Any other horse-riders here?

Doingitforthehorse

I don't do a lot of other exercise but I ride for at least an hour per day.

Are there any others on here who have a hairy, smelly gym trainer?

Enigmatica

I used to ride/train/show both for pleasure and profession. I miss it!!

tknuzum

I love riding horses, but since moving to town I don't get to do it half as much as I would like to!

dawny78

I use to ride but not at the moment i enjoyed it loads though but it was a perk if my job before and now i don't have that job Riding lessons are expencive
What kind of horse do you have ?

princesshoagie

I am! I own a 16.3 hh, 1800 pound Percheron/Paint mare named Gypsy. We were in training for dressage and I was riding 3 days a week until she came up lame about 1.5 months ago. We have an appointment for Wednesday at the Vet hospital to get her checked out and then hopefully we'll be back to training! I love my girl, she's an absolute comedian. Plus riding her is more of a workout than any other horse I've ridden because she is so wide that posting is not easy and she's extremely strong and smart, so you have to really ride her and not be a passenger.

Lanfear

Me too!!!

I love horses though I don't have my own - and only ride once a week at a local stables for an hour. If could afford to do it more then I definitely would.

Our instructor certainly makes us work in that hour - and if we're lucky we usually get a bit longer, until we've accomplished what she wants in a fashion she finds acceptable LOL. :laugh:

This week we were doing far too well on our 20m canter circles so she had us swapping horses onto ones we'd not ridden..... twice....!

Six months ago I was lucky if I was confident enough to canter round the school so I am feeling very pleased - esepcially as I fell off 2 weeks ago in a jumping lesson LOL!

Enigmatica

I am! I own a 16.3 hh, 1800 pound Percheron/Paint mare named Gypsy. We were in training for dressage and I was riding 3 days a week until she came up lame about 1.5 months ago. We have an appointment for Wednesday at the Vet hospital to get her checked out and then hopefully we'll be back to training! I love my girl, she's an absolute comedian. Plus riding her is more of a workout than any other horse I've ridden because she is so wide that posting is not easy and she's extremely strong and smart, so you have to really ride her and not be a passenger.

Now THAT is a horse!!! Wow!!!

I used to drive draft horses on a stagecoach at a Western tourist trap where I worked. Big, smart, kindly natured wonders, they are. And riding them is a real treat, lol!

Doingitforthehorse

So great to hear from other horsey folk!

My horse is a half arab x selle francais/anglo arab. He's 7 now and I've had him since he was 5. He was a fatty when I first got him but he's a lean, mean, carrot munching machine now.

My partner is a very good rider and does the bulk of the training (:smokin:), but I want to start low level jumping and dressage this season and maybe throw in a 60cm cross-country :happy:

I do find that riding is great exercise (especially on his "fresh" days!), I just need to stop drinking wine/beer and eating frites!

princesshoagie

I am! I own a 16.3 hh, 1800 pound Percheron/Paint mare named Gypsy. We were in training for dressage and I was riding 3 days a week until she came up lame about 1.5 months ago. We have an appointment for Wednesday at the Vet hospital to get her checked out and then hopefully we'll be back to training! I love my girl, she's an absolute comedian. Plus riding her is more of a workout than any other horse I've ridden because she is so wide that posting is not easy and she's extremely strong and smart, so you have to really ride her and not be a passenger.

Now THAT is a horse!!! Wow!!!

I used to drive draft horses on a stagecoach at a Western tourist trap where I worked. Big, smart, kindly natured wonders, they are. And riding them is a real treat, lol!

I'd love to teach her how to drive! She's black and white like a Paint, but built like a Perch so she'd be goregous in front of a carriage. Of course, that would be one heck of an expensive hobby to pick up!

And she is so sweet and kind. Sunday I groomed her for an hour and walked her out to the field and turned her loose. Instead of trotting off, she just stood there and kept nuzzling me. I'd step back and she'd step into me and lean against me. Finally I just put my head on her shoulder and she wrapped her enormous neck around me and pushed her head into the small of my back and stayed there for a good 5 minutes. It was so sweet! Love that girl!

Enigmatica

I'd love to teach her how to drive! She's black and white like a Paint, but built like a Perch so she'd be goregous in front of a carriage. Of course, that would be one heck of an expensive hobby to pick up!

