fran_khaleesi
New User
Hi everyone 
This is my first post so Ill explain a little about my situation.
Im 24 and nearly finished with medical school. I started riding when I was about 9, up until about 16, but only intermittently, lets say - once a week. Money for lessons and also studying meant horses were not part of my life for about 10 years.
When I was younger; I had lessons and hung out with horses a lot but never did any pony days. I managed 3 foot jumps, and possibly heigher than that. I also had some dressage lessons. Most were at a riding school but I had some lessons with a private freelance instructor and rode a few different horses as well. Therefore, I think I experienced the classic riding school pony and then one or two horses which were very sharp to commands, which was a complete change for me. Ive also hacked out a LOT of times, but they only ever cantered briefly and mostly just a trot or a walk, so not very advanced trails/hacks.
I fell off a few times but never a large amount, which worries me slightly as Ive heard people say youre not a proper equestrian unless youve fallen off 20 times. I guess that means more to come?
My horse care knowledge is very basic, I can pick feet and groom but I havent really had much practice tacking up. Im watching countless videos, reading lots of things online and just generally trying to get a feel for everything at the moment. I am more than prepared to spend a lot of money when I eventually get a horse, from reading I know that there are so many things to consider that might be easily overlooked, for instance; floating teeth, supplements, farrier costs, emergency situations, pet insurance.
I think I will have a lot of opportunities to tack up in upcoming 6 months as Ive started riding again. So far the girls at the yard have explained how to tack up but I am yet to have a go myself. My cousin is horse mad and helps out at a local riding school so she is teaching me a few things about stable manners etc. However, this is where my knowledge is REALLY lacking. I have a lot to learn.
At the moment I am only going for one half an hour lesson a week (I wish it was more). Im riding a 15.3 skewbald mare who is bombproof so far.
1st lesson: Walk, trot, a few small circles at one end of the arena in a canter. I felt VERY unbalanced in a canter but managed to keep it for a short time. I obviously wasnt using enough leg as I lost it after a circle or so but the instructor said that was good for my first lesson. Wow my legs hurt after. No problem with the trot, still find it difficult to know which diagonal Im on but that hasnt changed from when I was a child!!
2nd lesson: same again, inside arena. Carried a whip this time as she was super lazy and VERY difficult to even keep in a trot. This time I had the opposite problem and had to keep collecting the trot as she was going really fast, so one polar opposite to the other. Canter was more balanced this time. I do often slip my foot through the left stirrup more than the right. My right leg is actually about an inch or so longer but doesnt cause me any problems normally. I wonder if I should ride with one stirrup longer than the other? Instructor said probably best not to. I know I need to work on my seat so much and that will just take time. Its very frustrating as the muscles seem to have completely gone in the last 10 years.
3rd lesson: joint lesson with my cousin (wanted to try out the riding school I go to) in the outside arena which is bigger; so I had some time on the opposite side of the arena to trot around whilst she was cantering at the other end with the instructor. I tried a sitting trot intermittently (very hard), for about 5 or so beats. I really need to work on this. When it was my time to canter, I couldnt even pick up a canter on one lead, I used SO MUCH leg and it just wasnt happening. She just started running. How embarrassing. My cousin said my hands came up quite high when I was going or asking for a canter, so obviously I was giving mixed signals to the horse. The instructor didnt mention my hands and just said I needed more leg, but honestly it would have been impossible to give more?! I got it on the other diagonal which is good but again I really feel I need to work on my seat. (I saw someone else ride the same horse after me and she carried a whip and had no problem asking for a canter, I wonder if I should always carry a whip? It was very hard using so much leg the whole lesson and I know this is a classic theme with riding school horses.)
My question is, should I be lunged without stirrups and spend hours and hours working again on my seat? Already I know I had an issue as I was clearly sitting too far forward with my pelvis. My cousin said sit on your back pockets but again, I know that is too far back and I need to find the happy in between. I would like to start doing trotting poles and some jumps when my canter is secure and balanced. What would the normal progression be with lessons, for someone starting to ride again?
Also, in the distant future I would love to have a horse of my own, but I am not silly enough to think that I am ready at the moment. For instance, I dont think I have ever been bucked off a horse or anything like that. My partner is also very big built and muscley, he weighs about 17 stone, therefore we are struggling to find a riding school with a horse big enough to teach him how to ride. We both would love a horse in the future, baring that in mind, I assume it would have to be at least 16h to take his weight?
I would consider sharing or helping out with others horses, but most adverts say experienced riders only, so I am at a bit of a loss for what to do?
Im also feeling quite disheartened that I seem to be starting out back at the basics and I look around at the riders my age who clearly never stopped riding, and even the apprentices at the yard who are 13 and amazing riders. How long will it take considering I am only riding a small amount of time a week? This makes me think it could be more beneficial to share a horse, helping out someone with exercising their horse, and also enabling me to spend the hours I need to just working on my seat (ideally trotting around an arena), as lessons are VERY expensive.
