Have any older riders kept their nerve? How did you do it?

[catembi]

As a counterbalance to the existing post about losing nerve as we age.

Has anyone kept their nerve into their 60s and 70s? Still jumping & hacking out at speed? How did you do it, or did it just 'happen' by itself?

Owner of a new and very sane 4 yo, hoping that the initial wimpishness is just having been out of the swing of things for a bit & will pass...! Otherwise the next horse is going to be a rocking horse...

 

[Time for Tea]

Well I will be 70 this autumn. I still hack about 3 times a week, and trot, canter and occasionally gallop, sometimes over some quite rough ground. I’m not keen on jumping any more though. I don’t mind doing a really tiny log or mini ditch. I just find it unbalancing. I don’t think my balance is so good any more. I’m not frightened though, I just don’t feel that balance, strength and quick reacting coordination is quite there any more. So I am cautious. I also have an oversized and gentlemanly NF pony who is very easygoing!
My sister had a 4 year old at age 70 and she got on very well. She hacked and schooled and got someone else to do recreational jumping

 

[Time for Tea]

To add, on how to do it…..well I just don’t think about it. If I’m having a good day then it’s fine and I’m confident. I might be having a feeble day. But if I am I make sure I do my exercises and weight lifting etc so I remain in reasonable shape, ready for more activities.

 

[silv]

I am 64 and hunt twice a week sometimes, I also go for fast hacks etc. I have two safe horses and know they won't buck me off. I never really lost my nerve so to speak but certainly more careful than I was in my 30's. Lots of ladies I know say they loose their nerve after having children, but that doesn't apply to me as I have none. Heaps of people on the hunt field are my age or older, many in their mid 70's out there jumping everything! Being in your 60's doesn't exactly make you decrepit! keeping fit and active keeps you young.

 

[ycbm]

I think it really depends on how big a bucket of nerve you had as a teenager. It seems to me that the nerve runs down slowly and it's replaced in equal, or greater, measure by competence and experience, until a point where the balance tips and the loss of nerve becomes noticeable.

So I started with no fear at all as a teenager, and at 60 I backed a 3 year old and until I was nearly 66 was still teaching a horse to jump and having fast canters on a racing thoroughbred. I've stopped now because I don't own a horse any more. If I'd had a fall at 20 which had really hurt, or learnt to ride in a more H&S aware time, it might have been a very different story.

I think it's very difficult to get confidence back once you've properly lost it, but that fear of what a new horse might do fades with every successful ride. The key to that is probably not to take any risks that the ride will be unsuccessful. Slowly slowly catchee monkey when you're older or nervous.
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[cornbrodolly]

Never really had a lot of nerve - hated jumping , even when young - although I did hunt and get to the other side of ditches and hedges! O H , now 74 , backed a youngster last year, and continues to ride and compete and has retained his nerve [ although many years have passed since he evented & point to point-ed] - so I have been carried along by him! At 69 , I ride side saddle [ hip problems] and it has transformed my life. To be able to ride , even if at a 'low level' is just wonderful, and I thoroughly intend to continue until I can t physically do so. Having a trusted horse is important , and avoiding risks such as busy roads , and not thinking of the 'what ifs' . My mind set is ' I m on board a horse , and it s just marvellous'.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have kept mine but I am mindful of the slower reaction times ageing causes and that I have put my body through a lot over the years .
I am careful , give me half a chance I would be as bold as I ever was but I know now it’s up to me to look after me .
I really miss jumping and going out and about because I have a lot of other things going on in my life getting in way of time with the horses. I am just hacking atm once upon a time I would have schemed organised behind the scenes stayed up all night cleaning the house etc etc so I could free all day .
Now I know that would make me physically feel awful ,so I don’t do it I was unhappy at first but am settled to it now. I have had one two many friends who had one two many fall at about my age I am trying to avoid that .

 

[Skib]

Has anyone kept their nerve into their 60s and 70s? Still jumping & hacking out at speed? How did you do it, or did it just 'happen' by itself?

