I had muscles, once.

[galadriel]

Boy. Taking an extended break from riding is a Bad Thing.

I discovered on our long ride the other day that I need work on posting trot. Kat has a nasty choppy trot, and I tend to collect and sit her trot. Much easier--but when I went to post on our long ride the other day, I discovered that the muscles just were not there! And it would have been thoroughly unfair to make her do a collected trot for that much time.

So Duchess is going to help me get my posting muscles back in shape. We started today. Duchess wants to know what she's done to deserve such meeeean treatment ;) Poor abused horse, has to do lots of trotting. It'll be just as good for her as it is for me, though, and I'm glad I've got the impetus to go ahead and gt started.

Some days I wish I had an extra set of the little removable foam pads in my helmet (adjustable helmet). I'm about to go back out and work Kat, and the pads are sopping squishy.

[Lovecat]

Ohh, I know that feeling! :p

Murph is as wide as a bus compared with Pride (ex share horse, skinny TB type) and having had a 3 week break during the change over, I was NOT ready for sitting astride my fatboy! Ooh, do I ache! Plus I got an easy ride with Pride as she was so forward going, whereas the Murph needs constant leg on or he'll stop & have a wonder why he's having to trot about in a strange paddock full of sand.... :rolleyes:

My instructor refuses to believe I'm that unfit and so I too have the sopping helmet syndrome after each workout - you have my every sympathy!

:D ;)

[chev]

I remember muscles too. Then I had babies. I've ridden May briefly a couple of times and all the muscles I'd forgotten spent a few days reminding me rather painfully that they still exist. Albeit only just.

I've resolved to take more lessons - I don't think trying to build muscle is all that feasible on May the hairy barrel who trots like a mini cob at a pace that induces near exhaustion in us both in under five minutes.

Although my resolve seems to have diminished somewhat recently too.... :D

[Mehitabel]

i had muscles once too. i mourn their loss...
i'm the other way round - i can ride happily for 4 hours escorting hacks on a saturday and not break a sweat., but can no longer manage more than 2 laps of sitting trot, which is depressing from the girl who used to do a 3 hour lesson with no stirrups and not think anything of it!

[CityGirl]

5 days a week sitting behind a desk = lots of muscle pain after riding!!!

I do find it easier now that I'm back riding every week but I can't help thinking how much better I would ride if I were a bit more fit.

Sigh...I guess I really do need to start going to the gym more regularly. If I keep reminding myself it's to help me ride, maybe it will keep me motivated;) :D

(And yes, I'm quite familiar with the sopping wet helmut syndrome! Every week when I'm heading back to the city after my lesson, I notice no one wants to sit next to me on the train. Hm... I'm sweaty, smell of horses & stable and exhausted, have my hair going in every which direction - wonder why people avoid me??;) )

[Showjumper]

Hehe you poor thing! A hot bath with lavendar oil will stop those newly re-found muscles from being very ouchy tomorrow! :)

[galadriel]

Back from my second ride (being unemployed can be fun, if anxiety-inducing), and I have to say that the only thing ickier than a sopping helmet is *putting it back on*. Oh well.

Both girls were good ponies today.

(Oh, and I think lavender may well be my favorite scent...I'm all out, though :()

[Mehitabel]

being unemployed can be fun, if anxiety-inducing

tell me about it. i got made redundant last week and am spending all day watching my buffy videos, since the ponies are 100 miles away...

[Ipsa]

I went through redundancy a year and a bit ago and at the time I thought the world had ended. It's sad now I look back and think how big a part of my life work had become.

Talking of muscles- I know all about it if I do 5 mins of 2 point, I am sore down the side of my legs for days where all my tendons etc get a good stretch:eek:

[kedwards]

Well, the bright side of things, Galadriel, is that sunny Florida is still warm enough to permit sopping helmets. I'm afraid the sopping helmet days will be quickly waning up my way. In fact, were it not for a few days of a warm spell last weekend, I would have said they were already gone.

