Beginner seeking help!

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hi!
I'm a teen who loves horses! I'm a beginning rider so I'm kind of out of it concerning anything equestrian and I was wondering if anyone could help. I'm interested in getting my own horse but I don't really know how to get started. How can I find a cheap beginner's horse? Also, how can I get involved with people that can help me? Thanks so much!

[galadriel]

Since you say you are new to horses, your best bet is to find a stable nearby and volunteer to help out in exchange for lessons (weekends, evenings, whenever you have time). This will help you in two ways :) 1) When you get your own horse, you'll be able to communicate with him well enough that riding is a pleasure for both of you. 2) Horses are delicate creatures, as removed from their natural environment as they are. Being around horses will help you learn some of the very important issues you'll need to know as a horse owner. In the meantime, you can start up an "emergencies" fund for your future horse...you never know.

The way I'd always done it is to call around to all the stables listed in the phone book, and ask if they need help, or a working student, or someone to work off lessons. Many stables have room for someone who wants to work for lessons ;) You also don't have to take the first one who will take you. If you are unhappy, or not learning, or feel stifled, find another place to ride :) Hopefully you'll be happy tho.

This will help you find horsey people in your area, help you learn tremendous amounts about horses, riding, and horsekeeping, and eventually you'll be able to see if the people you know can help you find a horse :) You might even be able to keep working in exchange for part of your board, once you have the horse. And remember, lessons aren't just for beginners!

When you do go looking for a horse, try to make sure you have someone experienced with you. It will help to have someone objective who can help you see past "love at first sight" to determine if a horse is *really* what you want. You will probably want a horse who is a little older, with a been-there-done-that attitude :)

Good luck, and welcome to NR!

[Sparkle]

I don't want to sound reprimanding or anything... but how long have you been riding for? You may want to wait a while until you are sure you are going to stick with the sport... and make sure you are ready for the responsibility. maybe you could lease or work for a while? Or, if you really feel condfident about getting a horse, you should find a good, knowledgeable instructor who is willing to help you with your horse and help you learn about horse care. Keep taking lessons, get lots of help from experienced horsepeople, and take someone who knows horses along when you go to try horses. If you can, take the horse on trial before you buy it. I know someone who is a beginner, bought a nice calm horse- they had a not-very-knowledgeable instrucor, who didn't judge the horse properly, and once the horse settled in a week later, he was rearing and bucking off both the rider and the trainer. I agree with Galadriel- go for an older, experienced horse.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

the best thing to do probably would be to find a stable and work there for lessons. you can learn about horse care and riding. that way when you get a horse you are ready for what will come your way. after being a working student for a while before buying it can be benificial to lease. that way you can learn all about the responsibility of owning, without owning.

[kedwards]

You don't mention whether you are in lessons or not. If you are, you shouldn't hesitate to involved your instructor in the horse-buying process. She may ask for a fee if she goes out with you to test a horse or may ask a commission based on the price of the horse you buy, but it will be money well-spent to have the help of her knowledge and experience. Just make sure you are clear and honest with her in advance about your needs and budget.

[helen1h]

Hi,

I started out when I was 25 and have been riding for about 8 months, I am now looking for my own horse. My advice would be to think about BHS qualifications. They teach you everything you need to know about keeping a horse and are a great way to meet like minded people. Also if you love horses that much you can work towards it being your career. (this is what I am doing)
Look for a riding school which is BHS approved and let them know what your aim is, they usually love an extra pair of hands helping out and by doing this you can link your lessons with what you learn on the yard, and you can pick their brains about buying a horse.
You don't say where abouts you are from, ask around on here for anyone living in your area who could give you advice.

good luck
helen

[Rebekah Simpson]

Thanks so much to all of you. I was amazed when I posted my message yesterday and by that night had gotten 3 responses!
Actually I was in lessons and I will be soon but currently I'm not.:(
My instructor is a college student who owns her own horse. We did lessons for about three months over the summer (once a week) and a couple times when she has come to visit. This summer we'll start again and in the meantime my parents are going to get me lessons somewhere else for my birthday, which I should be starting soon.

I'll have to see if I could possibly work at the barn I'm going to be taking lessons at. Actually, I would love to do that because I just like being around horses and I don't really get the opportunity that much!

By the way, I'm from Virginia. Thanks very much for all the good advice! I'll keep you posted on what happens.

~Rebekah~

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hi Everyone!
I just wanted to say that I'm finally scheduled to start lessons up again in 9 days!!! :D I've missed riding A LOT and I hope I can make it waiting another week and 2 days. :) My non-horsey friend thinks I'm crazy to be so anxious but I really miss being around horses. I guess it's hard for others to understand what it's like to be a way from horses and riding for such a long time.
This will be really cool too because the only lessons I took were on one certain horse (my friend's/instructor's) and now I'll get to ride some other horses! I know that will be really good for me. I'm excited for the new adventure!:p
Hope everyone's doing great!

Rebekah

[kedwards]

That's great news! Your non-horsey friends may not understand your excitement, but we all do here.

Let us know how the lessons go.

