I'm I the only one who doesn't ride?

RuthM

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Just wondering if there are any others on here that don't ride? Also how come and how do they feel being on here?

I stopped riding about 5 years ago. Stopping was a slow process that spanned about a decade. I went from riding 5 or so challenging horses per day to doing that at weekends and having my own during the week. Then I sold the last horse and it was weekends. I understood, could feel and genuinely grasped that riding less reduced my ability. Not having the benefit of scorching talent, just being someone that worked hard at it, my ability had always been tied to the doing and as the doing reduced so did ability.

Five years down the track and, introducing my daughter to horses I am back thinking and reading here, back somewhere I haven't been except as a visitor for a long time. "I don't ride anymore" has flowed off my tongue so easily and so often it doesn't make me feel anything - it's just a simple statement of fact. Recently I've asked myself what would I do if someone asked me to sit on a horse, or if I knew a fix for someone would I want a sit to feel first if it was right? What would my riding be like now?

I have zero interest in hiring hacks, none whatsoever in lessons on hirelings, (not lack of interest being taught, if ever I rode that would always be a top interest - always was). I will not be able to afford to buy for at least another 2 years, but that's half irrelevant as I've never paid to ride, never felt I should have the right to without the skill which makes riding for free or getting paid easy.

I'm like a non drinking alcoholic getting wafts of beer. I sense a wanting but still respect my original decision to stop rather than witness more fading because I loved it, real, hardcore, passionate love. I PTS my riding, put it out it's suffering! Still, I smell the beer and wonder if with a little dusting off a pleasure could be found outside of jobbing riding, I have to this point ruled out ever hobby riding but... (that's the waft of beer).
 

Flame_

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Well I do ride, but thought I'd answer anyway. IIWY, I'd start saving a bit and see how you feel about buying in a few years, by which time you'll have the money to go ahead if it is what you want to do.

Also I'd look at local adverts for people wanting help. Maybe exercising a spare horse? Often all the responses people get to those ads are muppets so someone like you, even if you're a bit rusty :D , would probably be exactly what someone's looking for and it would help you find out if you want to get back to horses.
 

debsg

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What's wrong with hobby riding??
I am 53, used to work as an AI and also with International show jumpers, then gave up for years as my children were born and grew up. Now I'm back! I shared a lovely cob, taught my daughter to ride on her, bought her, then rescued a TB mare who turned out to be in foal. Had the foal, mare was later pts. Foal now 5, started her myself. LLast week took delivery of an advanced endurance mare and I have started low level endurance and pleasure rides. I'm having more fun than ever before and no pressure!
 

RuthM

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It's not about right and wrong, without hobby riding the horseworld would grind to a halt!

I invested everything for decades in one way, to give every ounce in order to keep learning because with each step better rides were open to me. I would either have hated that reality, muck up you lose your rides, or grow to love it the way I did.

Right now there's no way I'd actively look to ride, for loads of reasons some very unglamorous such as pride I should have dumped years ago. I don't even know what I'd want if I could have anything on a plate, all I know is that I think about it again.
 

dingle12

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I dont ride anymore, have no interest in it. I did a hell of alot when i was younger as in on one off one then on another every day all in full fitness work. It killed me really and i lost the enjoy part of it.

I now just enjoy the looking after them and competition side of it.
 

RuthM

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I dont ride anymore, have no interest in it. I did a hell of alot when i was younger as in on one off one then on another every day all in full fitness work. It killed me really and i lost the enjoy part of it.

I now just enjoy the looking after them and competition side of it.

YAY!! Love that I'm not alone! And I totally get that. When I go to see friends I love mucking out (nearly wrote that in horse-ish, ie ... shovelling!). I still watch, chat and am eager to begin to trade a little labour for my offspring's rides. I know what you mean re the enjoy part, for me it was work, obsession, one hell of a lot but it was that way from the get go so I never grieved a lack of anything else and I'm not sure if it wasn't that challenge I loved anyway (it kind of must have been really).
 

