Hey Nazdaq, Misterton, sockonmyhead and pilgrim hows your riding?

[kiwigirl]

Hi guys,

Been following your threads over the last few months as you are all at similar stages to me so was just wondering how your riding is going and what stuff you have been learning.

Anyone else who has been learning in the last 6 months feel free to join in and let me know your experiences!

For me it just gets better and better. Feel like I have a bond with my horse now and alot more control. Even my position feels better at times and my sitting trot much less bouncy.

[Meovcorz]

Hi, Kiwigirl!
I've been learning heaps! I don't go to lessons (tho' I probably should), I just learn off here, and I also search for other very good informational websites, and read books! But it also helps that I know somebody who is an excellent horse rider, who helps me alot. Also I borrow a friend's horse, you see my friend bought a horse that hadn't been ridden for a couple of years, and then when my friend got him (Jack), the first time he (my friend) jumped on Jack, Jack pig-bucked! But still my friend ws persisitent and tried a few more times got a few good rides but the end of it was when Jack pig-bucked the 3rd time! Then Jack just got left out in pasture and didn't get worked and got fatter and fatter. Then I got the insentive to ride him, and the first time I jumped on jack he pig-bucked ME!!! I wasn't overly impressed, and I did fall off, which busted my confidence a little, It was a week later ( I was working him imbetween) I hopped on him again, and then from there SLOWLY gained my confidence back (but I still have to say, it wasn't all that bad to be pig-bucked off) . And then I found this wonderful website. Just lately I've been doing going over trotting poles though my horse (I call him my horse 'cause I feel so close to him :) ) seems to think they are 1 metre high jumps HE HE HE!!! (Jack's barely 14 hh!) I've got 2 point position down pat now.

And most recently I've decided to bite the bullet and learn sitting tro!(on a very bouncey horse mind you :D )

What about the rest of you? What Disciplines would you like to do once you get the basics down? I'd like to do either Dressage or Jumping or even both, though I wouldn't want to go to shows or anything! :)

[Nazdaq]

Hey Kiwigirl, its so nice to be named in the title of a post! :p :D
I have been continuing with the canter/sitting trot saga, I am alot more confident now, although still need to work on it. I can sit to the trot alot better, there is barely air between my bum and the saddle now which is great. On the canter front, I can do about half one side of the school, which is better then nothing I guess. I am working hard on my dissertation (well not right this minute as I am forum-browsing :eek:) and after that is all done I am going to get some lunge lessons to help me learn how to maintain the canter etc.

I rode with my parents, who had never ridden before at all. I thought that it was fun and they enjoyed it, but they said they wouldn't do it again. :( Ah well, I tried! It was nice working in just walk and trot, and showing off what I could do really well. I did EVERYTHING myself for the first time, without RI standing next to me/helping, so at least I know I can do it by myself when I get my own horsie! I was a big confidence boost! :D

My aim is to learn how to canter properly and then go on a two hour pub ride with friends. Longer term in a few years I would like to learn basic dressage and maybe do a beginners test (for fun of course!) :D I am also working on that big movie script which when I sell it for loads of money it will allow me to get a big mansion with 10 acres, stables and outbuildings, 2 ponios, 2 doggies (a greyhound and a great dane) and some sheep :p

And with that very O/T ramble, I will sign off! :)

[vonandiz]

Hi Kiwigirl,

I started riding in Feb after a few months of reading posts here and watching my 5yr old daughter ride. I am totally addicted and spend my spare time day dreaming about my next lesson, how great it will be when I'm finally good enough to start jumping and what horse I'll buy(this bits a fantasy as realistically there'll be no horse for me in the next 5 years!):)

Luckily I seem to have picked up the basics quite quickly. I can now trot compentently and a few weeks ago realised I'd stopped thinking about the up/down of rising trot and was just doing it. Fab feeling.:) I despise sitting trot as it feels so uncomfortable - I'm hoping this will get easier.

In my last few lessons I've been working on canter which I totally love:) I can now canter a few laps of the manege including some 20m circles. My current problem is canter to trot transitions - I go from canter to walk... my RI thinks a lot of this is to do with the horse I ride (apparently she has a bad habit of doing this) although as I'm very slowly beginning to manage this I suspect my riding has as much todo with it. Fingers crossed I'll have cracked this in a few months.

