MumofWhiz
Well-Known Member
After a long gap of 25 years I've rediscovered my love of riding. For over a year now I've intermittently been riding a friend's cobs and been enjoying it but not been able to go out very often so, 5 months ago, I posted an ad in Facebook saying I was looking for a horse to part loan.
For the past 4 months I have been the proud part loaner now of a lovely 15.2 Welsh Section D, 17 years old, who is an absolutely superstar! I am having lessons from his owner who is also a qualified instructor and little by little she is helping me to change the way I ride .... I was taught to grip with my upper leg, hands down and am now learning to relax upper leg, wrap lower leg around the body and hands up!! Goodness it's hard work but I'm loving every single second of it.
I was adamant when I started that no, I don't compete or jump but only want to hack. Since then I've started jumping (trotting poles and slowly worked up) - it makes such a difference riding a horse who wants to jump and you feel so safe on! The biggest I've done is 90cm but I feel that was a bit too big .... I'm happy around 70cm. Before the thought of a trotting pole would bring me out in a cold sweat so this is real progress and it's so lovely to be able to pop over logs when out hacking!
What prompted me to write this post is that I have just signed up for Club membership to British Dressage .... I never in a million years dreamed I would be doing this!! Turns out I'm not such a bad rider after all - after my lessons my riding has improved so much that I'm doing my first proper dressage competition on Sunday and in a few weeks time am going to Summerhouse to the Dressage Festival .... and not just to watch!! I honestly don't expect anything from this but am so looking forward to it! I'm just enjoying every little milestone I reach and having such a great time and now I've over 50 am loving learning new stuff. You never know what is around the next corner do you!
Hope no-one minds me posting this but I just wanted to share with others who would understand
For the past 4 months I have been the proud part loaner now of a lovely 15.2 Welsh Section D, 17 years old, who is an absolutely superstar! I am having lessons from his owner who is also a qualified instructor and little by little she is helping me to change the way I ride .... I was taught to grip with my upper leg, hands down and am now learning to relax upper leg, wrap lower leg around the body and hands up!! Goodness it's hard work but I'm loving every single second of it.
I was adamant when I started that no, I don't compete or jump but only want to hack. Since then I've started jumping (trotting poles and slowly worked up) - it makes such a difference riding a horse who wants to jump and you feel so safe on! The biggest I've done is 90cm but I feel that was a bit too big .... I'm happy around 70cm. Before the thought of a trotting pole would bring me out in a cold sweat so this is real progress and it's so lovely to be able to pop over logs when out hacking!
What prompted me to write this post is that I have just signed up for Club membership to British Dressage .... I never in a million years dreamed I would be doing this!! Turns out I'm not such a bad rider after all - after my lessons my riding has improved so much that I'm doing my first proper dressage competition on Sunday and in a few weeks time am going to Summerhouse to the Dressage Festival .... and not just to watch!! I honestly don't expect anything from this but am so looking forward to it! I'm just enjoying every little milestone I reach and having such a great time and now I've over 50 am loving learning new stuff. You never know what is around the next corner do you!
Hope no-one minds me posting this but I just wanted to share with others who would understand
