Anyone else taken a break from horses, then came back?

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Signal

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Hi, I have ridden for over 30 years and would have counted myself as an experienced, confident rider - I'd competed BSJA, pre-novice eventing, and broken in my own horses. Having had the chance to get back in the saddle now after a 4 year break after having my second child and that confidence has gone, I mean absolutely diminished! How long did it take you get it back - did it come back?
 
Have you ridden at all since then or is your confidence completely shot to the point you haven't even sat up?

I'd say you should maybe have some 1-1 private lessons with a local school so you can ease back in from the privacy of an indoor arena.
 
I've hacked out a bit on a friends horse but found even cantering left me nervous, which actually left me rather embarrassed and sort of avoided riding again.
 
I've stopped for 13 years. Job and kids etc.
Now I don't know how I have ever lived without them ��

It took me a couple of weeks to get my balance back but it's like riding bikes ��

Confidence wise I was fine. It might have been different if a fall caused me stop riding and then I'd come back.

So enjoy the ride ��
 
Signal said:
I've hacked out a bit on a friends horse but found even cantering left me nervous, which actually left me rather embarrassed and sort of avoided riding again.
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Aww what a shame but I get how that could make you feel embarrassed and not keen to do it again. Yeah definitely see if you can have some 1-1 just whilst you get going again. That's what I'd do anyway. Some indoor time away from prying eyes and then you can hack out confidently and enjoy a good long gallop. :)
 
Hi Signal. I've had various breaks from horses, from 6 months to about 3 years. Each time I've returned I've been hugely careful of the horse I buy (and I've bought never farted about borrowing etc) each time I've been so frightened my legs shake like jelly, but I've taken time to find the right ones, each time I try them they ignore my wobbles and then I know they are right. I then get straight on when they come home and start, however small, getting on with it. You know you know how to do it, your body will remember it's your head telling you otherwise because you've had a break. Plenty of NLP - riding success is a good one. And remember YOU are in charge of your body and mind, not the other way.
 
I had a break from horses for about 20 years. Kids, life, jobs, etc. totally took me over. Been back in it now for 5 years, don't know how I coped without. My confidence is nothing like it was though. It does ebb and flow and I'm learning to push the good days and just ease up whine's not there.
 
I had a break for 10 years and sorry to say, no I never got back to where I was before. I thought I would, but I made a mistake in the first horse I bought after the break. I should have got a been there done it all, all rounder, who would take me over jumps, but instead I got a 5 year old very iffy jumper and we made each other worse and even now with my current horse, he was not a natural jumper, his brain doesn't seem to connect to his feet very well, so I really don't jump now.

I THOUGHT I was going to get back on and carry on where I stopped, but I remember the feeling of dry-mouthed horror looking at a tiny cross pole jump - this from someone who had hunted regularly, show jumped and had done Novice evening back in the days before babies!

Get a schoolmaster!
 
Hi OP, I also took 3-year break recently, after being mis-sold a horse that ruined my confidence :( I'm naturally a pretty nervous rider anyway, but I found that by taking lessons that weren't too 'overly pushy' in making me do things that made me uncomfortable, with an instructor that I was comfortable with really helped a lot! I've actually come back more confident then I was before, so as the others said, as silly as you might feel at first being so unsure of yourself, most definitely go for lessons/ride a schoolmaster- even if its just trotting round a school for an hour on a riding school plod! :o
 
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I had a 25 year break and went out and bought a 3 year old warmblood pony as you do because in my head I could do everything I did as a teenager. Oh how wrong was I. 4 years on I also have a safe sane and sensible 14.1 Connie for those days when I can't find my brave pants, I just want a nice quiet hack without being bucked off into the next county and a horse that doesn't constantly argue with me.

I know it's all in the mind because I feel completely safe on Bailey and will do anything with him. With DP I will on occasions hold on to my RStor for dear life and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
 
I married into ponies. My wife had two when we married almost 40 years ago & over the years they got old & died. We then had a break from them & started a family. When the children were around 8 & 12 & they did well at school they were treated & the favourite treat was to have a pony day at the local riding school. Eventually they became helpers there & spent both Saturday & Sunday at the stables & all the summer holidays as well. After doing 2 winters at the stables & never missing a day we bought them a pony. Well that was about 20 years ago & although one daughter is no longer involved with ponies the other is now on horses. We have 3 horses who compete BS & BD & a lorry to travel them. So we had a break of about 15 years but returned to the equine world.

I've always said that having horses isn't a hobby, it's a way of life. :)
 
I've had a few breaks over the years, most recently a 14 month break due to ruding related injury. Each time I've started riding again it's taken time to get back into it and I've spent a small fortune on lessons - but they do work. I think riding a mates is fine for time in saddle but unless you couple that with some focussed attention on you (which you'll get in lessons), issues and concerns can end up being magnified which will only damage your confidence. Find a really good school with decent horses where you can build up your confidence and remind yourself how it's done (it's almost worse when you feel you could ride and now can't). It will come back. Once you're back in the swing of things get yourself the best/safest horse you can - they really are worth their weight in gold!
 
