Anyone else started again after a long break?

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Yep me too...rode from tiny right through childhood and teens, worked at a small private jumping yard as a groom and keeping the 2nd string fit and helping at shows, in exchange for the riding and experience..then didn't do much more than have the occasional ride on holiday or whatever for years..never lost the bug really but was just doing other things...got back into it again mid-thirties and did a few riding-for-friends/sharey type things...realised how much I needed to do this for myself finally...had the sensible plan to get my riding skills back up, save up, get a sensible first-time horse blah blah...plan totally went out the window, got given a nutcase youngster, that seemed to go relatively well all things considering, so decided to get daughter a L/R pony, also worked out fine, then got offered a horse I'd fallen in love with 18mths previously so had him as well..oops!
As none of mine are currently rideable as such - ie youngster and older boy is being re-backed (apart from 11.2hh L/R but obviously he's a smidge too small!! ) I've carried on riding out for friends now and again and I've learnt A LOT about handling on the ground...stuff I didn't really learn first time round as the horses I rode were generally made already..not to mention the actual reality of being full-time responsible-person and horse-bill-payer...and I've loved all that, so, I'd say, go for it!

 

[Magicmillbrook]

Nothing wrong with horse stalking, its my favorite hobby now my horse is broken. I am very indignant that my favorite 'stalk' is now off the websites, guess she's been sold. In my mind we were doing really well, she had lost weight and we were hacking out and contemplating our first little show.....Someone needs to direct me to www.find-a-life.com!

 

[Ladydragon]

First time back on and the instructor had me cantering and popping over fences but I could hardly move for a week.

Good grief... You've certainly put me to shame... Cantering and jumping!!!

I was a typical horse mad teen... Never had my own but borrowed and made use of everyone else's... Climbed (it's not pretty!) back in the saddle last year after nearly 30yrs out of the it and still haven't felt confident enough to try cantering - just lots of pootling around slowly... I did have brain surgery a few years ago and quite a chunk of the back end was removed together with a lot of skull and some vertebrae so my balance and co ordination is absolutely appalling - as well as feeling a lot more conscious of being more 'breakable' these days I guess...

I'm having some lessons and my confidence is increasing but I don't know if I'll ever feel a need for speed any more... No intention of jumping anything bigger than a matchstick either... But I really enjoy pottering about on a hack - and my offspring are having a ball learning to ride and being outdoors...