Nazdaq - I'm was really pleased to here you didn't give the riding up:o

[sockonmyhead]

hi kiwigirl, nazdaq, mistertron and fellow new riders!
my lessons are going well; i written on here for ages, but a lot has changed in the meantime...
i went on my first hack with 5 others (3 RS employees, nik, myself and a nice lady called sally!) i was put on peach; a pretty little pony who had a liking for wandering behind niks horse (who didnt like peach). so trying to stop my silly little pony from being kicked by the huge monster that was max certainly made the hack interesting. she was also fond of doing this ridiculous fast trot! and her canter gradually became more of a gallop!

since the hack, i have stopped having double lessons with nik (my cousin, who has been riding for about 7 years to my 3 months). this was due to our considerably different stages, and our RI having to cater for both of us in the lesson. now, we book 2 half hour long lessons, one after the other.

i've ridden sprina again, but was taken off her cause RI now thinks its time for me to experience some new horses, so i got billy, who liked to trot around the school, and then completely change direction (which was fun :) )
i then got murphy, who is the longest serving horse (he's gigantic! i dont know how many hands he is, but i'm 5'5", and his withers were above my head!) on the yard. he susses people out before they've even ridden them, and seems to be lazy if you dont properly tell him what you want him to do! i had a fantastic half hour on his back, and i got him into canter on the second attempt (which i thought was a great achievement considering he's renowndly lazy and most of the yard staff dont like riding him!)

im yet to fall off, although im not particurlarly worried about falling anyway

and sara (my ri) says that we're going to be working on jumps over the summer! how exciting!

and ive just found a murphy hair on my keyboard...how weird!

its nice to see that everyone is getting on well, and nice on nazdaq for not giving it up!

roll on tuesday for more frolicks several feet above the ground!

[Nazdaq]

Awww, thanks you guys for saying that you are pleased I didn't give up...I am totally smitten with horses though, even if people can be a bit pants sometimes! :p :eek: :)
I will update you all on my progress, I should be having a lesson sometime in May. :D
I hope everyone else keeps up the good work of learning to ride these wonderful animals, and posting full reports here of course!

[Mistertron]

Hi everyone,

Well i'm told i'm ready to have a go at canter (not done that before) but last lesson i was riding a horse who i find quite difficult! she is very strong and wasn't particually listening to me so we never got a good enough trot to be able to try canter. So i was just working on school movements and sitting trot which is getting better and better. I should of had a lesson yesterday but i am currently sitting in bed after being really ill with a stomach bug!! so i am very disappointed that i have to wait till next Friday to ride again.

It was good reading everyone elses posts :D seems everyone is doing really well and looks like we have all caught the riding bug!!!

[Mistertron]

What about the rest of you? What Disciplines would you like to do once you get the basics down? I'd like to do either Dressage or Jumping or even both, though I wouldn't want to go to shows or anything! :)

I'm quite interested in Dressage but not sure if would ever be something i could do. I'm not very competitive so like you, i dont want to enter shows. I think i'm quite a way off learning to jump yet!

[Mistertron]

I am also working on that big movie script which when I sell it for loads of money it will allow me to get a big mansion with 10 acres, stables and outbuildings, 2 ponios, 2 doggies (a greyhound and a great dane) and some sheep :p

And with that very O/T ramble, I will sign off! :)

ooh i'd echo that but would want several cats as well! and a labbie rather than a great dane! and would prob need to win the lottery as i'd have no idea about writing movie scripts! but hey good luck!!

[Meovcorz]

im yet to fall off, although im not particurlarly worried about falling anyway


Huh, funny you say that. Just last week I was riding Jack (bareback) I was up in the canter when Jack tripped and I literaly slid off the side of him! I was sore for quite a few days after woulds!

My aim is to learn how to canter properly and then go on a two hour pub ride with friends. Longer term in a few years I would like to learn basic dressage and maybe do a beginners test (for fun of course!) I am also working on that big movie script which when I sell it for loads of money it will allow me to get a big mansion with 10 acres, stables and outbuildings, 2 ponios, 2 doggies (a greyhound and a great dane) and some sheep

Don't we all wish!!! Like Misterton said I'd HAVE to add a few cats to that, and change the breeds of dogs. Then we'd need the lotto as well, and a few more acres too to go with all the animals.