[FRED]

whats the saying:) practise practise...

:D
Anyway, im pleased to say that for the moment Im ok, did a 25 mile ride last week:)

[galadriel]

Oooh, FRED, impressive. Nice.

It's almost reaching 90 here this week. My poor mares are already a bit winter-fuzzy; I taught a first-time student on Duchess today, and she walked for about 30 minutes. (And I started the lesson early in the morning so it would be cool.) Poor baby Duchess got very sweaty. Argh--I think I may have to clip and blanket :(

[FRED]

:o the 25 mile ride is a PUB ride, I do as many as I can:o
We don't get those high temperatures here, but theres plenty of shade where I ride because most of it is through the forests.
Im sure Mr Kedwards and Mr Galadriel would enjoy a Pub ride..
:)

[galadriel]

Originally posted by FRED
Mr Galadriel

I'm just collapsing with giggles here. I love it.

[Laetitia]

You showing off your muscles again Fred?
I'm having regular lessons now, and find it hard to go on to work and stay upright. It is becoming a trifle easier as I work nag as soon as it gets light, so the elderly muscles are slowly beginning to behave. L

[kedwards]

Fred, if there were pub rides in my part of the world, I'm sure that Mr. Kedwards would partake. Might even get him very interested in horse riding, indeed.:D, but then, everything's more intesting when there's pubs involved.

[tubby]

Question For Fred , what's the attraction? Is it the horses or the pub ??? :D:D:D

[anuvb]

Originally posted by Es
tell me about it. i got made redundant last week and am spending all day watching my buffy videos, since the ponies are 100 miles away...

Sorry Es, I've only just been managing to catch up with the new threads. I'm really sorry to hear your news.

Galadriel, the best part about "used to have muscles" is that they do come back given time!

[Esther.D]

I haven't ridden for a while as we have been concentrating on ground work at the mo.....and I needed to get on Rupert from the fence last week - how embarrassing is that?:eek: He is 13.2hh:eek: I have always had one stiff hip...and after a few weeks off and too much office work I just couldn't get on from the ground:rolleyes:

Sorry to hear about the redundancies.......:(

[CityGirl]

I have to admit that back in the Brooklyn days, the barn manager was known to ride her horse to the bar after work!
Can you imagine stumbling out of a bar in a less than stellar section of NY & seeing a Paso Fino tied up in front??:D :eek:
She always did make it home safely but I'm sure there were some very confused people......

[FRED]

:D ace story.

Last week Sophie{my favourite horse:cool: } had me trotting from 50 metre and 400 mtr lengths at a time
She has so smooth trot, sitting or rising, its so easy:D :D at slow or quick trot too,its very very rare she trips.
She has the smoothest jog too:cool: and stunning good looks,some say shes a dragon! but she definatley isn't!!

I ride different horse each week, some take so much longer to get warmed up. With lots of gentle encouragement, legs,voice and clucking sounds, we go from that difficult choppy trot to a nice smooth trot that makes life easy for both of us, we may cover 1 mile then everything clicks.
I found that I tried too hard with horse who has choppy trot, and it made things more difficult.
:)

[tubby]

Yoy're right there Fred If you try too hard it certainly makes life difficult.

[LindaAd]

Originally posted by Es
tell me about it. i got made redundant last week and am spending all day watching my buffy videos, since the ponies are 100 miles away...

Ah! Another Buffy fan!

Are you pleased about the redundant, or is it bad, Es?

[Mehitabel]

sorry linda, been dogsitting for Mr Es's mother for a week and no net access...
i am not thrilled - i'd planned to look for somewhere else after christmas, but did want to get through the expensive time of year first! still, got a second round interview this week for somewhere else, so fingers crossed.
i am trying hard to look at it as a speeding up of my plans rather than a disaster...
still, spike can always console me! :D

[Shelle]

I keep telling my friends Buffy and horses mix. They don't seem to believe me!:D :D