I did it!

[Tara]

Hi everyone!
I posted a few weeks ago, titled Huge horse? to ask for any advice about what size horse they'd put a very nervous plump beginner like me on if I went on a hack on holiday. I didn't want to be too high! Well, we got back home today and my head is buzzing with horses- I have been well and truly bitten by the bug. It has been lurking beneath the surface for months now, especially reading all the interesting things on here, and I had been trying to decide if I really wanted to get back into it or not, being so nervous, and not at all athletic! But I did it, and it was sooo good I can't stop thinking about it! Myself, my two eldest children and my dad rode yesterday. I had a lovely old piebald mare, about 14.2, called Magpie who looked after me beautifully, and definately was not too high! My family are all now sick of me going on about it, so I can't mention the word horse out loud, but I wanted to talk about it a bit more and thought you'd all understand! Right, the search for a good riding school near me is on!:D

[lamprellsarah]

awww thats fantasic i am sooo glad it worked out.
7 years later, i am still bitten badly by the horse bug, my parents and BF have to tell me to shut up about my horse, and what i have done and in genral horses!!!
good luck in searching for a riding school make sure you ask around and get some good recommandations, also private lessons are the best!!!!

[Mehitabel]

glad it went well for you!

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Tara
My family are all now sick of me going on about it, so I can't mention the word horse out loud, but I wanted to talk about it a bit more and thought you'd all understand!

Whee! Sounds like you had fun :)

I have to give my husband some credit for sanity--I was temporarily out of horses (health reasons) when he met me, so he didn't know quite how badly I was bitten by the horsey bug. Thankfully, he lets me go on and on and on and on--and even tolerates staying out at the stable till 8 or 9 for about 3 days in a row before he starts to mention that he'd _really_ like to see me sometimes without the stable in the background. (This is helpful, as I teach kiddie lessons after school and also stay VERY late the week before a show.)

But be assured, people here will never get sick of cheerful burbling about riding! Hope you have many more pleasant bubbly days riding :)

[CityGirl]

I know exactly how you feel. I just started riding again a few months ago & its now all I talk about! My friends keep joking that I've joined a cult:o Glad you had such a great time & welcome to the club!!

[Emma_G_NZ]

Congratulations!! I got back into riding when I was 11 (I'm 14 now but rode for a year when I was 6) and boy was my first ride the most exciting thing in my life... I talked about it until my next lesson, then after that lesson the next two weeks was about that lesson etc. which went on until I got my pony.... Now all I talk about is my pony, lol! :rolleyes:

[virtuallyhorses]

plump? not athletic? You're now an equestrienne!! ~ or will be soon from the sounds of it :) I've always been fond of the term 'big strong girls' myself My sister and I were two big strong girls who started riding (and used to wet ourselves laughing at our pathetically unathletic antics) so don't worry about that stuff, go out and start some lessons, have a ball and REALLY bore the kids. :cool:

Have you mentioned to them that they need to learn how to fend for themselves when you're out at your riding lessons? they could even have dinner waiting for you... ;) :D :D

[Tara]

Yes, I like the sound of " big strong girls" instead of plump and not athletic!:D Have just got the holiday photos back too, so as well as talking about it, I can now bore for england with the pics! Have made myself laugh already by comparing the size of my rear end with Magpie's-someone took a hideous shot of us from the back! I have also now concluded that it is definately me and not my children that want to ride, and I dont want to be a pushy parent, so I'll have to go ahead and start!

[Crazy horse2601]

hi!
yeah never mind the kids. You go for it girl! ha ha. I have wanted to ride all my life and started a few months ago. My parents think I'm obbsessed cos it's all I talk about! I'm so chuffed that I've achieved my ambition that it's the only thing I seem to be interested in. I've been told off loads of times for doddling horses in school books! :-P
I love it on here cos every one's on here to talk about horses and nobody gets tired of it. So it's all HORSES, HORSES, HORSES!!!!! Good luck. let me know how it goes! Emma X:D

[perrie]

Hi there
Im new to all of this but i just thought i would pop in and introduce myself, i have recently started riding again after being out of the sadle for 13 years, and i am loving it more than i ever thought i would, but this time i don't ride alone as my 8 year old daughter has taken up a keen interest in riding aswell, well tomorrow i have my forth lesson and i feel that i can't get enough of it, just like it felt all those years ago, we are so into it now that my husband has started to look around for a piece of land so that we can bye our own horse,all i want to say really is that you are never to old to ride and that even being the bigger girl sometimes has its advantages.;)

[Tara]

Hi Perrie,
Thanks for the reply.I still haven't got started yet, and I wasn't going to post anything until I had, in case people start to wonder if I ever will!!! Just wondered where you ride if you're in east sussex? I sthe ashdown forest riding centre anywhere near you or have you heard of it at all? Thanks again xx

[perrie]

hi there
I live in Hastings and i have hear of Ashdown forest but never ridden there at the moment i ride at a place called whydown but am gonna be changing next week to a place called beauport the reason i am changing is because i find at times i get rather board with just riding in a school,and at this new school they offer hacks.
Please let me know when you do your first ride as i would love to hear all about it and have you ever ridden before or is this the first time?

