Riding Different Horses

Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo

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How easy do you find it to ride different types of horses?

I was riding my friend's welsh cob earlier and I couldn't ride him for toffee. I couldn't wrap my legs round him and had to keep kicking which did nothing for my leg position. I found it hard to get any bend (maybe related to the leg thing) and my steering was a bit wonky. He looks lovely when she rides him so I know he can go really nicely but I just couldn't seem to find the right buttons to press.
My horse is a tb type and much narrower. He's also very wriggly (a bit like sitting on a worm) and more forward going.
For the last couple of years I've mainly only ridden my horse, although before that I used to ride lots of different horses. My horse hasn't been in ridden work for 7 weeks so I'm a bit out of practice.
I'm feeling pretty useless now and wondered does anyone else have trouble riding different types of horses, or do I have to face the fact that I've forgotten how to ride?
 
I feel the same way about riding different horses. Once I find a lesson horse I like, I don't like to switch around a lot. This is probably because I have had so many accidents riding different types of horses that I actually fear trying new ones. I also have trouble riding slower horses if I have been used to riding more forward horses or vice versa.
 
Dont worry i know how you feel, Connie is off work atm also shes a connemara about 14.1hh, and ive been riding a cleveland bay 16hh horse. The size differnce is like woo.

After a few lessons im gettin the hang of her now so its all good.

It takes me about 2 - 3 hours schooling sessions to get the horse going to how i want it if i haven ridden it before as you need to know the horse and see what makes the horse 'go' in a sense.
 
Ooh I found just the same thing! I used to have regular lessons at a riding school and rode lots of different types of horses but when I got my own, I only rode him for 9 years! Earlier this year my horse tragically died and I rode a friends horse for a while - that was ok although I knew i didn't ride her all that well. When I came to trying out new horses, I felt quite embarrased that I actually wasn't all that good at riding in front of the sellers! Actually I won a fair few dressage comps before I had my own horse so I know I'm not that bad its just that I am completely out of practise riding strange horses.!
 
Not just you! I schooled Mum's TB last week whilst she was away on holiday (my horse is also a TB). I was utterly useless & it was a sound reminder that I am not a particularly good rider! My horse is actually far more "difficult" shall we say - but I find him easier as I ride him all the time. Re: mum's horse - couldn't get my leg round him, couldn't get him engaged or light - stuggled to get a decent circle. My instructor can get on either of them & get a great result so I have decided that my riding skills are specific to my horse only! I think I should have a lesson on Mum's horse to improve my repertoire of skills!!!
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you never forget how to ride! lol

i have a slight difficulty in riding my two horses... ones a native 14.2 pony and the other is a 16.2 6 year old tb horse! try getting strides right into the fence after riding the horse and then the pony! lol takes practice i suppose!

you find different types easier because you have developed muscles suited to that particular horse! for example - your friend has more leg muscle so is able to get the horse going, whilst you had a horse that needed to be sat quietly to so you sit stiller in the body!

dont worry, just ride the cob some more so you get used to him!
 
Very easy, but then I own a lot of horses and know exactly how each one goes.

When I only had a couple of horses it took a couple of rides to get the hang of new rides though. After those first couple of rides it was easy.
 
I feel much better now!
I used to hop on and off lots of different horses quite happily (mostly for hacking though) but for the last couple of years have only really ridden mine. I can have lessons on the cob while my horse is off so will give that a go and see if I can improve. Think I'll stick to flatwork for now though!
 
If your used to riding your own horse most of the time its obviously going to be weird riding something with a different stride/head carraige etc. If your riding diff horses on a regular basis you learn to 'adapt' to each horse quicker but on the whole its hard because they're all so different!!
 
I used to find it easy, but now I'm really set in my ways from riding just one horse all of the time! I can cope with things that are forward going, but on something that I actually have to use my legs it all goes to pot
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I found that after having my own pony for four years, I couldn't ride anything else as I was just so used to Lily's ways. So when I sold Lily, I rode anything and everything I could get my hands on. I've ridden a fair few types of horses (and ponies) now and find that, although it takes a few rides to "get the hang" of a particular horse, generally I can adapt to whatever I'm riding as I have experience of a lot of different types of horses. That's not to say I'm any good at riding any of them, just that I know what I'm *supposed* to be doing (if not actually doing it lol)!
I have to say though, I've never ridden anything quite like the one I'm riding now! It took me a while to get used to him but we seem to have got it now, and are more of a partnership.
I find it fun and interesting though! Don't be put off!
 
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