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hey Guys!
Well, Saturday was the big day! I finally got to ride again! It was my first time at a new barn and a very interesting experience. I'm taking group lessons due to the private ones being so expensive, but I think I'll take private next time, I don't learn nearly as much with group lessons. I'm in the 2nd level class (still a beginner here, but working up!:) ) The weird thing was, my instructor had the three of us that had never had lessons WITH HER sitting in the middle of the ring with our horses while the girls that she had before showed us how to do a posting trot. The whole time I was feeling so stupid- I already learned how to post from my first instructor (on the right diagnol for that matter!), I'm working on cantering, and here she's telling us that next week we're going to post at a walk!!!!! :rolleyes: Maybe I should try a different higher class, but I'm not sure I'd feel adequite there. My new instructor's a little bit intimidating and I haven't been riding for a while now so I don't really feel like I did very good in this class anyways. Sorry, I know I'm probably making no sense at all. My thoughts are kind of going everywhere!
It was great to be around horses again though - I've missed them SOOOOOOO much!;) Also, I'm getting the experience of riding a different horse than I always rode before. The horse I rode was a sweet gelding named Smokey! I have another lesson next week so I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks for being so supportive! :)

Rebekah

[western]

Its great that you take an intrest in horses as i do too. well for starters I would get familar with horses and how-to like tack up and how to ride . can you find a nearest stable near you? im shure that if you do they would help you learn these things. To find a horse you can check horse magazines websites newspapers or on bullitin boards in tack shops. thats how i found my horse i found a ad on the bullitin board in the tack shop . are you planning to ride western or english? make shure you look for a horse over the age of 10yrs and well broke to ride, you dont want to look at young horses that are green they are not for beginners.

[FreedomStar]

well, it is important not to rush, but your instructor might've gotten the idea that you're a raw beginner. Tell her you've ridden before and let her know everything you're capable of so that you will progress more with things you know.
As to buying a horse, I know that we all want a horse of our own, but you need to be sure that you're ready to give the time and commitment to taking care of your horse. It'll be a lot of work and money, and it'll mean giving up some things to make it work out. I'm not trying to be negative, but horse care is a LOT of work. I desperately want a horse but the two things that hold me back are 1. the knowledge that i'm still nto ready for a horse of my own and the time, money, andcommitment and 2. parents
If you feel you're ready, by all means go ahead and buy a horse, but for your first horse i'd encourage a safe schoolmaster, not a project horse. Or even start out by leasing a horse first.

[JennyTullis]

Hi!

I am in a similar situation to you- want a horse of my own but not quite ready yet. I've been riding for a couple months in lessons and it's just not enough!! Here's what I'm doing: To compromise between just one lesson a week (not nearly enough!!! I miss the horses!) and horse ownership (don't have the $, time, or experience yet), I've decided to half-lease a horse. I will soon be the proud half-time "mom" of Oxford, a gorgeous Dutch WB. The good news is that I get to ride 3 times a week, but it's only a month to month committment, which I think is perfect for beginner riders. If you try leasing and find it a breeze, then you're probably ready for ownership. Just some food for thought...also, as a word of caution, be VERY careful when looking at horses, especially to buy. Even just looking at lease candidates, I found that most horses were NOT as described (and some were down-right dangerous! And I told each owner that I was a dead beginner!) Also, try not to assume that an older horse means he/she is mellow and good for a beginner. I went in with this assumption and the trickiest horses for me to ride were the 22 year old schoolmasters. They've been around the block and know all the tricks...;) Of course, the youngest horse I looked at was Oxford and he's nine, so I certainly don't endorse finding a "green" horse. I would just be careful not to jump to conclusions! Good luck! As for your lessons, I would love up a group. In order to improve, you need to be challenged and it sounds like it might be a little too easy for you as of now.

[kedwards]

Thank you for updating us. It's good to hear that you started lessons. I can see why you might have been frustrated with that lesson though. Bear in mind that some instructors do like all new students to begin at the start, so it isn't necessarily a reflection on her feelings about your riding. In any case, I suppose I'd rather have a teacher underestimate my experience, so I look like I'm catching on really well, than have them overestimate my abilities, so I crash and burn. If you can hang in there through the first few lessons, she'll probably move you on at a suitable pace. Good luck!

[Sidesaddlelady]

Rebekah, an important thing to remember if you only ride in the summer is that horse keeping is a year-round job. There's no staying in bed in the warm on cold, dark, winter mornings or toasting your toes in front of the fire in the evenings. That horse has to be fed, watered, mucked out and excercised even when you feel least like doing it. Horse owning is very rewarding but it is very hard work and an enormous responsibility. It is also very expensive - all in, I think about half of my salary goes on my boy if I take into account things like fuel to get to the stables (probably more than that if I include wear and tear on the car from the rutted lane down to the farm!)

[Retty]

Horse ownership is great but also takes 110% of your time and most of your money! To me it's worth it as I just love being with my horse, however my boyfriend bought a horse once he had learnt to ride and now is trying to sell her as I think he didn't quite realise that there's more work and expensive than riding. I do think that it's a great idea to part loan a horse before buying as it gives u a v good idea as to what's involved especially in the winter when the horses are stabled most of the day and you seem to spend the entire time battling wheelbarrows of muck up and down the yard! I would say that the care side of horse ownership is important to learn before buying a horse, the riding you can always learn on your horse with the help of an instructor. When I bought my horse I was a very novice rider but I was confident with all of the care side of things, now we are learning the riding together and I have to say I am starting to love the riding more and more. Anyway, I think that I have waffled on long enough, I hope that all goes well for you. It's also very exciting when you come to look for your new friend!

[hoof_am_I]

Originally posted by galadriel
Your best bet is to find a stable nearby and volunteer to help out in exchange for lessons (weekends, evenings, whenever you have time).
[/B]

I'd love to do this, but I know nothing about horse care, so I am too nervous to ring or ask at my riding school in case they might think I might be more of a hindrance than a help.
Does experience matter, or will they just get someone to show you the ropes?

