Getting back into riding

[Clannad48]

Due to sad circumstances our 'old' pony that was out on permanent loan comes home today. I say old - she is only 24, but has been in the same home for 8 years as an occasional happy hacker. Now, I'm the wrong side of 60 and haven't really ridden for over 10 years following a bad fall which resulted in a fractured skull and cracked shoulder. My 23yr old daughter will continue to ride her horse but is encouraging me to take up riding again on the pony (14.3 Welsh D mare), so we can go on hacks together. I used to ride in my younger years to a good level but have not really done any serious competition stuff for the last 30, and nothing at all for the last 10. I know that this is going to sound foolish but I am worried about falling off again, irrational I know, but at my age I don't bounce anymore, I break. I suppose I really need someone to tell me to put my 'brave' pants on and get on with it. Any useful suggestions please.

 

[Deltaflyer]

I gave up for 6 years and started again at the age of 53, within six months I bought another horse. I'm now 55 and have fallen off several times, I SJ and do hunter trials, I've been on several sponsored rides. I was worried about falling off and survived with very little problems surprisingly. I was expecting at best to be stiff and sore for a couple of days, I was fine. In fact, since I started riding again the worst injury I've incurred so far did not involve falling off.

I do understand your trepidation since you stopped riding because of injury due to a fall. Do you have any RS near by, the one attached to the yard where I keep my boy has a mechanical horse which can be used for assessing and training, but also rehab. That would help you get some 'riding' muscles back. Maybe even start off on RS horses until you do get some 'riding fitness' back which would mean you should become more supple and hopefully, less worried. I started at the RS before I bought my boy as after just six years I was horrendously stiff and unfit when I started up again. It also made me realise how much I 'needed' to have my own horse again LOL.

Don't forget, John Whitaker's 60ish and many top competitive riders at the moment aren't spring chickens.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.

 

[Broc]

I am in a similar position, the wrong side of 50, was too nervous to ride so I started driving instead, I now feel able to ride so have sent my riding pony to be schooled for 2 weeks, then I am hopefully going to be brave enough. I think that once you are on board the nerves go, the thought is worse than the actual doing.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I can reccomend having a few sessions on a mechanical horse before getting back on a real one. I did this as part of my rehab from a broken ankle, in my 50s, and it really helped me to get my riding muscles working again.
If you haven't ridden for 10 yrs you are bound to have lost muscle-tone. Will your pony lunge quietly with a rider? If so, that would be my next step after the mechanical horse.

 

[Clannad48]

Ok so the pony is now back home, I had forgotten how small she really is (have been used to the daughter's 17h DWB) we are going to take it slowly as we want to make sure she is fit, and my daughter has decided that maybe I should restart my riding on her DWB (gulp - it's a bloody long way down), but I think she is just joking The pony is a total schoolmistress and I know she will take care of me - I will see about riding a mechanical horse - but will go on my own - as I fear any video will end up on Facebook or You've Been Framed