a horseless horselover

[saph]

hi i live in china (i will be moving back soon)nad thewre are NO horses here does any one have some sujestions about how to keep myself in training :(

[Maci]

A lot of people on here are horseless, including myself! :) Do you mean that there are no stables you can ride at? That's too bad. Until you do have access, keep reading books, internet articles and magazines on riding (to keep your memory fresh). Maybe visualize riding and go over the movements/aids you would make to do certain things. A virtual ride! ;) Good luck!

Maci :)

[CrazyfurAnimals]

I agree with Maci. That 'virtual' ride seems to help. :)

Excercising could help too! It always helps to get yourself in shape for riding (maybe i should have someone tell me that! :D ). It makes riding just that much easier. A good excercise is jogging, running up and down the stairs, or even a nice walk down the street. A good stretch is if you have something high, like um... a high chair maybe. Set one foot about 2 feet away from the chair, and raise the other one to the seat of the chair. Now lean forward as far as you can go and hold for about 10 seconds or more. Another excercise to help strenghten your feet to be able to lower them in the stirrups is if you can put the bawls of your feet at the end of the stair. Now slowly lower yourself, and then back up again.

Reading also definately helps. I recomend "The Idiot's Guide to Horseback riding", "Getting the most out of your riding lessons", and "Horse and Rider".

__Sarah__ :)

[saph]

thanks so much on the weekend i spend all of my time online downloding heaps of intresting articles i really wish i could share them with every body.There some really moden up to date articles ( shoes are bad for horses feet)but once you read them you find they make alot of sense.i have lived in china for 4 years the only time i get to ride is in the holidays back to australia or france (dad-french mum-australian not that my french is to good-i only know the horsey words) :D

[Kathrin]

Well, given that as China changes the Chinese are developing an interest in and access to all things western, I presume that horse riding can only follow and you are in an ideal position to help start it off.


Are your parents at all horsey? Do you know other ex-pats who are? Perhaps you can persuade them that starting a small club for their kids and importing a few horses could be the route to a successful business??

Have you made an exhaustive search for facilities? Get in touch with international riding organisations and see if they can point you in the direction of a local club or practitioner who may be able to teach you or at least let you exercise their horses.


Where abouts are you in china?

[Kathrin]

http://www.horseclick.com/AsiaStables.shtm


this MAY help.

[qwerty]

Before I re-started riding I got quite nervous so to refresh myself I sat on the edge of a chair or my bed and basically pretended I was on a horse. I got a thin belt or peoce of bibbon for the reins and once I even put my hat on!!! :p ;) :D :o It helped me loads woth my confidence and riding ability!
Give it a go! You may feel stupid (less so if you don't wear a hat!!!) but it is well worth it!