Need a leg-up

[maya-m]

Hi mature new riders

Many of you don't seem to be so new to riding after all, apparently owning your own horses many of you.

I've posted a Hello note in the cafe, if you want to know more about me, but I thought I'd post here too to say hi, and find out if anyone has any interesting experience of getting started with horses as an adult.

I don't own my own horse and this is out of my reach right now. I spend between 60 and 100 pounds on lessons per month. I'd spend a bit more, or transfer this spending, if I thought I could find a way of learning how to ride well on a well-schooled horse within, say 40 minutes of my home (Peak District, near Sheffield and Chesterfield.)

I thought maybe I'd find like-minded individuals here. Not normally so tentative when I want to learn a new skill, my flagging confidence needs a boost, I'm finding it hard to penetrate the horsey world - or even to ask the right questions - and I'm hoping someone may be able to offer inspirational thoughts!

xxM

[rezbeck]

hi again maya, what were you wanting to know about? i am still learning myself but if i can help you with anything then i will

[Laetitia]

Wecome maya-m. brilliant site with people from all over. There's most likely someone near you who might have some ideas around sharing etc. Always useful to budget a few £ for lessons as not so easy teaching yourself to ride however well schooled the horse - you need to know the right aids to achieve the response you ask for. Good luck in your quest. L

[Showjumper]

Welcome to Newrider - this is a very friendly place. And about the whole owning horses thing - most of us started out as complete novices on this site, and with help and experience, have progressed to owning our own horses :)

I'm horse-mum to Dolly (see my signature for photos :))

[kedwards]

Welcome Maya. You certainly aren't alone. Many of us started lessons as adults. Good luck and have fun!

[LynneAC]

Hi

I'm a mature rider too (40 but still not accepted it). I just started back about 9 months ago after not riding for about 18 years. I don't have my own horse although I would love to get one ..... if I could ever afford it! It's not so much the buying it's the livery charges, the stables near to me charges £130 per week for a working livery (which I wouldn't want unless I could dictate VERY strict terms and conditions, I have no problem with the care, I know that the care is excellent but I wouldn't be so sure about my horse being used for lessons).

I never rode competitively because I was actually training as a dancer at the time and horse riding was a big no-no so I can relate to what you say about getting into the horsey world. I haven't had any problems in fact everyone has been great but there is SO much that I don't know.

Since I've been back I've even had a couple of jumping lessons and have booked a riding holiday for the end of the month (at the end of which they assure me I will be jumping!).

All the best

x

[JaniceH]

Hi Maya-m

I am in a very similar position to you, and we are definately not the only ones on this board! I returned to riding after a 20 year break, I too spend more money than I like to think about having riding lessons each week at my local BHS riding school, my son is also learning to ride too, so it costs a fortune. Don't worry there are lots of people on here that do not own their own horses (including me), and everyone learnt to ride at some point! Where abouts do you ride at the moment? Is it a riding school or just someone with a horse?

"Not normally so tentative when I want to learn a new skill, my flagging confidence needs a boost, I'm finding it hard to penetrate the horsey world - or even to ask the right questions - and I'm hoping someone may be able to offer inspirational thoughts!"

Everyone on here is lovely so don't worry about asking any questions at all. Someone somewhere will always have been there first!

Enjoy your riding

[maya-m]

It's great to find such an encouraging bunch of people, and albeit virtually, to find so many to talk to about this! A real relief.

In answer to you Janice H, the last place I rode was a school west of Sheffield - the instructor seemed better by miles than one I'd had where I went before. But the indoor school is rather small. One of the girls there was very kind and encouraging, and the other was good if she was interested, but had serious off days, and couldn't bare to make eye-contact once I was off the horse. Hard work. However neither of them taught me about diagonals, or how to rise properly to the trot, or to do sitting trot... and other basic stuff.

