Back in the Saddle
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Maelay
Posts: 25 Member
Hi everyone!
I'm new to this group! I used to ride hunter/jumper until I was 14, and unfortunately quit for marching band when I was in high school (sigh I know, ...). I did ride for one year for a PE class in college, and wanted to continue. Unfortunately again, I entered Grad School, and had no time or money. Now I'm a high school teacher, and yesterday I had my first lesson! I've missed it so much, and I'm hoping this will help with my weight loss as well. I'm a little sore, but I'm so happy to be back. I guess I just wanted to share, and see if there were any other people on here who are riding again for the first time.
I'm new to this group! I used to ride hunter/jumper until I was 14, and unfortunately quit for marching band when I was in high school (sigh I know, ...). I did ride for one year for a PE class in college, and wanted to continue. Unfortunately again, I entered Grad School, and had no time or money. Now I'm a high school teacher, and yesterday I had my first lesson! I've missed it so much, and I'm hoping this will help with my weight loss as well. I'm a little sore, but I'm so happy to be back. I guess I just wanted to share, and see if there were any other people on here who are riding again for the first time.
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Nice to meet you! Delighted you are back in the saddle. Nothing like it! Many of the active members discuss their horses in Your Horse. all my friends on MFP are horse women. It's great!
Dawn0 -
Nice to meet you, and welcome back!0
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Nice to meet you! :flowerforyou:0
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Welcome back to riding! I share a similar story with you, quit riding at age 16, and started up again around 25. 15 years on, your future could look like this:
Lessons turned into a lease situation. I gave up the lease when I took in a rescue horse. Rescue horse was old and soon crossed the rainbow bridge. The barn owner offered me an exercise riding situation. Exercise riding the lesson horses turned into working with problem horses. Working with problem horses turned into starting the young horses in the barn. Working with young and problem horses led to billing as a trainer in the barn. Being a trainer, I felt I should polish my skills on a wild horse. Adopting and bringing along my wild horse led me to my heart horse. Knowing and owning my heart horse led to a move to another state where I could afford a horse property all my own. Owning one horse turned into owning two horses, for a multitude of reasons. Today my entire life revolves around my heart horse and his companion, and I've started a wish list for my next horse, who is still years away. And my current goal? To get back into jumping lessons!
May your future be filled with horses, and dirt, and hard work, and sore achy muscles! It's worth every minute of a horse's love!0 -
Welcome! I'm 33 and just started riding again too last year. I took about 16 years off and I have loved every minute of the last 8 months I have been riding again. I'm currently leasing a sweet Paint named Cody (picture in profile) and we just went to our first dressage show last weekend and it was a blast. I spent most of my 20s feeling like I was too out of shape and overweight to ride. I'm losing slowly but I know that riding is definitely helping. Nice to meet you all!0
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Hi, so pleased you've managed to get back riding! Thats my aim too.....spent my 20s too unfit and overweight to ride but aiming for my first ride (since 2005!) in the next few months hopefully!
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Your stories sound like mine. I rode hunter jumper for 4 years when I was a girl, from about 11 to 15. I should have kept riding! I'm 32 now and just got home from my second lesson, and yes, feeling very sore. The barn where I'm riding has more of a focus on dressage, which is fine by me because I'm not sure I want to get back into jumping again, anyway.
I do have two questions:
1) What are some exercises you recommend for cross training and improving general fitness with a focus on riding? My instructor says I still have a pretty good seat (yay, just like riding a bike) but that I need to improve my fitness. Anyone have any success stories about what worked for them?
and
2) What are some good brands of hats and boots out there for the semi-beginner? I'm thinking paddock boots probably, and I've been looking at Troxel helmets so I'll probably go with one of those. Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations out there.
Nice to meet you all.
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1) What are some exercises you recommend for cross training and improving general fitness with a focus on riding? My instructor says I still have a pretty good seat (yay, just like riding a bike) but that I need to improve my fitness. Anyone have any success stories about what worked for them?