Thanx,
Lucy

[jUmPingIsLifE]

some places you go to...it may not matter what experiance you have, some places will teach you what needs to be done. it becomes a learning experiance. my first job at a stable i knew very little about horse care but still got a job grooming, mucking out, doing waterbuckets and i learned a lot. many stables may be willing to work with you.

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hey Guys!

Saturday brought another lesson at the new barn and it was a blast! :p I rode a very sweet, very smart girl named Dixie. The two of us really worked together, and I think that's really important. Although my instructor did have us posting on the walk first :rolleyes: I just kind of went along with it (it was good review anyways on the diagnol and everything.) Well, then we started trotting and posting! Having done that plenty of times before I was fairly confident and when it was my turn I was ready. It was fantastic!:) It was great to trot again. At the end of the lesson someone asked if we could try cantering. We all tried but it was the end of the lesson and I don't think anybody got to a canter (except my instructor.) I've cantered before though and hopefully I'll be able to next week.
This may seem really pitiful to some people but I am SOOO excited--- When I took lessons with my friend I borrowed boots and a helmet. Now I finally own my own riding boots and my own helmet!!!!!!!!!!! Yes!:D :D :D It's so cool just to own some of my own horse stuff. :cool:
I concentrated a lot this lesson on fixing somethings that I tend to struggle with. For instance, Sybil told me not to push my heels in so I worked on getting rid of that habit so the horse would stand still instead of thinking I wanted to go forwards or backwards. Anyways, it was just an awesome ride and I can't wait for more riding next week!

~Rebekah~

[Rebekah Simpson]

Just a little hi to all my friends at New Rider! I have another lesson tomorrow and I can't wait! Hope to hear from someone soon! Happy Riding!!!!!

~Rebekah~:)

[galadriel]

Have fun at your next lesson :) I'm glad your 2nd was more pleasant than the 1st--hope the 3rd is even better.

[Rebekah Simpson]

Thanks so much galadriel - you are so nice!

Well, my third lesson was great too. I love riding (once a week is NOT enough any more.) I wish I could take more lessons but it's way to expensive. Actually, the other day I was at my dog's vet and I overheard one of the vets say something about going out to a farm. We asked about it and yes, she works with horses and even has a barn of her own! I've been wanting to find a barn nearby where I can work in exchange for lessons. We exchanged phone numbers and she said to call her as soon as I'm out of school! That will be so awesome if I can get my mom to drive me out there! :p
Anyways, this time a rode Boomer. He was kind of crabby on the ground (stomping his hoof on the ground and swishing his tail while I groomed him :o ) but he was fantastic in the saddle - naturally fast on the trot (LOVE THAT!) and he did exactly what I told him to! Unfortunately we didn't try cantering at all which was disappointing. Overall it was a fantastic ride though!
Just wondering - who else struggles with the same basic riding skill I struggle with? The main thing I have trouble with is keeping my hands down and not pulling on the horse's mouth. Any tips anyone???
One more question - the boots I have aren't that great quality and I have to clean them with leather cleaner after each ride. The problem is the bottom of the boots though - how can I get the dirt off and out of the little cracks without getting the boots wet?

Thanks a lot for everything all!

~Rebekah~ :)

[galadriel]

Holding your hands still will come naturally as you develop an "independent seat." That is, when your balance is based on your seat; when you follow the motion of the horse with just your hips & pelvis; when you can hold your legs still (no swinging); when you can hold your upper body still--all no matter what you're doing--then your seat will be independent from the rest of your body. :) Then you will be able to hold your hands still, you will be able to keep your legs from swinging, and you'll be able to keep your torso from wobbling around. It comes in time! It just takes practice.

With boots, one of the best ways to get them pretty clean is to take a stiff grooming brush and just scrub all the mud off :)

Good luck with the vet! Working in exchange for lessons is one of the best things you can ever do.

[Rebekah Simpson]

I couldn't help but laugh, galadriel, when you mentioned holding your legs still. My first instructor used to tell me all the time to keep me lower legs still on the trot!:rolleyes: Maybe they go together. :) Anyways, thanks for the advice about that and the boots too!

~Rebekah~

[Rebekah Simpson]

Well, I had my fourth lesson at Criswood Saturday! :) It wasn't the best lesson yet but it wasn't bad either. We even got to canter and to learn about leads and everything! :cool:
I was riding Boomer again, I guess Sybil really likes me on him.

I think because I concentrated so much on my hands this lesson my legs kind of went bad again. :o Am I the only one that has trouble keeping my toes in and my heels out of the horse? :confused: I have to concentrate to keep my toes in and Sybil keeps reminding me. Was I just born with naturally outward feet or something?!!! Any suggestions? Thanks a lot!

~Rebekah~

[kedwards]

Gosh Rebekah, I've ridden a bit all my life and been in lessons for the last 3 and a half years, and I STILL have to focus to keep from turning my toes out. But don't despair, it's the constant challenge that makes riding fun :D

Alhough I'm a "hippocrit" (which is the alternate spelling of the word and reserved for those who give riding advice, then proceed to make the same mistake themselves), it does help to think about turning your whole leg from the hip (not from the ankle).

[EMMYOH]

I was helping out recently (for free) at a local stables to gain the basics. After a few weeks of long hard days they gave me a lesson and I thought great, I'll work for my lessons then I only got 1 more. I must have done about 1-2 mths of work all for a lousy 2 lessons. I stopped helping out cos I was sick of being taken advantage of i.e they would nick off for the afternoon & leave me in charge of the yard, like I said I was there to learn the basics and am nowhere near qualified or confident enough to be in charge of the whole yard.
Amongst other things I had to catch 5 horses (who didn't want to be caught) and I'd only been there a couple of weeks so I didn't know which ones I was s'posed to be catching!!! I'm pleased to say I managed to catch them all and they were all the right ones but no way should I have been put in this situation. I'm still taking lessons, but I'm paying for them even though I feel like I am owed them.

