Hurray!

[whoa]

At the ripe old age of 40 I decided to start learning to ride and this site is fantastic, loads of advice and I don't feel like I'm alone in not being able to get a horse to canter more than 4 strides! My biggest worry is that I'm often too nervous and at the moment dont feel like I'm really in control enough of the time, but no matter how rubbish I am I love every moment of it. I guess it's just a case of keep on trying!

Sue.

[Gracie]

Hi Sue!:)
Welcome to the board!
You definitly picked an excellent site to join in on the fun!
Everyone here is very knowledgable and extremly nice, and our moderators do a good job of keeping the peace!:)
Hope you like it as much as I do!
And congrats and starting riding again!

[Tangle]

Hi Sue,

as Gracie says, welcome aboard & and congratulations on starting riding. I started just a couple of months back, so beleive me, you're definately not alone :p!

Hope you enjoy it all

Tangle

[cabanha]

Welcome to New Rider! Yup, yup we all get nervous sometimes (even though some people don't like to admit when they get nervous), and *this here is the best darn site to come to for horsey advice or reassurance*!!!! :D

[whoa]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! A quick (first) question, when starting to learn is it best to try and ride the same horse each lesson or try different ones? At the place where I ride you can book a horse for lesson or just see who you get each week when you arrive. Personally I dont mind as I find each one a challenge and I now know what to expect from them (almost!).

And why do some horses keep flinging their heads up and down while you're riding them - it doesn't help learners like me with their balance! Can you stop them?

And while I'm at it, are there any tell tell signs that let you know when a horse is getting fed up and cross?

Sue.

[Laetitia]

Welcome Whoa and congratulations on starting to learn to ride. I personally prefer to ride the same horse especially if I get on well with it, it helps to reduce the nerves. Try to relax is the big secret, but don't worry it'll come.
Horses put their ears back if they are displeased, and they pin them right back if they're really getting cross. L

[kedwards]

Welcome to the Board, Whoa. There is a sizeable number of returning and new "mature" riders here, so you are in good company (of course the company of the young and experienced here is also very nice).

If you know the lesson horses well enough to know what to expect from them, than your current system of riding different horses sounds great. I think it is good experience to ride a variety of horses, but some people find they are more comfortable and can learn better with consistency. Horses for courses, as they say.

I would ask your instructor about the head tossing, if I were you. It could be something you are doing (e.g., inconsistent rein contact), but it could also be an issue related to the horse's training or health.

[whoa]

My instructor said and I've found it to be true that with some horses you ride more physically and with some it's a mental battle! My riding school recently bought a very forard going horse who although is a bit scary is a dream to ride - the slightest squeeze and he's off. He's the mental challenge for sure - I've seen the mad look in his eyes!!!

Something we did at my last lesson I found very strange - we had to trot over some posts that had been laid on the ground. Apparently this was to make us (I'm riding with a friend from work) control the speed of our horses. I thought it was mad, surely they might trip? I couldn't see the point at all. Can someone enlighten me as to why you do that?

Also does anyone know the history behind why the letters that are stuck around the school were chosen. It seems to me that someone has carefully chosen ones that sound exactly the same (s and f for example). My friend and I always get into a muddle when we are changing the rein - it has been known for us to go back round the school in the same direction!!

Sue.

[chapsi]

Sue,
welcome on board and to the joys of riding. As others have said, you'll meet lots of other mature riders, of all equestrian levels.
In my opinion it is also very estimulating to share our experiences from places so distant apart (geografically) but so close together, made possible by the wonders of internet. I feel a certain intimacy and familiarity amongst many of us.
Some of your questions/doubts are quite normal for the novice rider.
My advice, take it all easy with fun and relax. Take your time, the adult rider needs those in order to develop confidence.

[kedwards]

The work over ground poles is commonly used for training riders and horses. The series of poles are set at a specific distance to affect the horse's stride. It may take you awhile to get used to trusting the horse, but the horse should have no problem with the exercise if the distances between poles are set appropriately.

The letters around the arena are dressage markers. The placement and sequence of letters is standardized, but there is no discernable pattern to it anymore, so it just has to be memorized. There are a couple of different mnemonics floating around, such as "All King Edwards Horses Can Make Big Fences."

[Crazy horse2601]

hi welcome to the board, i started horse riding about six months ago, but I'm on here every night, posting threads for help or advice! well done for starting horse riding. Good luck, please keep us posted.



kedwards- hey great rhyme for memorising the letters, I'm always getting confused.

[Charleymouse]

Big Welcome Whoa.

Ive definately had some laughs since I joined. Most have them have been from one post which was about the wrong things to do with horse or something and Wally had me in stiches.

I learnt the dressage markers as " All King Edwards Horses Can Make Better Foals" but I hear new ones every weeks, we have little competitions at work over things like that. Thats between the mucking out and sweeping that is.