I've just come back from a 4 year break after my pony trampled me. I didn't stop owning horses, I just stopped riding. Bought myself an unbroken 6yo last september, backed her to the point of walking around with a rider and tack (or sometimes without tack just because we could) on a lead rein, then for some reason lost my confidence for no apparent reason(!) to the point where I refused to even tack her up, now regaining it slowly with 1:1 lessons and lunging the horse to convince myself she isn't going to kill me (which any one with half an ounce of sense could see anyway).
It's perfectly doable with the right support x
 
I had a 10-year break after falling off and fracturing my spine. I finally decided I was fed up of being terrified at the prospect of riding and booked a private lesson with the aim of, by the end of it, being able to walk around the school off the lead rein. By the end of the lesson, I was happily trotting round, and even popped over a crosspole.

Five years later, I now share a large, somewhat spooky horse and although there are still times when I get nervous, I'd say I'm a lot more confident than I was before my fall. Having lessons with a good instructor who took me right back to the basics really helped.
 
I'd find a really decent riding school with responsive horses who suit an experienced rider (you are experienced, just a bit rusty) and get yourself some lessons before thinking about hacking etc. Once you're comfortable and confident in an enclosed space, I'd then get on something bombproof to go for a hack (whether that's paid for or borrowed) and build up from there. It's totally natural to feel the way you do, especially if you now have children. The "what ifs" are so much bigger.
 
I've lost my jumping confidence. I'm a year back into riding after a 9/10 year break and have only jumped twice in that time until last weekend, and both on schoolmasters.

Last weekend I was riding a green horse while my friend was on our share horse. We set the arena up with trotting poles for the youngster and a small jump for my friend. On a whim and without thinking I had the youngster follow her over a small cross-pole and we cleared it no problem. We did it a few more times and eventually got the youngster to clear a fence without following which was a fantastic result. The more jumps we did the more nervous I felt though. Afterwards she told me how he had never jumped before as when they tried he'd barge straight through the fences.

We did a second session with the same set up a few days later and the youngster definitely started picking up on my nerves. I could feel him looking to avoid the jump, steering away to the sides or slowing down on approach. I took him over 3-4 times and stopped because I'm clearly not the right rider to be jumping him right now.

I used to love jumping before the break and I'm a bit rattled to find my confidence has gone. I'll book some lessons on a schoolmaster when I can afford it I think.
 
I was in a similar ish position to you, but with less but similar experience (having given after up going to uni at 18 and only spending a few summers working at yards) and no kids.

I came back to it after a 5 year break. The first few rides I wore a BP and was definitely tentative! I'm still not the fearless (and stupid) 18 year old I once was, but last spring I went out and bought a 4 yr old KWPN and, other than riding fitness and balance, everything is still there. My mare is now 5 and we're having a ball!

I'm so much happier for having a horse back in my life.
 
I'm getting back into horses after a break where I fell off mid-jump on a hack and landed on my head. Hooves just missed my head. Could have been awful but I got back on & got home. Next time I tried to ride I shook too badly to continue and hacking scares me silly.

I am in the process (touch wood) of taking on a share of an 11 year old horse who is ineffably kind in the stable but has a spook in him. He runs. He does nothing like rear or buck, just runs. I don't mind it in the school but I know I will need help when I start hacking him out. Am having lessons elsewhere on a schoolmaster to bring muscle tone back to life and I've bought a neck strap for the share horse. The other sharer knows about my nerves and we are planning how to minimalise the spooking, which we think is down to being very very stale in his current routine environment.

Anyway, I'm rambling. You're not on your own. It's worth it I think. Brave pants being worn all round!
 
Yes me although I only took a year off. Sold my amazing horse of almost 10 years when I started a family as I just didn't have the time and I started to feel weighted down by the responsibility of owning.

Didn't ride for a year and to be honest, didn't really miss it but was aware that as time passed I was becoming more and more nervous about the thought of getting on a horse again. An opportunity presented itself to share a friends horse and I'm currently trialling it to see how it goes - rode for the first time in a year the other day and was surprised that I wasn't as nervous as I'd expected and even when the horse was a bit cheeky and tried to nap and drop the shoulder I wasn't overly fussed by it - it helps that the horse is a saint in general despite rarely ever being ridden - I only found out afterward that before I tried her she hadn't had anyone on her in over a month.

I don't think my confidence will ever be what it was before - I was never the bravest anyway but would compete XC/SJ although only up to 75cm. I doubt I'll jump again but if I can do a bit of schooling and have a nice hack that is enough.

It's early days yet but I'm enjoying getting back into it without the responsibility of owning.
 
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