My advice to any one who is considering working for lessons is to sort out every detail before you start, I learnt the hard way!!!:eek: :(

[Rebekah Simpson]

Kedwards - Thanks for your great reply! I was laughing as I read it - it's so nice to know I'm not the only one! :) Yeah, I agree that the constant challenge does make riding more fun. It seems like everytime I have something under control something else always comes up for me to work on.

EMMYOH - OOH! I'm so sorry, that sounds like an awful situation to be in. I know I for one would be totally lost. Thanks for the advice!

Hope everyone's having a great day! Happy riding! ;)


~Rebekah~

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hey guys! I had another riding lesson at the barn today and thought I'd drop a quick note to tell about it. It was pretty good. We got to canter :D which is always fun! I rode Boomer for the THIRD time (I think my instructor really likes me on him!) He's a sweet horse. I'm starting to get to know him and I'm starting to love him! :)
Unfortunately, one of the girls in my class started crying. We were cantering and her horse wasn't going very well. My instructor made a move towards him to get him to go but didn't touch him. The poor horse totally freaked out and started to bolt. I guess the girl was really scared.
I am so thrilled - today I decided with all my horsey zeal ;) that I was going to mount without a mounting block. I finally did it!!!!!!!!!! I was hanging in midair for awhile before I got my leg over :rolleyes: but once I did I was ready to ride!

Hope to hear from someone soon!

~TOTALLY HORSE OBSESSED REBEKAH~



P.S. What does it mean when a horse rubs his face against you?

[amylou_84]

hi rebekah iv only just noticed your post just now (where have i been!! lol) and i just wanted to say im kinda in your position. im startin proper lessons again on monday after a gap of ages. up till now iv only been goin out on treks. im quite nervous cus im not sure what level i'l be put in. i can ride up to a point but since iv been away from it for so long im not sure what i can do and cant do! i hope my new instructor is nice! lol! keep us posted on how your doin.

i think if the horse is rubbin his face against u s/he prob has an itch! lol. or s/he is lookin for food or just being nice!

amy :D

[galadriel]

Sounds like you had a fun time :)

It is important to learn to mount without a block--in case of emergency, you may not have a block around to mount from. However, once you CAN, it's usually better not to, believe it or not. Mounting from a block puts a lot less pressure on the horse's back, and pulls the saddle a lot less--some saddles have ended up twisted due to too much mounting from the ground. (Twisted saddles, among other things, can hurt the horse they're on.)

One of the things I've been certain to do with my horses and my saddles, is to mount from either side about equally often. If you mount from the left always, it's a good idea to switch out your stirrup leathers every so often. They can stretch--your left stirrup leather ends up longer than your right one! But I think it's overall best for the saddle, for me, and for the horse, if we put that one large pressure every ride equally on both sides.

Thinking about your toes, you may have an easier time with your legs if you realize that where your toes are pointed is only a side effect of where you want your legs to be :) What you want to do is softly wrap your legs around the horse, and have a light contact with his body from your seat all the way to your ankle or midcalf (depending on your and the horse's anatomy ;) ). In order to keep your leg on the horse all the way down, you need to have your *leg* pointed forward.

Here, have a graphical explanation:
http://www.galadriel.shaftnet.org/physics_of_the_horse/toes/

[galadriel]

A horse should not be allowed to rub his face on you, sadly... It's so cute, isn't it? Typically they are itchy and are using you as a scratching post. It is bad manners, and shouldn't be permitted.

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hi Everyone!

I'm technically supposed to be doing my algebra homework right now :rolleyes: but talking horses is SOOOOOOOOO much more fun than functions and direct variation. Anyways -


amylou - It's nice to meet you! How was your lesson? I hope you had a great time!


galadriel - Thanks for all the great advice! Hmmm... never thought of the mounting thing that way... that's interesting.
What's so bad about horses rubbing against you?



My instructor keeps complaining that I'm pulling on the horse's mouth. It's one of the hardest things for me. I feel so bad... like I'm being a bad rider relying on the horse's mouth or something. I'm not doing it at all in spite for the horse or anything :( I love horses! I guess I tend to pull a guilt trip on myself. I just need to concentrate more on my hands keeping steady, that's all. Unfortuately, I have no way at all to practice between lessons. Any suggestions of things I could do during the week that might help?


~Rebekah~

[galadriel]

Well, hmm. Let me ponder this for a second...

Are you mostly having trouble with your hands at the trot? What I'm thinking is that you could do what I suggested for another reason in this thread:
http://newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18754

where you stand, as if you're sitting in the saddle (knees bent, good head-hip-heel line) and tilt your pelvis back & forth as if you're posting.

At the same time, take a strip of something (belt perhaps) and wrap it around a post in front of you. Say, a chair back or something similar.

You can practice holding your hands still even when you are moving your lower body around. What you need it to develop the ability to keep your lower leg and upper body (and hence, arms & hands) steady, while you rock your pelvis as in posting.

I'm thinking if your "strap" has some elastic to it, or your post has some give to it (perhaps loop your strap around a heavy rope hung from the ceiling), you'll be able to see clearly when you are moving your hands.

[helencheshire]

Hi Rebebka been reading your posts...

Sounds like you are having a ball!! and I admire your enthusiam :)

Keep posting!!

