Hello everyone!

[JonM1978]

Hi, My name is Jon and I live in Sussex. I'm a rank beginner taking lessons (currently at the start end of the walk, trot, canter phase), so am looking to pinch all of your knowledge and experience! and of course make some horsey friends.

I'd like to get to a competent stage as soon as I can manage on a lesson per week, and get to the stage where I can share / loan a horse, which I guess will be some time down the line...

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Welcome to the forum I've known people who try hard and are brave and have a good instructor to become competent novices within 6mths to a year. So maybe not as long as you think.

It may take a lot longer if you're having group lessons, are at a rubbish riding school (as a novice its unlikely you'd be able to tell!), lack confidence or are nervous, or have previously done no exercise. My neice does gymnastics and its given her good balance. I think cyclists do well too because they have strong legs which stabilises their riding position.

If you want to get a share horse some stable management experience is good too. Sometimes riding schools do lessons in it, or have a riding club attached where you may be able to get lessons if you join. BHS do "horse owners certificates" exams too which is just theory.

 

[NeilM]

Another bloke on a horse, cool!

Once you have progressed to the stage where you are 'riding' the horse, rather than just kind of sitting there are reacting to what is going on, then you can really start to progress.

My situation was different, I learned to ride thirty years ago at an old fashioned riding school. Looking back, I am not sure how much I was riding, and how much I was balancing competently, although I was allowed out on small group hacks where we used to canter like mad things through the local woods. Anyway, I took a twenty five year break to do other things, and came back to horses about six years ago when I started to hack out with my wife and on my own.

This is when I realised that previously I wasn't really 'riding' more guiding my horse, hence my emphasis on the word riding.

One thing I would say, especially to a male rider, is that there are a lot of really nice people in the world of horses, but unfortunately there are some truly horrible people about as well, so when you feel you are at the stage of taking on a loan, go VERY gently, with your eyes wide open and with a BHS loan agreement in your back pocket.

Welcome to the wonderful world of horses, I wish I had realised what I was missing thirty years ago.

 

[JonM1978]

Thanks Sugar, thanks Neil; hello!
I'm enjoying it and seem to be progressing, so we'll see. Neil, thanks for the advice on loaning; I guess you mean people willing to loan an unsuitable horse to a new rider?

 

[NeilM]

I guess you mean people willing to loan an unsuitable horse to a new rider?

Yes, that and as many different variations of removing money from you while not delivering on the contract as you can think of.

I don't speak from experience, I am lucky enough to have my own New Forests pony, but I have seen and heard of so many examples of riders being taken advantage of. That said, I also know two or three long term loaners, who have wonderful horses owned by honest, caring people who love horses, but don't ride, so they are out there.

Also, when you do take on a loan, don't over horse yourself. I am 6'1" and I have a 14.2hh New Forest pony (not so far to fall). He and I have covered thousands of miles, hacking, on fun rides, jumping etc. I also exercise a 16.1hh Anglo Arab who I adore, but who is the jumpiest, spookiest, silliest ar$e you can imagine, mostly because he has been out on loan three times to nice people, who soon found him too much and therefore became scared of him, which in turn made him scared of... just about anything. We will get him going properly, so no worries there, but the work I'm doing is only necessary because people, who were good competent riders, bit off more than they could chew.

Sorry, I'm getting a bit preachy, but it is a pet hate of mine.

 

[Princess Rosie]

Welcome to the forum and welcome to the horseyworld, it's a costly world to live in but worth every penny! There's a lot of very good books out there and also a lot of very good videos on you tube (there's also a lot of rubbish) that can help. NeilM's post is excellent, a lot of people can over horse themselves and I admire NeilM for not being conventional and opting for a 14.2hh pony, you can gain a lot of confidence from a smaller horse/pony (obviously riders weight can mean this isn't always possible). I've been riding for 37yrs and following a very bad accident a couple of years ago I've now got a 15hh mare and it's fun being closer to the ground again, reminds me of my teenage years. Best of luck with your riding and soak as much info as you can to help get some experience under your belt.

 

[JonM1978]

Thankyou very much Neil and Rosie, that sounds like good advice. No lessons for 3 weeks now, as neither of my schools can give me a lesson today and I can't do the next two! :-( I don't like leaving things for that long as you can lose your touch at the beginner's level. I do make notes after each lesson however, so I can read those to keep things in my mind.

 

[Claire-R]

I like the whole man on a horse thing! It's unheard of down in cornwall (Well I haven't seen many)

Hello Jon, welcome

 

[JonM1978]

Thankyou very much Neil and Rosie, that sounds like good advice. No lessons for 3 weeks now, as neither of my schools can give me a lesson today and I can't do the next two! :-( I don't like leaving things for that long as you can lose your touch at the beginner's level. I do make notes after each lesson however, so I can read those to keep things a little bit fresher in my mind...

 

[NeilM]

It's unheard of down in cornwall

It's pretty unheard of up here in North Somerset, although there are a couple of other male riders in the immediate area where I ride.

I also ride in West Somerset, and in five years riding down there I have only seen one other man on a horse, and he was with the local hunt.

Jon, don't worry about missing a couple of weeks riding, aggravating though it is, it really will not make too much impact.

I've been riding 'properly' for the past six years, and I think I'm just about getting to grips with the basics now.

 

[Claire-R]

I saw one bloke on a horse. We were on the great flat load mining trail and he came galloping towards us in a shirt and tie with no hat on? It was like something out of a fairy tale (he was quite handsome)

 

[JonM1978]

P.S. I'm learning on a Cob, like most other people I suppose. He (Puzzle) is quite well behaved, well, most of the time!

 

[JonM1978]

Thanks Claire!

 

[JFTDWS]

Welcome! Good luck with your riding aspirations

 

[Exem]

Hi

I'd like to join this discussion as I'm male and a rank beginner.

I also fit into the 'mature' category - I'm semi-retired. Thought I'd start riding to keep fit for skiing and other activities. And you have to spend your state pension on something.

Have been riding for 10 weeks, with two lessons a week at the moment, on a very steady 16hh mare. The riding school is friendly and efficient.

I've had no previous experience of equine matters - there's so much to learn!

Geoff

 

[NeilM]

Hi Geoff and welcome to a wonderful minority sport

Since the Olympics a few years ago, there has been an explosion of interest in cycling (my other pastime), and hence the MAMIL (middle aged men in Lycra), I am still waiting for the concept of the MAMIJ (middle aged men in Jods) to catch on. I'm not holding my breath!

As was said long ago, there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.

 

[brucethegypsycob]

I guess it's because all the men are riding down here in west wales. Lol

 

[Tikimouse]

I got back into riding after a 13 year break. My fortnightly lessons turned into weekly lessons. 6 months later I got a share pony 3 days a week and then a full loan 2 months after that. My full loan pony was a massive reality check and in my head I started to 'learn to ride' from scratch. Nearly had him a year now and we've gone from supervised walks and trots in the school to hacking alone, pony camps, had a go at xc schooling and even got our first rosette for a clear round in the summer! I have done everything not to text book and just 'had a go'. Over winter I am now planning on having lessons on him so we can do everything properly rather than just holding on and hoping for the best! So what I'm saying is that you'll be on your own whether owning or loaning in no time! It just sort of happens and nothing you can do to stop it!