thinking of quitting, i cant believe i say this, im near tears, help~

May 10, 2004
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hi all
well i havent been online much recently, due to the fact i have had a friend around for the 6 week hols and she gets very bored when i spend every waking minute on the internet!!
anyway my problem, you guys are the only "real" people i can turn to right now.....it is to do with giving up riding, no never thought id say that in my life.

it all started when this girl started pestering me to ride the horse i ride in my jumping lessons and all the shows, she belongs to my YO/IN.
i at the moment have 2 lessons a week, 1 being jumping and the other being flatwork, etc.

without fail i always ride charlie, my fave horse i just feel so close to her and we always get placed at shows, but yesterday i had to ride aggy in the flatwork instead of charlie, but i was willing so when it came to trotting and cantering w/out stirrups, no joke i came so close to falling off, the saddle digs in to me so badly and well the horse is EXTEREMELY BUMPY!
then my instructor said she needed to proove a point and show me i was the one at fault not the horse
so she asked me to canter round on charlie w/out stirrups-and i could do it perfectly, she didnt have much to say after thatt!!

since this one girl saw me ride aggy, she says "youre brilliant at him, far better than charlie, you should seriously stick with aggy!"
now this is the same girl who wanted charlie so bad for jumping>
do i believe her ever so innocent praise, or is it that she still wants me to move over so she can ride charlie- and id ride aggy?%&*$%!!*%
so many thongs are going wrong lately-this is why i dont know what to do
thanks for reading all this malarchi(sp?) i just need some advice desperately!!---
before i lose my temper with these people at the stables and do something i regret.
 
So you've just dicovered something we all know! Some horses are easier to ride than others.

The reason you don't like riding some horses is they don't make you feel good and theya re not easy. Why do you think horses come in as many shapes and forms as people. Somewhere there is a horse to match a rider.

I will take my feet out of my stirrups, tie up my reins and take Iacs anywhere like that. Easy Peasy.....Cymro on the other hand is a more bumpy elevated ride and he throws you about a bit and you have to work at staying put. He's not as balanced as Iacs so is more uncomfy to ride.

Riding is great, if you are lucky to have your own horse you can pick the one who suits you and stick with him. When you are learning to ride you are going to find some horses are hard blooming work and you'll feel crap on them. Until you are a really, really good rider and can help the horse who is less able you will find that you just dont' click with some horses.

Riding and owning and working with horses is all about taking the rough with the smooth, even Hákon today was as pacey as all get out.

Just accept it for what it is, some days you do well and fel great, other days you feel like rubbish and it all turnes to manure, don;t let the bad days over-ride the good ones.
 
well as much as i hate not riding chantella (she's my baby superstar and i have an extremely strong love for her), i rise above the feeling of 'i want my baby back' and I simply say to myself, my instructor has put me on this horse for a reason, and by riding this horse it will teach my something new, so I can be an even better rider for Chantella.
 
Originally posted by NuttyMare
I simply say to myself, my instructor has put me on this horse for a reason, and by riding this horse it will teach my something new, so I can be an even better rider for Chantella.

I agree, riding different horses will make you a better rider in the long run as you have to change the way you ride for each horse, it's temperament on the day etc. In other words you will need to LISTEN to the horse to see how you can get the best out of it.

Rather than getting disheartened why not look at it as a challenge to see how well you can ride Aggy? It may be tough at first but you'll see how well you've progressed when things start to go right for you.

Don't get annoyed with the stables or the girl. The girl has a right to ride different horses as do you.
 
I agree that riding different horses makes you a better rider and gives you more experience as well. If I were you I would not quit, I would think of the experience as an opportunity to become a better rider instead.

Anna
 
the skill in riding comes from being able to ride a wide variety of different horses well. Learn from the experience of riding another horse and dont get disheartened. That kinda quitting talk never got anyone to the Olympics!!!
 
Question you've got to ask yourself is do you want to be able to ride or do you want to be able to ride Charlie? Swapping from your usual horse can be quite daunting and you so often feel like you've taken a step backwards as what was easy becomes hard work. But imagine how you'll feel when you've mastered the work sithout stirrups on aggy - you'll really have achieved something.

I do think though that your instructor could have been a bit more positive - saying something is your fault is hardly constructive in telling you how to improve. Maybe request a lunge lesson so you can concentrate on your position and get a bit of time on aggy without having to do everything at once. And don't give up :D
 
thanks for all the replies!:(
but you see the reason i want to practice on charlie on the flat is so that i will perform better at my shows, i dont ride aggy when it comes to competing!!
and another thing, i think my instructor has soo many high flying ideas for me that im thinking "gosh, im no were near ready for that!"
but i dont say that to her, i just go along with her "ideas for my future?"
even though shes a "international showjumper" thats not really my dream, for me all i want to be is a good rider, and really be a "happy hacker" do you think i should tell my instructor this, or not?
thanks guys!!
 
