New to Forum and as a rider soon

[Grajo]

Hello to all the readers ....

Let's me introduce myself. My name is Graham and I live in Portsmouth. I am am adult, old enough to be your father (to most readers lol). I have only sat on a horse once. That was 5 years ago in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a Polo Experience Day. I enjoyed very much. Ever since, I have been thinking about riding horses again lol. Took me time. I am an avid horse racing, including breeding side of racehorses.

Anyway, I am going for an assessment interview on Tuesday at Fort Widley Equestrian centre which is the nearest to my home. Not only to have riding lessons but also for BHS Stable Management.

I am profoundly deaf (without hearing aids) and I hope I can understand what the instructors will show me. That's worries me mostly. Looking forward to be on this forum as long as I can

 

[Baywonder]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I hope your assessment day goes well for you. If you feel there are things they could do to help you as a hearing impaired rider, do tell them. For example, I helped out briefly at an RDA centre, and the letters in the school had the BSL sign on them too, and the instructors knew the basic signs. Something as simple as this helped the riders a great deal.

Please let us know how you get on! ?

 

[ycbm]

Graham I used to ride at Fort Widley in the late seventies, I'm amazed it's still there! I doubt very much you're old enough to be my father ?

Have fun. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Grajo]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I hope your assessment day goes well for you. If you feel there are things they could do to help you as a hearing impaired rider, do tell them. For example, I helped out briefly at an RDA centre, and the letters in the school had the BSL sign on them too, and the instructors knew the basic signs. Something as simple as this helped the riders a great deal.

Please let us know how you get on! ?

Thank you. I'll let you know how the assessment go

 

[Grajo]

Graham I used to ride at Fort Widley in the late seventies, I'm amazed it's still there! I doubt very much you're old enough to be my father ?

Have fun. Welcome to the forum.

What a small world Thought the majority of readers here are teen girls or early 20s lol

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Rumtytum]

Welcome Graham! Wishing you a successful day at Fort Widley.
I’m probably old enough to be your mother?

 

[Red-1]

Crikey, I am retired (albeit early retirement) and there are plenty on here who are old enough to be my parent, so I doubt you will be the oldest. I guess riding and horses keeps you young on the inside (but broken and skint ).

Enjoy the ride. If they are worth their salt, they will find a way to communicate without difficulty.

When I have taught hearing impaired riders, we usually had an agreement that they would come to me, we had a discussion, they went and did what they thought and came back, for another discussion. Better than trying to shout across the arena, where the noise is distorted. A small adaptation to give your hearing aids the best chance to work.

I would also do more 'hands on' explanation re position etc, with permission, of course. Also jump on to demonstrate rather than explain. Sometimes that would involve a mounting block and swapping, good for the mounting practice, if a little annoying after a while. Once I knew the rider was somewhat in control I would bring a horse onto the arena for myself, to demo with, also meant I could ride alongside and be heard when in action.

If you can use an earpiece, plenty of people use a radio mic now, or if the trainer has limitless minutes, you can use a mobile phone and ear piece.

Welcome Graham, and it was nice to see writing big enough that I didn't have to expand the screen

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Welcome to the forum Graham, you may be surprised at the wide age range we have on here. I hope your assessment goes really well.

I agree, the size of the text was brilliant, especially for my tired early morning eyes ?.

 

[Skib]

Husband and I both love watching polo and both started to ride in our 60s.
Assessment sounds too formidable. A first lesson can go any way and it shouldnt decide anything for you.
Learning to ride takes time. OH called it saddle time. Ride for an hour a week, or twice a week if you can afford it and after 2 years you will be able to ride walk trot and canter. If it is hard in the school, think of hacking too.
If you dont get on with a teacher or a horse, change and shop around.
I am have now been riding for 20 years. I hope you too have a long and lovely riding future.
Many UK polo clubs offer polo experience days but my feeling is that you would enjoy that more if you had some regular lessons first.

 

[Grajo]

Husband and I both love watching polo and both started to ride in our 60s.
Assessment sounds too formidable. A first lesson can go any way and it shouldn't decide anything for you.
Learning to ride takes time. OH called it saddle time. Ride for an hour a week, or twice a week if you can afford it and after 2 years you will be able to ride walk trot and canter. If it is hard in the school, think of hacking too.
If you dont get on with a teacher or a horse, change and shop around.
I am have now been riding for 20 years. I hope you too have a long and lovely riding future.
Many UK polo clubs offer polo experience days but my feeling is that you would enjoy that more if you had some regular lessons first.

