Adult beginner first lesson tips

[Ayleeshar]

I have my first riding lesson next weekend after about 15 years out of the saddle.
I was in and out of lessons during my childhood depending on when my parents were able to afford lessons although now I’m older (25) I am starting again!

I have a private lesson just to see how I feel and I’m wondering if things will start to come back to me. I remember doing rising trot, Pole work, small jumps and beginning canter but also how difficult I found canter as my feet kept slipping out of the stirrups.

Any tips for my first lesson would be appreciated! I feel a bit apprehensive, I worry about being older and a lot worse than everyone else and as a child there was a bit of a ‘bi**hy’ atmosphere which I’m hoping wont be there as an adult especially with private lessons.

 

[KarinUS]

I just had my first lesson today after ten years off.
I'm 52! Which means I'm 20 pounds heavier than ten years ago and joints more worn. 25 is so young!
I think the biggest things I encountered today is my lack of fitness when it comes to rising trot. Gotta exercise more in between lessons

 

[Jessey]

Just enjoy it! It is a bit like riding a bike, you never really forget, you’ll just need some gentle guidance and to get the feel for it again. No doubt you’ll be using muscles that you haven’t used in a while but riding fitness will come with practice.
Some yards have bitchyness, but you’ll probably find now you’re a bit older it won’t involve you so much, and definitely shouldn’t appear in private lessons! If it does I’d look for a new RS!

 

[Skib]

I rode occasionally as a child but started proper riding when I was 61. I am still riding in my 80s so you should have a good riding life ahead of you. Dont rush it. Even if progress seems minimal. My OH always said that what mattered was saddle time.
Rising trot did come back to me. The horse raises one from the saddle. It is actually harder to ride stting trot. Though in USA and with some UK RIs trot is taught that way. I had walked, cycled and gardened many years but was never athletic and to my mind that was an advantage.
Riding is a multi faceted activity. It involves communicating with the animal under you and asking for certain speeds, gaits and movements. But it also involves lots of allowing, allowing the horse to move under you. Raising and lowering the energy of the horse. This involves balance, relaxation and breathing. But also I think brain work. And havng a conversation with the horse. I thought a lot about David Attenborough TV programmes on how animals are thinking.
When one goes to a RS for first lessons, or refresher lessons, one will be given a horse trained in quite basic cues Dont try stylish posh riding in a first circuit of the school and look out for the gate, as the horse will head for or try to stop at the exit, hoping to minimise its work load.

 

[caz]

I have my first riding lesson next weekend after about 15 years out of the saddle.
I was in and out of lessons during my childhood depending on when my parents were able to afford lessons although now I’m older (25) I am starting again!

I have a private lesson just to see how I feel and I’m wondering if things will start to come back to me. I remember doing rising trot, Pole work, small jumps and beginning canter but also how difficult I found canter as my feet kept slipping out of the stirrups.

Any tips for my first lesson would be appreciated! I feel a bit apprehensive, I worry about being older and a lot worse than everyone else and as a child there was a bit of a ‘bi**hy’ atmosphere which I’m hoping wont be there as an adult especially with private lessons.

I'm sure you'll be fine I'm 54 and going back to horse riding got a filly 6mths old in October and I haven't ridden since I was 18 so I know where your coming from beat of luck

 

[ZuriValeshg]

I have my first riding lesson next weekend after about 15 years out of the saddle.
I was in and out of lessons during my childhood depending on when my parents were able to afford lessons although now I’m older (25) I am starting again!

I have a private lesson just to see how I feel and I’m wondering if things will start to come back to me. I remember doing rising trot, Pole work, small jumps and beginning canter but also how difficult I found canter as my feet kept slipping out of the stirrups.

Any tips for my first lesson would be appreciated! I feel a bit apprehensive, I worry about being older and a lot worse than everyone else and as a child there was a bit of a ‘bi**hy’ atmosphere which I’m hoping wont be there as an adult especially with private lessons.




Mene vain avoimin mielin, nauti hevosesta ja anna itsellesi aikaa. Kasinopelejäkin voi pitää yhtenä viihdemuotona, jos pelaaminen pysyy satunnaisena ja siihen käytettävä summa on etukäteen fruta-kasino päätetty.

Onnea ensimmäisestä tunnista pitkän tauon jälkeen! Todennäköisesti huomaat, että moni asia alkaa palautua yllättävän nopeasti, koska keho muistaa paljon enemmän kuin itse ajattelee. Ensimmäisellä tunnilla ei tarvitse todistaa mitään kenellekään, vaan tärkeintä on löytää uudelleen hyvä tuntuma hevoseen ja omaan tasapainoon. Kerro opettajalle avoimesti, että olet ollut tauolla ja mitkä asiat jännittävät, esimerkiksi laukka ja jalustimet. Hyvä yksityistunti etenee juuri sinun tahdin mukaan. Älä vertaa itseäsi muihin, moni aikuinen aloittaa uudelleen pitkän tauon jälkeen ja ilmapiiri on usein paljon rennompi kuin lapsena. Mene vain avoimin mielin, nauti hevosesta ja anna itsellesi aikaa.

 

[Frances144]

Onnea ensimmäisestä tunnista pitkän tauon jälkeen! Todennäköisesti huomaat, että moni asia alkaa palautua yllättävän nopeasti, koska keho muistaa paljon enemmän kuin itse ajattelee. Ensimmäisellä tunnilla ei tarvitse todistaa mitään kenellekään, vaan tärkeintä on löytää uudelleen hyvä tuntuma hevoseen ja omaan tasapainoon. Kerro opettajalle avoimesti, että olet ollut tauolla ja mitkä asiat jännittävät, esimerkiksi laukka ja jalustimet. Hyvä yksityistunti etenee juuri sinun tahdin mukaan. Älä vertaa itseäsi muihin, moni aikuinen aloittaa uudelleen pitkän tauon jälkeen ja ilmapiiri on usein paljon rennompi kuin lapsena. Mene vain avoimin mielin, nauti hevosesta ja anna itsellesi aikaa.

Good luck with your first lesson after a long break! You will likely find that things come back surprisingly quickly, as your body remembers far more than you might think. There is no need to prove anything to anyone during this first session; the most important thing is to regain a good feel for the horse and your own balance. Be open with your instructor about your break and any aspects that make you nervous—such as cantering or using stirrups. A good private lesson proceeds at your own pace. Don’t compare yourself to others; many adults return to riding after a long hiatus, and the atmosphere is often much more relaxed than it was when you were a child. Just go in with an open mind, enjoy the horse, and give yourself time.