Riding Alone~

H

horsedolls

New Member
Nov 9, 2006
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... I have never once in my life ridden by myself.

That's right, I have always had a guide/teacher with me.
I really want to be able to ride by myself at one point, but im kinda scared.
I mean, I LOVE riding, but Im scared that if i do it by myself, that I'll do a bunch of things wrong! D:
I think that I am starting to get a good idea of what to do and what not to do, but i have o idea how to tell if im on the right canter lead or not. I've never learned.

Anyway, for my birthday i want to go to NYC and they have these thingswhere you can rent a horse for the day or somthing, and go riding in a park. : D
I wanna do that, like, really badly. I want to ride by myself for once.

But like i said, Im scared to.
So does anyone have any tips or anything on riding by yourself?

Hope Im not being too confusing... :eek:
 
Only once ridden with anyone (If you don't count fun rides and I don't go "with" anyone on those) Hate having to shout over the wind trying to make polite conversation to someone's back when all I want to do is have a quiet chat to my mule:D
 
JustJas said:
When riding by your self- know the horse very well before you hack out and just relax.

I would not go to a new place and ride alone for your first time- know your terrain and horse.
Click to expand...
thats the thing though
I dont have anywhere else to ride alone.. D:
 
horsedolls said:
... I have never once in my life ridden by myself.

That's right, I have always had a guide/teacher with me.
I really want to be able to ride by myself at one point, but im kinda scared.
I mean, I LOVE riding, but Im scared that if i do it by myself, that I'll do a bunch of things wrong! D:
I think that I am starting to get a good idea of what to do and what not to do, but i have o idea how to tell if im on the right canter lead or not. I've never learned.

Anyway, for my birthday i want to go to NYC and they have these thingswhere you can rent a horse for the day or somthing, and go riding in a park. : D
I wanna do that, like, really badly. I want to ride by myself for once.

But like i said, Im scared to.
So does anyone have any tips or anything on riding by yourself?

Hope Im not being too confusing... :eek:
Click to expand...

I know what you mean horsedolls - I don't know how old you are, but I never rode by myself until I was grown up. I remember the first time - my old riding-school let me take a horse out on my own, and it was a fantastic feeling of freedom. I don't think a riding-school would do that now!

I think you should go for it. Don't worry about canter leads; once you're outside the school they don't really matter. And if things go wrong when you're out on your own, then it's up to you to put them right. But keep the ride very short and make sure they give you a steady horse - about half an hour is probably right.

Or maybe if you ride out with an escort now, then you could start by doing little bits on your own. I did that with my daughter before I let her go out on her own: "You take that road, I'll take this road, and we'll meet at the corner in five minutes". Or "You canter to that tree then turn round and walk back and I'll wait here". So she could get a taste of being on her own without being too far away.

And do check with the instructor first that you're really ready to ride on your own. Maybe you'll have to make it your goal for a bit later on.

Good luck with it!
 
I've ridden alone in the school plenty of times, but alas, hacking out alone eludes me. I guess I just don't have the confidence yet, plus my Storm is not good at hacking alone, she really needs Joe to lead her way. Probably in the right hands she'd be ok. I guess its something for me to work on!
 
I remember the first time I rode on my own... my instructor told me to go and warm Spot up while she finished off her other lesson and I was like - "Whaaaat?!" and pretty much all I can remember is walking around on a long rein, and feeling a just a TAD scared! Why not get a friend to sit with you while you ride but not say anything and gradually take it from there?
 
I remember when I'd just bought my first horse, Apache, and I went on my first ride round the farm by myself. I'd never ridden on my own before, as all my previous riding had been done at various riding schools, either lessons or hacking in a group. It took a lot of screwing up of courage, but was a fantastic feeling. NOTHING could stop me after that.:D However, I'd agree with caraid-alba and just jas, I think its a big risk taking a horse out for a hack on your own if you don't know him/her.
 
I havent either - unless you count just the length of a polo field - it is something that happens to RS riders because of insurance. I can ride out with a teenager so long as she is a member of staff, but I cant ride out with a friend who is an AI? Nor on my own.

I used to want to a lot, but now I think it might be like going up a mountain - something that is better done with another person there. Like Victorian ladies all rode out with a groom.

But if I were hiring a horse to hack alone away from home, I'd definitely pay to ride that same horse with an escort first, to get to know the trail, the horse etc. They say the more new things one has to cope with, the more like you are to have an accident. But if you can borrow a horse near where you live? And hack a route you already know that might be better.

But I envy you the chance.
 
I know what you mean for sure! Today was actually the very first time I've been out on a horse on my own completely...I just started sharing a horse, and I've got to tell you, it's the best feeling in the whole world to be able to work on your own and on what you want to do, all in your own pace. However, I have been taking lessons for many, many years, so I am pretty comfortable doing this (although there were times when I was a little worried!!). I would just make sure you are very confident in your riding first, then maybe inquire into sharing a horse at your riding school. My old riding school leased and half leased out RS horses to students, so maybe yours would too! :) I do know what you are feeling...you do tend to grow tired of endless critiquing and correcting, just want to fix it yourself, eh?
 
I live in Manhattan and started riding at Claremont Riding Academy, the place that rents the horses to ride in the park. I will tell you that they are VERY strict about who they let hack out. You must be an advanced rider to take a horse on the city street and to the park. The horses are not 100% bombproof, so you must know how to handle that kind of situation. They have had riders fall off in the park and the horse had found it's own way to the barn or a police man had to escort the horse back. I would suggest if you go to NYC, take a private lesson first, and if your teacher thinks you are ready, perhaps you can take a "park lesson" where the teacher guides you around the park. I have been riding steadily a year and a half, and I will not take even a guided park ride. There are joggers and people walking, as well as dogs being walked on the bridle path, not all of which understand the mentality of a horse, and problems have arisen. Not to discourage you....just if you are going to ride a horse alone, make sure the environment is as safe as possible....
 
Hi

I've ridden at Claremont in Manhatten and I would say you have to be VERY confident to ride alone in Central Park. I don't know about all the horses there, but mine was far from bombproof and took off on me. (I was not impressed) Also, the horse spooked at a dog and tried to buck me off (head down, bronco style to the "ooo's" and "ahh's" of passers by :rolleyes:. )The people and their dogs are a nightmare and I thought I was going to have my horse kick the dogs when they came after us. I didn't fall off, but I am an advanced rider and not nervous of riding on my own ever, period. I have ridden horses at full gallops in empty fields, ridden through the city, in heavy/noisy traffic, ridden unpredictable babies and studs, you name it and this ride was still not a pleasurable one. I spent the whole time schooling this horse and not enjoying myself at all.:mad:
 
I never rode by myself until I got my own horse.:)

Be careful of rent-by-the-day or -hour places. Many of them are truly dangerous. The majority of those "I rode a horse once in my life and it [scraped me off under a tree/bolted for the barn with me on it/bucked/reared/etc]" stories happen at rent-by-the-hour stables.:D

Reputable barns won't let you go out alone on their horses until they're very sure of your riding ability. Many require you to be one of their regular students.

Does your regular lesson barn not allow students to hack out alone?
 
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