Hi all!

[Ariadne123]

Hey everyone

I used to ride a bit when I was a kid - nothing competitive, just learned the basics and did a bit of hacking, as I enjoyed spending time with the horses. However, one of my friends was killed in a riding accident; I was completely shaken up and decided to quit (much to my family's relief; they're not at all horsey).

I've no idea what's triggered it, but more than ten years later I'm seriously considering starting again. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about it, but I've come to the conclusion that bad things can happen to anyone, anywhere, doing almost anything; it's just as likely to be crossing the road as on the back of a horse.

I think I'd be most comfortable starting at the very beginning with the basics again, since it's been a long time and I wasn't a particularly brilliant rider in the first place. Problem is I don't have any horsey friends any more, so I don't have anyone to ask for riding school recommendations or just to generally "talk horse" with - hopefully the lovely knowledgeable people on here can help me with that!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Hello Ariadne.

It must have been very distressing having a friend die in a riding accident, no wonder you stopped riding for a long time.

There are plenty of folks on here (myself included) who still ride after bad accidents. Horses are hard to get out of your system if you really love them. My surgeon was great and encouraged me to ride again, stating that I could get run over in Sainsbury's car park next week, so don't live in fear of 'what if's'.

Of course you can take decisions that will make you less likely to be injured and this is always wise. For example, always wear a riding hat, body protector/air jacket, boots with a heel etc... and choose the horses that you ride carefully. Riding at a good riding school is great place to start. If you say what area you live in, I'm sure that people on here could recommend one to you.

 

[Shady]

Hi Ariadne, welcome to the forum
good for you to get back into horses! great advice from the lovely Faracat too, i had a brain hemorrhage that left me mostly blind in one eye just after i got my first horse 4 years ago, i was a fairly novice rider too but no way was i giving up my beautiful horse and quitting, just take it slowly and carefully, use a neck strap maybe, i found going on a few western style treks helped me as i felt safe in the saddle.
Loads of fab people on here to help you and i'm sure there are some living near you . x

 

[Ariadne123]

Thank you so much, both of you. It's good to hear that other people have got into riding again after long absences and difficult experiences - I guess we can't help but get back on the horse, literally!

I'm currently based in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire; I posted in the North West forum but haven't heard anything so far. Maybe I should Google and find some riding schools nearby, then ask whether anyone uses them or knows them?

ETA - I did have a response on the other thread, I must have missed the notification, so now have a couple of options to look at. Exciting!

 

[Freyfrey]

Thank you so much, both of you. It's good to hear that other people have got into riding again after long absences and difficult experiences - I guess we can't help but get back on the horse, literally!

I'm currently based in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire; I posted in the North West forum but haven't heard anything so far. Maybe I should Google and find some riding schools nearby, then ask whether anyone uses them or knows them?

ETA - I did have a response on the other thread, I must have missed the notification, so now have a couple of options to look at. Exciting!


Hi there! There's several riding schools near you so Google is a good idea to find the best and closes one!