Oldernewbie
Well-Known Member
As the title suggests I am interested in other riders opinions or experiences on how good/proficient a horse rider I can realistically expect to become. I am struggling to judge whether I need to push myself significantly harder or to accept I will only ever be able to ride lower level beginnerss type horses.
For context I started riding in spring 2018 as a mid fourties unfit person who had previously only ridden as a child/ teen but had never owned/competed or learnt riding properly as a sport (more ‘hacks’ and riding in groups around a school).
Eventually found myself with the time and finances last year to devote to persuing my long held dream of riding ‘properly’ and potentially owning my own horse.
I have been having a private 45 mins lesson once or twice each week for about 9 months now and in the last month or so finally feel I am starting to understand how to ‘put things together’ eg be able to bring various aspects of what I have been taught together but still finding it hard to keep my mount listening and moving forward with reasonable energy. My OH took some video of me riding last week and 8 was shocked at how disorganised and ‘flappy’ my riding was!!
I should say that I have had what I believe to be excellent supportive tutition from a number of the instructors and I have faith that they are teaching well however whilst I am progressing it seems painfully slow and its just that I am unfit and finding to difficult to apply the teaching as much as I personally would like!! I also have the opportunity to ride one horse on a weekly basis independently at the school and I really struggle to implement all the great teaching when I am on my own.
So I am just wondering what other people feel would be a reasonable riding level for me to aim for? I am not competitive but would like to feel I could eventually be considered a reasonable independent rider and I had intially set myself a goal of doing so within two years but I am really not sure!!
For context I started riding in spring 2018 as a mid fourties unfit person who had previously only ridden as a child/ teen but had never owned/competed or learnt riding properly as a sport (more ‘hacks’ and riding in groups around a school).
Eventually found myself with the time and finances last year to devote to persuing my long held dream of riding ‘properly’ and potentially owning my own horse.
I have been having a private 45 mins lesson once or twice each week for about 9 months now and in the last month or so finally feel I am starting to understand how to ‘put things together’ eg be able to bring various aspects of what I have been taught together but still finding it hard to keep my mount listening and moving forward with reasonable energy. My OH took some video of me riding last week and 8 was shocked at how disorganised and ‘flappy’ my riding was!!
I should say that I have had what I believe to be excellent supportive tutition from a number of the instructors and I have faith that they are teaching well however whilst I am progressing it seems painfully slow and its just that I am unfit and finding to difficult to apply the teaching as much as I personally would like!! I also have the opportunity to ride one horse on a weekly basis independently at the school and I really struggle to implement all the great teaching when I am on my own.
So I am just wondering what other people feel would be a reasonable riding level for me to aim for? I am not competitive but would like to feel I could eventually be considered a reasonable independent rider and I had intially set myself a goal of doing so within two years but I am really not sure!!