I have never jumped. So cant answer on that. Galloping is not permitted on our local riding tracks but I do canter out there alone, but only where I know it is safe and on a spook free mare with whom I guess I have a mutual undertstanding.
I didnt start riding till I was over 60. A pony ride for me was a childhood treat so I was never scared. My first year, I went for lessons twice a week at a BHS school and eventually had a hair raising canter in the school which qualified me to hack out.
There is a big difference between in school canter and canter out on the tracks. I was carefully taught to canter by my RS escorts while out hacking. We usually went up hill. I think there is a point where canter becomes a sensual pleasure.
It is not relevant that I am 84. But I dont think it happens by itself. I have managed to keep my weight at a reasonable level. I have no health problems. I wear a modern helmet and a bp. And I am on a yard where the staff look after me. And if I feel under the weather, or it is pouring with rain in winter, I just dont ride. I am a bit of a wimp really.
But I enjoy riding and that is the main thing. You cant exactly plan what makes you happy. I just learned that General Eisenhower rode in a meadow near our tracks while preparing for D day, and I plan to go overt there at first on foot and then hopefully on the mare, if I can find an escort willing.

 

[Burnerbee]

I have never jumped. So cant answer on that. Galloping is not permitted on our local riding tracks but I do canter out there alone, but only where I know it is safe and on a spook free mare with whom I guess I have a mutual undertstanding.
I didnt start riding till I was over 60. A pony ride for me was a childhood treat so I was never scared. My first year, I went for lessons twice a week at a BHS school and eventually had a hair raising canter in the school which qualified me to hack out.
There is a big difference between in school canter and canter out on the tracks. I was carefully taught to canter by my RS escorts while out hacking. We usually went up hill. I think there is a point where canter becomes a sensual pleasure.
It is not relevant that I am 84. But I dont think it happens by itself. I have managed to keep my weight at a reasonable level. I have no health problems. I wear a modern helmet and a bp. And I am on a yard where the staff look after me. And if I feel under the weather, or it is pouring with rain in winter, I just dont ride. I am a bit of a wimp really.
But I enjoy riding and that is the main thing. You cant exactly plan what makes you happy. I just learned that General Eisenhower rode in a meadow near our tracks while preparing for D day, and I plan to go overt there at first on foot and then hopefully on the mare, if I can find an escort willing.

Hello Skib, just wondering if you’re near Southwick in Hampshire (where D-day was planned). I live close by so interested to know where the meadow is.

 

[SEL]

Bravery in my youth was riding a half broken feral horse across the Namib desert (twice) or taking the no-brakes jumping pony x-country. These days I like younger people to be crash test dummies but I do pretty much everything else. Jumps are tiny but perhaps if I got on a reliable schoolmaster I'd have a go.

I do miss younger sel who got on anything. Older sel has dodgy hips and doesn't bounce. Still do fun rides, clinics, low level jumping though but there are times when I've had to give myself a talking to about just f'ing get on with it

 

[Skib]

May be it is because I was deprived of riding in my teens and while at uni. that I dont look back to my youth? And when I started work it didnt enter my head to ride as I concentrated on getting a licence for my lambretta.

Hello Skib, just wondering if you’re near Southwick in Hampshire (where D-day was planned). I live close by so interested to know where the meadow is.

No. These days I ride mostly in Richmond Park and Eisenhower lived in a house outside Kingston Gate of the Park.

I grew up in Ashtead Surrey and we had many Canadian troops quartered there, I assume ready for D day.

 

[irishdraft]

I have kept my nerve @ 64 and still bloodhound & go out on various hunt rides & hack daily , nothing I enjoy more than a good canter and jump. However I now have an over reactive mare who can also be strong to jump in groups, so I have been and continue to be very careful about what I do with her which wouldn't have been the case if I still had my previous super safe horse. Plenty of my friends are around my age and are out regularly.

