing 50miles an hour. I didn't ride for five year after that but then started lessons at a loal school about three years ago. For the past nine months I've been riding a variety of horses through preloved.

I've recently stopped hacking out an ex-eventer and don't know what to do next - I've not ridden for 2 months and can feel another 'break' coming on. I don't class myself as a novice or beginner but feel I have massive holes in my knowledge and riding ability which is a source of major frustration.I don't know what level of rider I am, if I'm any good or what I want to do in the future with horses.

I just wondered if anyone had been in a smilar situation and could give me advice on what to do to get back in the saddle and stay in it!!! I'd love to know people's thoughts.

Thanks in advance, sorry for the essay.

 

[Red-1]

Do you have a monetary budget to help you to ride?

 

[KEC]

Yes, although I'm not sure what my upper limit would be.

 

[henmother]

I'd say try and get lessons. You aren't a rs beginner but you could maybe ring a rs up, tell them exactly what areas you are looking to improve. I'll bet once you find a decent instructor and some capable mounts , you'll have some lessons to fill in the gaps and feel all together better about your riding abilities. This will increase your confidence and help you to decide what your horsey future will be. Riders can become stale as well as horses, maybe you're a bit bored and not sure what you want to do? good luck, sometimes we just need a kick up the bum, or a pat on the back .

 

[gnubee]

Do you know what you want from riding? I.e. are you planning to get your own one day, do you just want to keep your hand in etc. If you know the answer to that it may make it easier to figure out what to do.
Either way, it sounds like a good riding school could help at least in the short term. TThere are some fab ones out there teaching to really high levels (albeit that the quality is often reflected in the price.) The advantage of schoold is that the focus is all on helping you progress rather than the issues/ limitations of an individual horse. I always used to know when I had found a really good new school for the stage of my development because I would make a noticeable improvement within 6 monyhs ( even after 20 + years of riding) and my confidence would skyrocket.
Beyond that, if you feel like you are in a riding rut, have you considered trying something new, like western, side saddle, polo etc?

If you are working towards having your own eventually, it might also beworhth looking for a good longterm share on a horse that is well within your abilitties so as to help you build confidence rather than test it, and give you the chance to work to improve the horse inthe long term rather than just riding for the sake of ridimg, which I woild suspect is all the variety of horses you have used in the last year or so have been able to give you.

 

[KEC]

Thanks for those replies.

Henmother - I am looking at riding schools at the moment and have posted in the regional boards to see if anyone can recommend any. I've got two in mind I've never been to in my area so will see how that goes.

gnubee - I feel like you've read my mind!!!!!: I don't know what I want from riding and so have no purpose. I'm not really thinking of full loan or getting my own as I'm not settled in life with jobs etc but I know I'm better doing something with a meaning or end goal in mind. The riding I have done has been to stop me having another break and when you said about working within my abilities or testing it you really hit the nail on the head!!

 

[gina2201]

Im in a similar position as you. I had my own horse years ago then after I sold him I had a break then had on/off times where I rode for other people. Ive just started riding for a lady and getting her horses fitter but am aiming to buy my own in the near future.

I have had some life changing things happen in the last 12 months one being my mother passing away now my MIL has terminal cancer. It made me think right if I dont do it now I'll always pause it. So I sat down and thought what do I want? I was horsey from a young child non stop until 16 when the breaks started but the gaps made me realise how much I want/need horses in my life.

I suppose you need to think about what you want from riding whether hacking other peoples horses is enough or if you want to progress into a particular discipline etc and compete and/or own your own.