where's my enthusiasm gone?

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JenHunt

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I'm braving the new forum in the hope that you guys can help!...

I have lost all my enthusiasm for riding at the moment. I'm happy to spend time with my boys, brushing, messing on, and doing all the chores that go with them... but I cannot be @RS3D to tack them up and take them out.

Tom is bored and Ron is grumpy, partly as a result of the lack of work I know, but also cos Ron has little interest if it's not hunting, and Tom needs to be in hard work or the center of attention to not be bored... They'd be absolutely fine, not silly or bad, if I take them out, they'd just be pleased.

My friend has been riding Tom with me up until the last 4 weeks, but she's been really busy with work and then on hols so that's partly why, but wouldn't usually stop me going out.

just dunno. pointless whinge. sorry!
 
Well, I HAVE to ride mine as they are part of our business, but it's actually very rare that I would ride when I don't have to. To me it's work, not what I choose to do for relaxation. You probably need a bit of a break? Horses will adapt to less work, (as long as they get a bit less feed) , and I've only got one who really "needs" to be worked, the others are all happy to potter about the field.
 
I am in the same boat, cant wait for riding buddy to get back so she can give me the boot up the aaaaa again, i was enjoying it too.
 
I think maybe have a bit of a break from riding? Come back to it and your horses would be greener, you would have more enthusiasm, maybe making the ride more excitable and fun? My sister said she was giving up riding and 6 months later she was keen to start over again.
Also sometimes hot weather makes me personally feel like I cant be bothered to ride, so riding early in the morning and evenings when its cooler is better.
Also make a horsey socail life and go riding with friends! :) I keep my horses at home by myself and sometimes I feel like if I kept them on a yard where poeople are riding all the time I would be motivated to ride even more.

I have this book on training horses and one part of it says that often when schooling a rider does to much work. If you almost do less work as the rider when schooling, and let the horse do more work and allow the horse to work it makes riding that horse much more pleasurable. It wont happen straight away, but overtime your horses may start to do more of the work themselves and this is a lot more pleasurable ride.

That last bit might be totally irrelavent, but sometimes I hate schooling flatwork and find it very boring. So i'm going to try it out.
Hope you get your motivation back soon :)
 
Sounds like you need a little holiday Jen. Perhaps if you tell yourself you are not allowed to ride for 2 weeks you would start to feel as though you want to? If you really feel a bit lacklustre about it all, can someone else get them fit for you for the hunting season? Another option is to have someone look after them while you go away on a riding holiday with someone else doing all the work - especially if it is somewhere exotic like say a beach in Andalusia. Might get your mojo back. If none of that works, just go with the flow for a bit and try not to worry.
 
good point - it has been hot, and I am useless in hot weather... sadly riding at the cooler times of day isn't often possible, but worth remembering for times when I can :)

I've got the horses at my parents house, and there is only my two there, hence getting a friend to help with riding out (OH may come back to it when he's got his Ironman out the way, but not banking on it!) but I think you're right, if I was on a busy yard then i'd probs be more likely to ride out too (though I'd get annoyed by everyone else being around when the horses is my quiet time)

I'm sure i'll be back to it soon enough, I just feel guilty about it!
 
I'm a bit like that too at the moment Jen. In the same boat as in we have two kept at home. A sharer helps - I ride out with her more. I'm also struggling in that my horse keeps injuring herself this year and having to be rested. I think another fact with me is I am a lot fatter than I was and feel like I don't ride so well anymore! I had my first jumping lesson in two years on my husband's green horse last week, and felt like a boiled tomato after ten minutes. I felt that I didn't have any core strength anymore. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and if I can't do it well I go off doing it. Bit fed up with myself in general at the moment.
 
:biggrin3:Come on you lot, I would love to ride my girl but due to the leg I can not unless someone is there to help me on and off and comes out with me. That is big asks which does not happen that often, so I just have to lunge or spend my time with her. So I am giving you a kick up the bum (well that is with my good leg lol) You know the one once you make the effort and get up and do it, you wonder why you did not do it before Come on Jen sending you some Get Up and Go ................................... x x :biggrin3:
 
JenHunt said:
I'm braving the new forum in the hope that you guys can help!...

