Completely lost motivation to ride

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KikiDee

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Ironically I've struggled through the worst of winter and ridden in storms, torrential rain, 40mph winds and sleet and snow.... now it's actually "not so bad" and I should be ramping up to get fit for Spring, I just can't be bothered. 😳

Not sure it it's just exhaustion from the never-ending winter meaning I've finally ran out of enthusiasm for it all or the pressure of knowing I 'should' be getting on with it now, meaning I'm feeling quite defeated that I'm not doing enough.

Anyone else feeling this?
 
Well we were tootling ahead with ‘a little each week to stop them dying of boredom’ but that will have to come to an end now because the younger ones are DESPERATE to do more work. So desperate that we have ponies attempting to escape to come hacking with the others (I rode past one of the field entrances the other day to discover a very determined 3 year old trying to shimmy between the fence to come and join us, and one has taken to begging at the gate if her friend goes riding and I seem to have forgotten the sidekick) and regular hooley moments in the field. Which, in this weather, isn’t really a plan. So more riding it will have to be!

I should add - there are 8 ponies currently in that area, no one is ever more than a fence away from buddies. They’re just bored and want entertaining!
 
Thank you all - I feel better I'm not the only one! I feel like now we have had a couple of days respite from the rain and howling winds I should be delighted to ride, but I just feel very "meh" about it. Horse is getting fatter, I am feeling glummer. I did force myself to ride tonight, normally I feel better once I've done it, but I felt equally "whatever" after a quick flatwork session as I did before. 🙃

FieldOrnaments said:
Sometimes I think the desire to push on wanes a bit when there's less to push against iyswim.
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Funny, that's exactly how it feels! I think you've nailed it, what a strange thing the human brain is. I also think you feel more accomplished from doing 'something' when the weather is terrible, whereas now I feel very much like I am doing the bare minimum, which isn't enough, and the inertia has set in.
 
I’ve kept ginger witch ticking over. But woody hasn’t been ridden since November. I’m riding because I have to. But not because I enjoy it. I’m struggling with the weather. The mud.
 
i am actually paying someone to ride jay twice during the week for the first time ever. should add that i felt my near 29 year old needed more work!!! going out doing dressage (dropped down to intro at the moment) on saturday. love my boy
 
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Providing you don't need to ride, there's no harm in either having an easy few weeks or giving a holiday.

I struggled for motivation in January & barely rode (relatively) between the weather & my motivation thereafter. I feel much better for it - we just did a lot of groundwork/in-hand work and the world kept turning until I felt I wanted to ride.
 
MuddyMonster said:
Providing you don't need to ride, there's no harm in either having an easy few weeks or giving a holiday.

I struggled for motivation in January & barely rode (relatively) between the weather & my motivation thereafter. I feel much better for it - we just did a lot of groundwork/in-hand work and the world kept turning until I felt I wanted to ride.
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Unfortunately I kind of do need to ride, I need to go build K’s fitness significantly and get some weight off him ahead of spring if I want to start jumping again as he’s had a lazy winter doing flatwork and hacking.

I guess if it has to feel like a chore so be it, I think I’m hoping for some divine intervention or motivational quote that will spur me into action 😂
 
KikiDee said:
Unfortunately I kind of do need to ride, I need to go build K’s fitness significantly and get some weight off him ahead of spring if I want to start jumping again as he’s had a lazy winter doing flatwork and hacking.

I guess if it has to feel like a chore so be it, I think I’m hoping for some divine intervention or motivational quote that will spur me into action 😂
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I get that :)

I need to ride too really as pony is metabolic so it's really rare I have a break from riding 5-6 days a week & why I kept up the free schooling, lunging, in hand polework and groundwork so he was still doing something.

But, I'd just had enough that even just cracking on with it wasn't an option (and I'm usually good at just getting on with it). It was only about 10-14 days but it was enough of a re-set to want to ride again so it definitely did the trick for me!
 
MuddyMonster said:
I get that :)

I need to ride too really as pony is metabolic so it's really rare I have a break from riding 5-6 days a week & why I kept up the free schooling, lunging, in hand polework and groundwork so he was still doing something.

