Getting bored of riding

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lucyc

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Ok, maybe the title was a little over dramatic but its starting to get true. I absolutely love horses and riding but sadly I can't get my own, so once a week i go to a riding school and i've been there for about 8 or 9 years now. The people that own it are really nice and some of the horses are great. My only trouble is is that I am starting to find the lessons quite dull but there is no other alternative close enough for my parents to take me there, so I am a bit stuck.

I have great friends, some of which have horses and one friend especially lets me ride her horse nearly every week but i do feel guilty as it is her horse and she often lets me ride it and shel just have a quick canter or jump or something.

Sorry for having a moan but i was just wondering if anyone had any advice on what to do :/ as i really don't want to lose my love of riding :(
 
I can sympathise :( When I was younger I was in the same position for a few months but luckily the YO at the riding school kind of gave me sole charge of a little section A (that's how little I was!) and that made sure I never got bored.

Could you find a horse to share? Maybe ask the instructor if she knows of any horses that need riding or something. Sharing is probably your best option :)
 
Yes see if you can find one to share. For example my husband's son is with us alternative weekends, and another girl rides his pony on the weekends he's not here. Its good for the pony too. She helps us out a bit, and doesn't pay anything. We have known her for years though. It must be fairly common for kids to split their lives between two homes, and some must have ponies... Perhaps advertise in a local tack shop for work for rides, and see what happens..
 
The friend who lets you ride her horse most weeks - why don't you ask if she would be interested in taking you on as a sharer? She might be grateful for the help, and you could offer her money instead of spending it at the riding school. Have a chat with her, explain how you are feeling (bored with rs, love her horse, but don't want her to feel like you are taking something for nothing). See if you can come to an agreement that suits you both.

If this doesn't work out or isn't appropriate for some reason, then maybe you could have tactfully discuss the situation with your instructor at the rs. Is there a more advanced group you could join, or is there anything you could do to make your sessions more exciting? Where are you heading with your riding - what would you like to aim for? Do you want to do more hacking / jumping / learn to do some lateral work? Could you work towards taking one of the rs horses to a local show, or aim to do a progressive riding test or your BHS stage 1?

I found that as a young teenager (don't know how old you are - just that this was when I had regular rs lessons) I outgrew the advanced lessons for my age group, but the adults didn't want some kid in their jumping or dressage lessons. I had a chat with my instructor about it and she was fab! She understood my frustration and spoke to the yard manager - I started helping to school their new or young horses and ponies, and on their recommendation found rides on livery horses. In exchange I helped out around the yard on holidays and weekends. I was so worried about speaking up at the time in case everyone thought I was complaining or being ungrateful - but I'm so glad I did!
 
I am desperately keeping my eye out for share horses but being 6ft my size isnt in my favour! (oh the joys of tall parents :P ) People have suggested to me that I say something to my instructors about how I am getting bored and I have spoken to the other people in my lesson and a few of us are starting to get equally bored. We really want to say something but we are scared we will offend the instructors as it is a family run business and they are all very friendly
 
Steorra: The friend did suggest this to me and my parents were willing to give her some money in exchange for me riding the only problem was is that my parents werent willing to drive me there once a week, even though they almost already do and so that idea has sort of been forgotten about, sadly.

The riding school is starting to train people for BHS stage 1 and has asked some people if they were interested and they have asked one of my friends who rides at a similar standard to me, however I wasn't asked (which has made me doubt my riding ability, although the friend with the horse has convinced me a lot that i can ride and proved it to me by getting me to jump a 90cm dog leg :) )

They have just got a few young horses but some are ponies and more suited to my friends who are smaller leaving me riding the same horses and not being able to push myself :/
 
If your parents aren't willing to drive you every week, could you maybe offer to cycle or take the bus? This will prove your commitment to them and in reality they might be able to take you most weeks but not every week.

With regards to your instructor, I absolutely agree that upsetting her is not what you want and it wouldn't help your cause anyway. I think you can approach her without causing offence though and it will be an interesting exercise in tact and diplomacy for you ;)

Ask to speak to her when she isn't busy - not right before or right after a lesson. Go on your own - even if others in your group are unhappy too you don't want her to feel that you are ganging up, or have been moaning behind her back, so leave them out of it! Avoid using words like 'bored' and make sure it is about you and not her - say 'I love riding and want to take on a new challenge' not 'I'm bored, your lessons aren't stretching me anymore'.

If she is a good teacher she will really value your desire to learn and improve. Mention the stage 1 thing - say that you were a bit disappointed not to be included and ask what you need to do to prove you are ready. They might have any number of reasons for not asking you that have nothing to do with your riding ability: maybe they didn't realise you would be interested, or didn't want to take on too many people on their first attempt at a training programme. You should either be invited to join in, or your instructor should help you to get to the stage where you are ready to do so.