 

[pistolpete]

I’m 60 now and lost my nerve almost completely on my reactive highland! Fast forward four years since he retired and I’ve ridden share horses and have my confidence back almost completely. Maybe slower reaction time myself and a little less strength and balance makes me a bit more cautious but not anxious like I was. I think it’s all down to trusting the horse for me anyway.

 

[GTRJazz]

Now 63 I am still as average as I always was, still enjoy a good Gallop and manly hack out on my own. Neary Died of a stroke last year in my sleep so blow it having fun while I still can

 

[welshcobabe]

I am 64 and enjoy my hacking out I lost my old lad two years ago and lasted 12 weeks before buying a five year old from Ireland he has turned out to be a star. He keeps my mind sane and my body reasonably fit. I don't do all the things I did when I was in my twenties but I am happy and content to do what I do now. I think that is the key cut your expectations to what you are comfortable with and try not to think about the what ifs in life.

 

[Rowreach]

Well I'm having a ball now, doing everything I want to do and loving every minute, all because I wised up and realised that I no longer needed (nor wanted) the big sport horse type that I rode all my life. I have a sane but incredibly fun and active mare, found her when she was 4 and I'm hoping she will last me until I want to give up (I don't really want to be riding when I'm too old for it to be a comfortable experience for the horse).

 

[Abacus]

I'm not quite 50 yet but definitely not as brave as I was at 15. I'm generally fine on my own horses and those I know; but I do find myself wondering more and more if it's really necessary to keep on hunting and eventing (especially after such sad news as we heard this weekend). But then, I don't really want to give up the things I enjoy, and once I'm out or on course I am ok. The right horse, I think, makes a massive difference.

 

[Ratface]

I rode from aged 2 (in a basket saddle on a wicked Shetland) until last year (77) when the M E caused me to lose most of my balance on The Orange Spooky Horror. He's always had an advanced sense of humour, but before M E struck, I didn't really care as I knew his naughty ways and could compensate for them. Long legs, long stirrup leathers and a grab handle on the pommel of the Christ Lammfelle sheepskin pad helped. I have always ridden by using weight aids and thinking what I want TOSH to do. By these means, we got on very well. Reducing pace once into canter was definitely another matter! Speed-freak ArabsRUs. One rein stops were sometimes needed when cantering in a field - even extremely hilly ones. Broke my sacroiliac joint at 21, got back on when it mended. Big youngster just backed was stung by a wasp on her neck. Reared up, lost her balance and fell backwards on top of me. Broke my right wrist at 35, slipping on some ice. Rode in a cast. Fell off TOSH when he did a massive spook at a blade of grass when we were cantering up a steep grassy hill. Managed to hang on to the reins and wasn't dragged very far. Got back on and finished the hour-long ride. Wretched horse danced and spooked the whole way. In some ways, he's like a toddler: tell him off and he does it again, twice as badly. However, if he can sense that I'm upset about anything, he's really gentle and gives me hugs, winding his neck round me very carefully. Wouldn't change him for the world!

 

[Birker2020]

I think the more you have fallen or the type of accidents you have been involved in have a huge bearing on your confidence.

I've been lucky to never have broken anything but at the same time I have received injuries that have caused me to need prescription pain killers, presumably for life.

I am more cautious than I used to be but a lot of my lack of confidence is being overweight and having poor balance as a result. When I think back to the last horse I bought before Lari (as Lari doesn't really count with my example) it was 2004 and I bought Bailey as was happy to hack out the next day on my own in surroundings I didn't know, go to a show two days later for a look around and canter across the cross country course whilst there.

The following weekend I was out competing and found myself doing a clear round with fillers and a SJ derby at 2ft 6" with a dyke, wall and irish bank!
With Lari I was happy to attempt to hack Lari on my own and go over the SJ field with a friend on foot and jump a couple of little cross poles whilst there, this was within the first five days of owning him.

Viewing horses has always made me feel very nervous but that is more because I feel I am being judged on my riding (or lack of recent riding) rather than being nervous of a new horse. Thinking back to recent times I was happy to ride Lari, walk, trot, canter, leg yield, flying change and canter over a jump.