Thanks for reading!
This is my first post so Ill explain a little about my situation.
Im 24 and nearly finished with medical school. I started riding when I was about 9, up until about 16, but only intermittently, lets say - once a week. Money for lessons and also studying meant horses were not part of my life for about 10 years.
When I was younger; I had lessons and hung out with horses a lot but never did any pony days. I managed 3 foot jumps, and possibly heigher than that. I also had some dressage lessons. Most were at a riding school but I had some lessons with a private freelance instructor and rode a few different horses as well. Therefore, I think I experienced the classic riding school pony and then one or two horses which were very sharp to commands, which was a complete change for me. Ive also hacked out a LOT of times, but they only ever cantered briefly and mostly just a trot or a walk, so not very advanced trails/hacks.
I fell off a few times but never a large amount, which worries me slightly as Ive heard people say youre not a proper equestrian unless youve fallen off 20 times. I guess that means more to come?
My horse care knowledge is very basic, I can pick feet and groom but I havent really had much practice tacking up. Im watching countless videos, reading lots of things online and just generally trying to get a feel for everything at the moment. I am more than prepared to spend a lot of money when I eventually get a horse, from reading I know that there are so many things to consider that might be easily overlooked, for instance; floating teeth, supplements, farrier costs, emergency situations, pet insurance.
I think I will have a lot of opportunities to tack up in upcoming 6 months as Ive started riding again. So far the girls at the yard have explained how to tack up but I am yet to have a go myself. My cousin is horse mad and helps out at a local riding school so she is teaching me a few things about stable manners etc. However, this is where my knowledge is REALLY lacking. I have a lot to learn.
At the moment I am only going for one half an hour lesson a week (I wish it was more). Im riding a 15.3 skewbald mare who is bombproof so far.
1st lesson: Walk, trot, a few small circles at one end of the arena in a canter. I felt VERY unbalanced in a canter but managed to keep it for a short time. I obviously wasnt using enough leg as I lost it after a circle or so but the instructor said that was good for my first lesson. Wow my legs hurt after. No problem with the trot, still find it difficult to know which diagonal Im on but that hasnt changed from when I was a child!!
2nd lesson: same again, inside arena. Carried a whip this time as she was super lazy and VERY difficult to even keep in a trot. This time I had the opposite problem and had to keep collecting the trot as she was going really fast, so one polar opposite to the other. Canter was more balanced this time. I do often slip my foot through the left stirrup more than the right. My right leg is actually about an inch or so longer but doesnt cause me any problems normally. I wonder if I should ride with one stirrup longer than the other? Instructor said probably best not to. I know I need to work on my seat so much and that will just take time. Its very frustrating as the muscles seem to have completely gone in the last 10 years.
3rd lesson: joint lesson with my cousin (wanted to try out the riding school I go to) in the outside arena which is bigger; so I had some time on the opposite side of the arena to trot around whilst she was cantering at the other end with the instructor. I tried a sitting trot intermittently (very hard), for about 5 or so beats. I really need to work on this. When it was my time to canter, I couldnt even pick up a canter on one lead, I used SO MUCH leg and it just wasnt happening. She just started running. How embarrassing. My cousin said my hands came up quite high when I was going or asking for a canter, so obviously I was giving mixed signals to the horse. The instructor didnt mention my hands and just said I needed more leg, but honestly it would have been impossible to give more?! I got it on the other diagonal which is good but again I really feel I need to work on my seat. (I saw someone else ride the same horse after me and she carried a whip and had no problem asking for a canter, I wonder if I should always carry a whip? It was very hard using so much leg the whole lesson and I know this is a classic theme with riding school horses.)
My question is, should I be lunged without stirrups and spend hours and hours working again on my seat? Already I know I had an issue as I was clearly sitting too far forward with my pelvis. My cousin said sit on your back pockets but again, I know that is too far back and I need to find the happy in between. I would like to start doing trotting poles and some jumps when my canter is secure and balanced. What would the normal progression be with lessons, for someone starting to ride again?
Also, in the distant future I would love to have a horse of my own, but I am not silly enough to think that I am ready at the moment. For instance, I dont think I have ever been bucked off a horse or anything like that. My partner is also very big built and muscley, he weighs about 17 stone, therefore we are struggling to find a riding school with a horse big enough to teach him how to ride. We both would love a horse in the future, baring that in mind, I assume it would have to be at least 16h to take his weight?
I would consider sharing or helping out with others horses, but most adverts say experienced riders only, so I am at a bit of a loss for what to do?
Im also feeling quite disheartened that I seem to be starting out back at the basics and I look around at the riders my age who clearly never stopped riding, and even the apprentices at the yard who are 13 and amazing riders. How long will it take considering I am only riding a small amount of time a week? This makes me think it could be more beneficial to share a horse, helping out someone with exercising their horse, and also enabling me to spend the hours I need to just working on my seat (ideally trotting around an arena), as lessons are VERY expensive
. Thanks for reading!