Nice that you and your husband enjoyed polo. Like me, I have enjoyed too, but it costs very expensive here - around £100 for an hour lesson!! I had a frozen left arm for 2 years and now I have a frozen right arm for a year (is getting better now) and therefore I won't be able to swing with my right arm (left arm is not allowed in polo games anyway). I don't see any points learning how to play polo in regular basic anyway.

Stable Management / breeding is what I am willingly to learn - more than riding on horses. Riding on horses once a week will be enough for me at the moment unless I realise I am "very good" at it. Stable Management is my top priority. Being a stable management which means I will also have to learn how to groom horses. I will be happy to do it but not for long-term.

If you ask me if I don't get on well with a teacher or a horse, change and shop around. Yes I will do that. I already have 3 other stables nearby, but I will do Fort Widley first because 1) they are the nearest, easily transport to get there by bus (20 minutes) and 10 minutes walk 2) They also do Stable Management 3) Cheapest then the others - including public transport. Pinkmead, my 2nd choice, they don't do Stable Management. Both Lavant & Quob are little pricey and little far away from getting there (1 1/2 hours combined by public transport & walk). I do not have a car Quob & Lavant probably have better quality of horses, but I will become a beginner and therefore I will be happy doing it at Fort Widley until ........

 

[Quigleyandme]

Welcome Graham. I feel quite confident I am old enough to at least be your big sister. I enjoy looking after my horses or just being around them as much as riding. Please keep us posted because you sound really interesting.

 

[Grajo]

Hello everyone. Just arrived home from an Assessment day at Fort Widley Equestrian centre (near Portsmouth). The assessment went well as I sat on a MACHINE horse lol. Becky was the instructor and she was easy to understand. Because of COVID, I wasn't able to see real horses in the stable and therefore I won't be doing Stable Management for a while until they give "OK".

I will be contacted by e-mail to let me know of my assessment.

 

[Baywonder]

Glad to hear your day went well for you!

 

[ycbm]

Are the horses still stabled inside the actual fort inside the hill, Graham? I always felt a bit sorry for them that they couldn't see daylight and got no turnout.
.

 

[Grajo]

Are the horses still stabled inside the actual fort inside the hill, Graham? I always felt a bit sorry for them that they couldn't see daylight and got no turnout.
.

Didn't have the chance to see them. I wasn't allowed to because of COVID. It looks like you are right. Hopefully I'll see them as soon as I am allowed to go to the stables

 

[Reacher]

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to hearing how you get on.
As others have mentioned a radio mic / headset sounds like it might be useful in lessons.
(Am another who is probably old enough to be your big sister)

 

[Grajo]

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to hearing how you get on.
As others have mentioned a radio mic / headset sounds like it might be useful in lessons.
(Am another who is probably old enough to be your big sister)

Trust me, don't mention about radio mic or headset sounds to MOST profoundly deaf people, but great if they are hard of hearing or those who are obsession in getting to be able to hear lol

It is like mentioning walking canes/frames to any wheelchair users!

Anyway, like most profoundly deaf people, I won't be using radio mic or headset sounds, I am able to rely on the instructors' "action of movements" just like I did when I was a karate students and as a tango dancing student

My next lesson will be a "walkout" for 30 minutes..... hopefully next Tuesday.

 

[Reacher]

Trust me, don't mention about radio mic or headset sounds to MOST profoundly deaf people, but great if they are hard of hearing or those who are obsession in getting to be able to hear lol

It is like mentioning walking canes/frames to any wheelchair users!

Anyway, like most profoundly deaf people, I won't be using radio mic or headset sounds, I am able to rely on the instructors' "action of movements" just like I did when I was a karate students and as a tango dancing student

My next lesson will be a "walkout" for 30 minutes..... hopefully next Tuesday.

Ah I see, my apologies.

Hope you enjoy your walkout

 

[Grajo]

Ah I see, my apologies.

Hope you enjoy your walkout

No worries

I will enjoy my walkout