Start Out Again!

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi all. Haven't been on the site for a while.

Lost my confidence last year due to a fall. Shared a young horse for a while as this got some confidence back by training the horse from the ground.

Just wanted to share that I have booked myself a private riding lesson on Friday with a totally different school than I have used before. I am using this as a fresh start. The first lesson with any rider in their school is on the lunge with a steady horse. I am hoping that this will give me confidence to continue riding again.

I am so looking forward to this lesson. Will let you all know how I get on.

Thanks for reading!

C :D

[SarahJay]

Good look with your lesson Caroline!:D

I hope it helps you to regain your confidence and that you enjoy yourself!:)

Let us know how it goes and good luck!;)

[Luv 2 Trot]

I think its great that u r getting bac on after a fall, i was in your position once. Last January, I was riding a Tb named Zeus. I hav only ridden him lik.....twice maybe? I dont know, but anyway, my instructor wanted me to canter him and i was feeling really good. So i gave him a good kick with my outside leg and a little tap with the crop and he took off. My mom said that i went pale and must have passes out because i dont remember anything during the canter. I had a bad fall and since then, i have been hesitant to canter in the english saddel. I understand what you went through and i wish u luck with your upcoming lessons! :)


Hav fun!!

Luv 2 Trot

[Crazy Caroline]

Thanks SarahJay and Luv 2 Trot.

Really looking forward to my lesson this evening. Just got to remember this is a fresh start in a new school and I'm never gonna sit on the offending horse again!

Let you know how I get on when I get home this evening.

Thanks for your support.

Caroline


:D :D :D :D :D

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi everyone. Sorry for the late reply had a busy weekend.

My lesson on Friday evening was wonderful. I was put on a 12 year old 17hh bay gelding and he was fantastic. He was so calm and comfortable. I was put on the lunge and did circling exercises with my arms while walking and then trotting. Did work without stirrups and work without reigns. It really helped my confidence to know that I could balance very well and there was no way I was going to fall off in a hurry and no way that my horse was going to take off.

The instructor was very good, kept me talking to take my mind off things and it was nice to get to know him too. Didn't treat me like a lunatic for being scared of a past experience. By the end of the lesson I was trotting quite happily round the school and felt ready to go out for a hack. Went for a walk around the site on my trusty stead and have booked myself in for another lesson on Thursday.

I feel so happy with my progress in just one lesson. It has really given me a confidence boost. Just got to keep going now.

Thanks for reading and for all your support.

Caroline

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[Luv 2 Trot]

Thats great crazy caroline! U sound lik u had a lot of fun. Being able to go up onto a 17hh horse on your first lesson! Wow. I probably would hav freaked out. Congradulations and good luck with your lesson on thursday!!!

[Crazy Caroline]

Thanks Luv 2 Trot.

I was put on a 17hh basically because he was a steady calm horse. I was warned beforehand that he would be a big horse. To be honest I think that helped me because the fall I had was from a 17hh horse and if I could get on him I could get on any horse. It was a bit scary getting on him (although they had a huge purpose built mounting block and I still have to get my leg up and over) but he stood still and didn't fidget about.

I walked him up to the sand school and walked him round the track and he was fine although I was nervous. I was put on the lunge and the lesson began and my confidence grew.

So looking forward to Thursday and another private lesson and I hope to build on what I did last week. I will have a different horse this week, although I think it will help to ride different heights of horses anyway. I met the horse I will be riding on Thursday as he came in as I was just booking my next lesson.

Thanks for your support. Will defintely be a regular on New Rider with my progress and asking for advice in the future.

Happy Riding!

Caroline



;) :D :D :D ;)

[SarahJay]

Well done you!:D

You sound like you really enjoyed your lesson! I bet you cant wait for your next one. Let us know how it goes!

SarahJay:p :) :D ;)

[Crazy Caroline]

Thanks SarahJay. Will definitely keep in touch with my progress.

What horses do you ride SarahJay. Do you own your own horse?

And you also Luv 2 Trot, do you own your own horse?

My dream would be to own my own horse but buying a horse would be ok but keeping it would be the expensive part and of course all the time and energy it takes to own such a lovely animal. Maybe one day.

Just happy at the moment to keep up private lessons and then maybe group lessons as I improve.

Bye for now,

Caroline



:cool: :)

[Luv 2 Trot]

Do u think u could help me with a problem i am having? OK. I ride western and im doing well, but i want to ride english again. today i rode english and i felt so good. Now i cant decide. My instructor wants me to show western next year, and i do too, but i also want to show english. What should i do and how can i tell my instructor i want to switch? Any advice would help. Thanx.

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi Luv 2 Trot,

I always say honesty is the best policy. Talk to your instructor on how you feel. If they are a good instructor they will take on board how you feel.

