What made you decide to stop riding?

[Native Pony]

I am 60 and have ridden all my life. My horse is nearly 14. Recently I fractured my leg in a riding accident and am currently on crutches. After many riding injuries over the years I am now thinking that I may quit riding and concentrate on in hand work. Of course, I might change my mind but this is a strong feeling I have right now.
How did you deal with this situation, especially when you have a horse who isn't ready to retire?

 

[Smogul]

Learn to drive and get horse broken to drive. 14 is not too old as my first horse was 14 when she was broken to drive and loved it. I stopped riding for health reasons and am so glad I can now drive.

 

[splashgirl45]

I don’t have my own horse now but after an accident this year I have taken advice and have completely given up. One of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, I am 76 so not young but horses have been part of my life for over 60 years and I have compensated by getting another dog

 

[reynold]

I had to give up riding due to health conditions at 56. I retired my last horse then at 18 and kept him and another of mine in retirement until I lost them at 26 and 27. Until they went I was happy to groom, do my in hand work and as both were sound(ish) to do a bit of gentle loose schooling with them.

After I lost them I thought I'd not have another but I couldn't stand being without a horse at all (I lasted 4 months...!) and so got a non-ridden companion from WHW and I groom and 'play' with her now and have a lovely social time at the small yard. I'm lucky that the YO lets me go in the lorry and watch her schooling sessions and compeitions.

I'm a dab hand now at rolling tail bandages, holding horses and brushing the competition horses before they go. I have fun, a social life, a horse to love and am out of the house in the fresh air.

I don't now miss riding at all but it did take me about 3 years to totally accept I couldn't ride anymore.

 

[BBP]

I stopped in 2020 as my pony BBP retired from ridden work due to injury and I didn’t want to ride any old horse or one I didn’t absolutely love. I now have 18months to get back to a decent standard as I bought a youngster who will be ready for backing.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I’m 60 and have struggled the last two years with a slipped disc. I also had a freak accident just over a year ago which meant I couldn’t ride for 3 months anyway and I’ve now given up riding 99% of the time other than the odd pootle around the block on my laid back boy. He’s only 12 and my Connie is 14 but has hock arthritis so I don’t feel at all guilty retiring him. DP doesn’t care he’s not ridden, they both have the very best of care and I love looking after them.

 

[rabatsa]

I stopped as my aging parents needed more of my time as a carer. I kept up my RDA volunteering which gave my parents non movable time I could not be with them and allowed my plenty of horse fix each week.

I put my mare in foal and bred a couple before admitting that I was never going to get back into regular riding.

 

[EventingMum]

Ill health. Riding took a side line when my son was small which coincided with my top SJ horse retiring but then I picked it up again and just competed at a lower level as I always said I wouldn't bring a child up in the back of a lorry. That allowed me to explore other disciplines without any great pressure. Once my son began competing seriously I stopped competing and just helped out with his horses especially while he was at uni. I was then given a very nice teenage horse by friends and enjoyed playing with him until he was retired but now my health and mobility prevent me from doing much. The occasional time I venture onto a horse, I get frustrated with my physical limitations and don't enjoy it. However, I do run a yard and still coach so there is plenty of horse interaction for me.

 

[Borderreiver]

I gave up with back problems and increasing soreness riding in my sixties. However I took up carriage driving instead and absolutely love it. Pony life carries on as before. I’ve got a lovely Fell pony now who would be a bit small for me to ride but perfect for driving.

 

[Native Pony]

I can relate to physical limitations spoiling enjoyment. I have become increasingly aware of how my ability to ride well is affected and that's frustrating.

 

[EllenJay]

I am just deciding that I need to give up my ridden career. I am now 62 and have been riding since I was 5. A few years ago I injured my knee which has resulted in really only being able to walk, which I have really enjoyed, however, about a fortnight ago I was hacking, and my saint of a horse didn't put a foot out of place, but I went from enjoying myself to a complete loss of confidence. I can't describe why, but I think now is the time to stop. My boy is older and really doesn't give a damn if he is ridden or not. So will give him this winter off and see how I feel in the spring.

 

[Oldernewbie]

I haven’t made the final decision yet but its on my mind a lot and I feel its on the cards. I only started riding properly in my 40’s and since starting 5 years ago I’ve struggled with two horses who went lame (one pts one had 18 months of rehab but realistically only able to do hacking which isn’t my thing). I’ve had two years of health problems which have led to me having to stop/ start numerous times. Each time I go back to it I’m worse than I was before!
Struggled with being chronically unbalanced for reasons unknown and now having recently had an mri for another health issue i Now know I have a badly prolapsed disc in my lumber spine which is almost certainly the culprit causing weakness/numbness on that side when I ride. I have a problem higher up my back which if it requires an op will mean I definitely have to give up.
Despite all this I’ve had the best 5 years, I don’t regret a second of it.
im opening myself up to the possibility of doing in hand work maybe even driving so I will continue to have a horse and enjoy them no matter what.

 

[Follysmum]

After a bad fall which left me with a spinal cord injury, drs found out I also have severe age related bone spurs, arthritis and slipped and bulging discs.
Riding for 50yrs I found it difficult for a while but now look back and think I did everything I wanted to and achieved a lot. I now enjoy doing ground work and have got 2 puppies so as long as I am busy being outside I’m happy.

