Please help me to learn to ride again :(

[pixie]

As you know I haven't ridden for about 3 years due to illness and uni. Apart from trekking on our honeymoon, The last horse I rode bolted with me and threw me onto very hard setaside, which has messed up my confidence.
Anyways, since moving up to Scotland I've found some horses to exercise. The horse I rode on Monday was lovely and forward going but extremely bouncy! I could barely sit to the canter and i could just feel my legs coming up and my weight shifting to the inside. The horse I rode on Saturday was a little stallion, who was *extremely* forward going, or as the owner said "he has very exuberant paces"

, so for my own confidence sakes i didn't push him past a trot (I had trouble slowing him as it was, not helped by mares in nearby fields).

I'll probably ride the first horse more often. His owner says that although he's forward going he won't bolt, though this won't matter if I get bounced out of the saddle, lol! Whilst I build my fitness up, and get used to him, I think I'll just keep to schooling him in walk and trot. Working on suppleness and doing lots of transistions.
Has anyone got any schooling ideas that'll help me get back into riding again, help me keep my seat on this bouncy animal, help me strengthen my legs etc etc and won't be too boring for the horse?
Thanks guys

 

[Tempi]

keep your seat light and realxed and however tempting it is dont grip up with your legs. head up, hands up and nice bend and give through your elbow.

Lots of transitions up and down the paces will halp you to regain your balance. Circles spiraling in and out to help you to sit straight and look between the horses ears and not in on the circle - which will cause the horse to fall in.

 

[eohippus]

Good advise PG. I would also advise you to do exercises off the horse to develop your core muscles and leg muscles, using a pilates ball is good. usually if your core muscles are weak the rider tends to tense through the lower back to brace the upper body in position, this causes problems with balance, suppleness and bouncing.
Also when riding, focus on areas of your body individually so that you can identify where you are tensing up and areas of weakness and stiffness ect, you can then work on those. Ie, start with you head and neck and go down your body, so if you identify that you tense you shoulders then you can remind yourself as you are riding to relax that part of your body.
Go back to basics and do lots of exercises at walk like touching your toes, rotating your ankles, lifting the shoulders, rotating the upper body ect.

Hope that makes sense
good luck
Dawn

 

[eahotson]

Ride with your bottom JUST about 1" from the saddle. This will strengthen your legs. Ride short amounts at first. try doing walk, trot, transitions, circles anything you can think of like that.

 

[pixie]

Great, thanks for the tips, you lot

 

[Nic]

Shame you are not moving nearer to me I've got a 110% bombproof monster looking for a sharer or new home!

What about trying to get some lunge lessons in the meantime?

Good luck

 

[pixie]

LOL, I'm not *that* far from you, though perhaps too far seeing as I can't drive yet

Yeah, depending on what job I get, I'm thinking of also having some private lessons at a nearbyish riding school. The horse in question is on DIY livery at a farm, so I'm not sure there is any possibility of being lunged on it (it is probably the bounciest beastie I've ridden!).

 

[madabout2]

I lost my nerve after being reared over backwards with and ending up in tracttion. It has taken a LONG time to fix. although I have ridden for the last 5 years (owning my own) I never really conquered the confidence thing til I had 6months of 2 lessons a week at Yorkshire Riding Centre. (for Xmas & b'day I had family buy me lessons - it was a decade one though so more money).

Lunge lessons, lots of hacks - ride in company - chating stops the nerves! When you're ready push yourself a little bit but only after you've had a good day and then go back to what you did before don't try and stay at the new edge. Then try the "push" again and go back until it seems easy. Hope you get my drift!