New Girl Here....

[KarenMcD]

Hi folks,

I have just registered and wanted to say hello. I've been reading the forum now for months but never quite plucked up the courage to join. Have picked up great tips / advice from here and everybody seems so very friendly so thought I should venture in!

I'm a mature rider - (well 30 years young!) and have only been riding about a year. Just wish I discovered it sooner as it is my absolute passion now - despite not being very good! I ride at Edinburgh & Lasswade - any fellow E&L riders out there? It's a good school with some cracking horses and the instructor,Annie, is excellent. Anyway - won't say much more - I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions to ask as time goes by and you never know - despite my lack of experience - I may even be able to offer some advice at some point!

Nice to meet you all.

Karen :)

[MadMumInKent]

Hello Karen :) Welcome!

I'm Jo, 35 yrs old, and just got back into riding after a gap of about 15 - 20 years... best thing I ever did :D Look forward to hearing more from you!

[jUmPingIsLifE]

Hiya :) welcome to NewRider, its a very addictive site so watch your self ;)

[bexj]

Hello :D Why did you start riding? Just interested - I've loved horses all my life but had a huge great stupid long break from it :eek:

[Caro]

Hi there and welcome
As you've discovered, it is a great site for friendly advice but also it's fab as a confidence booster. Welcome! Do you ride weekly? You must be getting pretty good if you've ridden regularly for a year.
Caro

[Justie B52]

Hello & welcome!

I'm Justie, just turned 34 and had my first lesson in about 20 years last wednesday! I've only been here a few days, but it's a really friendly place and very, very addictive :D

Chat soon

Justie x

[KarenMcD]

Ooh - lots of nice welcomes already. Thank you. I don't know what made me start riding to be honest. Was a spur of the moment decision taken with my sister (I think we were trying to get fit or something!) that has since escalated!

I now ride twice a week and am trying to weigh up financially whether I can fit in another lesson. Horses have just become my thing - why spend £35 on a night out clubbing when I can spend a couple of hours down at the stables getting fresh air, exercise and having a ball.

Despite all my lessons to date I do wonder if I'll ever be good enough - but that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of trying. I can walk and do rising trot (to correct diagonal) and have cantered many times, although like many people this is the gait I most need to work on and regularly lose my stirrup or tense up. Have tried a few wee jumps as well and, whilst not yet coming off, I'm sure I look a complete sight going over the fence! I've ridden some very good horses :D and some quite naughty ones as well :eek: but it all adds to the experience.

Overall just so very glad horses have become part of my world....

[bexj]

Horses have just become my thing - why spend £35 on a night out clubbing when I can spend a couple of hours down at the stables getting fresh air, exercise and having a ball.

I couldn't agree more :D

[Stella2]

Hi Karen, welcome :) I'm 'rising 46' and my mare Flora is 'rising 7'! I have been riding nearly 3 years and had never met a horse before then. Like you, I wish I'd discovered it years ago, in my case so that I could have had a serious stab at becoming a accomplished dressage rider - well, a girl can dream :cool: Ho hum .. well I'll just keep working at it :D

[jinglejoys]

Hi too--I'm the one with the Mules :)

[kedwards]

Welcome Karen!

I started lessons at about the same age as you. It's been over 5 years now. I've had my horse Bud, for the last two, and I'm still having a great time!

The process of improvement can be slow at times, but you'll also reach times when everything seems to click and you move onward by leaps and bounds. In any case, it's a heck of a lot of fun along the way.

[Bay Mare]

Hi

I rode as a kid too but after a LOOOOONG break (about 15 years) came back to riding about 2.5 years ago (at a dressage yard :eek: canter off the leg? what's that???) and got my own (Saffy) last September.

I'm more into dressage than jumping (keep hurting myself jumping) but my girl is only young still (rising 6) so we're not doing anything fancy right now :D Well, she was doing a good trick of standing on her back legs last year but she doesn't do that anymore (fingers crossed).

Since coming back I've done an NVQ in Equine Studies (I was working at the yard on the weekends), have started (but stalled on :)) the Horse Owners Certificate and have just submitted the Level 1 Bailey/Lingfield Feed qualification paper and essay :eek:

Good luck :)

[Alle]

Hi there! I am one of those who rode as a kid but had a long break from riding...20 years long...and just got back into it accidently about 1 1/2 ago. I now own a lovely QH/TB bay mare named Sevigny. The time spent at the barn with my horse is way better then time spent in a club! :p Actually, I am now so horse obessessed I rarely do other stuff at all. :rolleyes:

[Trewsers]

Hi there, I'm 35 - been riding about a year now - something I've always wanted to do (did a wee bit when younger - 15 years ago more like!). ANyway, funds now permitting I intend to make up for lost time and enjoy every minute of it! :D You'll love this forum - everybody is sooo helpful - and they'll cheer you up when you need it too :D

[pengapenga]

Hiya Welcome to NR

I am 35 years young and have just returned to riding after a twelve year break. I just cannot imagine why I did not return sooner. I stopped riding because I was pregnant and my horse at the time had an ambition to kill me :rolleyes: so I decided I would stop until the baby arrived, however circumstances at the time meant I could not get back in the saddle. Anyway my lovely hubby has just bought me a beautiful friesian stallion called Frits and he has just arrived in western australia from the Netherlands :) We also own a lovely standardbred mare called Mystical - she is my daughters horse really and is such a sweet mare :D

Anyway good luck with the riding and I look forward to your future posts/threads :D

[SarahC]

Hi there and welcome!!

I'm nearly 35 and like many others returned to riding after a 15 or so year break. I started again about 5 years ago and am the proud owner of a rising 5 year old tri-colour mare who is my pride and joy :D

Look foward to seeing you post on here now you've discovered NR!!

S

[SarahJay]

Hiya Karen! :)

Welcome to New Rider!! :D

[horsey1]

Hi Karen
I have just joined too so we are both new to this, also I have my horse not that far away from your riding school. Good luck with the lessons :D :D