I always let my horse have a good scratch in me and I scratch him back aswell...He especially loves it on that hard to reach place along the crest hi eyes roll and he dances!!..
I like to do that after he has just carried me for a 3hour hack on best behaviour and dont see it as bad manners...

If hes especially sweaty and itchy, I whip of his tack and turn him into the sand school...for a lovely roll.... Comes out a real mess lol!!!!!

Good Luck in whatever you do!!

[Hesseybabe]

Glad u are enjoying your lessons!!

I let prince have a good scratch, but only when he has behaved him self. The problem with them scratching their heads on u is that when they are a 19hh shire and their head is as big as your body it tends to send u flying. If prince was that big then no way, but hes only 15hh, so no problem.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by helencheshire
I always let my horse have a good scratch in me and I scratch him back aswell...He especially loves it on that hard to reach place along the crest hi eyes roll and he dances!!..
I like to do that after he has just carried me for a 3hour hack on best behaviour and dont see it as bad manners...

It is, it is--it's very sad, but it's bad manners. Let me explain:

In a herd, there are horse who are dominant and horses who are submissive. In order to be a successful rider, one who is the leader, one who is obeyed, you must be the dominant one of your human-horse pairing :)

In the herd, a horse who initiates contact is the dominant horse. So if a horse walks up to you and starts scratching, it is dominant behavior--it should not be permitted. If a horse itches on you without having been invited--even if it's just that he's really itchy--it's an indication that he feels he can use you as a scratching post--an indication that he feels he is dominant over you. This is *very* bad manners.

Scratching an itchy horse is perfecly fine--after all, that scratch was your idea and you started it. But letting him use you as a scratching post reinforces the idea that he can do whatever he wants around you.

[Rebekah Simpson]

Thanks for the replies!

HMMMMMMMM........ lots of thinking here.
I see what you mean, galadriel, because it may not be much of a comparison but I have a dog and you have to be careful that dogs know who is in charge. Also, horses are even larger than dogs so it's probably a bigger struggle.
I don't really know what to think though because I've gotten different views from different people (including my old instructor.) I think I'll ask my new instructor what she thinks on Saturday...... Thanks for all the thoughts everybody!

helencheshire - Do you see me blushing through the computer screen. :D Thanks for the compliment! I try to stay enthusiastic about riding. You see, when I first starting taking lessons - my absolute first time to really ride-I remember I got kind of frustrated. That day I learned an important lesson - HORSES SENSE YOUR MOOD. Since I was a little bit frustrated, Guy got frustrated and it was kind of disappointing. Well, my next lesson I decided that I was going to have a good attitude no matter what and you know what? - it worked! I had an awesome second lesson! :D
Besides, I just LOVE horses and riding!

Hope to hear from someone soon!

~Rebekah~

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Rebekah Simpson
I see what you mean, galadriel, because it may not be much of a comparison but I have a dog and you have to be careful that dogs know who is in charge. Also, horses are even larger than dogs so it's probably a bigger struggle.

Okay, so look at it this way:

A horse reaching over and rubbing on you is like a dog jumping up and pounding you in the chest with his front paws--lack of respect, and lack of manners.

Scratching a horse who isn't mugging you for it is like rewarding a dog for sitting nicely & asking to be petted :)

[amylou_84]

hi Rebekah

about the mounting thing - i always seem to make a fool of myself when mounting a horse :D mounting blocks are non existant at my school so i have to make do with putting the stirrups as long as possible. iv been surprising myself lately by actually managing to get on the horse first time :D
iv just started cantering too. its so much fun! better then i ever imagined! im also aware of horses being very aware of how im feeling. this can make me more nervous as i try so hard to not pass any 'nervous vibes'/ 'agitated vibes'/ 'frustrated vibes' to the horse! lol!
happy riding :D

amy :D

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hey everyone!

I had another lesson today. It was okay, not the best lesson but I always enjoy riding to some extent (that's what happens when you don't get the opportunity to ride much - you start to REALLY appreciate it ;) ) Anyways, I was riding Dixie today. Cantering was awesome. I love how it feels to canter - it's like flying!!! Trotting didn't go so great. Dixie kept suddenly stopping and it was really hard to get her to go again. She just wasn't listening to me. OKAY: NOW WHAT'S BEEN BOTHERING ME - - -
IT'S MY FAULT! My instructor continues to tell me not to pull on the horse's mouth and BELIEVE ME, I TRY!!!!! Like I said a couple of posts ago, sometimes I feel guilty that I'm doing this to a poor horse. Galadriel - I think what you said about developing an "independent seat" really applies to me because my instructor is telling me not to balance on the horse's mouth. After my lesson I was looking around in the little tack shop and I saw a book that said basically the same thing. Next week I am determined that even if I get nothing else right I am going to keep my hands still!

Anyways, is there anyone else out there that really struggles with this like I do? :(

Sorry this post sounds so down. I'm certainly not completely discouraged, just a little bit down. Well, it always leaves room for PLENTY of improvement! Thanks for listening to me ramble on and for any responses!

~Rebekah~

[galadriel]

Keeping your hands still is hard to learn.

If your instructor will let you, you can put a grab strap across the saddle's D rings. A grab strap is just a strap of some kind that sticks out from the front of the saddle; there are specially made grab straps:
http://www.tack-wholesale.com/Rolled_Grab_Strap_S.jpg
(from http://www.tack-wholesale.com/cgi-bin/ez-catalog/cat_display.cgi?0X334316#Rolled Grab Strap )
but I find a flash from a flash noseband works fine if you just twist it around itself; this is a bridle with a flash noseband:
http://www.tack-wholesale.com/Bridle_Padded_With_Flash_Brown_S.jpg
I always take the flash off a bridle that comes with one--and I'm a packrat--so I have a bunch of those sitting around. And really, anything that can loop through the D rings would work--even a piece of hay string tied from one to the other.

