You know you are getting old "WHEN"

Thank you all soooo much!

I haven't laughed so much in ages, and some of it was at myself for recognising what I do (and say to my daughter!)

My biggest 'thing' is that, when I dismount, I need to stretch my back across my girls shoulders, until it pops, before I can slide (un)gracefully to the floor and hope that my ankles or knees don't give way.
She waits patienty for this operation every time but only if it's me riding her!

I fell off 2 years ago and thought I'd broken every bone in my body (no bouncing!). I hadn't broken anything but it hurt like billio and I still can't trust myself to have a really good canter. They have to be short bursts. Thankfully my big softy of a cob is fine with that!


I think this says rather eloquently why we all put ourselves through the aches and pains for the sake of our passion:
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. ~Winston Churchill
 
Stirrup on the last hole?? You young things may be able to do that but I need a mounting block. I'd never broken a bone in my life until last year, then I broke two, including my back. I used to hate falling off because it hurt now I'm frightened to fall off because I'd never get back on my feet again and would have to crawl back to the yard. In the olden days I would leap from the horse in one reasonably graceful move. Now I ease myself off bit by bit, hoping to reduce the impact when I land and cut the risk of peeing myself. Oh to be old.
 
MrsMozart said:
When you make sure that, before you ride, your legs are clean shaven, you have matching lingerie on, and your socks match and don't have holes in.

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LMAO at this one:D

I vividly recall a friend wailing to us " ***k! ***t! ***n! I've got BIG BJ knickers on, AND my legs need shaving, I just CAN'T go to hospital looking like this!" as she was being loaded into an ambulance, (fortunately she was OK) but she went out soon afterwards and bought a load of matching undies.

The matching undies yes, always, matching socks ...forget it! I have one toxic lime and one pink today!
 
After an hour in the saddle, you suspect it may need repadding?

When you fall off, ou lie there a few minutes longer to make sure everything is where it should be.

You've forgotten (again) how to tie your stock, cos "that old lady on the yard" used to fo it for you.

When you wentto Pony Club you had to wear a shirt and tie (not a sweatshirt) and a hairnet and no makeup.

Yup, jute rugs and new zealands and no supplements or fancy feed - bran mash anyone?

Velvet hats with elastic to "secure " it under your chin (mine was brown)

Body protectors (just about come in) with "nappy like", between the legs attchments

Instructors wearing hats and shirts and ties

......
 
jendie said:
Stirrup on the last hole?? You young things may be able to do that but I need a mounting block. I'd never broken a bone in my life until last year, then I broke two, including my back. I used to hate falling off because it hurt now I'm frightened to fall off because I'd never get back on my feet again and would have to crawl back to the yard. In the olden days I would leap from the horse in one reasonably graceful move. Now I ease myself off bit by bit, hoping to reduce the impact when I land and cut the risk of peeing myself. Oh to be old.
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oh yes mounting block and last hole he he and im only 37.also with age you start to worry about things that MIGHT happen if your spooks etc IE, you fall of break every bone in your body never walk again really over the top thoughts or is that just me
 
1973horse said:
also with age you start to worry about things that MIGHT happen if your spooks etc IE, you fall of break every bone in your body never walk again really over the top thoughts or is that just me
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All that happened precisely at the same time I had my daughter.:(

I didn't lose my confidence, but I did suddenly started to think about the consequences of riding a ditsy horse flat out across the moors. 16 years later it is still the reason I no longer break in youngsters.
 
I am so glad i am not the only one out there that feels that way, this has been the hardest winter I have ever had and still not got the motivation to get started.
My mare having a lovely holiday, hope to get going when fields dryer, and weather a bit warmer. Does anyone else have to take a hot water bottle to field with spare gloves on so there is a warm pair of gloves to change into. I am 60 this year hope I can keep going a bit longer though.
Roll on springtime.
 
The queue of cars on the driveway to the yard gate of a morning when everyone who's 40 upwards are arriving nice and early but we're all struggling to read the combination of tiny numbers on the padlock to open it and it takes about 10 mins for us to do it between us... reaching for specs, going closer and further away from it with our faces so that the numbers hopefully eventually come into focus ("oh I haven't got my glasses...is that a 6 or an 8..or maybe it's a 5?") and we can all drive in and park :D
 
When you make sure that, before you ride, your legs are clean shaven, you have matching lingerie on, and your socks match and don't have holes in.

When, in the morning, you feel like you need ironing just to stand upright.

Hilarious!!! I'm neurotic about the matching underwear, ever since I was at a county show and a cow broke loose despite a thirty foot gap to it's left it took a flying leap at the fence and a spectator! You never know when it's your turn?
 