I have lost all my enthusiasm for riding at the moment. I'm happy to spend time with my boys, brushing, messing on, and doing all the chores that go with them... but I cannot be @RS3D to tack them up and take them out.

Tom is bored and Ron is grumpy, partly as a result of the lack of work I know, but also cos Ron has little interest if it's not hunting, and Tom needs to be in hard work or the center of attention to not be bored... They'd be absolutely fine, not silly or bad, if I take them out, they'd just be pleased.

My friend has been riding Tom with me up until the last 4 weeks, but she's been really busy with work and then on hols so that's partly why, but wouldn't usually stop me going out.

just dunno. pointless whinge. sorry!
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move to Basingstoke and ill ride for you! I have 3 that I cant ride at the mo! one 28yr old how's still up for being ridden but im too heavy for her at the mo! less than I was when I first got her but for her age im too much! a gelding who's not backed yet, so doing ground work and a mini Shetland! I do all the work and haven't ridden since Oct!! I need a horsey to ride!!!
 
cubbing soon? That'll probably help ;)... you and Ron :D

I wouldn't worry for the time being and am sure they aren't as bored or grumpy as you think they are.
 
I think a lot of us go through this from time to time, with all time,stress and work these horses cause along with our other day to day things...such as afull time job... children....house chores etc etc it's often hard to fit the riding in sometimes! a dip in our energy levels and enthusiasm is almost a certainty at some point unless you're some kind of super human.

Have some time off riding if needs be, don't feel guilty about it because the bug will bite you on the bum again soon enough... it always does! :)
 
I go through spells like this too. I'm in riding mode right at the moment but that's partly because I have some up for sale so I'm keeping them ticking over. I do find though that I've been riding the other horses who don't necessarily need to be ridden as I've found my mojo again and the weather has been fabulous riding weather, not too hot at the moment so perfectly pleasant to go out at any time of day.
 
OH decided to come up to the horses with me today, and I actually persuaded him to take them out with me too! We didn't go far, just up the road for about a mile and back again (they've had that little work, it was plenty). They were so pleased to be out, and they trotted like spring chickens when asked, and fair marched home.

much better, and my friend is back from hols tomorrow so hopefully she'll help keep this going with me :)

and, as a few have said, hunting's only round the corner! :D

thanks folks!
 
Im exactly the same! Dont know what to advise, but i just got back off holiday and spent all week wanting to ride. When I got up to the yard and got pony in I just could not be bothered. Did a 10 min hack and turned and came home :(
 
I'm going through a similar spell which isn't helped by the fact that I'm recovering from a slipped disc in my neck.

Up until my injury I was getting at least 1 lesson a week, competing, hacking out and at the moment I just can't be faffed and actually like having the neck injury as an excuse.

Horse is getting a bit fat however and a bit bored and pushy so I'm having to start getting back into it with some hacking for now.

I seem to go through this phase once a year and know that it will pass - I'm sure yours will too :)
 
Take the pressure off yourself OP, stop worrying about it. Your horses will be fine, they'll get over it. Give them as much turnout as you can manage and cut down (or cut out) the feed. I lost my enthusiasm last year at about this time, I just took a break for a while and only started riding again when I really was badly missing it. I don't feel like riding is something you can do well half heartedly. So if you're really not enjoying it, don't do it. It's supposed to be fun after all! Just enjoy your horses your way, if that means just grooming, hanging out with them then that's fine!
 
If you don't like riding in the heat what about turning them away for the couple weeks that its hot. I have turned away in he depths of winter when I found myself in a similar sounding funk. Came back to it with muh more enthusiasm. The trick was to make sure I didn't feel guilty about it as then the break probably won't help.
 
Kenzo said:
I think a lot of us go through this from time to time, with all time,stress and work these horses cause along with our other day to day things...such as afull time job... children....house chores etc etc it's often hard to fit the riding in sometimes! a dip in our energy levels and enthusiasm is almost a certainty at some point unless you're some kind of super human.

Have some time off riding if needs be, don't feel guilty about it because the bug will bite you on the bum again soon enough... it always does! :)
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Absolutely spot on here, it how Im feeling a bit at the moment, - theres me blaming my age and hormones!
 
I've got the opposite problem - my boy is lame so no riding. I'm grumpy, he's grumpy and neither of us can wait til he's better!
Have a break and you'll soon be desperate to go out
 
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