When you can't ride

[Calder]

No riding for me this week, as I had family duties during the group lesson slot and I can't find the time for a private lesson or a hack. Since I committed to riding again about two years' ago it's been the highlight and the anchor of my week. No matter how stressful work is, or how much my family needs me, riding has been a refuge - it's a place I go to, not to switch off, but to light up other parts of me that don't usually come out. I know I'll be back in the saddle next week (the worst part about the periods of horselessness in my life have been the not-knowing when I'll ride again) but it's a bit frustrating in the meantime.

I know that almost everyone here knows the feeling! I think I'll do give myself a 'virtual lesson' through looking on Youtube, or have a read of something or other. What do others do when they can't ride?

 

[Kite_Rider]

It's easy for me as I have my own, so when I can't ride I will do a bit of ground work or simply 'be' with her.
Sympathise with you though, horses for me are very grounding in a hectic and sometimes difficult life.

 

[domane]

I don't ride in really hot weather. As well as not coping with the heat I'm also hughly reactive to horse fly bites and they are out in force in full sunshine, so the horses come into their stables in a large, airy, shaded barn. I tend to veg out once the real heat of the day kicks in so I'm watching The Walking Dead... I was curious to know whay all the fuss was about!

 

[Jessey]

Having had my own for years my addiction is so bad that I get twitchy if I go a day without horsey interaction Its nice to have 1 day off but by the 2nd I'm itching to get back out there, not even nec to ride, just to see them, could you find a few minutes to pop down to kiss some noses, that's almost as good as riding

 

[Mary Poppins]

These days the only time I can't ride is when my horse is off work for some reason, and when that happens I spend more time with him fussing over him and mucking him out etc.

My whole life revolves around my horse and it's very rare that I don't ride or at least visit the yard to see him every day. I'm not sure what I would do if I couldn't, it would send me insane.

 

[lauren123]

Erm. Well like a lot of others have said. Even if I can't ride or don't ride I have to see him every day it's very strange if I only see him once a day , so normally it's twice even if it's just a flying visit
I know when I didn't have sox and part loaned the pony was off with a bad back for 6 weeks. So we did a lot of inhand walking and I spent a lot of time grooming her failing that if I only rode once a week or saw horses once a week like when I use to ride at the RS. It would be pony mags or online though I have always been mad about horses!

 

[joellie]

I have to get down to see them even if its just for kisses and cuddles. Marley leans his head on me and sniffs in so deeply, I think he must like my perfume no seriously its the most lovely thing I get withdrawal symptoms if I cant get down

 

[Trewsers]

I don't ride that often atm due to mine being ill for a long while and now retired. I scrounge odd rides on OH's! But on the whole I am lucky enough to spend more or less twelve hours a day around them. Well they are the first thing I attend to in the morning and the last thing at night. Longest I go without a snuggle or a scratch is a couple of hours during the day if I have "real" work to do! Sometimes I get up in the night and go see them. I blame the long daylight hours up here​

 

[Nayumi1]

I'm exactly the same, I look forward to my weekends just to have my lesson and de-stress from the week at work! Even during the week I try as much as possible to watch youtube videos, read up on articles and come on forums! I'm going holiday soon and I'm sad that I am going to miss 2 weeks of horse riding hahaha

 

[Jessey]

I'm exactly the same, I look forward to my weekends just to have my lesson and de-stress from the week at work! Even during the week I try as much as possible to watch youtube videos, read up on articles and come on forums! I'm going holiday soon and I'm sad that I am going to miss 2 weeks of horse riding hahaha

I don't think I have ever been on holiday and not found somewhere to ride

 

[Calder]

I don't think I have ever been on holiday and not found somewhere to ride

I instinctively look up the riding options when I'm going somewhere, whether it's on holiday or for a work trip. Some of my best rides have come on short trips: such as a lovely ride near Galway, comng down from an intensive two days of business: bliss!

If you don't have your own, it's all about grabbing the odd ride here and there. I don't have the time to hang out on the yard otherwise, sadly, but people's stories of just hanging out with the horsies sound lovely.

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Just had almost a year off with my lad's injury and the time was spent doing lots of horse chores, helping others ride (taking photos videos and holding their horse) and just generally spending time with him.

 

[Skib]

While I was learning to ride - the first two or three years, I did try to ride at least once a week even when on holiday. But in my first winter of riding I broke my ankle out walking and couldnt ride for 6 weeks - I guess it taught me that in two or three lessons one can catch up and it is best not to fret.
I too used not to ride in August when the kids needed the RS ponies, but what you are asking is more complicated. How do people here react if family or work prevent them from riding? Well it does get me down but I think people come before horses. I had a friend come a long way to spend today with me. I would enjoy all the other things you need to do this week -
As for the riding, missing a ride one week gives me the money to have an extra ride the next week. Or when I have more time.

Riding too often can be as stressful as riding too little. OH told me long ago to treat Maisie as if she were my own and ride her as often as I wanted. I gradually found that three times a week was about as much as I could manage and still be able to keep organised at home. In an ideal world we would all ride every day and have access to horses all the time - but the reality is that we dont.
But if you have lesson money to spare, you could by an instructional DVD and watch that - choosing a topic of interest. Enjoying dressage by Richard Davison, for instance.
Or choose to learn something constructive on YOUtube like understanding footfall. Some things one has to find out about off the horse. Like do you know in which order the horse moves its feet in walk?

 

[Calder]

Thanks, Skib. That prompted me to look up the order in which the feet move!

Riding three times a week sounds like a good balance to me, but it will have to wait until I can find the time. I don't mind: I'm in no hurry and have no goals other than to become a better rider and to enjoy the company of horses as and when I can. I also value the occasional pattern to my riding: it heightens the sense of taking time out from the everyday. I felt this particularly strongly when I lived and rode in London: horses seemed like a very special space within the city. My riding school had changing rooms in order to allow people to fit in their riding on the way to and from work, so I would change, ride, change back into my daytime clothes and slip back into the city. Susanna Forrest writes well on the occasional horsiness of the city rider. It would certainly be lovely to be around horses all day and everyday, but I value the intervals between the riding as well as the riding, such as coming back the following week and finding you have improved at something, as if the lesson took the whole week to sink in.

I will go back to Youtube, and also look for that DVD by Richard Davison, who I like and admire. I wish there was such a thing as an equestrian DVD rental club.

 

[LyndaB]

Hello: I have only just returned to riding at 61, and don't have my own horse. I am having lessons once week, and loving it. If for some reason I cannot ride I usually go visit other horsey events if I know they are on; have friend with young daughter who is really good so will go watch her; search you tube or if all else fails hit the gym.
Lets hope my lesson tomorrow is not cancelled due to storms.

 

[KP nut]

My entire life revolves round my horses and riding! I went self employed just so I could schedule work around riding and not the other way around. So yesterday I rode in glorious sunshine and then worked till 10pm! Perfect way round.

If I can't ride due to work commitments or family commitments I get very narked. Eg the dentist. Grrr.

When my horses were ill, all I cared about was them getting better. Not riding did not matter. But as they recovered but needed more time off due to isolation requirements I found still not riding very frustrating. But I also love pottering, grooming and ground work and all my horses work for me in my job as I am an Equine Assisted Therapist - something else I did just so I could spend more time with them. I am pretty obsessed to be fair!