Yoga and Pilates are really good for horse riding - strength, balance and flexibility, all good.
You probably need to work on your cardio fitness, so brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling etc all good - work on increasing your endurance.
Strength work is good too, either bodyweight (great routine here http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ ) or try some free weights at home/the gym.0 -
As an overweight woman in her mid-50s just looking to re-engage with riding -- I went once a couple of weeks ago for the first time in over two decades -- I am fueled to bring horses back into my life! That said, I have an old back injury that (to this point) has made even gardening a "watch how I move" experience. My girlfriends were extremely patient with me, and assured me that I would NOT pull the saddle off of Kahlua, nor would I pull her over (therefore, my teasing about needing "a crane" was unnecessary. Thank God for mounting blocks!). I just received in the mail "The Smart Woman's Guide to Midlife Horses" by Melinda Folse which is a treasure trove of wealth in all related areas for me of re-engaging in my dream of horsemanship! Ideas on exercises, journaling, other resources abound in this book and it continues to bring me to tears as I read of other women who are following their hearts by re-igniting their passion. One of the things she suggests is (surprise!) connecting with other online horse people.
Helllloooooo MFP!!! Whoohoooo! Oh yeah! I am Jazzzed!!
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"The Smart Woman's Guide to Midlife Horses" by Melinda Folse
I, too, LOVE this book. A wealth of resources I return to again and again.
PS - Coming up on my one-year anniversary of getting back in the saddle after a 25-year absence.0 -
Welcome back to riding! I have ridden since I was nine years old, but just the last couple of years started riding English (grew up western). This has been really good exercise for me. I know some people say it is the horse that does all the work, but that is not true. After riding a lesson for an hour, I usually feel like I have been whipped! Also there is a horse riding cardiovascular calorie counter included with this weidht loss site. I hope you enjoy your riding again. I know I am loving it! Good luck!0
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What an amazing morning! Spent 3 hours with Kahlua, my girlfriend from high school's newest mare and it was amazing! Not only was it a blast but I burned calories! Yeehhhaaaaa!! This is the second time I've been out and I did more than just walk and trot in the round pen today -- actually had more time in the larger work area, walking and trotting. Not quite ready to try a lope yet tho LOL Still finding my seat -- head up, pockets down, heels down and out -- so much to remember. Oh and look waaayyy ahead so that you don't land where you're looking! I can hardly wait to have my own again!!!
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Rode stable horses back when I was a kid, but got my first horse when I was 52. That was 9 years ago and I have been a trail riding fool ever since. Welcome back to riding. It is one of the best parts of life :-)0
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Gah I just wanted to vent... I just started taking lessons three weeks ago and they've been going really well. I'm not the total beginner I thought I'd be, although I still have a lot to (re)learn.
Biggest problem now though? The barn I go to is closing and the riding school being sold. The owner/instructor is retiring and downsizing. I only feel bad that I didn't start there sooner. It's sad to see everyone have to go their separate ways.
OTOH it is a chance for me to score some second hand riding gear since almost everything is being sold off...
I better find a new stable right quick so I don't lose any time. I know I will procrastinate indefinitely if I let too many weeks go by before calling another barn.0 -
Now that they're no longer in competition, perhaps you can ask the one you're at for a recommendation?0
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I am back in the saddle as well! It had been 2 1/2 years due to my bad car accident and healing and learning how to walk again. Last week I was back in the saddle on an 11yr old Perch/QH cross named Lance!! He is pure white and my saving grace!! I was so excited to be in that saddle!! I am still riding English with much pain and it sucks, but I am sure its just my leg needing to adjust. I am already back to trotting and up to cantering again. So I really only lost some balance and am adjusting that as needed. I am on CLOUD NINE!!!! I will have to get pictures of Lance to share with you all.
HAPPY RIDING MY FRIENDS
and congrats to everyone else getting back in the saddle as well!!!0 -
Wow, that's wonderful! Congrats!0