And she is so sweet and kind. Sunday I groomed her for an hour and walked her out to the field and turned her loose. Instead of trotting off, she just stood there and kept nuzzling me. I'd step back and she'd step into me and lean against me. Finally I just put my head on her shoulder and she wrapped her enormous neck around me and pushed her head into the small of my back and stayed there for a good 5 minutes. It was so sweet! Love that girl!

How adorable! I had a big chubby Appaloosa gelding who used to "hug" me with his neck and cup my ear in his nostril. He was such a sweetie. Oh no, I'm getting all teary with missing my horses now. ::sigh::

carinalewis

yes although my lovely mother has told me im too 'fat' to ride any horses on the yard and often jokes about how they would be better off riding me and then maybe i would lose some weight. its really disheartening. i bought a mini shetland for my boys last year so now my time is spent running around after them. why i have to be down to 10stone to ride a 17hh warmblood i do not know!!!! but i will continue to try and shift it.

bonkers5975

My smelly hairy gym trainer is a 16.2hh 1600lb BelgianXPaint. Got him as a two year old 5 years ago, and he didn't know anything. Now we both know bunches! I'm just getting back into gear after a rough winter with weather that just wasn't ever suitable to ride! Headed out now, actually.

Love the hugging story, Sully does that to me, too, with the head hugs. Makes up for the bad attitude days

bonkers5975

yes although my lovely mother has told me im too 'fat' to ride any horses on the yard and often jokes about how they would be better off riding me and then maybe i would lose some weight. its really disheartening. i bought a mini shetland for my boys last year so now my time is spent running around after them. why i have to be down to 10stone to ride a 17hh warmblood i do not know!!!! but i will continue to try and shift it.

Oh my gosh, that's horrible! Does she ride? I say to anyone who says riding isn't work, get on a fresh horse that's 10 times bigger than you are on an early spring day, and IF you stay on, just see what hurts the next day!

Keep your chin up and don't listen to garbage. :flowerforyou:

Enigmatica

So great to hear from other horsey folk!

My horse is a half arab x selle francais/anglo arab. He's 7 now and I've had him since he was 5. He was a fatty when I first got him but he's a lean, mean, carrot munching machine now.

My partner is a very good rider and does the bulk of the training (:smokin:), but I want to start low level jumping and dressage this season and maybe throw in a 60cm cross-country :happy:

I do find that riding is great exercise (especially on his "fresh" days!), I just need to stop drinking wine/beer and eating frites!

I used to work on Arabian farms in Scottsdale, way back when there were a number of big fancy Arabian places here. They were fun, lightning fast reflexes and clever little buggers to work with, lol. There was one stallion I especially liked. He was 6 and his owners had never had him trained to do anything but halter because he was "too valuable to ride." Unbelievable. He was SO bored it was pathetic.

When I started there his favorite activity was to bite anyone who got near him - especially the farrier. He had a real mouth fixation. I found that I could pull his tongue out of his mouth, wrap it under his chin, and tickle the other side of his face with it, which kept him distracted so he didn't hassle the farrier or the vet. Then I taught him all kinds of tricks, like bowing in several different ways, picking up a kerchief, shaking it off and handing it to me, chasing a ball, fetching a frisbee, etc. He was smart and wanted things to do! It really sucked that his owners wouldn't allow him to be ridden. They didn't even want him turned out because they were afraid he'd hurt himself.

After I left he did hurt himself - in his stall. =(

Doingitforthehorse

yes although my lovely mother has told me im too 'fat' to ride any horses on the yard and often jokes about how they would be better off riding me and then maybe i would lose some weight. its really disheartening. i bought a mini shetland for my boys last year so now my time is spent running around after them. why i have to be down to 10stone to ride a 17hh warmblood i do not know!!!! but i will continue to try and shift it.

My Beloved has told me that I'm too fat for my horse - how rude! Horse doesn't have any trouble bronking when I'm on him so I don't think so! (I'm still less than 10 stone so he is just being rude, I just want to be trimmer so I don't have to squidge the fat back between my thighs before I start :embarassed: )

princesshoagie

My smelly hairy gym trainer is a 16.2hh 1600lb BelgianXPaint. Got him as a two year old 5 years ago, and he didn't know anything. Now we both know bunches! I'm just getting back into gear after a rough winter with weather that just wasn't ever suitable to ride! Headed out now, actually.