You said you rode English today but that you can't decide what to do. Maybe ride English a bit more and see if you still feel the same and then ride Western again and maybe you will have a clearer picture of which way you would like to continue.

If your instructor is a good instructor they will encourage you in whatever way you would like to ride, although make sure you listen to their advice also, they obviously think you have good prospects riding Western.

You are obviously very talented to be able to ride very good in both English and Western. You could always do a list of pros (for) and cons (against) riding Western and English and see which comes out mainly pros, e.g. Riding English made you feel good, etc.

At the end of the day it's your decision. Talk to your friends and family and ask how they feel or anyone else that has seen you ride.

I wish you success in whatever you do. I have only ridden Western once on holiday in Jamaica and I must say I felt very safe in that huge saddle!

Let me know how you get on and what decision you make.

Luv

Caroline
xxxx

[Luv 2 Trot]

Thanx Crazy Caroline.

Thats really good advice. I think i am going to the stable tommoro, so if my instructor is there, i will talk to him and see wut he has to say. I've already mentioned it to my family, and they seem pretty ok with it. But i think that in between my lessons, i will ride some english and see if i can canter on my own in the saddle because i have been scared to since my fall. I can do it fine in the western saddle, probly cause i feel more secure. But if i can do it in the english saddle, I will ask my instructor if i can hav a few english lessons, to see if im up for it. I really hope he is open to me switching bac. My mom thinks that if i do, i should ride a smaller horse for a while, until i get my legs back to where they were because western legs and english legs are totally different. The only way i think i will switch bac, is if i can show both ways during show season because i have western show clothes and stuff that i really like to wear. Not to mention an awesome hat. But i will talk to my instructor and see wut he thinks and i will make a pros and cons thingy too. Let u kno how the talk goes!

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi Luv 2 Trot,

Good to hear you sounding more positive.

You could always ask your instructor to help you with cantering on a lunge in an English saddle. I still have trouble cantering especially after losing confidence from a fall, so when I start to canter again I will ask to do that on the lunge first.

Just remember that when riding a smaller horse or a pony cantering can seem faster than on a larger horse, as a horse has a larger gait and is more smooth.

I don't think the size of the horse matters really as long as you have good balance. Try some of the exercises I did last week, tie your reigns up and circle your arms while walking and then hold on to the tied reigns with one hand while trotting and circling your other arm or just place your other arm by your side. If you feel unstable you can always grab a bit of mane. If I can do this on a 17hh horse I'm sure you can do it on a horse too.

Just don't rush into anything. Make sure you are confident about switching before making your final decision. Good idea about riding English inbetween lessons with your instructor to get a better feel of it and to make sure you are confident in English.

Look forward to hearing how you progress. Happy safe riding in whatever you decide.

Bye for now

Caroline

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hi again!

I havnt been able to talk to my instructor. He took some horses to a show and i dont kno when he'll be bac. Im going to the stable tommorow though and im getting new stirrup irons today, so i'll probably do some cantering. Im really excited to get the new irons because they are going to fit my feet better, and hopefully that will help. Im also going to work on a Pros and Cons chart today and ill let u kno how that turns out. Well, I'll let u know how the ride goes tommoro!!!! :)

[Crazy Caroline]

Look forward to hearing how you get on.

My lesson this evening has been cancelled - Boo!!! But I'm booked in for Tuesday evening instead and at least on Tuesday I will be riding Thomas again my 17hh friend!

Let me know how you get on.

Cx

[Luv 2 Trot]

Sounds Great Crazy Caroline! Yea my lesson today was cancelled to because my instructor is out of town. But im sure to have one or 2 next week because i have a show on the 25th. Yeah!!! Im just happy that i can go out there tommoro and see my 16hh friend Toby!! Well ill let u know how tommorow goes!! Bye for now.

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hi!

I jus got bac from the stable today. It was an interesting ride. I got to lunge him before i rode so, that was fun. I rode english, and had a very nice trot. Toby and i trotted over poles and he seemed to kinda "jump" over them. LOL. My mom came out with me and told me that i wasnt aloud to canter. :( . I really wanted to too. O well, there is always next time. Bye for now. :)

[Crazy Caroline]

Had my 'second' lesson last night and I too was trotting over poles for the whole hour. Started with three poles, then four and then six on one side. Then had four one side and two the other so was riding over poles both sides and both directions. It also felt like Thomas was 'jumping' over them and it felt a bit weird but I felt safe and knew I wasn't going to fall off. I was exhausted by the end of the lesson though. Hard work trotting for a whole hour!!! :D

Considering my first lesson (after a long break and no confidence) I was on the lunge for some of the time, my second lesson was totally different and I was actually 'riding' and really enjoying myself. Felt confident and the sense of freedom which I crave came back to me.

Totally loved my lesson.