Have fun and I hope you enjoy this site as much as I do.;)

[kedwards]

Thanks CrazyHorse, I didn't make it up, but I have modified it for my personal use. I like to think of it as "All Kim Edward's Horses...."

Cheers,
Kedwards (Kimberly)

[Wally]

The little rhymes we have made up for the letters round the school are not fit for tender young ears!:eek: :eek: :D

Welcome to NR Whoa!

We have pictures too so really young kids can head for a mouse or a kite or an elephant!

Pole work helps with your balance as well as the horse. it really does have a value.

[kelsey]

Poles will stop your horse from rushing as he has to think more about balance and where to put his feet...the same as if you are walking on and off curbs, or over poles, for that matter.

My pet peeve is when the poles are not placed correctly and your horse ends up kind of "chopping" over them. I used to think it was my bad riding so I wouldn't complain, then I learned how to space them myself and realized that some teachers don't know how to!.

[whoa]

Now I understand the poles! Trouble with lessons is you dont really have time to discuss things with the instructor as there are always other people waiting for their lesson at the end.

I got Heather Moffett's book "Enlightened Equitation" today. Hopefully I might be able to put some of her tips to use at my next lesson. I feel terrible though when I think what I've been putting those horses through - I'm sure they see me and think oh no not the old sack of potatoes again!

Sue.

[ravenin]

Hi Sue~
welcome to NR, I'm sure you'll find the site very friendly, fun, and informative as we all do! My "new rider" advice to you is to read all the books and posts on this board that you can..good work getting 'Enlightened Equitation'!
Also, wanted to add that the dressage letters in the arena originally came from royalty; the letters denote the places where different members of the court were supposed to be. So there was actually some sort of reason to it, instead of just a bunch of letters pulled from a hat as it now seems! A bit of info gleaned from a thread a few months ago on that very subject, on this very site~see how informative? ;)

[whoa]

Thanks for the info Ravenin!

Had a lesson tonight and almost managed to canter 3/4 of the length of the school, but would my rear stay on the saddle - no way! I've booked a lunge lesson next week to help me get the feel of it because at the moment the change of movement of the horse just throws me completely. Anyone have any advice? Will I ever get it right??!

Still love it though, plus I was riding my favourite boy tonight - he is such a sweetheart. God knows what he thinks about me!!

Sue.

[Georgie B]

Welcome to the board - everyone is so nice here and it doesn't matter what question you ask, there's lots of advice.

A reason why the horse may be pulling the reins is that he/she are taking the pee as it were - quite a few school horses to this and it is sooooooo annoying. I would stick to the same horse and you can take a note of your progress on how the horse is responding - then when you have a bit more experience you can try other horses. The main thing is that you feel comfortable and trust your mount.

I'm 32 and have owned a horse for nearly three years now (my first) and although I don't consider myself experienced, I have the confidence and if you have that then you're half way there really. It was an enormous learning curve (and still is, but not so bad) but we got there in the end and I don't regret anything.

I wish you all the best, don't be forced into doing anything - take your time and do things at YOUR pace and don't be pushed into anything. It sounds as if you're really enjoying yourself anyway. TTYL on the board. Take care, Georgie

[whoa]

Thanks for your comments Georgie! I was talking to one of the girls at the stables about the horse who is always flinging her head and apparently she is a bit of a minx! She makes me laugh though when I ride her, to start with every time we go past the gate to the school she tries to head towards it, like she saying thanks I've had enough now, time to go home.

I usually ride with a friend and she has always seemed to get the same horse and unless I book in advance they seem to use me as a tester for the others! I can see what you mean about trying to stick with the same one and I guess 70% of the time I have and it is useful. For some reason though I find it helps my confidence to try a different one every know and then. Especially the ones that are a bit more of a challenge.

I am enjoying it so much, I dont know why everyone doesn't do it. I guess I might feel differently if I fall off and end up in plaster!!

Sue.

[Debby Riley]

I am fairly new to NR and totally hooked, i am on here most nights, at the age of 32 i have started riding again ( did a bit as a child but spent most of my time on my butt) I have to say that this time round, getting over my nerves has been the hardest thing, oh and you get lots of advice on remembering to breathe, this has helped so much as my instructor constanlty says to me " please breathe your a lovely shade of red :D

Once thing i have noticed about this site is that everyone helps and shares experiences, which has taught me so much.

My confidence is growing and my riding is improving too, i recently posted questions about cantering, (my instructor has told me that next lesson i am to canter ) i was so nervous and after posting questions i can not wait until sunday and my next lesson !!

[whoa]

Debby, I know just what you mean about getting over your nerves. I had a lunge lesson on Thusday which I hoped would help me get the feel of the canter and give me more confidence - I have never been so scared!! I was bumping up and down like a maniac and my back is still suffering! One of the girls who works at the stable was watching and she did say he was going very fast and that everyone is scared when they first canter and I don't think it helped that I was just going round in circles. You should have seen me when I got off I was walking like I had just drunk 10 large gins! Still I wont give up!

Hope you do better than me!

Sue.