Riding on your own

Celestica

Celestica

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How many of you guys ride on your own and how do you feel about it? I used to constantly ride in group lessons weekly which in recent months changed to private lessons fortnightly. During the summer I will be taking up a lease of my instructors horse and will most likely be riding on my own, as there's me and only 2 other liveries on the schools yard at the moment! One of which doesn't ride her horse as he's a baby still! Although there will be a few kiddies up for ponycamp I feel I might get very lonely riding on my own, does this affect anybody?

I really want to lease this summer as it will improve my riding huge amounts but I fear I might get really lonely and just drop such a good opportunity!:( I get to ride 2 lessons a week though with this lease so those 2 days I shall be with people at least :D
 
I would love to ride on my own. I've just sold my mare who wouldn't hack out alone and am on the look out for something that will hack alone.

I like riding out with people but also like to go out on my own. A few do it at my yard.
 
Never really thought about it tbh. Companies nice but I've always enjoyed riding alone equally well. Difference is now as I love riding with daughter but that's a mum thing.
 
I always do either. Dont have a problem with riding alone, although I tend to stick to the roads when alone, as other wise i'll never be found.... thats my theory anyways.
 
I would say you are getting the best of both worlds, I love riding with other people, have regular joint lessons BUT sometimes it is lovely to be able to school without dodging other people and without worrying about what other people think if your riding.

I would enjoy it :)
 
Well, there's just me on my place, so I'm virtually always alone, which is how I like it. Used to ride at midnight on liveries just to get a bit of peace :o Very occasional hacks with local friends, or people borrowing one of mine, but the rest of the time, I'm happy by myself :)
 
I like riding alone. Im not keen on hacking alone anymore due to stupid traffic.
I do sometimes hangaboyt for someone to rode with in the school as it adds a different dimension to the session, but I quite like to school alone.
Jumping I am very aware if I fall off and hurt myself I may be left for a few hours, so I tend to wait for someone to be on the yard.
 
I used to ride on my own all the time. But sadly the only 2 horses I could really do it with died (One a few years ago, one a few weeks ago :()
I'm slowly slowly getting there with Ned. He's coming out alone with either just me walking with him, or me riding and my mum walking. It'll be a long while before I can have rides like I did with Archie and Blobby, though.
 
I always ride alone. At livery I used to ride with some one else a few days a week but that was coincidence as our work college commitments ment we were ready at about the same time.

Now I'm in a field on my own so its just me, when I get some jumps though I'll drag one of my parents down with a camera to do pole duties and I can occasionally drag mum down to get some photos of me doing flat work. I quite like it I have friends I can hack with if I want but I can go where I want when I want most of the time.
 
If I didn't ride alone, I'd never ride!

I do like the peace and quiet, a break in my some-what chaotic life :o

Since moving to a bigger yard I have had a couple join me which is nice for a change but I much prefer solo :)
 
I actually prefer it on my own. I decide where to go and at what speed. But horse is a saint on his own - and is my therapist. I tell him everything. Poor horse.
 
I love going out riding alone, although I also like to have someone for company on a livelier ride where I then feel a bit f peer pressure to stop being a massive weener and jump the logs and hedges I otherwise wouldn't!!
 
AprilBlossom said:
I love going out riding alone, although I also like to have someone for company on a livelier ride where I then feel a bit f peer pressure to stop being a massive weener and jump the logs and hedges I otherwise wouldn't!!
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Ha! Interesting, I'm the opposite!
I worry if I go out with others that I'm 'slowing them down', particularly because we have access to a farm ride and the people that I occasionally hack with always want to jump!
 
i love riding on my own. the best feeling is when you go out for a hack on your own, sun shining but early morning so air is nice and fresh but not too cold or hot and you have a nice gallop, it just helps to clear my mind and makes me happy :) i prefer it to riding with others, especially in the school as i don't have to keep looking out for others and can just do what i want, as well as out hacking, go at the speed i want where i want :)
i would think that if you're used to lessons you might find it a bit weird at first to do the schooling completely on your own, i find that when i have my friend up who goes to a riding school twice a week, she struggles to vary the work and to focus on the horse as well as herself, and i find i have to give her ideas of what to do next etc. but you'll quickly get used to it :) I did! but now unfortunately i have a problem of switching off and being in a concentration bubble with just me and horse which isn't useful when i'm having a lesson :o
 