Don't despair youngsters, I am (nearly) 41 -eek- but none of the above has happened to me (just yet...!!) I can still get on my 16.2hh ISH from the ground, have fallen off 3 times out hunting this season and bounced reasonably well (touches lots of wood) and definitely don't wee myself when trotting :-)
 
mochadun said:
the queue of cars on the driveway to the yard gate of a morning when everyone who's 40 upwards are arriving nice and early but we're all struggling to read the combination of tiny numbers on the padlock to open it and it takes about 10 mins for us to do it between us... Reaching for specs, going closer and further away from it with our faces so that the numbers hopefully eventually come into focus ("oh i haven't got my glasses...is that a 6 or an 8..or maybe it's a 5?") and we can all drive in and park :d
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roflmao :d:d:d
 
I can't get on without a mounting block - knees lock
I can't kneel at all - knees lock
Get to the tack room forget what I need
Filling a haynet tires me out, as does walking to the field & collecting tools for mucking out.
Mucking out takes me nearly 1 & 1/2 hours I get so tired
Can't carry more than 1/2 bucket of water - back will give way
Can't go on long hacks as there is no where to go to the loo - i'm pregnant ;)
Other liveries have to empty my wheelbarrow for me - kness, back & baby bump
I have to get off using a mounting block - knees & baby bump


Scary thing is I'm 20
 
Smitty said:
When you have to put your glasses on to zip up full length chaps ...

When a horse your much younger sister has been riding is described as being ridden by an older lady ...

When you remember the days when there was Jackatex (??) riding stuff, ponies were fed an absolute timebomb of feed, none of which affected them as they spent hours hacking to pc/shows/hunting and then miles home again, hardly anyone had a lamanitic pony and oh the bliss of matching nylon reins/girth and I had a VELVET:p covered browband;)

When you remember hacking your pony (minus one shoe probably) 9 miles to the farrier to be shod, clutching the £1 and 5 shillings it cost for a full set.
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Omigod! Jackatex - I can remember getting umpteen buses to their shop in Crystal Palace to buy one of their beige belted riding macs! "as advertised in H&H"
But then my first ever pair of jods were made of cavalry twill......
Can also remember:-
Spillers introducing the Pony Nut and the first ever wormer - Multiverm or something similar sounding - came in a little pot.
Being considered "cutting edge" with black tack instead of brown and having a black trailer instead of the obligatory green or blue !
Feed being delivered in large hessian sacks, which had to be returned and refilled!
Driving a B reg (1st time round, format abc123b= approx 1964) old horse box with a crash gearbox so you had to double declutch every gear change!
When the latest must have item was a thick woollen yellow polo neck jumper and the best gloves were yellow and knitted from string!
This is such fun!
 
You trot a horse up for the vet and he gives YOU a lameness grade.

You start eyeing up your horses joint supplements and wonder if they'd work on you.

Your skin is so dry that your hands don't even soften after a good tack cleaning session.

You stop thinking what you look like in bad weather and end up in about ten layers with an old wax jacket to keep you warm and dry. The problem is that you find this combination makes getting on and off even more of a problem, but has the added bonus of extra cushioning in the event of a fall.

You fill your horses water buckets and hay soaking bin with supplement buckets as they are lighter to carry, but does mean ten times the amount of journeys to the water supply and back.

A two hour hack is endurance riding - enduring all those aching joints for two hours is pretty good going!

Fast trotting on roads causes far too much concussion - for you.
 
doodleberry said:
and jump heights!! why cant people say 2 fot 9 instead of how ever many centimeters and people call their riding instructors 'trainers' which does make me laugh especially when they are still learning rising trot!!
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This is so true - I had to go onto a "conversion" web site the other day to convert the jump heights in a schedule!

Everything hurts more when you fall off!

You have to "get the blood back" into your legs by swinging and dangling them out of the irons before you attempt to crash to the ground with a groan.

Its an awfully long way to the field in the morning and evening.
 
Zerotolerance said:
Omigod! Jackatex - I can remember getting umpteen buses to their shop in Crystal Palace to buy one of their beige belted riding macs! "as advertised in H&H"
But then my first ever pair of jods were made of cavalry twill......
Can also remember:-
Spillers introducing the Pony Nut and the first ever wormer - Multiverm or something similar sounding - came in a little pot.
Being considered "cutting edge" with black tack instead of brown and having a black trailer instead of the obligatory green or blue !
Feed being delivered in large hessian sacks, which had to be returned and refilled!
Driving a B reg (1st time round, format abc123b= approx 1964) old horse box with a crash gearbox so you had to double declutch every gear change!
When the latest must have item was a thick woollen yellow polo neck jumper and the best gloves were yellow and knitted from string!
This is such fun!
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I think that only two people went to pony club in trailers when I was young. Everyone just hacked there - even riding 8 miles n the dark to aspring rally after school (driving, thankfully was much more horse friendly, and nobody was ever hurt). Now, at the same branch, only about two members hack there. Also most children at pony club rode ponies - only at 16 did a few members have horses. Now many members are on horses at 13. They do all seem to be taller though!

Yes I remember yellow string gloves, and polo necks under a hacking jacket! My first "crop" was white plastic!
 
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LOL @ cuppetea... I stil have mine in me Dad's shed...

.... when cold hands suddenly develop into Raynauds Phenomenon.... :(
 
Oh dear! Pretty much all of the above!! ;)

I can cope with most of it, though - except the aching back after any sort of harder ride. I can hardly move at the moment after Sunday's exertions!

Oh, and the eyesight lark :p
 
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