Anyone else feel they have a strange relationship with riding?

[KittyJay]

I have neither the resources nor time for my own horse, so for me riding's a big mishmash of sharing, exercising, the odd lesson and friend's horses.

So being carted off with by an optimistically-advertised horse I've only just met is not an event out of the blue. If I haven't got the car to use, this is usually preceded and succeeded by a two hour journey of late buses, trains and two mile walks. I have been stuck in a train station in the middle of nowhere for an hour, in the pitch black. Sometimes I do two hours of chores in the wet just to exercise a riding school horse for fifteen minutes. I've been persuaded to ride a horse - broncing on the lunge - its owner wouldn't get on herself. I haven't had the chance to do some of the aspects of riding I always loved most for over a year.

Although I often can never answer the question "then why do I still do it?", I would never dream of giving it up. I'm going to university, so after October I probably won't ride at all for the best part of three years. Yet I'm still hooked. I can't put it in logical terms, but I know that I am inherently happy just to be riding at all, whatever the effort involved. Whatever happens, I'm itching to be outside and around horses, even when my confidence is in pieces (I'm not always the most confident rider) and it's pouring with rain. If I don't ride for a week or two I'm just dying to be back in the saddle. I'd love to have a horse of my own but I am sure all this experience and variety is doing good things for my riding, horse care and confidence.

I do sometimes wonder if I'm just persisting out of stubbornness rather than real desire to ride, but I think, perhaps, I just have the bug.


(Sorry it's such a long one, it's been going around in my head for a while! I'm not complaining, just trying to describe that weird love/hate thing I'm sure many of you are familiar with.)

 

[canteron]

I enjoyed your story - its impressive, real commitment. And I know what you mean. There is nothing logical about being hooked on horses - there are other ways of being poor, muddy, trampled on and meet some very odd people, but someone none of the other ways seem worthwhile.

Just occasionally it all falls into place and those few moments, when the riding becomes like floating, the horse nuzzles you or you are hacking out on a beautiful day with a responsible horse, it is so magic it more than makes up for all the bad things!

 

[ClobellsandBaubles]

i have a similar horsey life atm not being able to afford one so i share, exercise horses to be sold, lessons and fun an games with uni riding club etc. found myself not so long ago sat in the dark and cold in a bus stop in the middle of no where to get home after a 20 minute walk along a bypass for the 2nd time that day thinking i was going to get attacked but i wouldn't have it any other way even when my joints and back are playing up rain, snow, mud just to do half an hours road work and lorry/tractor dodging i am very keen aparently. Must say i'm looking forward to my summer project hopefully will be a little more long term ... watch this space

 

[Hen]

There is nothing logical about being hooked on horses - there are other ways of being poor, muddy, trampled on and meet some very odd people, but someone none of the other ways seem worthwhile.

Just occasionally it all falls into place and those few moments, when the riding becomes like floating, the horse nuzzles you or you are hacking out on a beautiful day with a responsible horse, it is so magic it more than makes up for all the bad things!

Thank you for writing that - that's massively cheered me up, you are very right

 

[Kokopelli]

There is nothing logical about being hooked on horses - there are other ways of being poor, muddy, trampled on and meet some very odd people, but someone none of the other ways seem worthwhile.

Just occasionally it all falls into place and those few moments, when the riding becomes like floating, the horse nuzzles you or you are hacking out on a beautiful day with a responsible horse, it is so magic it more than makes up for all the bad things!

I figured this out for myself today whilst getting Andy in from the field. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the grass was green. It was like my own little slice of heaven and to see my boy want to come over to me and nuzzle me was just the cherry on top.

No other sport can give you the satisfaction that riding does. But no other sport hurts you so much emotionally and physically like riding does.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I am never out of the saddle. I ride 3 or 4 at work at day, one of my own during my lunch hour, then go home and ride another 4 - one of these is a breaker who is just learning to trot. I have one of my TB's coming back into work next week when his feet are done. I'm not sure whether I will break my other 2 mares this year or next. We shall see how time goes.

If there was anyone local to me who wanted to ride and play about with ponies then I would welcome them, the trouble is is that everyone wants paid an absolute fortune these days for doing very little other than ride and only as and when it suits them.

Whatever happened to the days when people were queing up at your door just to get the chance to pat the pony let alone groom it or ride it?!?

 

[Tr0uble]

Not just exclusively riding, but my horses in general, yes.

At the moment I'm limited with my horse time whilst I'm still on crutches, and it is really affecting me. Like, to the point where I'm being referred for counselling to get over my injuries and the psychological aspect of the recovery.

Today I have spent loads of time with the horses and it's given me such a boost that I know my lack of time with them is having just as much of an impact on my mental state as the injury has.

 

[Jango]

In the past I've done all the things u've done all to ride and be around horses! I think you're 'normal' for a horsey person without a horse! I just wanted to say I don't worry to much about not getting to ride at uni, I put adverts up saying I would ride anything as long as it didn't cost me! (as I was super skint) and I got loads of offers and I mostly got to choose rides that the owners paid petrol money! Then I paid my car tax, insurance and got maintence done on the car with summer job money and so I actually managed to ride all year without it costing me

 

[YorksG]

Sister and I were in the field at about 6 tonight, having ridden all three of the rideable mares today We both said how it couldn't be beaten. The sun was shining, the view was fantastic, it is worth being skint and making all the sacrifices we do, working long hours in responsible jobs, coming home and doing four horses in winter, not having spare cash etc.
The positives are the time spent with the horses, the many friends we have made, the way it feels when you tune in with each individual horse. These days most of my social life revolves around the horses and other people involved with horses, a world away from work, it really is a lifestyle and a way of life, once hooked you couldn't walk away if you tried

 

[KittyJay]

Thanks everyone, this cheered me up so much, really.

It's just such a personal thing, and if you don't feel quite happy with it it's really hard to feel good about it. Even though all these experiences have helped me improve so much, my confidence and self-respect about it is so low sometimes that even when those amazing moments happen I'm waiting for it to go wrong. But I know if I push myself to do things I know I can do - but don't feel comfortable about - it will get better.

Tr0uble, I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must be with something like that. Here's me complaining and I'm fit and healthy and lucky!

Jango - that is amazing! Really impressed. I think for me it's a time thing just as much as a money thing. My degree is a really amazing opportunity and I have to make sacrifices to get everything I can out of it. I won't have a car either as it's an un-car friendly uni and town and I won't really need it. Going to get myself a vintage road bike I really love to ride though, that'll do me

Really interesting hearing from everyone, thanks

 

[orionstar]

Before I had my own horse I would often be used as a "crash test dummy", including in the riding school where I had lessons once a fortnight. It isnt that I'm a fab rider, but I seemed unable to perceive the "self preservation" that everyone else has, and I just say yes! I've had the friend who's new horse has started bucking and asked me to try, the 17hh ex racehorse who's new owner wont get on, the 10 year old driving pony who was broken to ride at some point, several breaking youngsters, and the "was entered for the national but didnt make it" - so we're going to watch you do several laps of the indoor school at full gallop to see what he's like. The dent above the half door at the side of the arena still resembles my riding hat! Now that I am old and wise and have the spinal scar to proove it, I tend to look at "new opportunities" in a different light, but I'm sure i enjoyed myself at the time.