Love the hugging story, Sully does that to me, too, with the head hugs. Makes up for the bad attitude days

Yay! Another Spotted Draft owner!! I love Belgians....I want my hubby to get one. His first horse was a rescue Tennessee Walker that was green green grean and mean. He got kicked in the knee twice (tearing a ligament the 2nd time) and bit numerous times and so we readopted him to someone who was prepared to work with him every day. After seeing how sweet Gypsy is, my hubby has decided he wants a draft too....I'm pushing for a Belgian!

Doingitforthehorse

I used to work on Arabian farms in Scottsdale, way back when there were a number of big fancy Arabian places here. They were fun, lightning fast reflexes and clever little buggers to work with, lol. There was one stallion I especially liked. He was 6 and his owners had never had him trained to do anything but halter because he was "too valuable to ride." Unbelievable. He was SO bored it was pathetic.

When I started there his favorite activity was to bite anyone who got near him - especially the farrier. He had a real mouth fixation. I found that I could pull his tongue out of his mouth, wrap it under his chin, and tickle the other side of his face with it, which kept him distracted so he didn't hassle the farrier or the vet. Then I taught him all kinds of tricks, like bowing in several different ways, picking up a kerchief, shaking it off and handing it to me, chasing a ball, fetching a frisbee, etc. He was smart and wanted things to do! It really sucked that his owners wouldn't allow him to be ridden. They didn't even want him turned out because they were afraid he'd hurt himself.

After I left he did hurt himself - in his stall. =(

Oh yes, mine may only be half arab but he really does have his "arab" moments. He does need to work though, he needs something to occupy his little brain or we have REAL trouble!

JoEllen92

I am well I used to be,I miss it loads. Once i've got a proper job I'm saving up for a horse or a car ,i'm swaying towards a horse though (there's always public transport,right?) there's quite a few livery yards within 30 minutes of my house on bus.
I've part loaned 2 in the past one was a 13 hh Fell Pony called Bonnie and The Other was a 15.2hh Piebald cob named Willian
and I used to help out at my local riding school when I was younger on a saturday and I had lessons every saturday aswell.


I miss riding a lot,hopefully I can get back into it even if its just lessons once a week when I get a proper job.

Doingitforthehorse

Yay! Another Spotted Draft owner!! I love Belgians....I want my hubby to get one. His first horse was a rescue Tennessee Walker that was green green grean and mean. He got kicked in the knee twice (tearing a ligament the 2nd time) and bit numerous times and so we readopted him to someone who was prepared to work with him every day. After seeing how sweet Gypsy is, my hubby has decided he wants a draft too....I'm pushing for a Belgian!

My partner's Belgian - he's not sweet at all :laugh:

carinalewis

yep she rides but because the heaviest person in my family is my mum at 8 n half stone the rest of the world to them is fat!!! never mind im working on hubby to buy me something that I CAN DECIDE whether or not im to heavy. 11st 8 btw.

carinalewis

yes although my lovely mother has told me im too 'fat' to ride any horses on the yard and often jokes about how they would be better off riding me and then maybe i would lose some weight. its really disheartening. i bought a mini shetland for my boys last year so now my time is spent running around after them. why i have to be down to 10stone to ride a 17hh warmblood i do not know!!!! but i will continue to try and shift it.

My Beloved has told me that I'm too fat for my horse - how rude! Horse doesn't have any trouble bronking when I'm on him so I don't think so! (I'm still less than 10 stone so he is just being rude, I just want to be trimmer so I don't have to squidge the fat back between my thighs before I start :embarassed: )

carinalewis

seriously think they can all shove it i dont feel that big. im a size 12 with my skinny jeans on. size 14 with them off lol

Doingitforthehorse

seriously think they can all shove it i dont feel that big. im a size 12 with my skinny jeans on. size 14 with them off lol

I'm guessing not too big for a 17h warmblood at all then :bigsmile:

Teerai

yes although my lovely mother has told me im too 'fat' to ride any horses on the yard and often jokes about how they would be better off riding me and then maybe i would lose some weight. its really disheartening. i bought a mini shetland for my boys last year so now my time is spent running around after them. why i have to be down to 10stone to ride a 17hh warmblood i do not know!!!! but i will continue to try and shift it.