It is hard riding other horses.

When I first started riding I had a nice safe horse called Big boy, one day my instrutor told me to ride a scary horse I really didn't want to but did anyway, within 5 mins due to a mistake onbehalf of the instructor (accidently wacking the horse on it's nose with a rope) she reared up and i fell off. Then was allowed to ride the horse i wanted. But during this time I didn't learn much more about riding.

Now that I only have one choice of horse to ride I wish I had more, Just so that I can improve my riding :D

You instructor seems to want the best for you. And if your not to shy maybe you could talk to her about how you feel?
 
but you see the reason i want to practice on charlie on the flat is so that i will perform better at my shows, i dont ride aggy when it comes to competing!!
I don't want to sound unsympathetic but the lessons that one horse teaches you can be used to good effect on another. Riding one horse all the time as a novice is bad for you as you get into a rut. Riding a variety you have to learn to think, listen to your horse, and adapt your aids to suit the individual horse. My two are chalk and cheese and I would not have it any other way. Moss I ask but often have to TELL. If I TOLD Con I would, in very short order, be visiting Wally, but she teaches me the sensitivity I should be aiming for full time. The breadth of experience you are getting will stand you in good stead for your future riding, enjoy it.
 
Don't jack in all in because of one setback

Before I bought my first horse and was having weekly lessons at one of the local riding schools I definately had my favouriate which I got to ride alot, but I was often given a different horse to ride.

I think that it is a good idea to ride different horses as you learn to "ride", you don't get set in your ways with just one way of riding, that is probably why you had a problem cantering Aggy, as you were soo intuned with Charlie.

I'm not suggeting you give up on Charlie and let the other girl ride him, but I think that it would be a good idea if you maybe road Charlie for one of your lessons, jumping if you love doing that on him, and then maybe the flatwork on Aggy. Hopefully then you will be able to canter her without stirrups and the instructor will be able to eat her words.

If Charlie is your favouriate, he will know that he is even if you don't ride him, just make a fuss of him anyway.

Hope this helps
:D
 
Mossy I'll keep my eyes peeled, If I hear air traffic control wondering what the UFO is coming in at a sharp angle we will know you TOLD Connie to do something!:D :D
 
westley_j

just wondering if your instructor is picking up mixed signals from you ? on one hand you say
for me all i want to be is a good rider, and really be a "happy hacker"
but on the other
but you see the reason i want to practice on charlie on the flat is so that i will perform better at my shows, i dont ride aggy when it comes to competing!!

So are the shows what riding is really about for you ? or are they just a way of testing how good a rider you are ?

If the latter, then winning is not so important as doing the best you can with whatever horse you are riding.

If winning is actually the key, then "happy hacking" isn't really what you want. You want to be riding the best horse possible in the best possible way.

I was a ring steward for a working hunter pony class on Sunday - a new experience for me. One of the riders was riding a lovely grey, with a great jump, and very forward going - so much so that he/they were not showing themselves off to their best advantage. The rider was most definitely a "good" rider, but the horse was not going to make her look good - she had to work harder to look the same as a less good rider on an easier horse. So she wasn't as highly placed as some "less good" riders on easier horses.

This is just one example of where being a "good" rider is not the same as "winning".

I wonder how clear you are yourself about this ? I think if you can be clear about what you want, then you should be talking to your instructor about it. She can help advise you on next steps.
 
Don't quit

Hi, I understand how you are feeling but experience on more than one horse is better in the long run. I have not been riding long, only a year and rarely get to ride the same pony at riding school . I have had ones who just do what you ask, ones who stop, go backwards, race around and try to buck you off! I have come home bruised and battered on more than one occasion. If I have had a really bad experience on a pony one week I make sure I ride that one the next week if I can. Basically get tough! you need to show yourself you can do it nevermind anyone else. Nobody pretends it is not scary though when it happens! Good luck :)
 
i had the same problem. just rode one horse i felt comfortable on and did well on. when i had another horse and saw someone else riding "my horse" i got sad i was so attached. in showing i would sugggest ridign charlie and for lessons maybe try aggy but dotn let the other girl trick you into switching horses for her own good.
hope ive helped
 
thnaks for the help, i actually look back on this thread now and think, wow cant believe i said that (givin up) things have got a whole lot better since this thread,
but thank you all for being there
westley x x x x x
 
Don't just give up because your new horse is more difficult than your old one. It will make you a much better rider if you keep moving up. And trust me...I know something about bouncy horses. I have a morgan. with lots and lots of suspension at a trot and canter...my friends say she 'springs'. It has taken me almost 3 years to be able to sit to her canter and I still have to concentrate to sit trot. And also, don't quit because of anything that has to do with people. If it gets terrible, there are plenty of other places to take lessons.
 
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