Nazdaq, I didn't know you nearly gave up. I'm glad you didn't, well you probably wouldn't have for very long :D !!!!

I suppose I should stop rambling.

[kiwigirl]

Well you are lucky to have access to a horse outside a riding school. I imagine that it is alot 'fresher' to ride. Does your friend do alot of schooling work with him? How often do you get to ride? Where in Aussie do you live?Sorry about the questions but I love hearing everyones stories:)

Well I intially started lessons as I wanted to feel confident to canter/gallop on horse treks. But now the bug has bitten I am considering for the first time the possibility of sharing/loaning in the future and maybe even learning to jump. So who knows where this will lead! Its possible I will have children soon, so fingers crossed they are horse mad so I can get them ponies and go to pony club! Like you I have no desire to compete but I would never say never!

Hey, I am going to Adelaide soon, do you know of any horse treks there I could do?

Hi, Kiwigirl!
I've been learning heaps! I don't go to lessons (tho' I probably should), I just learn off here, and I also search for other very good informational websites, and read books! But it also helps that I know somebody who is an excellent horse rider, who helps me alot. Also I borrow a friend's horse, you see my friend bought a horse that hadn't been ridden for a couple of years, and then when my friend got him (Jack), the first time he (my friend) jumped on Jack, Jack pig-bucked! But still my friend ws persisitent and tried a few more times got a few good rides but the end of it was when Jack pig-bucked the 3rd time! Then Jack just got left out in pasture and didn't get worked and got fatter and fatter. Then I got the insentive to ride him, and the first time I jumped on jack he pig-bucked ME!!! I wasn't overly impressed, and I did fall off, which busted my confidence a little, It was a week later ( I was working him imbetween) I hopped on him again, and then from there SLOWLY gained my confidence back (but I still have to say, it wasn't all that bad to be pig-bucked off) . And then I found this wonderful website. Just lately I've been doing going over trotting poles though my horse (I call him my horse 'cause I feel so close to him :) ) seems to think they are 1 metre high jumps HE HE HE!!! (Jack's barely 14 hh!) I've got 2 point position down pat now.

And most recently I've decided to bite the bullet and learn sitting tro!(on a very bouncey horse mind you :D )

What about the rest of you? What Disciplines would you like to do once you get the basics down? I'd like to do either Dressage or Jumping or even both, though I wouldn't want to go to shows or anything! :)

[Nazdaq]

I have the cats already!! 2 girls called Sabrina and Cassie. :D

[Mackinlay]

How ya going kiwigirl! Thought I would add my two cents worth, since I seem to be at about the same level as you guys. Started having lessons in about October last year. I don't really post that much, but I have just started leasing one of my RI's horses :D So now I can practice whenever I like! I am still concentrating on sitting trot (heaps more comfy now ha ha) and doing trot poles etc. Kimba is a 15 year old arab gelding and he is just lovely :D He loves to canter, and so do I (though not good at it) so we have lots of fun!

Also, near Adelaide (Inglewood) there is a place called Templewood Horseriding Centre (on the web just google) they do trail rides. Not sure if that is what you are after, but I have been there and it's a lovely property with friendly horses and staff. Hope that helps you, and have fun on your holiday :)

[Mistertron]

I have the cats already!! 2 girls called Sabrina and Cassie. :D

I love the names :) . My cat Fred (who i loved to bits) died a couple of years ago and we are in a rented house at the mo so we aren't allowed any pets..boo!

sorry Kiwigirl i think we have gone a bit OT with this...lol

[Nazdaq]

Yeah, sorry Kiwigirl! :p :D

[Meovcorz]

Well Nazdaq, I've already got one cat, Jazzmin, a purebred Birman!!!

No kiwigirl, my friend doesn't do any schooling with Jack, and he dosen't ride Jack much either, so I ride him most :-). I've never been to a lesson at all! How often do I get to ride? Oh well, nearly every day. Where in Australia do I live, well I'd rather not say exactly, but no were near Adelaide, so I don't know of any riding trails near Adelaide.

Probably my fault we went OT with this thread!

[Meovcorz]

Yeah I'd probably never sya never to, with show jumping or going to shows full stop.