AprilBlossom said:
I love going out riding alone, although I also like to have someone for company on a livelier ride where I then feel a bit f peer pressure to stop being a massive weener and jump the logs and hedges I otherwise wouldn't!!
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Would just like to make it known that's it AB herself who's a big bully and makes people jump big jumps they don't want to jump!! :mad: :p
 
Cobrastyle said:
Ha! Interesting, I'm the opposite!
I worry if I go out with others that I'm 'slowing them down', particularly because we have access to a farm ride and the people that I occasionally hack with always want to jump!
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This is me, I go out alone because I hate feeling pressure to up the pace. I like a gentle hack in lovely woodland, where I can relax and enjoy, not worry about hanging on, or falling off! lol. I am a wuss !
 
re hacking

always carry a charged mobile
take note of where you have and don't have signal
so you know 'nearest' spot to head for in an emergency
attach the phone to YOU, NOT the horse
(daftest idea ever, phone carriers that attach to a D ring)

for first few months
as you are on a yard
leave a note of intended route and time when you left yard
att to your stable door or on yard noticeboard
and stick to that route whenever possible

re jumping

never do this on your own
don't have to have someone stood watching you necessarily
but someone around who knows what you're doing

re schooling

i still remember how weird i found this at first
(and that's a good few years ago ;))
not having someone telling you what to do

take time before each session to think what you would like to work on
so you have a plan
then be flexible if required
but at leat you haven't wasted 20 mins ambling 'large' and acheiving nothing
 
another one for hacking on my own, my lad has a fast walk very rare anyone can keep up and he turns into a right grump if he has to slow down and wait :rolleyes: thought do love meeting my mates at the weekend as long as in front 95% of the time! ;)
 
Both! Love both options, both I'm the school and hacking (our hacking has a lot of roadwork). I had to help Dizz become used to being out on her own - lots and lots of short hacks that gradually built up over time. Now we can go just about anywhere on our own :D

Ditto the:
Mobile attached to you;
Put your contact details either on your phone, or if locked, put them in a sticker on the back - next if kin, etc.;
Advise of your route;
Advise of anticipated time out;
Have your details put on a large dog tag and attach to saddle;
Take Polos and some cash :D

Have a lovely time!
 
I always ride on my own - horses kept at home and no one else to ride with - sad really - would really like company some of the time and I think it would give me and my horse more confidence.
 
I enjoy both hacking with others and on my own. But if I wasn't prepared to hack on my own I would hardly hack at all. Also if I'm schooling I am on my own unless I'm going to a clinic somewhere. I'm on private land and in exchange for looking after children's ponies I don't pay rent. This means unless I have kids with me I also jump alone. But we don't jump very big anyway.
 
I don't mind schooling on my own, although I did find it (as someone else mentioned) a bit odd the first few times with no one telling me what to do!! Our yard is quite busy, so the chance to get in there on your own is actually pretty rare!!

I used to hack my mare out on our own at least a couple of times a week - I could only get to the yard in the evenings (term time) during the week when everyone had gone. I really enjoyed summer evenings with just the two of us either leisurely loping along, enjoying the scenery or bombing up the hill! But since my confidence went I don't know if I could do it any more!! Certainly not on her (evil moo!!) :p

H will not go on his own, though! He would never be as evil as my previous mare, but just lacks the confidence (like me - not a good combination, maybe?) I have been trying to build up slowly - with not much success so far. I do think you might one day NEED to be on your own - if there was an accident, for example and you had to get back.

If I was you, and you are able to go on your own, make the most of it (baring in mind ALL of the safety advice above!!)
 
own place , so usually hack alone but im lucky as neighbour has horses so if shes off, and i want to, can hack with her.
I jump alone as well, but usually call oh beforehand and ask him to give me a call in 45 mins to check alls ok.
 
I prefer to school on my own for definite. Both me and my boy just get more out of a session if we are totally focused and not worrying about anyone else. Hacking however, I wouldn't take my youngster completely by myself. I sometimes hack with a friend who has a much older, 'sensible' horse but if not her then my boyfriend will walk/cycle with me. I would NEVER jump on my own...I would at least make sure that somebody was on the yard and knew what I was doing.
 
I think with jumping on your own it comes down to what level yourself & the horse are at. I don't think twice about popping my 23yr old over stuff, she & I together both jump way under the level we did in her younger days, so i'm more likely to come to harm out hacking alone. But I wouldn't dream of introducing a youngster to its first xc solid fences alone. Jumping alone I always work under capability for both me & horse.
 
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