1st Lesson update!

[Justie B52]

:D :D :D It was brilliant! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed riding....even if I can barely walk now :eek:

I was sooooo nervous this morning but my instructor was very sweet, she put me through my paces though ;)

I was on the lovely Saxon who was massive for me at 15.2 hh, a great big gentle softy who was very forgiving. We did walking, sitting trot & rising trot to start with then some work without stirrups (OUCH!) and finally some hover work which put my legs in the right place, eventually. The hour flew by so I've booked for another lesson :D

I'm quite surprised how much came back to me but boy, have I got a lot to learn!

Anyone got a good cure for the shaky legs? Aparently a hot bath is a good start, so that's where I'm heading now......

Suffice to say, thank you all for you words of encouragement, If it wasn't for you lot I might not have tried riding again.

Big hugs to you all.

Justie x

[stormchaser]

Hi, same here with the sores! I guess you'll have to start easy on short lessons first, then add in the hours. I just had my first lesson yesterday, which was pretty similar like yours--I had great fun! I didn't want to push myself too far though, because I hadn't done a lot of exercise lately and ended the lessons afterr 1 1/2 hours.

[Bertie]

Well done both of you - the shakey legs will go but may take a few weeks mine were awful when I first started back but soon got in the swing of it again.

Keep it up and let us all know how you get on with future lessons :)

[Wobblydeb]

Well done you!! :D Glad that the lesson went well. Hovering really helps to get the legs in the right place doesn't it.... :)

[MadMumInKent]

I'm really pleased it went well for you ! :) It doesn't take long for the body to adjust... those aches will get less and less every week. Looking forward to hearing more!

[bexj]

It's a fabulous feeling when you rediscover riding isn't it! And don't worry the aches will get easier! Although you do get some funny looks waddling about with a big grin on your face :D ;) :eek:

I think you'll find that a lot of it comes back to you, but I certainly found as an older returner-to-riding that I was more interested in getting things right and understanding the whys and wherefores instead of just going faster and higher!

Good luck with lesson 2 - when have you booked it for?

[Greentchr]

Congratulations!
The best advice I was given when I started riding was to walk after each riding session. Not an amble, but a brisk I-am-late-to-dinner type walk for 10 minutes or so directly after the riding. Then, a nice stretch of the legs such as gentle toe-touching and holding the stretch, and finally a hot shower.

On the other hand, this kind of ache is a badge of honour! "I rode a HORSE, and I survived!" Perhaps it is a bit of masochistic tendencies, but just feeling the muscles reminds me (constantly for a while) of the fun time riding :) .

Best of wishes on your lessons!

[Justie B52]

Thanks folks!

Am currently sat on two cushions :(

But I loved it :D

Thanks for wise words for the pain relief, I did the hot bath thing and then spent the afternoon chasing my 2 1/2 year old son about the house - does that count as brisk exercise? :rolleyes:

Chat again soon....If I can bear to sit down :eek: :D ;)

Cheers

Justie x

[Stella2]

[QUOTE=Justie B52] then some work without stirrups (OUCH!) and finally some hover work which put my legs in the right place, eventually. The hour flew by so I've booked for another lesson :D[QUOTE=Justie B52]

God, if you did an hour and including no stirrups and hover work, boy are you going to be sore and stiff tomorrow :eek: I hope you don't have much planned that involves moving ;)

Great that you enjoyed it and remembered so much :)

[Justie B52]

[QUOTE=Stella2 God, if you did an hour and including no stirrups and hover work, boy are you going to be sore and stiff tomorrow :eek: I hope you don't have much planned that involves moving ;) [/QUOTE]

Only chasing said 2 1/2 year old around for the day :eek: :( :eek:

I'll let you know just how bad it is tomorrow......

Cheers

Justie x

[nutkin]

glad to hear you enjoyed your riding lesson. I would ache after an hour of sitting trot and hovering as would most of us i think. I look forward to hearing about lesson 2. Didn't you say you have also booked a lesson with another school. When do you have that lesson? I hope you have a day or two to get over the first one. :D

[Alle]

Thanks for wise words for the pain relief, I did the hot bath thing and then spent the afternoon chasing my 2 1/2 year old son about the house - does that count as brisk exercise? :rolleyes:



lol, I am sure it did help! Maybe do a brisk walk with your son in a stroller? DO you have access to an exercise bike? That helped my aches lots.

So glad you had your lesson and had fun! Keep up the good work. :p

[MeMe]

Well done, and good luck for the next one :D

[Justie B52]

Ok, so you were all right......It really does hurt today :(

Sitting down is the worst bit, but as my next lesson isn't until Wenesday I should have fully recovered!

Cheers

Justie x0

[Wobblydeb]

Ha ha :p Join the "not ridden since being a youngster, and where did all the muscles go??!" club.... :D

Prepare yourself - it will be even worse tomorrow :eek:

[EMMYOH]

So glad you went for it and more to the point that you enjoyed it :D

Hope the aches have eased in time for your next lesson. ;)

[Xgemma2005x]

hiya well done and good luck it will all come back to you im sure and them aches do get better believe me! :)

[VickiGG]

I'm from New Zealand and I have not heard of hovering - what's that? :o

[Justie B52]

Hi folks...

...yes it still hurts :( but I think I'll live :D

Hover work for me was: My instructor got us to stand up in our stirrups whilst walking & trotting. Then sitting down without moving your legs from the hover position. As far as I am aware is forces your legs into the correct riding position, if you then sit down slowly; your legs stay where they're supposed to be.....for a while anyway :D

I wobbled so much to begin with I nearly went straight over poor old Saxons head!!! It seems to be a brilliant method, I felt totally different in the saddle after we'd done the hover work.

Someone with waaaaayyyyyy more experience than lil' old me can probably explain it much better than me though :rolleyes:

Hope that helps

Justie x

[Wobblydeb]

LOL..... I don't qualify as having "waaaaayyyyyy more experience" but I'm game to give it a go :)

By putting all your weight into your feet (i.e. you hover above the saddle) you effectively are balanced over your feet - which means your weight is central in your own body and if they took the horse from under you, you would land flat on your feet.

What it feels like to me is similar to if you stood with your feet flat on the floor. Your lower leg feels really rock steady and doesn't move. Which means you swivel from the knees and hips, instead of swinging your lower legs backwards and forwards.

That's the theory anyway......... I don't manage it all the time!!! :D

[Justie B52]

Wobblydeb, that's a waaaaayyyyy better explanation than mine! Thanks! :D

Incidentally, today is the first day since my lesson that my legs don't hurt! 4 Days....4 Days of pain :( ;) ..... ho hum, just about ready for this coming wednesday! :D

Justie x