You sound like a good rider, hold on to that desire to become an even better one.
 
I probably could bike although living where i do buses are very rare with a bus passing my village once or twice a week, not ideal really but good idea :)

my friend has watched me ride at the rs a few times and she says i ride her horse better and i dont know why this is and i think it might be partly due to losing interest at the rs which is starting to annoy me hmmm....

I think i may try and have a word next week next week especially about the BHS stage one :)
 
Yes, agree with the idea of speaking to your instructor.

Think of something you'd like to do - maybe showjumping, a dressage test? - and ask her to help you work towards it. Maybe you could suggest the idea of holding a riding school competition just between you all as something to work towards, with a few rounds of SJ and mounted games and stuff. :)
 
This is probably going to upset you a bit but I think you need it! Stop being so ungrateful!

There are plenty of kids out there who would kill to have the support of parents like yours. I think you have had it too easy being driven round and dropped off.

Not many years ago when I was a teen I was banned from riding. I used to save the change from my dinner money at school and have a lesson once a fortnight. To get there I used to have to get 3 buses and it used to take over 2 hours each way.

If things come too easily for you then, yes, you will find them boring. Maybe your parents should ban you - maybe you would then learn to value what you have. It sounds to me like you are rather ungrateful...

If I have offended you then I am sorry but it really riles me when people claim to be bored - the only people who get bored are the overindulged...
 
your right i should probably be happy with what i've got and i do feel sorry for my parents having to drive me about and i would honestly much prefer to not have to rely on them as much as they are both full time teachers so spare time is rare for them but in the area i live every where seems to be at least 15 minutes away by car along narrow country lanes and so i dont feel confident enough to be able to cycle them by myself but sorry moan over... i realise i should take for granted what i have :)
 
Inky_and_Sunny said:
This is probably going to upset you a bit but I think you need it! Stop being so ungrateful!

There are plenty of kids out there who would kill to have the support of parents like yours. I think you have had it too easy being driven round and dropped off.
Click to expand...

And you (I think!) have your own horse and the OP would probably kill for that as well! ;)

OP, I feel your pain! I've ridden my whole life, and there is a very nice yard about 5 mins walk from my house (with a very nice YO who lets numpty me cruise about on her horses!) and I went there for the 5 years I've lived here.

Haven't been in aages though as my riding buddy buggered off to yorkshire and I got bored on my own/frustrated with always riding someone elses horse, never my own.
Ditto what others have said about getting a share or something or just chill.

I've not been for aaages, and I don't feel I've lost interest in riding as a whole. If I was to get my own horse or something I'd be at it again like a shot. Its a hard habit to shake!

Maybe stop lessons for a while? No point wasting money on something you find dull. There's always going to be horses around for when you start again.
 
Tinkerbee I was thinking maybe i should stop with the lessons... I have a sunday job at a trekking centre and so i can ride then and i get to ride my friends horse and if im not riding it i help her look after it. Also, if i stop riding it may be possible for me to occasionally have a riding lesson at my work (its too far for me to go twice a week for a lesson - one day to work and one for a lesson and unfortunately i cant have my lesson after work...) and so i suppose the end of the world wouldnt come and it gives me more time to study for my a-levels and i wont be missing out on that much riding really.... hmmm decisions hehe
 
Sounds to me like you would be better stopping the regular lessons and making the most of the other opportunities you have to ride as much as possible.

You coukd save your money up toward a really good lesson somewhere further away as a one off or a riding holiday or something to help you get your love of it back.
 
yeah i think that to katt as its my parents that have to fork out the £15 a week and so even though i love riding to bits and horses in general i might just stick to riding other peoples horses for now whenever i can and then hopefully in the holidays get a private lesson or something up at work :)
 
Not much else to add as I was going to say look for a share. I know how hard and irritating it is relying on lifts from other people and you can't trust drivers on country roads half the time these days to actually pass cyclists carefully. Not sure how old you are but if you are too young to be driving yet try and focus on the possibilities when you learn!
I went through the same last year. I felt like I was paying to ride, not to learn. I didn't really feel I got much from the RS lessons and there was only one lesson I could join where others were allegedly at the same ability level but it was still very mixed. So I know exactly what you mean, don't think you're being ungrateful,just understandably frustrated. If you feel you're not learning anything, I think you should just grab up any opportunities you can with other people's horses, and if the BHS exam would give you a focus and make you feel like you're learning/working towards something instead of wandering round the school aimlessly then go for it.
 
I sympathise with you, I never really enjoyed riding school and I was only there a few months. If I were you I'd try and talk to your instructor to ask about adding a little more variety/fun to your lessons, you are paying for it after all. Alternatively you could look for a sharer or someone who wants there horse ridden. Don't give up on horses, they're way too much fun to miss out on. Good luck :) xx
 
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