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I do not ride and have never riden a horse in my life but I have riden a donkey on a beach in my younger days (over 50 years ago) if that counts :D

I like horses and enjoy some of the videos on here

My primary reason for being on this site is to inform on certain driving issues (motorised)
The other reason is that being male I enjoy the soapbox forum where you ladies talk aboout things us males are rarely priveledged to hear !!
Now that is an eye opener :D:D
 

carci

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Well I do ride, but thought I'd answer anyway.:)
g.gif
 

Sarah_K

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Well, for the first time in 34 years I am horseless. My old mare had to be pts in April although she hadn't been ridden in 6 years due to injury. I didn't have space for two, however my sister bought a pony a couple of months ago and now I'm sort of raring to go. Thing is, with my old mare I loved competing, rode everyday- sometimes rode 3 (my own and both my sisters comp horses). Life kind of got in the way for all of us. We've gone from being competition mad to either not interested or just wanting to hack and school.

Not even sure I'll remember how to ride properly. If only it was like getting back on a bike after a few years! Think i'll need a decent amount of instruction before I take the plunge!
 

Orson Cart

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I don't ride anymore. Up until about 5 months ago I was riding weekly at the local stables ... but I gave it up so that my riding lesson money could go towards livery costs for my daughters mini shetland! I do miss the riding, but I still get my horsey time with my daughter and her little pony.

THe sacrifices we make for our children, eh!
 

Kirwil

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I used to ride lots, until I left the equestrian school I was at 8 years ago :( Then I didn't ride at all for years because I couldn't afford to buy my own/share/lessons. Then last year my mum bought ponies for my brother and I got to ride one of those, just making sure they were safe and responded well to voice commands and lots of hacking. Then for some reason I started eating. Lots. So now I'm too heavy to ride (they're 11.2 Welsh A's) but I love grooming and mucking out and taking them out to lunge or lead rein or if an older child comes to ride them just make sure they're safe and suggest things they might want to try. I really would like to ride again but I still can't afford my own and my mum doesn't believe me that my 5 year old brother with aspergers needs a 14.2 right now :D
 

Montyforever

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I don't ride, I went for a riding lesson aged 10, got on and just felt sick/dizzy etc so got off tried another riding school but got myself so worked up i couldn't get on. Decided as YM offered to work on the yard at weekends to get to know the horses for a while before I tried again and i worked on them for 4 years and still didn't get on but realised I liked being around horses and doing ground work so got a welsh sec a on loan to do longreining/lunging/inhand hacks with and loved it. Unfortunately he was taken back so I bought two mares again to do groundwork with and just before I bought the second mare I was offered the chance to get on a friends very safe but huge ISH so i did, took me ages to get on and then felt sick/dizzy so I stayed up there until I felt better and then got off. Glad I did it but my non rideable ponies are going nowhere and I can't afford a horse to ride on loan even so will be a while until I start again! But also found out I love driving!! :D so when I've saved up enough I will have my nice safe ride/drive horse :) but it's been 8 years since I got involved with horses now and I really can't see myself without them. People think I'm strange but nevermind :rolleyes:
 

micramadam

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No I don't much either even though we have 4, 3 of which can all be ridden.
There are various reasons for this and to be quite honest much of it is psycological. :(
My daughter rides 2 of the 3 and as she is training them for affiliated dressage and I am a Happy Hacker. I don't ride these as I don't want to undo her hard work. Poor excuse I know as I don't think I'm that bad a rider once I get back into the flow.
My confidence is at an all time low as it has been trashed by some ignorant Dutch riders who have the idea that if you don't do dressage you can't ride properly.:mad:(Have since moved to another livery yard with other Happy Hackers.
I could ride the Fjord as he is a real Schoolmaster and gentlemen and ideal to get my confidence back. My excuse for not doing this - the girl who looks after him for us would not be able to ride if she came to ride on the same day.
Another excuse I'm too knackered after working full time and too busy.

I love looking after them and running my daughter all over the country for competitions, lessons and clinics and basically just spending time with them.
I would love to be able to jump and used to with 1 of them but getting older (nearer 50 than 40) has brought home the fact that falling off hurts and usually results in injuries which means I'm scared - plain and simple.
When I do ride, I think 'I have missed this, must ride more often'.