But on the whole I guess I am more cautious as I have got older.

 

[catembi]

If anyone is interested, I did some research based on something I had come across some time ago in a completely different context. There is a chemical, dopamine, which gives us the urge to do risky things & it declines by 10% every decade. This is apparently why we get more nervous with age. I had a good root about & have ordered some supplements which increase dopamine. We will see what happens. I will report back, if anyone is interested, but happy to accept that I might be batty!

The original thing - it was a documentary from ages ago & they tested prisoners in a high security prison (might have been in the US) & found that the people who had done the worst things had the highest dopamine levels. High dopamine levels incline people to take more risk, apparently. What I took away from the documentary was that it declines with age. While I don't want to suddenly feel like committing serious crimes, I would like to be more gung ho in the saddle.

I also downloaded an ebook from Everyday Equestrian called The Rider's Guide to Managing your Inner Voice and am going to follow some of the suggestions.

I am treating the whole 'anxious' thing as a problem that can be solved. I'm also doing dr & sj lessons to try to push the boundaries & am arranging to box to a lady nearby for hacking. My 'envelope' has shrunk as I haven't had a horse consistently capable of full work since 2006 ( ! ) so it needs to be stretched again! I hadn't even cantered for ages as Trev (ancient ex racer who gets hiked out of retirement every time my 'main' horse goes wrong) can't canter, so I guess it's not surprising that I'm a bit nervy just from being out of practise!

 

[ycbm]

Mucana is a dopamine agonist widely used for Parkinsons in India and for ADHD and depression in the West. You can buy it on ebay.
.

 

[Cortez]

I have never been foolishly gung-ho, but I don't feel that I'm any less brave than I was. I'm 65, don't have a horse any more but still do occasionally heave myself up on the odd horse when required. I'm not as good a rider as I used to be though: not as strong, not as quick, so I wouldn't attempt some of the things I used to do without thinking. Common sense has served me very well over my riding career.

 

[paddy555]

I have never been foolishly gung-ho, but I don't feel that I'm any less brave than I was. I'm 65, don't have a horse any more but still do occasionally heave myself up on the odd horse when required. I'm not as good a rider as I used to be though: not as strong, not as quick, so I wouldn't attempt some of the things I used to do without thinking. Common sense has served me very well over my riding career.

I also was never foolishly gung ho. Having a dad who was terrified of horses and whose vocabulary comprised of Stoke Mandiville every other word didn't promote gung honess and I did always use commonsense.

Now at almost 70 I too am having a ball. At nearly 80 OH is no different from when he was 20 so no idea where we are going. Unfortunately I do look at pics of young horses of suitable breeds and think maybe one more. I totally lack self discipline and OH never had any in the first place.

 

[paddy555]

If anyone is interested, I did some research based on something I had come across some time ago in a completely different context. There is a chemical, dopamine, which gives us the urge to do risky things & it declines by 10% every decade. This is apparently why we get more nervous with age. I had a good root about & have ordered some supplements which increase dopamine. We will see what happens. I will report back, if anyone is interested, but happy to accept that I might be batty!

The original thing - it was a documentary from ages ago & they tested prisoners in a high security prison (might have been in the US) & found that the people who had done the worst things had the highest dopamine levels. High dopamine levels incline people to take more risk, apparently. What I took away from the documentary was that it declines with age. While I don't want to suddenly feel like committing serious crimes, I would like to be more gung ho in the saddle.

I also downloaded an ebook from Everyday Equestrian called The Rider's Guide to Managing your Inner Voice and am going to follow some of the suggestions.

I am treating the whole 'anxious' thing as a problem that can be solved. I'm also doing dr & sj lessons to try to push the boundaries & am arranging to box to a lady nearby for hacking. My 'envelope' has shrunk as I haven't had a horse consistently capable of full work since 2006 ( ! ) so it needs to be stretched again! I hadn't even cantered for ages as Trev (ancient ex racer who gets hiked out of retirement every time my 'main' horse goes wrong) can't canter, so I guess it's not surprising that I'm a bit nervy just from being out of practise!

interesting I never knew that

Mucana is a dopamine agonist widely used for Parkinsons in India and for ADHD and depression in the West. You can buy it on ebay.
.

have you tried it? does it make any difference to anything>
never heard of it before so curious.