 

[Cortez]

I stopped riding after my husband died and I closed our business (which involved riding), I was 61. I retired my older horse, he was 20 and since deceased, and sold the younger ones on. It wasn't so much the riding, it was all the peripheral work that became too difficult, with a lifetime's injuries and general wear and tear contributing to sore joints and incipient arthritis. I still teach a bit, and occasionally get on to sort out a problem, but to be honest the fire has died and I am no longer as interested as you need to be to do a good job with teaching and training. I don't miss it, I am content that I achieved everything that I ever wanted to with horses and training, etc.

 

[eahotson]

I stopped in 2020 as my pony BBP retired from ridden work due to injury and I didn’t want to ride any old horse or one I didn’t absolutely love. I now have 18months to get back to a decent standard as I bought a youngster who will be ready for backing.

Oh lord.You are worse than me!I didn't want a young horse and I didn't want a mare.Guess what I ended up with?

 

[eahotson]

I haven’t made the final decision yet but its on my mind a lot and I feel its on the cards. I only started riding properly in my 40’s and since starting 5 years ago I’ve struggled with two horses who went lame (one pts one had 18 months of rehab but realistically only able to do hacking which isn’t my thing). I’ve had two years of health problems which have led to me having to stop/ start numerous times. Each time I go back to it I’m worse than I was before!
Struggled with being chronically unbalanced for reasons unknown and now having recently had an mri for another health issue i Now know I have a badly prolapsed disc in my lumber spine which is almost certainly the culprit causing weakness/numbness on that side when I ride. I have a problem higher up my back which if it requires an op will mean I definitely have to give up.
Despite all this I’ve had the best 5 years, I don’t regret a second of it.
im opening myself up to the possibility of doing in hand work maybe even driving so I will continue to have a horse and enjoy them no matter what.

Driving is awsome.

 

[Indefatigable]

I am 65 and bought a 5 yo ISH last September. He is a saint. I'm getting a creeping feeling that I may have the beginnings of arthritis in my hands and knees. Mind over matter at the mo!

 

[katastrophykat]

I’m too fat to ride, so I drive at the moment! ?

 

[Glitter's fun]

I stopped wanting to ride for a long time after Goldie went. By the time I realized I miss it I'd become stiff and unfit. Regaining fitness after time off is harder when you're old. I'm currently learning to drive & then I'll be looking for a very steady ride & drive pony that wouldn't mind taking an old lady for a slow hack now and then for a change. (I'm small, so I can ride something that's quite near to the ground without flattening it!)

 

[skint1]

i don't know if I have actually stopped forever, but I haven't ridden for nearly 3 years now and I am 52. Combination of things, some me, some the horses. I have 1 mare now with some back issues I can't seem to get a handle on- I do what i can with longlining, ground work, some simple agility to keep her moving. Sometimes I miss it, I wonder what I would have learned from her through riding, if I would have progressed etc- mind I have learned a great deal about her, horses, myself, and other people by not riding too Still, it's not over yet, I may still ride her if everything aligns.

I guess I am a bit diferent- although I have owned horses for over 20 years (my daughter had ponies and horses), I only started riding about 10 years ago, and I was never that great at it, my butt not being in a saddle is no loss to horses I love them though, I love caring for them, doing groundwork, agiltity etc and even mucking out poo picking etc, I like the shape and purpose they give to my life.

When I lose my mare, if I still don't feel like riding but would like to continue to own horses I might look at adopting a non-ridden horse from a charity, probably a bigger one as I know they aren't as popular as companions. My YO sometimes gets on one about people not riding, so I don't know if they'd let me, but I have been there many years, even before i rode at all, pay my bills, do my chores, care for my horses, generally don't cause trouble, so I hope they would.

 

[sport horse]

A prolonged attack of Polymyalgia was so painful that after three years I did not want to ride again. I still breed and own horses and am actively involved in their sport careers. That is the great thing about equestrian sport that you can alter the level at which you particpate and still enjoy it.

 

[Jenko109]

I wouldn't say given up as I still hop on occasionally.

For me though, unless I have shows and goals and lessons planned etc, I just get bored. It's so much effort to catch in, brush, tack up, blah blah blah. I just simply cant be assed.

As a result, the horse is now out on loan. If he ever comes back, I may try and get back into it I guess.

 

[Esmae]

A nasty injury earlier this year. If I were younger I would have gone again, but at 67 it just seemed right to stop now. Gutted.

 

[lme]

I am in my 60s and creaky but I bought myself a 17h 4yo ISH last year as a way of ensuring that I don’t give up prematurely.

 

[planete]

I stopped for eight years because physical problems made the aftermath of riding too painful, making sleep and normal life impossible. I have started again with a very different type of mount. I have gone from Arab and Arab crosses to a 13.2 heavy cob who is easy on my body. He does not have the marching long striding gene but ambles along at a comfortably relaxed pace with no effort on my part and I can enjoy being on his back without worrying I am going to be in agony later. Adapting to his natural rhythm did not come easily but I have happily relaxed into it now.

 

[ponynutz]

Horses is all about doing what you want! They're pets and working animals simultaneously and so as long as you're making the right decisions for both you and your horse there is no right or wrong. Go for it and I hope your leg heals quickly!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I have never made a decision to stop riding, it just sort of happened and we haven't got anything rideable now.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Complete and utter loss of interest

 

[Cloverfield]

I’ve stopped due to my weight. Now just have ponies that I plan to drive

 

[Art Nouveau]

Those of you who have taken up driving instead, where and when do you drive?

Do you need a bigger than average arena? Quiet lanes? Or do you box out to get to places to drive?