Think my riding has gone out of the window!

E

Echo24

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 August 2006
Messages
1,330
Location
Kent
Visit site
I'm currently sharing a lovely well schooled 15.2 ISH X who is forward going and great to ride. The share is a bit far (at least 30 minutes) so today I went to check out another possible horse to share which is only 15 minutes away. It's a little 13.2 pony which is on working livery at a riding school. I was excited about the prospect of the share as there was the possibility to loan in the future as well. But cue immense embarrassment as I couldn't even get the horse into canter! I think that I'm used to riding such a forward going horse that I was not used to using my leg so much and was out of breath after kicking and riding around the school for 15 minutes! I felt so embarassed and in the end said I don't think this is going to work and hopped off. Other half also came along and he hardly ever watches me ride so I felt pretty silly, (I'm usually better then this, honest!) Maybe I need to start going back to basics and have lessons at a riding school again!
 
I wouldnt worry about it being too much your fault!

The pony has probably done naff all recently (even though they may have said it has) and is uber-unfit and has probably become very 'dead-sided'.....from years of 'kick kick kick'...

Shame you couldnt have taken it for a lil hack out to see what it was like.....
 
Yeah, the weather is horrendous at the moment! I heard he's quite strong when out hacking but I guess most horses are more excitable when you hack them out! Didn't really feel a connection with the pony so think I will stick with my current share for now.
 
Nothing to do with your riding.. When I bought my horse I couldn't get him to canter but I could feel he had 'fuel in the tank' it's just that I was used to a very very well schooled horse and he was green. Within 48 hours of having him at home, we were cantering happily. Different horses 'ride' differently and it takes more than a few minutes to get to know each other!

BnBx
 
i wouldnt worry about it either. I havent rode a horse for nearly 3 years (cuz i sold my last horse when i had my second son) but when we brought a little 12.3hh weight carrying pony for my kids to ride, i thought that once every couple of weeks i could jump on and put him through his paces cuz he's going to be a lead rein pony for a while so it'll keep him fit and not get lazy but when i jumped on i couldnt get him into canter and cuz his paces were shorter his trot was very bumpy and hard to get into. i felt awful!!! I know though that he is a bit unfit when we brought him that wasnt important it was more important that he was great around my kids. Your used to something bigger and fitter. Look around, place adverts on free advertising places (like preloved etc) for a horse to share nearer to you. Good luck x
 
I did notice when the owner got on she used a lot of leg to keep him going and I was thinking perhaps my riding had lapsed! My current horse share is so forward going I think I've forgotten how much work I need to do with the more ploddy ones! I went back to a riding school to have a lesson to make sure I hadn't fallen into bad habits and I was given a really ploddy horse who I couldn't get into canter - and this was after I told the instructor I was practising flying changes on my last lesson about six months ago! :S She did not look convinced but I guess my riding looked pretty rubbish!

I've enrolled at a stable management course starting next week to get some more experience and understanding as I would love to own my own horse in the future, and the cost of lessons at a school is so expensive at the moment as I prefer private lessons. Hopefully a few more horses will become available for share/loan when the weather gets better!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top