is anyone else like it ?

P

PaintboxEDT

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ive been out of riding for a while,since having my son,just wondering if anyone else is the same.

ive had horses around me all my life( we own a livery yard) then when my parents thought i was capable enough they brought me a horse,he was a bugger but safe well safe ish !! would get his tounge over the bit whilst ridding down a main road !!! jump at the invisible man in the hedge and was pretty strong !!! but at that age i was fearless and i loved him !! then i sold him,had my son,work life in general really !!
but now im looking to loan a horse for a while then buy,so here it is,now im older im not as confident well i think im not anyway !! i know i used to do it all but think that i cant now,ive been having refresher lessons and im fine but feel more sensible and aware of more dangers,does this make me a more safer rider or just a wimp ?
does anyone else feel the same or am i just worrying over nothing as i know im capable just getting older i suppose,this post probably makes no sense at all but i know what im trying to say lol
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It's perfectly normal to feel more cautious now that you are older - it happens to all of us.
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The other problem is that you've had a very long break from horses and it takes a while to get the confidence back again.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.
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It's totally normal!

I was the same as I gave up for about 2 years when Glory was PTS. When I got back into it I was so nervous and I worried about everything.
Just stick at it, I am much better now and I do everything with April that I used to, like x country, riding bareback etc
You just need to build your confidence up again
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thank you,i used to do it all with my horse sj xc showing schooling,i look after the horses down our yard for the girls when they go away ect,i think im just having a sensible sane moment !!! and that i worry to much !!
 
No that is perfectly normal! It hurts when you come off and that is always in the back of my mind! I took on a green, bolshy Welsh D as my first horse after a long long break from horses. It was not the best decision in the world as many people pointed out at the time! But because I had not had a horse since being a teenager I was full of determination which really carried me through as I had waited so many years to have my own horse again that it was da*m well going to work!!!
He was a complete g*t to be honest and tested me at every corner...I admit my riding was not up to it when I started but my determination carried me through and the rest improved because if it did not I was going to keep hitting the decks!!! So he has indirectly helped my riding no end but I have had wobbly moments in my confidence and bottle I can tell you. Trouble is I knew if I did not get back on and stick with it then that was the end...he was not the sort of horse you could move on...unless it was through a market, so I made the decision to get through everything and out the other end...which we have done thankfully!
But in a long winded explanation...it is normal to worry and very much human nature. Good luck with your quest and hope you get a nice one!
 
lol me too. I have a big show tomorrow and I feel sick thinking about it!!
But when I was in the PC I would have one every single weekend through the summer.
And if tomorrow ends up being cancelled or I can't go I will be gutted, I'm so contrary lol
 
I had 25 years out - and two children! I am more nervous now in that I wouldn't ask a 14.1 pony to jump 4'6" or gallop wildly across country I didn't know jumping anything that came in my path (he was so good! We jumped a 3' hedge into a wood and he spotted the sheep fencing 10 feet the other side and just picked up again and popped over it - we were going far too fast to stop).

But I have now done "proper" XC at 3' and I did get back into it by re-breaking a totally messed up young cob and then taking on a "dangerous" pony.

I like to think I'm safer - I don't gallop along grass verges, I'm wary of cantering a new horse on hacks, I don't hack out wearing a t-shirt and shorts and no hat or shoes with the horse in just a headcollar, I always wear a hat.

I still throughly enjoy it!
 
Perfectly normal.
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I used to event at Novice level, dressage to AdvMed, get on all the nutters. Now Im happy watching my horse compete etc with a friend, hack out and maybe pop the odd log in the wood.

I think its an age thing, a having kids thing and not being round horses for a while thing!!

You will be fine and will soon find your confidence coming back. Stick to what YOU want to do and not what you think OTHERS think you should do.
 
I used to bomb about without a care in the world, but now I am painfully aware that if I do come off, I dont bounce as I used to, and I always have the worry in the back of my mind about who is going to pick the girls up from school if I am lying in a gorse bush waiting to be rescued!
However, it doesnt stop me going out and enjoying myself, just at a more sedate pace!
 
wow this makes me feel so much better i thought it was just me.
its giving me confidence just reading this and knowing were all the same as we get older.
i hope to find my perfect partner soon but not a complete plod.
i find myself asking loads of qs to prospective horses owners then think oh no that not for me and most of them have been perfect,just me being silly as i know i can do it !! its so frustrating !!!
 
perfectly normal IMO..
Years ago I'd get on anything and had flighty arabs...then had a break to have children and when I got back into it things were different. I now have big fat hairy cobs..the quieter the better as far as I'm concerned.
I think having children makes you consider the possiblity of hurting yourself whereas before it never crossed my mind. Now if I hurt myself it impacts on my family. It also hurts alot more now as I tend to thud when I hit the ground instead of bounce....
 
I had a 15 year break from horses and used to be pretty fearless, I'd get on any nutty horse, hare around the countryside and jump anything my horse was capable of. I'm 32 now and bought my ned last year and I have to say I'm nowhere near as confident as I used to be. Falling off is a big worry of mine as I can't afford to be off work having a family to support!

That said, since I bought my horse, I'm getting there (hes an angel) and although we've had ups and downs, the ups are more than worth it!

My friend and I have noticed that the people who have had horses all their lives don't seem to have "the fear" that those of us who have had a break or are late starters have.

I can honestly say Im so glad I bought my horse, its been the best year ever and I love him to bits. Its so nice having a hobby thats just for me after being a struggling single mum for ages! I wouldnt change a thing!

Get back in the saddle and take things at your own pace, you won't regret it!
 
yes i will thank you,iam a single mum and my 30th is coming up sooner than i would like !!!
so yeh thats my concern above all working and supporting my son and it hurting more lol lol
 
It's self-preservation and only kicks-in when you get beyond your teens.

We don't bounce as well and the sub-concious mind knows this, so we fear having a fall that much more!

Work on building a really secure seat - lunge lessons and work without stirrups which will help you stay on and give you confidence. Make sure you are accident insured too!
 
ah yes good idea i think i will,been doing alot of work without stirrups in the lessons,i do use my seat quite well,it is just the fear !!! thats why i will only be getting a horse between 15 and 15,3 for now then eventually go bigger or maybe not it depends on the horse really.
i just nice to know were not all super human !!!
just thought i was the only wimp !!
thanks to you all for helping me
 
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