And thanks Lynne AC. You are right about the money. You've got to love it and have fun to justify it, which is why I feel like I can't breathe a word at home about being frustrated with my riding, or I'll just be told to give up, or sell more pictures!

See an interesting answer to my message in the cafe area though, from Wally, regarding costs!

Will keep in touch with all - am feeling much more up-beat. I even answered an ad for a share!

xx Maya

[virtuallyhorses]

Hi Maya, there's all sorts here and despite your trepidations there are plenty here who don't have their own horse or who started out without :)

I started with once-a-week lessons at a riding school, got hooked but didn't buy my own until the riding school closed down. Think I would still be getting a weekly fix on school horses if that hadn't happenned.

[Kady A]

Hi Maya, welcome to NR. I didn't get my first horse until November last year a month before my 40th - its taken a lot to get to this point I can tell you. I rode as a child but never had lessons until I decided I wanted to start from scratch at the age of 33! I even managed to get a job at an equestrian centre last September after years of dreaming about it! I work at Moorhouse EC near Doncaster and I keep my horse Stella there. Stel used to (and still very occasionally does) work in the school. Even though I work to keep Stel its still quite an expensive pastime, I shudder to think about how much I have spent over the years ... all worth it though! If you ever find yourself in our neck of the woods pop in and pay us a visit, we are a friendly bunch and would happily show you round. We have shows every other Friday evening and every Sunday and I'm in the process of trying to organise some events for the Nervous Nellys - you may have read Nervous Mature Riders - and to organise some demos of natural horsemanship and the like.

I understand what you mean about "penetrating the horsey world", it can be difficult - I found it hard to find a riding school where I felt that I fitted in as some were very cliquey and a bit toffee nosed. Having my own horse doesn't mean that I have made it in and in some respects I wouldn't really want to. I'm a great believer in treating everyone the same!

I used to ride at Ledston Hall near Castleford - great lessons on some great horses, sadly they closed down following an accident. I'll ask around the yard and find out where is the "best" at the minute in this area, I can't recommend MEC at the moment as we have a waiting list the length of my street!

Enjoy your riding!

[Yann]

I've been riding for nearly 3 years now, I started back after a 30 year break when I started taking my daughter to riding lessons and got tempted to try it again myself. I know what you mean about 'penetrating the horsey world', it's easy to feel like an outsider if you just have lessons especially if the instructors or yard are a bit funny or reserved or there is a snooty atmosphere. NR was great in that respect, I got to know a one or two people locally who had horses and didn't mind me helping out and asking lots of questions. They even let me ride on occasion which was brilliant:)

The real breakthrough if you can call it that came when I started doing an NVQ course at the riding school, all of a sudden I was involved and got to know lots of people with horses. As part of that I also worked there sometimes at weekends on a voluntary basis helping out on the yard. One thing led to another and I got offers from two of the liveries in one week to share their horses. I made my choice and all of a sudden I had a horse to call my own (or nearly). I was firmly on the slippery slope and bought my own six months later and have never looked back.

I was lucky with my choice of riding school, Brimington EC because at the time there were some good instructors there, one of whom now comes to us to give us lessons. I couldn't say how good it is now though, none of the old staff are there any more.
I was taught properly for the most part and find it amazing that nobody told you about things like diagonals, which are terribly basic. What schools have you tried in the area? PM me if you like, it's better not to name names on a public forum for obvious reasons:)

One of the odd things about the horse world is that there are lots of horses with owners who don't ride them much or at all, and lots of non owners who'd love to oblige but never get the opportunity:D

[Kady A]

Hi Yann - interesting point about diagonals. When I started riding again about 7 years ago( having not ridden since being eighteen) the riding school I went to didn't teach you ride on the correct diagonal in group lessons but did if you had private lessons. As I had ridden as a child/teenager I knew to always to attempt to be on the correct diagonal - mind you I had never had lessons as a kid, I was just fortunate enough to go to Pony Club on a borrowed pony. Differing standards everywhere aren't there.