Think I need some counselling/encouragment and a damn good instructor to help give me my confidence back.
 

RuthM

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I think there's some psychological aspect with me also. I did love riding at the hard end but when I think of that life I know flat I wouldn't want to do it as a single Mum with a kid who does need me.
 

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I rode professionally for 25 years +, then went off and did other things for 4 - 5 years and didn't ride at all, then started riding again (professionally) and still do at 53, but in a much less pressurised way than when I was competing and training full time. Am I as good a rider as when I was in my 20's and 30's? No, but I'm good enough. I don't enjoy it as much, don't have that burning passion for it any more and have to make myself go and train, but I'm still proud of the job the horses and I do.
 

assandun

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First ever post from a long time lurker, please be gentle!
Despite being interested in horses from a very young age, I have never ridden. It used to be due to family finances, now its more me being nervous to start as I feel like im too old to start (I'm 21! and know it's silly to feel that way).
Hoping that one day I will get over my fears, book some lessons and just do it but in the meantime I am happy to be learning so much through this forum :)
 

RuthM

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assandun, I'm really glad you posted. It's the second first post on the thread - makes me wish I'd threaded it sooner! :D

21 sounds young to me, I'm 41! I really hope you give it a go, for all I've stopped I would chew off both arms rather than lose the memories! It's one of those things in life that are so worth it.
 

mirage

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I don't ride,I used to as a child,then had a few lessons in my late 20's and never bothered again after that.However both my girls are very keen riders so we bought knobberpony last year and collect pony number two today.:)

I love looking after them and being around them,and love watching the fun the girls have,I'd be lost without having ponies to 'do'.People have said that I've taken to the horsey life like a duck to water.

I have ridden knobberpony a few times,when my daughter was away and hacked her out-it was the first time I'd ridden on the road for 34 years.:eek:I did enjoy it but have no burning desire to have a horse of my own.When the girls outgrow knobberpony,if she is still fit I'll toddle around on her,if not she'll retire in the field either way she'll have a home for life with us.
 

Kat

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First ever post from a long time lurker, please be gentle!
Despite being interested in horses from a very young age, I have never ridden. It used to be due to family finances, now its more me being nervous to start as I feel like im too old to start (I'm 21! and know it's silly to feel that way).
Hoping that one day I will get over my fears, book some lessons and just do it but in the meantime I am happy to be learning so much through this forum :)

Do it! You really aren't too old! My OH started riding at 26, he is still riding aged 38 and last year we bought our first horse together. You really are not too old, people much older than you start riding all the time, beginners lessons are not full of children, just ask around riding schools until you find one that has dedicated classes for adult novices, or book private lessons until you have mastered the basics and can fit in with an adult group.

The riding school where my horse is kept do adult taster sessions for £10 on a private basis so that you can see how you feel first time. :)

Please take the plunge, if it is something you have always wanted to do, do not let your age put you off.
 

NoseyPosey

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I'm very much a fair weather rider & only seem to ride about once a month at the moment. If something doesn't seem right eg. the horses are a bit jittery then I won't go out. I do know people who will go out absolutely every single day and will push horses to do what they want but for me it's got to be enjoyable for both rider & horse. I get more enjoyment on the ground around horses really.
 

planete

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A long, long time ago I used to work with horses and actually get paid for riding too. I know what you mean about ability decreasing with lack of practice.

I kept my hand in by breaking and schooling my own horses for years. Then I had to stop riding for 18 months for health reasons and I can only manage 20 minutes two or three times a week now. I have found that my lack of physical ability has made me a more 'thinking rider'. If you cannot use any strength you have to find other ways to communicate with your horse and get cooperation from him. That is now what keeps me interested. I ride my own horse which I broke 10 years ago so we already know each other well which helps. My challenges would be laughable to an onlooker but mean a lot to me: a downward transition not using the bit at all, a circle with no inside rein, a horse who will come up to me to be caught when he knows he is going to be ridden. As I have got older you could say riding has become more of a mind game and less of a physical game. I think you should try it, there is a lot more to riding than physical achievement or competing. And I can guarantee it is just as addictive. It is however not a sociable or look at me occupation. It is just me and my horse.
 

ghostie

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I had the best part of ten years off - had periods of lessons within that time, but must have been at least five years straight where I didn't so much as touch a horse. If you'd asked me during that time would I ever ride again, my answer would have been no - even though I still loved horses I felt I'd moved on.