Okay, now that you have the grab strap, when you go to trot, tuck your pinkies lightly under it. You will still be holding the reins firmly between finger and thumb; you will still hold the reins in a "fist," and you will still ride with your thumbs toward the sky; you just have a strap sort of stabilizing your hands. The strap will help you realize when you are moving your hands, and will just a bit help you hold them more steadily.

Okay, that addresses the immediate problem of holding your heands steady at the trot. Your underlying problem, the independent seat, is something else entirely. There are a lot of things you can do to work on it :)

First of all, try the exercise I mentioned before (earlier in this thread); holding your hands still while you "post" at home.

Second, make sure you are sitting properly; if your legs are "off" the horse, or you are leaning back or forward, or if you are "squeezing with your knees, you have no chance of having a steady seat:
http://trainersnotes.lorienstable.com/toes/ (I posted this earlier in the thread, too)

Even more basic, however, are the balancing exercises. If you find that you simply have not yet developed an independent seat, then it can help to practice moving around on the horse in such a way as to develop your balance and your seat. Some very good exercises for working on this are things like reaching your hand down to the right or left to touch your toes (repeat each side, x10) or reaching forward to touch between the horse's ears (each side, x10) or back to touch the top of his tail (each side, x10).

If you can get your instructor to lunge you or lead you for about five minutes at the beginning of each lesson to do these exercises, it will help your balance a great deal. It doesn't take long but it can revolutionize a seat :) Once you feel pretty capable at a walk, then you can do them at a trot. They'll help tremendously.

[Doughc]

Originally posted by hoof_am_I
Does experience matter, or will they just get someone to show you the ropes?




I started riding as absolute beginner 16 months ago, I started working in busy (+40 horses) yard every other sunday a few months ago. It has done me the world of good. Most yards are always looking for helpers and in exchange your not only learn more about horse care but it makes you more confident around these magic beasts

Just ask, i think you will be pleasantly surprised

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hi Everybody!

Well, my lessons at Criswood are almost finished :eek: :( but my old instructor, Sarah, will be back in just a couple of weeks and I can not wait to go out to the barn to see Guy with her!!!!! :D

Saturday's lesson was fantastic! Remember my promise in my last post that no matter what I did I was going to keep my hands still? Well, I think I did pretty good. :D Concentrating on that one thing helped tremondously. The three tricks I've found that work for me are #1-Moving your hands ever-so-slightly with the horse's head movement really does help! #2-You have to kind of "feel out" the horse when you start riding as to how long to lenghthen the reins. #3-No matter what, keep a positive attitude and communicate with your horse in ways that he/she can understand. I rode an awesome horse named Sadie for the first time! She was so wonderful to ride. Cantering was fantastic and trotting wasn't too bad either. I've never seen a horse though that hated so much having her hooves picked. :eek:

By the way, galadriel, thanks for your suggestion about that exercise. I feel really really really bad that I haven't tried it yet, I've been really busy. I will tell you how it goes when I do try it! I'm not sure if my instructor right now would let me use a grab strap but Sarah probably would so maybe I could talk to her about it. Thanks again!!!

~Rebekah~

[Rebekah Simpson]

Just posting to get this back up on the message board! :)

[galadriel]

Hey Rebekah, sorry I missed your last post :) I was out of town over the weekend and just can't seem to get caught up...

Sounds like you are really getting there with your hands, hmm? Good job :) Just don't concentrate on that so hard that you let everything else slip ;)

[Rebekah Simpson]

Thanks galadriel.
Did you have fun when you were out of town? :)

Yeah, my hands are coming along but that's usually what happens when I make up my mind to concentrate REALLY hard on something. My friends say that one of my biggest characteristics is determination! I think they're right! :D I can also be very stubborn AND I also tend to have very strong opinions!

Usually though when I get good at something some other thing comes up so I'm always working on something! I remember when I first learned to post (a bet my instructor, Sarah, had a hard time keeping from laughing about that one :D ) and it was kind of hard especially to get the right diagnol and everything. One day I just got it though and I was so happy but then something else came up!!!

Doughc - So they didn't feel like it was a burden to train a beginner? I've never mucked out a stall or anything so they'd have a lot to teach me. I'm totally willing to learn how to do what ever though as long as I'm sure what to do! :D

Have a great day everybody!

~Rebekah~

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Rebekah Simpson
[B]Thanks galadriel.
Did you have fun when you were out of town? :)

Er, um, well, I visited with my horses (who have preceded us to FL, and we will be moving down shortly)...but while I was out of town my dog was attacked and her ear is damaged. So, it sort of evens out.

Yeah, my hands are coming along but that's usually what happens when I make up my mind to concentrate REALLY hard on something.

Hang in there; that kind of persistence can only help you :)

Doughc - So they didn't feel like it was a burden to train a beginner? I've never mucked out a stall or anything so they'd have a lot to teach me. I'm totally willing to learn how to do what ever though as long as I'm sure what to do! :D

My experience as a stable manager is that even if you have to teach someone to do barn work, they can then DO that barn work and leave you free for other things... ;) So to me, it was worth teaching rank novices. You just have to find a stable manager who's willing to let someone else do all the hard work for a while, in exchange for learning how to do it. Very tough! Very tough. :D

[Doughc]

Originally posted by Rebekah Simpson

Doughc - So they didn't feel like it was a burden to train a beginner?