[Rachel C.]

I'm glad you had fun :D Everyone gets bitten by the horse bug if they let themselves :eek: I was bitten 11 years ago, and the effects haven't faded yet!

[perrie]

Im so sorry that you are feeling sad , do you have another pony or a horse at the mo? i love the quotes they make alot of sense, well today i have another riding lesson and im really hoping that i will start cantering, i feel that i am ready for it now and i can't wait, we are also im the process of looking for our own horse so its all really excitng.

[perrie]

Hi there
Just had another lesson and my first experiance of jumping again after 13 years out of the saddle and guess what i surprised meself and managed to stay on (yippie), i also had a chance to work on my canter which i enjoyed immensely so if i can do it and im a plump girl then anyone can do it .

At the rip old age of 30 i have realised life is a playground so it is time to start playing ;)

[Tara]

Well done! Sounds like you had a great lesson today!:D

[brendabel]

Go for it Tara you will love it.....

I started riding for the first time ever 6 months ago (im 29) and I have just arranged to have Hini for the winter months (see thread on mature riders).. so you see it will take over your life eventually.....

Good look with the lessons bx

[perrie]

thanks for your reply and Hini is beautiful, have you ever owned your own horse or done a loan before, i recently started a loan and ended it rather quickly when i felt that the horses were not getting the care that they should have, it was a part loan and i was paying one hundred and forty pounds a month plus half for the farrier and vet bills, wormers , stable rent and water rates the money never bothered me one bit as i really enjoyed what i was doing but the person that i was paying never wanted to put her share back into the care of the horses to the point where she felt it was more important to sit and talk rather than groom, i pulled out as i am trying to educate my daughter stable management and the daily care of horses but felt that this could not be done properly when the owner wanted us to do everything in the yard but care for the horses, i explained everything down to the importance of hoof picking twice daily only to have this awfull women allow my daughter to think that stable management was burning old hay and cleaning out old barns.

[brendabel]

Hi,

Hini is beautiful, there is also the chance of Seren (below) it is so difficult to choose because they are both sound horses...

I have never had a horse before, to he honest as I said I have only been riding for 6 months. I spoke to my riding stables first (thats where she will stay as well on full livery) and my instructor thought it would be a great idea to bring me on and to learn more about the caring for horses side rather than just taking lessons twice a week. The stables have offered to lend a hand and share their expertise with me so I am very lucky. The only problem they can see is that I am going to be heart broken when she has to go back:(

I think they are right!!!!

Sorry to hear about your experiance is there any chance of you doing it again with someone else?

Bx

[perrie]

hi there
you are so lucky im sure that a chance like that does not come along that often, well for me its a cse of once bitten twice shy so we have now decided to bye our own horse but before we can do that we need to find suitable livery, we have found somewhere that would suit us to a tee but at present they have no vacancies but have assured us that as soon as something comes along we will be told so we are just keeping fingers crossed at the mo.
Till then we will continue with the riding lessons and the reading, can i ask where you are from and if i may ask what the price is you are paying for full livery and what does this include as i know this can vary from place to place.

[brendabel]

Hi there,

I'm from Leeds in west yorkshire, i think the prices are less expensive in the north. I'll be paying £34.00 per week for full livery to include turning out, mucking out, feeds and haylage well every thing really.

I am paying for the transport to leeds from wales (dont ask how much I must be mad) and for flu and tetnus jab and insurance.

I think the prices vary like you say from place to place.


What have you been quoted?

bx

[brendabel]

Hi there,

I'm from Leeds in west yorkshire, i think the prices are less expensive in the north. I'll be paying £34.00 per week for full livery to include turning out, mucking out, feeds and haylage well every thing really.

I am paying for the transport to leeds from wales (dont ask how much I must be mad) and for flu and tetnus jab and insurance.

I think the prices vary like you say from place to place.


What have you been quoted?

bx