But, I'd just had enough that even just cracking on with it wasn't an option (and I'm usually good at just getting on with it). It was only about 10-14 days but it was enough of a re-set to want to ride again so it definitely did the trick for me!
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Thank you. I may just take a breather and see if once I stop telling myself I “have” to ride I might actually feel inspired to!
 
Mines been on holiday since November , with one thing and another and a yard move and arena waiting to be built , out every day getting muddy roughed off 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣 will prob bring back into work in next few weeks
 
Missing it terribly here as nothing to ride this week! Just hoping things settle back into some kind of normal again after losing one of my lovely share ponies. I don’t love riding in the rain but I really start to wilt if I don’t ride.
 
Im exhausted I've managed 3x a week all winter now down to light hacking 1-2x. Usually I like Feb, last Jan was cold but bright this Jan has been a slog. I've got am essay deadline, inquests a backlog of work, the house is getting decorated and a minor op in 2 weeks i think I should just give up until April
 
I have lost motivation tbh. I thought it was just me but speaking to people more generally, it feels we are all feeling similarly. Over the weekend I found it excruciatingly difficult to motivate myself to get to nornal gym classes let alone the yard. I only went last night because a horse I knew well died so was motivated to give mine a hug and see him.

It is the endless grey...combined with the wet. It is easier on non rainy days to find the motivation but still very, very difficult.
 
lynz88 said:
I have lost motivation tbh. I thought it was just me but speaking to people more generally, it feels we are all feeling similarly. Over the weekend I found it excruciatingly difficult to motivate myself to get to nornal gym classes let alone the yard. I only went last night because a horse I knew well died so was motivated to give mine a hug and see him.

It is the endless grey...combined with the wet. It is easier on non rainy days to find the motivation but still very, very difficult.
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I feel exactly the same. I do wonder if the lack of any winter sun/bright frosty days and instead the relentless grey, has led to a lot of people suffering with a touch of SAD this winter to be honest.
 
KikiDee said:
I feel exactly the same. I do wonder if the lack of any winter sun/bright frosty days and instead the relentless grey, has led to a lot of people suffering with a touch of SAD this winter to be honest.
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I get this way whenever we have excessively long grey periods even in the summer. I think it is normal
 
I share your lack of motivation, the only thing keeping me riding is the thought of Spring being round the corner when I can rehome 2 of my 3 as I cant do another winter - Ive succumbed to age & also as much as being at home is lovely its also lonely so hanging up my boots!!
 
Riding is pretty much the only thing I'm still doing! And that's because Little Madam is on full livery until she stops producing milk so she can come home (it's been nearly two months now, and she's still producing). It does mean I have easy access to a dry place to tack up and an indoor school. For everything else, it's pretty much doing the bare minimum to keep everyone alive. My house is a tip, I'm eating crap, the dogs need kicking out of the door most of the time because of the rain they don't want to go out, the foals and oldie look like they've been tared and feathered, only its mud and straw.
We had 36 hours of no rain here over the weekend and some sunshine, but now that the rain and gloom are back, and it feels even worse.
 
I’ve fallen off a cliff with riding so have moved my mare onto ridden livery until spring to take the pressure off and give me some breathing room, my mare is one that is happier when worked and kept busy, if she wasn’t she’d be having a holiday xx
 
I’m really struggling with motivation. Tired and fed up of the rain. Especially gloomy that historically March and April can be our worst months until spring seems to arrive in May…
 
I've not ridden since the start of October - weather has been way too bad, work has been hectic, main ridden horse is now retired and my main focus is getting the 3 year ready for backing later on this year.

I'm at the stage where Rabbit my 3 year old needs to go in the school and learn how to long line, but the outdoor school is currently flooded and he'd spend more time playing in the puddles, so I'm tying it over with reinforcing what he already knows which is handy in one way, but understandably he is also getting bored and has started to annoy the hell out of Baggs my retired 20 year old.....

Gotta admit that I am struggling for motivation - I consider it a win if I get everyone mucked out, haylage'd, turned out in the field for the day, feeds prepped for the evening and have a chat to someone at the yard aha!

Think this time of year is the worst for everyone, as we know the warmer days are coming, but the weather is relentless and after being optimistic for so long, it's hard to keep being optimistic x
 
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