Rebekah, galadriel.
No there was no problem with me knowing totaly nothing, It might have even helped, I now do things their way...

First thing i learnt was that the yard crews work
a, bloody hard
b, a lot longer than one imagines.

Ive been doing it now for 4 > 5 months, Ive only been riding for 16 months in total but the work has helped me in being more confident around horses, a bit of gained understanding on how their weird little brains work. All of which seems to be reflected in riding improvements.

My first day I had a string of 6, all had deep beds and were in 24hrs, it was December. In a busy turn-round we sometimes have upto 25 horses at the block
I started at 8am, staff started at 7am, and I worked through including cleaning tack til 530pm, all others stayed until tack was clean (as they are closed Mondays) I was realy knackered but I am now there every chance I get. As galadriel says, a good volunteer can be very useful and you can both gain from the experience............Have a go Rebekah, you will love it and learn loads

[EMMYOH]

Hiya, helping at the stables really helped my confidence.

When I was first started I was scared to go in to the boxes to muck out and the horses definately needed to be tied up! Now I can just walk in and muck out around them and don't need to tie them up. There are a couple that I wouldn't do this with cos they can be tempremental but they are a tiny minority.

I love being in with them and you can learn sooooo much. I would recomend it to anyone, even if it is unpaid.
:) :D :D

[Alex]

Hi Rebekah!

I hope your lessons are still going well!

Before I bought my first horse, I used to volunteer at the local stables. I knew very little about horse care, but the barn was thrilled to have an extra person to help out, so they taught me SO MUCH.

Now that I have my own horses, I must say that my volunteer work helped me greatly. I love being around the horses so much that I still volunteer every Saturday at the stables, and also one Sunday a month as a Pony Club instructor.

I have learnt so much through volunteering, and it sure helped prepare me for horse ownership.

Love,
Alex

[Rebekah Simpson]

Thanks everybody! I'm so sorry, galadriel, about your poor dog and her ear. :(

Well, Saturday was my last lesson at Criswood. Sarah is coming back in just 2 days :D and I plan to get her to take me out to the barn to see Guy as soon as possible! :D :D :D I'm going to miss Criswood though. I learned a lot there. I think I gained a new perspective being able to ride various horses. I'm so happy that I learned how to mount. I think also that not having my friend to tell me exactly what to do, I was forced to critique myself and that taught me my weaknesses as well as my strengths as a rider.

When school's out (not until late June here) I hope to start working at a barn.

My last lesson was okay. I was riding Dixie again. Now, does this sound strange? :confused:: I'm totally fine riding any other horse but for some reason I always seem to have trouble riding Dixie. What am I doing wrong? She will just suddenly stop in her tracks, especially during the trot but she'll also slow down during the canter. My instructor even ended up giving me a crop but I still had some trouble. I would suspect it was just me, but why one horse in particular???

Thanks guys!!! Talk to you all later.

~Rebekah~

[Sidesaddlelady]

An Anorak Speaks:- (Can't miss a chance to get a word in).

Side-saddle is very good for improving your hands. It teaches you not to hang on to the reins and the benefits rub off on your astride riding.

[Greymar Geneva]

Your problem with Dixie may lie with your problem with your hands. If you are unsteady in your hands you may be inadvertantly giving her the signal to slow down. The tip that Gladriel gave will help you a lot (promise - I've tried it). Some horses will respond less to the slight pull on the mouth and will carry on as normal - they have been desensitised to the hand. They will also tend to be the horses that are harder to stop!

As you get more stable in the seat you will find that you rely less on the reins and the problem will just "go away". Good luck and stay enthusiastic!!!!!

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hmmm... I've never thought about riding side saddle. I'm not sure what my instructor would think about that - could be interesting. :)

You're probably right, Greymar, maybe Dixie is just more sensitive about that. I'll have to keep working......


Thanks again!

~Rebekah~

[Rebekah Simpson]

BUMP!!! :)

[Rebekah Simpson]

Just another bump! :D

[Doughc]

Bump ?? ohhh

thought you'd fell orf :p :p :rolleyes:

[cvb]

Rebekah

Can your friend do some lunge work with you now she's back ?

One really good thing for developing an independent seat is to work without reins :eek: but then you need someone else to control the direction for you.

I have to say I have had great fun bombing about an indoor school with no reins at all and having to steer with weight and legs - but then I was not a beginner when I did this !

When you are lunged - one good exercise is to hold both arms out in front of you and try and keep them still (while you are posting or in sitting trot). This is because the stillness needs to come from the body and shoulders first, then absorb any remaining movement in elbow and wrist.

But actually you can do a whole load of exercises (like the ones Galadriel suggested) either stationary or in walk on the lunge. All of it helps you learn to move different parts of your body with minimum effect on the rest of you.

[Rebekah Simpson]

Lol Doughc :p - actually it wasn't that long ago that I discovered what this whole "bump" thing was about anyways! Sorry for confusing you. :)


She probably could do some lunge work. Actually, I did that once before with her and I did do some balancing kind of exercises.


Unfortunately, we didn't get to go out to the barn this week since she just came home but I'm hoping we can this week. I miss riding! Before I started riding, of course I didn't know what I was missing out on. Now it's SOOO hard to wait to ride again!!! ;)


Happy riding and thanks for the replies!