How are you getting on Luv 2 Trot? Have your drawn up your list of pros and cons yet or have you made your decision yet?

:D :D :D :D

[Luv 2 Trot]

Well, yesterday i went riding again and i rode english, again. It was a bad ride, but it was because Toby hadn't been riden for a long time. Anywho, today i went bac out and my instructor said he saw me riding in the english saddle and he said," I saw someone riding Toby and i called down to the barn and asked who was riding and they told me u were." I laughed and he said i looked great and that that was really cool and that after show season is over, we will play around with the english stuff. :D . Im happy. Still havnt made my pros and cons list. Shame on me. But i will. And as soon as i do i will post it. Promise.
It sounds lik you had a fun lesson. Those are the kinds of lessons i miss having. I hope that when i am out there doing english and taking a few lessons, i can do pole patterns. Well, I hav a lesson tommoro and a show Sunday so i will let u kno how they both go and i will try to get my pros and cons chart done and posted. Bye for now and happy riding!!!!


P.S. Im very proud of u!!!

[Crazy Caroline]

Thanks Luv 2 Trot. Very proud of you 2!!!!!!!!

Wow, imagine being mistaken for someone else while riding your horse in English style. Good for you.

Let me know how your lesson goes and your show on Sunday.



:D :D :) :D :D :p :D :D

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hey, My lesson to day was good, but it was so hot out that i got tired early. But aside from that, it was good. We did a lot of loping which hurt. And a lil bit of jogging. Toby barely gets to walk during lessons, which can sometimes be a good thing. It was one of those lessons where u are riding and when it starts to hurt, u wanna get down. But i stuck through it. I hate loping!! Its getting on my nerves because i do so much of it ya kno. Well, it was a good lesson. I thibk toby and i r ready for the show sunday, but on saturday, i might ride him before i wash him and stuff. My instructor may ride him in the english classes and i think it would be cool to see that. Well, hope to hear from u again soon!!!

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hurray!!

Show 2morro!!! And i hav one nex weekend too!!!! Im soooo happy. A bit nervous though because Toby was bein a pain today, but im sure he'll be better tomorro. Anywho, wish me luck!! I'll tell u all about it 2morro night. Talk to ya then!!

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi Luv 2 Trot,

How did you get on with your show? Looking forward to hearing from you.

My next lesson is on Thursday evening, really looking forward to it. I wonder what I'll be doing this week. I feel so good from last week that I can't wait now. I won't be able to ride for a week or so after Thursday as I am very busy but I hope I forget the progress I've made.

Bye for now,

C :) :D :) :D :)

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hi Crazy Caroline!

The show was pretty good. We placed 5th in our Western Pleasure class, but not in the equitation class. But thats ok because at the show we were at about 2 weeks ago, we did an equitation class and placed, but only because one of the people stopped in the middle to aske what they were suppose to do.
But this equitation class went much better then the last one we were in, even though we didn't place. He was much calmer then he was on Saturday though. Saturday, he was acting so studly because he has been out in the paddocks with mares. But he was better yesterday. Hav fun at your lesson, i'm sure it'll be a blast!!! :D

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi Luv 2 Trot,

Well done for being placed. I have never competed and I don't suppose I ever will, I just love riding.

Just had a reply to an advert I had placed on another website to exercise a horse / pony in my area in April!!!! I don't really want to take on any more than exercising a horse at the moment as I really want to continue with my lessons.

Will get more details and let you know if anything becomes of it.

C

:D

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hi crazy caroline!!

Thanx. Congradulations. Exercising horses must be fun because u probly get to ride a lot of different ones. I would luv to do that. U never kno though, u may change your mind and decide to show a horse in a halter class, those seem simple, or u may decide to ride in a class. Its tons of fun!! Good luck with your exercising of horses!!!

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi. Had another great lesson last night. Did a bit of trotting over poles as before and then worked on movement of the horse and had to tell my instructor when various feet were touching the ground etc. Amazing how that helped my movement with the horse to become more fluid. Did figure 8 work in walk and then trot and by the end of the lesson I was working on my transitions from standing going straight into trot and did that quite well. Didn't have time to work from standing to canter but will do that hopefully in my next lesson. Again felt really pleased with myself and really enjoyed it.

Will not be pursuing the horse share as it really is the wrong side of town to be able to do the morning chores.

Will keep going with my lessons instead as I am progressing quite well even after only 3 lessons. Will hopefully be working on my cantering next lesson. They have a special hill where they teach their horses to canter up it and stop at the top.

Any more shows this weekend Luv 2 Trot? Have you made a firm decision on what you are going to do either English or Western?

Bye for now,

Cxx

:D :D :D

[easyhorsecare]

Don't forget to tell the instructor that you have lost your confidence, so she can encourage, not push you along too quickly.