Then one day just after Christmas I sat at work and thought, 'I'm ready to ride again' - 6 weeks later I bought my boy. Bit of a shock to the system, but it all came flooding back to me and it's the best thing I ever did :D

Based on this I would say never say never - horses get under your skin and even if you think you'll never return, chances are you'll end up back in the saddle when you're ready :)
 

Burnttoast

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I stopped riding about 5 years ago. Stopping was a slow process that spanned about a decade. I went from riding 5 or so challenging horses per day to doing that at weekends and having my own during the week. Then I sold the last horse and it was weekends. I understood, could feel and genuinely grasped that riding less reduced my ability. Not having the benefit of scorching talent, just being someone that worked hard at it, my ability had always been tied to the doing and as the doing reduced so did ability.

I'm in the process (of stopping, that is). Much like you (tho less competent, I suspect!) I was paid to ride for several years, but 10 years at uni without riding left me terribly unfit and rusty. I have got back some of my feel but little of my fitness in the years after uni, but I've only ever ridden 3-4 times a week max, not the 3-4 a day it used to be. Because I don't own, as well, I feel disempowered in this aspect of my life. I only want to improve again (I've recently done several years of not much more than hacking and, rightly or wrongly, I now find it almost frustrating), but it's really not possible with time and family and finances the way they are, so I'm now considering how best I should handle disengaging - completely, throwing myself into something else, or still helping out a bit with my current share, still doing a bit of clipping, that kind of thing. Still makes me cry thinking about it tho :(

First ever post from a long time lurker, please be gentle!
Despite being interested in horses from a very young age, I have never ridden. It used to be due to family finances, now its more me being nervous to start as I feel like im too old to start (I'm 21! and know it's silly to feel that way).
Hoping that one day I will get over my fears, book some lessons and just do it but in the meantime I am happy to be learning so much through this forum :)

My friend started in her 40s. You really aren't too old, and the sooner you start, the more years of being physically competent you will have ;) Find a RS with a good reputation, visit, and if you like the feel of the place and the people book a private half hour and see where it takes you :)
 

noodle_

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i hardly ride mine due to her ulcers/colic - for quite awhile now...shes going to live out for a minimum of 12 months and in the meantime, i am buying another youngster (so cannot ride for another 2 years)

but you know what - i dont mind... i like being around my horses, because they are mine - i can pat them when i want, bursh them and do loads of groundwork with them (i enjoy that more than riding)...

so OP i dont ride for now - will do in a couple of years but theres nothing wrong with just being "around" horses :)

(2 years ago i would have disagreed with what ive just said!)
 

Dry Rot

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I don't ride either due to senility (20 years older than the oldest here so far:(), but there's a lot I can do from the ground. I enjoying bringing on youngsters, especially seeing them go on to do well for talented young people.

The last time I rode was in Ireland about thirty years ago when they stuck me on a 17.2HH ID and getting off in one piece was a challenge in itself (I think they thought I'd escape if they put me on anything smaller!). The fringe benefit was that he didn't jumped, he just sedately stepped over his fences!:D

As one of my contemporaries said, "At our age, we don't break, we shatter!" But I suppose, since I finished getting in my hay at 1am today, I'm not doing too badly. But I've always enjoyed training and understanding how the mind of a horse works.
 

KellyJoArnold

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I don't ride anymore :)
Hoping to get back into it in a few months/years time..
I just enjoy here because i love the equestrian world, and reading about peoples stories and experiances with horses is always intresting..



AND. i love droolingg at all the pretty horses they own ;) hehehe x
 
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