Hi there

[Dutchgirl]

Hello everybody, just a little howdy from Holland.
I am the newest member to this New Rider site and i hope to learn a lot from you all on this forum.
In the Netherlands western riding is becoming increasingly populair, so its very nice to find an international forum about western!
I'll tell a little bit about myself, i used to ride dressage but since i discovered western 6 years ago i never looked back (nor did my horse)
My horse (an arab mare) is far more relaxed with this style of riding, it suits her well.
Most people in the Netherlands specialize in one aspect of western, but a lot of people who own arabs mostly ride all around (iow pleasure, horsemanship, trail and reinig) so do i.
I also am responsible for the financial side and the website of the DAWRA, the Dutch Arabian Western Riding Association, unfortunatly its in dutch, but the pictures are nice, so check out our site.
DAWRA (http://www.dawra.nl)
I hope my spelling isn't to bad and i hope i get to know everybody here better.
See y'all.
Lies:D

[Liesbeth]

I am Liesbeth a.k.a. Dutchgirl, If i sign of with Lies, dont think i am lying, Lies is short for Liesbeth.
Just so you all know.
:)
Se you all.
Lies (Liesbeth aka Dutchgirl)

[Kalypso]

Hi! WElcome to NR! I'm in Ireland right now, but originally from the US, and I learned to ride western, adn although I still really enjoy it, I'm beginning to lean more towards english. But I will never sell my comfy western saddle! By the way, your spelling was great....better than some I've seen from the uk or america! lol

[aphagirlie05]

Kalypso, are you saying we can't spell over here in the good ol US of A? :D LOL

Anyways, nice to meet you dutchgirl aka lies! I've been riding and showing western and hunt seat for six years. I began in western, and I love western pleasure, wouldn't trade it for the world. However, I'm also Hunt Seat crazy, so I'm a multi diciplined lil southern gal! It's really cool to see that you have an arab! I learned to ride on an arab mare, and show my instructor's two half-arabs in western an english. I also barrel race on a big Arabian gelding named JB. I own a paint horse gelding, who I love. He's my little boo bear, being little of course, because he is only a yearling. Well I must be going, I have scholarship forms to fill out! - Kristen

[SarahJay]

Hiya!!!:D

Welcome to New Rider!!!:D :) :p

[Dutchgirl]

Just so jou know what to look for, this is me on my trusty mare, "Zareehfa".
I hope this link works, if not, i'll try something else.
Picture 1 is me with my new trainer, so its back to the basics, the second is me on the beach with a friend, she's on her breeding stock paint "Miss Chicca Jewel"
See you all,
Dutchgirl
Dutchgirl aka Liesbeth (http://www.mijnalbum.nl/fotoalbum.php?m=fto&a=1&id=43747&key=KQYZDZGY)

[denise42]

Welcome !! :D
The folks on this site are very friendly, and willing to give advice.
I too ride western & have a breeding stock paint mare. I got into riding in my early 40's so am dealing with all the Adult beginner stuff. I tend to be a little more .. UM .. tense than the younger folks that take lessons at my barn. But I am getting there, and wouldn't go back to my life before horses for anything.
Life without riding .. ? :eek: I don't think so .. :p

[Dutchgirl]

Hi Denise 42,
I also started riding again at a later age, i did ride when i was joung (up to age 15) then i stopped, and started again at age 30.
2 jears later i decided to by a horse, if not now, then it would never happen, because when i am 85 jears old i do not want to have any regrets.
Now i was heavy into dressage and what did i come home with! A small arab!!! (i still dont know why!) Not a big dutch warmblood like everybody else.
I recieved quite a lot of comment on that "you cant ride an arab, they are crazy", no she's not, in fact she's very relaxed also on the road with traffic.
"she's to small for you", well as long as my feet dont drag on the floor its oke by me (and i used to ride really, really big horses)
"They are too sensitive" too sensitive, no, sensitive, yes, but i like it that she seems to read my mind and reacts instantly.
Then after about 2 years of dressage, i changed to western, now this was like cursing in church! How could i do that, again a lot of comment.
But people got used to the idea and i, together with a few other western die-hards we are well accepted at our barn.
Now why did i change to western? because in dressage there was an enormes amount of envy and gossip.
Things i did not find in westerncircles, altough that is chanching also lately, in the beginning it did not really matter what kind of horse you rode, nowadays, jou must have an expensive US imported Quarter, Paint or Appaloosa, to be in the "incrowd" and be able to ride "western" :D
But since i do show, but have no ambition to become the national champion, i dont care;)

Everybody have a nice weekend!
Dutchgirl

P.S. and Denise42, i am 39 years and also no longer as supple and daring as i used to be (more like a piece of wood because of a Hernia:D :D and my brain gets in the way every now and then)
P.P.S. i really liked that comment about the pet hamster!

[Grace]

Hi Lies! I am from Canada but my parents immigrated from the Netherlands 54 years ago and all of my relatives live there. You have a beautiful horse (mine is 1/2 Arab and a real sweetie). Most of the people from where I live ride western and I'm trying to learn dressage. Just wanted to say hi!

[denise42]

Dutchgirl:
You can let your western buddys know that over here, arabs are BIG in the western world & they use them in dressage too. The barn I am at now is an arab barn, and me with my big breeding stock paint, & a couple other missfits. The arab owners go to alot of western shows and do very well.
we all get along great, the only comments I get is " man is she big " meaning my mare . But compaired to a warm blood she would look small.
I too rode when I was a kid, the get on hang on school of riding, now being older
(I will be 45 in a week or 2 ) I have found that I do not bounce like I use to.
and it takes longer to heal.

[Dutchgirl]

Hi Grace, how nice, Dutch origins! do you speak a little dutch? and from where in Holland did your parrents come?
Denise42, thanks for your comforting words, i knew that arabs are well used in western in the USA, its just that not many people overhere seem to realise this.
I also show, but i can only show at 2 associatons, the WRAN (Western Riding Association Nederland) it doesnt matter to the wran what breed your horse is, this is by far the biggest club in holland.
I also start at the DAWRA (Dutch Arabian Western Riding Association) one of the smallest clubs.
Both clubs have very relaxed atmosferes at their shows.
Check out the sites WRAN (http://www.wranwesternhorseworld.com/) and DAWRA (http://www.dawra.nl)
I will be 40 in december and yes Denise42 i also dont bounce like i used to:D :D

See you all
Dutchgirl

[Grace]

Hi Lies! Yes I do speak a bit of Dutch...my mom is still alive and speaks to me in a mix of Dutch and English. My Dutch is a strong dialect ...big grin..They came from Enkuizen (where a lot of my aunts and uncles still live). I have a cousin who lives in Amsterdam. It nice to see another Dutch girl (even though I'm Canadian the ties are still strong)