Above all, take a deep breath as soon as you mount up (great for relaxing the body), and ENJOY.

Good luck

From Tracy

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hi again!!

Congrats!! Your lesson sounds lik tons of fun. I havn't made a decision yet, but im thinking about Dressage. Its kinda between English and Western. Plus, even though i am riding western, my instructor has me doing side passes and leg yielding jus to warm up. So in fall ill probly switch to Dressage.

I had an excellent lesson yesterday too! We put a new bit on Toby and he responds soo much better now. Its amazing. He's lik a totally different horse and my instructor and i were very pleased. We improved his position of the head, it dropped down about 4 inches. Then we did some transitions from lope to halt because in the show ring, he tends to take bigger strides down the long side so we are using that transition to teach him not to. Then we did more jogging and the transition from lope to halt even improved that!! Toby is coming along way because he used to be just an English horse. I'm the only one who rides him western so its lik i get to train him every time i go out there. Im very proud!!LOL.

I do hav a show this weekend. My stable is hosting it so i will be there from the begining to the end. Usually we are at shows from just lik the 4th class to lik the 4th to last class. There is going to be jumping and i luv watching that. Plus all the speed events lik barrel racing, pole bending, flag race, 50 yrd dash, etc. It should be loads of fun and all my classes are before lunch (thank goodness) so i dont hav to go into the ring on break to school him because i really dont lik it. I get more tense in there then in the class. Plus i dont hav to wait for the speed events to end. YES!

Im glad u are progressing so well in lessons. U must really lik yer horse and be very comfortable on him. Thats great!! Good luck at your next lesson!! hope to hear from u soon!!

[Crazy Caroline]

Thanks Tracy (Easyhorsecare) for your advice.

I am more confident now than I have ever been riding, even before my fall. My instructor (male) is very encouraging and has commented how well my balance has improved and how much more 'fluid' I am riding. I am so pleased with my progress and considering I have only had three lessons at my new place my riding has improved so much. My instructor does push me hard during lessons but I am happy to learn. We discuss how each task feels and what I have learnt from it and why we do it, etc.

I am so happy with my new school and instructor and my new trusty stead called Thomas. Although Thomas is 17hh IDxTB he is very calm and steady and so comfortable to ride. He really is a confidence giver and I am looking forward to being able to canter on him. Even when trotting my figure 8 in my lesson I longed to be able to canter my figure 8. Speaking with my instructor after my lesson about it, he said that I will be able to do that at some point.

Luv 2 Trot I'm glad you also had a good lesson. You sound as though you are a really good rider. Some of your american terms I do not understand but they sound fun. All the best for your show at the weekend, I'm sure you'll do well. Let me know how you get on. I'm really excited for you.

Can't wait to book my next lesson (can't ride next week as I am so busy with a wedding in the family).

Bye for now,

Cxx:D

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hi Crazy Caroline.

Sorry about the terms. I'll try to mak them easier. I'm not a really good rider, but thankyou for the compliment. It sounds lik with the progress your making, u are going to be a good rider too. Anywho, I hope u get to hav another lesson soon. Congrats to whomever is getting married. Best of luck to them!

I'll let u know how the show goes Sunday!!

[Luv 2 Trot]

:( . Unfortunately, last night, and this morning, it rained. The show was supposed to be held rain or shine, but the ring was grass and it would hav been dangerous for the speed events. I was sad and a little upset, but there is a show again saturday so, hopefully we will be at that one. I was really looking foward to this show to because our stable was hosting it and all my classes were in the morning. They are going to try to reschedule it for the 22 of August. I hope they do!! Anywho, Hav fun at your upcoming lesson!!

[Crazy Caroline]

Hi again. Sorry for the delay but I've been soooooo busy as I will be changing jobs at the end of this week and starting a new job on Monday 9th with loads more money (more to spend on lessons!).

I won't be able to have a lesson until 19th now as this week has been manic (Father-in-Law's birthday, my work leaving do, my sister-in-Law's wedding on 7th) and then my first week at my new job.

Looking forward to my next lesson loads.

Sorry to hear that your show did not go ahead Luv 2 Trot. What a shame. Fingers crossed that they re-schedule for 22nd. Keep your chin up at least you can get some more practice before the next show. :)

Take care and all the best for the next show.

Cxx

[Luv 2 Trot]

Hi Crazy Caroline.

Sorry that u wont get another lesson til the 19th, but from what you said, you will hav enough money to continue with more lessons which is always good!! Your week sounds hectic. Sorry about that. Hav fun at the wedding and best wishes to your sister-in-law!!

[Luv 2 Trot]

TOBY AND I PLACED 1ST IN THE YOUTH WESTERN PLEASURE CLASS!!!! I was soo proud of him. I hadnt seen it coming. Im sooo happy. How was the wedding?