~Rebekah

[Rebekah Simpson]

Okay guys... This has to be really quick because I just got back from a long after school choir rehearsal and I have homework, chores, etc. but I had to share my excitement with someone! :D
Tomorrow I am going riding!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been waiting FOREVER :p to ride again (okay, only about three and a half weeks, but it sure FEELS like forever!) I just talked to Sarah and she said she can go out to the barn tomorrow morning and I am ecstatic right now! For those of you with your own horse or who have parents that spoil you and pay for constant lessons this probably makes no sense. But, mabey those of you who have a family with NO horse background and who scrounge for money to ride like I do will understand that each ride is a savored thrill (at least when you are as addicted to horses as I am! :) )

Anyways, thanks for letting me rant on!

Talk to you guys later,

~Rebekah~

[galadriel]

I think even those who can ride every day probably remember what it was like to beg for lessons, to scrounge and save to someday buy their own horse :)

I own two horses, and I rode last weekend for the first time in more than 2 months! Sometimes even when you have horses you're desperate to ride again...

Tell us how the ride goes :)

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hi!!!

Guess what I did last week?! I rode bareback for the first time! :) Now that Sarah is FINALLY home from college and I got her to go out to the barn I FINALLY got to ride again! (I told my friend, Erin, don't start riding until you know you can continue it, it is so painful to have to go through so many periods of time where you can't ride!) Anyways, it has unfortunately been raining like crazy here. Once we got to the barn it had started to rain. Sarah was talking about finding something to cover the saddle with, but I suggested riding bareback. Boy, I thought riding with no stirrups was hard!!! :) She had me walk Guy for a while to get the feel of it. Then I did a sitting trot. After that I tried a posting trot (HA HA! I can post just fine now with a saddle - but without didn't work to well!) Then she mentioned something about cantering and asked if I wanted to try it. Being the idiotic maniac that I am :) I decided that I would try cantering bareback. Well, it was really hard getting Guy up to a canter. I've still not fallen off a horse yet but this time I sort of slipped off! Three times I tried - the first time as I began to feel myself losing grip (before getting up to a canter) I put my arms around Guy's neck, and rolled off landing on my feet! Then, after getting back on, I did it again! Well, the third time I cantered for literally about 2 or 3 seconds before I landed on my feet once more! I was just happy I had done it some. I think Guy was wondering who on earth this strange girl riding him was! Okay, I know I'm VERY STUBBORN. It's a good thing I got a little canter the third time around because I really don't like to give up on something. If I hadn't decided to try then it would have been okay, but I hate backing down once I've committed to doing something. I told my mom about all this and I think now she's worried about her reckless daughter (not to mention the fact that she worries when she reads stuff about people getting injured riding.) It's so frustrating sometimes - I know sometimes I do get really caught up in it all - now I'm kind of worried. Well, that's what I did last week. I hope this whole thing makes sense. It's kind of a collage of all my thoughts.

Thanks for putting up with such a long post!

~Rebekah~

[Doughc]

Rebekah
Bare back is quite somthing isnt it, the yard I work at have been putting the horses out for a while now, so if I stay until 5ish its a case of bareback with one or two others on lead ropes to get the Geldings out to the far fields. Some of these boys are great with saddles but bareback you realy feel their bones but its a great feeling....

Re scrounging ride money, Have you looked at volunteering for yard work any more ?? A reasonable yard should be willing to swap a good days work with freebee lesson............

Its another way to get extra hours in saddle

[Rebekah Simpson]

Hey Guys!!!

I seriously think that yesterday may have been one of my best riding lessons EVER!!! It was AWESOME!!! :D :D :D
I did a lot of different things. I did some no-stirrup work :rolleyes: with the lunge line. Then I worked on my canter which went well. The cool thing was Sarah said Guy looked really happy, so I must have been doing something right. :) Then, for the best part - JUMPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never, ever, ever, ever jumped so well! Last summer (when I first started riding) we played around with some very small jumps but this summer it's for real - Sarah thinks I'm ready! :D Anyways, last lesson we couldn't do any jumping because the jumps had been taken down and the time before that was kind of a disaster. I kept losing energy and walking over the jump or else halting right in front of it! :rolleyes: :eek: Something clicked though yesterday. Guy and I were really working together, and it was one of the neatest feelings in the world! I made several beautiful :D jumps. I began to lose energy after a while but I'm going to work on it some more, hopefully next time. I have to get my endurance up. Anyways, thanks for letting me tell you all my exciting news and for any replies in advance!

The completely horse-obsessed,

~Rebekah~

[Rebekah Simpson]

BUMP!!! :)

[Mazpup]

Can't believe I missed this thread! I've read through your posts and I love your enthusiasm for riding! I'm glad to see your having fun. All I can say is don't be to harsh on yourself. In my lesson yesterday I was asking my instructor if anything had improved by the end of the lesson because I didn't think I had. I was told not to be so harsh on myself because a lesson is... a lesson! You have to be told waht your doing wrong so you can correct it. As long as you're praised for the things you do right as well you will be learning! One of the probelms with riding is that aren't many specific 'marked improvement stages' you'll often try and try for ages and feel like you're going nowhere and then you'll suddenly realise how good all that trying had made you!
Good luck in your next lesson!

[Nikita88]

It's alright that your a beginner!! im 16 years old and been in lessons for 6 years, im still considerd novice. i cant stress enough that you get a horse 10 years or older. Mine right now is 11 years old, a T'bred arab cross, she is beautiful but stubborn. Never just go for the looks of the horse! Get in riding lessons for almost a year before you actually get one, see if there is a barn you can work at for a while. Having a horse is a big comitment, i dropped Basketball and soccer to ride. i have 3 lessons a week so it takes alot of time. If you need help looking for a cheap, safe horse near you just email me....i will be happy to help you out (i have found horses for people lots)

E-mail is CHRaiders88@hotmail.com