My Beloved has told me that I'm too fat for my horse - how rude! Horse doesn't have any trouble bronking when I'm on him so I don't think so! (I'm still less than 10 stone so he is just being rude, I just want to be trimmer so I don't have to squidge the fat back between my thighs before I start :embarassed: )

Be assured you ARE NOT too big for an average horse.

I would answer your mom and others that most horses throughout history were animals bred to be war horses. That is carrying at least one MAN who was a warrior and fighting fit, supplies and weapons and in many cases armor,..... We are talking a few hundred pounds. They marched all day sometimes for months on end. Horses that did not cut it were culled.

It makes me laugh that 185 pound women think they are too heavy for the horse. Even ponies are amazingly sturdy and have carried heavy loads historically.

So given an average sound horse there should not be a problem on that side. Just figure that they can carry an average 200lb man with ease.

The losing weight as a rider is all for better balance and skill. This does benefit the horse also but technically so does becoming a more experienced and better rider. That takes hours on the back of one or more horses.

Definitely pursue riding. There are wonderful sturdy horses in many school programs. It is more important to strive to be a kind, sensitive rider in tune with your mount. The advantage to us losing weight is that riding is one of the finest and most fun calorie burns on the planet (My Not So Humble Opinion! lol)


Here's a summary of me and my horses. I have several pics of my stallion on my profile.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Teerai

Welcome to MFP!!!!

bonkers5975

Yay! Another Spotted Draft owner!! I love Belgians....I want my hubby to get one. His first horse was a rescue Tennessee Walker that was green green grean and mean. He got kicked in the knee twice (tearing a ligament the 2nd time) and bit numerous times and so we readopted him to someone who was prepared to work with him every day. After seeing how sweet Gypsy is, my hubby has decided he wants a draft too....I'm pushing for a Belgian!

My partner's Belgian - he's not sweet at all :laugh:

LMAO

Thomasm198

I don't ride but I am an owner. Does that count.

I co-own two racehorses. At the moment if I sat up on a thorough-bred racehorse I would be arrested for cruelty to animals. :laugh:

I'm hoping to get my weight down far enough that I will be able to sit up on them

bonkers5975

Yes, the key to riding any horse is is that horse fit to be ridden? I bought sully at my heaviest of 345lbs, and rode every single day. Had the horse vet checked constantly to make certain I wasn't harming him in any way. I will say, that after losing over 100 lbs, he's much perkier on the trail, and actually greets me in the field when it's time to go riding. So I'm sure I'm more fun to carry lol We have such fun now!

My trainer told me that a horse shouldn't be made to carry more than 1/3 to 1/4 of his own weight. And don't think taller means stronger. As someone mentioned, look at ponies. A 600 lb pony can effortlessly carry 400 lbs (I'm not condoning that, btw!)

It just irks me how cruel and ignorant people can be. I never had anything but my horse's comfort in mind, and took all kinds of garbage from sh!theads who had never been on a horse in their life.

I'll put away the soapbox now.

Had a great ride this afternoon! Sully was a doll. Loving my easyboots, he goes so much better over these rocky roads. (mmm, rocky road. Dang it, now I want ice cream!)

hollyd1986

Me :-)

I ride 4/5 times a week for about 40minutes (sometimes more sometimes less) a time and only use my exercise bike on days I dont ride as riding burns a fair few calories itself :-)

Im based in East Anglia in England

Feel free to add me as a friend if you want!

Doingitforthehorse

I think it's easier to have a good position when you're thinner though, do you agree? Also, I hate the sesnation of my belly wobbling around when I do a sitting trot - always a good incentive to loose a few kilos :embarassed:

Baydale

I think it's easier to have a good position when you're thinner though, do you agree? Also, I hate the sesnation of my belly wobbling around when I do a sitting trot - always a good incentive to loose a few kilos :embarassed:

I agree, the past few weeks I find I'm sitting up better and it's not quite so hard to keep my backside in the saddle :laugh: That'll never be easy for me with my horse though, he's far too bouncy

diverchic73

I rode from when I was a child until my late teens and then had to stop as I couldn't afford it :-( Have occassionally ridden since but now I live in London it's just way too expensive to ride in Hyde Park :-(

It is one of the things I miss a lot but I distract myself with other hobbies.