Good experience opportunity but nervous...

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Harliquin

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Hi,

I have recently begun horse riding again (end of January this year) and I am quite a beginner at it. But I am trying really hard as I am finally getting the chance to do what I have always wanted seeing as I have my own money now etc.

I ride a mellowed cob at the riding school who really needs pushing on but would never do anything funny or naughty, so is a real confidence giver.

But I have been given the opportunity by a friend to help out with a horse she loans. The owner broke her hip (falling off a different horse) and she can't do anything. So I can go down and muck out, help out etc. Great experience for me and I am so excited. But I also have to exercise the horse.

She is a 15.3hh cob, bit bigger than the school horse. But I expect her to be a lot stronger and a lot less used to new riders, let alone nervous ones, than the school horse.
But I don't want to pass up this opportunity. I can only walk and trot at the moment and it would be hacking out mostly with my friend.

I don't know how to deal with a new horse like that, especially as I am a new rider, but I want to do it as it would be a great opportunity. I will get a chance to have one lesson with her a week but I don't really know what to do otherwise.

Anyone have any advice for a new rider going to ride a horse that has not had a new rider? (especially as it doesn't belong to me)

Sorry for major looong post...
 
Personally I wouldn't until I felt more confident or I would at least watch someone else ride the horse first and then think about it. Horses are different but from what i've experienced riding school horses and privately owned horses can be complete opposites (i.e. privately owned will test you alot more than riding).

It sounds like a good opportunity but it have a massive impact on your confidence if it goes wrong!

It might be worth checking with your instructor on their opinion.
 
Tricky one!!! I agree with LaurenM in some respects, if you are a novice rider and the horse is not a novice ride, then you could come unstuck but having said that, can you not lunge the horse as a form of exercise?
Its great to get the experience of having to do all the feeds, mucking out an general day to day maintenance of keeping horses, you get to see the other side of it then but if it would be too much horse for you to ride then maybe riding it would not be a good idea unless you can just do schooling as that could be safer than if you were out hacking and if your friend is the other loaner then I am sure she will be able to advise you also, knowing the horse better than you do.
I had never owned/loaned till I got my own last year. I got my pony after I went to see about part-share an had a bad fall - dont let that put you off, wasnt a bad fall, just a bad land!!!
I've had terrible confidence issues since then but don't want to not ride so work through it but if my bad experience can benefit anybody else then all the good.
I am learning every day but wouldnt have it any other way
 
Is the owner of the horse ok with you riding her?
If so, I'd use it as an opportunity to really work on your position, seat etc. whilst having lessons on the lunge so you don't have to worry about control etc. until you have more experience. It's definitely a good opportunity to learn more about stable management and general care that you don't usually get to do at a riding school anyway.
 
Go and watch the horse being ridden, ensure the owner knows of your capabilities as you might find this is an excellent oppurtunity or you might think maybe its not for you, but you won't know until you chat with the owner/see the horse!
 
I agree that it's a good experience, but certainly don't rush in to anything if you don't feel ready. I would see about getting lessons on that horse, and see how you go! :D
 
As long as the horse is safe and you can start off riding it in a school to build your confidence you should be fine. I wouldn't want to just get on a strange horse and hack out no matter how good the owner said it was unless I had ridden it in a school at least twice, and I have been riding a lot longer
 
Great opportunity to learn about caring for a horse but I'd be a bit careful re the riding side. When I was at your stage I was doing sitting trot without stirrups on a rather forward going 17.2 riding school horse. Like a lot of novices in this position I gripped with my legs and before I knew it I was hurtling around the school doing canter without stirrups :) The firmer I gripped, the faster she went. She is a super horse and was only doing what I was asking her to do but I was petrified and it set me back weeks, if not months. Also taught me a lesson and I don't think I'll ever repeat that mistake!!
 
Thank you for all your advice.

I really do not want to pass up the opportunity to help out, cause I am so desperate to learn about all the other stuff that comes along with horses.

But I was more worried about the horse than myself on the riding side of it. As the horse doesn't belong to me I wouldn't want to do something wrong which could cause an accident lol. But I think I will talk to the owner, and make sure and see her ridden and maybe get on her and do some lessons with her before any hacking is involved.

Thank you again for all your advice :)
 
I tend to agree with LaurenM. A privately owned horse usually feels a lot bouncier than a riding school horse.

Would it be possible to help with the stable work with this horse and just ride once a week on the lesson? As you haven't cantered yet I think you need to learn to do this on a riding school horse and not on this loan horse. Novice riders often tense up and hang on to the reins for balance when they first start cantering and a horse that is not used to this can get very unnerved and react in a way that can be frightening for the rider.
 
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