 

[Xmasha]

A friend of mine is now in her seventies. She got her latest horse a couple of years ago , an unbacked sporty connie. She got him going and is having a blast. Her OH bought her an unbacked cob type from ireland a few months ago again she got him going too. ( sold him on)
Shes had 2 hip replacements, and struggles with arthritis in her hands, but absolutely nothing stops her. Shes a real inspiration.

 

[ycbm]

have you tried it? does it make any difference to anything>
never heard of it before so curious.

Mucana. Yes I started taking it recently because ADHD creates issues with dopamine and I wondered if it could lift my mood a bit. 6 weeks so far with a very gradual increase in sleep, so the last 2 nights I've slept almost straight through where I would normally wake several times and sometimes read for a while. I had no idea it had any effect on sleep, so it seems unlikely that was a placebo effect. I checked this morning for research and found out that it has been tested and that dopamine increasing drugs do improve sleep.

Mucana has a very long history for use with Parkinsons (which also needs dopamine) in India. Reportedly, it can help some people with depression, though when I was on an SSRI and tried it a few years back it gave me a very black mood. This time round I'm convinced enough to have reordered today.
.

 

[splashgirl45]

Losing my nerve was horse dependent , the horse I bought when I was 55 gradually wore my nerve down as she was very unpredictable and flighty , I was very confident riding on the road as she was very traffic proof but once she hit the grass she was very different. I had her for 15 years and lost her to cushings , at 70 I took on a loan horse who was an ex hunt horse and she got my nerve back a long way in the 2 years I had her, she was very forward going but as safe as you could get and I never felt worried on her

 

[paddy555]

Mucana. Yes I started taking it recently because ADHD creates issues with dopamine and I wondered if it could lift my mood a bit. 6 weeks so far with a very gradual increase in sleep, so the last 2 nights I've slept almost straight through where I would normally wake several times and sometimes read for a while. I had no idea it had any effect on sleep, so it seems unlikely that was a placebo effect. I checked this morning for research and found out that it has been tested and that dopamine increasing drugs do improve sleep.

Mucana has a very long history for use with Parkinsons (which also needs dopamine) in India. Reportedly, it can help some people with depression, though when I was on an SSRI and tried it a few years back it gave me a very black mood. This time round I'm convinced enough to have reordered today.
.

thanks for all that. Very useful to know.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I took on my first ever just-backed pony when I was 57 and she was just 4; she is a sweet girly and was always gonna be the sort that would look after her rider even back then. We've had two "falls" (if you could call them that). Nobody's fault: the first was when she was in the middle of a bog (with borrowed hoof-boots on which didn't really fit her) and she just got stuck and then toppled over; bless her she made sure she didn't fall over onto me, and even though we'd only been riding-out solo for just a few weeks - and there was a major road within yards of where this happened - she just stood there patiently instead of panicking and running off.

The second time I "fell" from her was when she was attacked by a dog last summer when we were out. She reared right up as the dog was right underneath her, and as she came down she took great care not to injure me. Bless her.

When I had this pony first, for the first few months I was mentored by the person who'd backed her. This was invaluable. We've had regular sessions on-and-off since which has been invaluable as any confidence issues with either horse or rider can then be nipped in the bud.

Nowadays, 7yrs on, we are doing stuff like having a hoon on the common occasionally which we both enjoy immensely, and hacking solo practically every day in a rural area with plenty of lorries from the haulage depot down the road and general farm traffic. We've been to one Working Equitation clinic and are going to another one in July. Having fun.

The thing with "confidence" I think is that you just have to go and do it. Its when you stop that I suspect it would be hard to do it again.