Clinics aimed for The Older Rider?

[amie foster]

hi everyone

I am a BHS Qualified Coach and I am looking at arranging some clinics, classes, lessons etc especially aimed at the older Rider. I get a lot of older riders who say they haven't jumped in years etc but have now lost confidence to do it but would love to try. Or to even just have a little canter.
A few people have said falling off is a worry and holds older riders back, confidence is also an issue.

Basically I'm looking for some information from older riders, would this be something you would be interested in? If you was, what sort of activity, class etc would you look for? What would you want from it etc?

From what I have seen there are no clinics tailored or made for this sort of thing, I want to be able to boost people's confidence and want to make sure I get this right by advertising the right things that people want and look for.

Any feed back you give would be great

Thank you

 

[Mary Poppins]

What age do you consider an 'older rider' to be?

 

[amie foster]

people who I have spoken to have mainly been 40 and over?

 

[Mary Poppins]

I am 40, so therefore just about classify as an 'older' rider. To be honest, using the word 'older' will be off putting to many people, it would be to me. I think that you would have much more success in marketing your clinics as 'confidence giving' or 'returning to riding'. I share clinics with people of all ages from teenagers to those many years older than me, and I honestly do not care one bit how old they are. Age is never an issue among people riding together as we all have horses as a common interest. I personally would not attend a clinic aimed at the 'older rider' but I would attend a 'confidence giving' clinic. In reality you are offering the same type of lesson. I think that there is a good reason that you haven't seen clinics advertised for 'older' people. No-one would go to them.

 

[Jessey]

I agree calling 40 year olds 'older' might put people off, I'd just sub that with 'adult'

 

[selside]

I don't have my own horse, but if I did I would be drawn to attend this sort of session. (I am nearly 60.) For the reasons you have already highlighted I would be hesitant to go to an "all ages, all types" clinic as I's worry about holding others back or being scrutinised. I like the idea of trying something I've always fancied doing in a supportive and slow-paced environment.

Some older rider's issues are physical and some mental. We don't bounce like we used to, some of us are not as flexible and athletic as we used to be, but that doesn't mean we are past trying things. Personally I used to enjoy jumping (small jumps only) but haven't done this for a while. I might like:
A intro/coming back to jumping session, where we could try a little course
Intro to non-challenging XC
Basic dressage
Even adult friendly mounted games!

It's not about how good we are as riders, more about the pace of the day and supportive gentle pushing to try something just a little more challenging than our day to day. I recall Jane&Ziggy saying the other day that she didn't jump, and at her age she didn't think she would now (or words to that effect). i was surprised to read that. I'd love to do some little jumpies again!

 

[amie foster]

That's great thanks for the feedback.

I wasn't planning on using the word "Old" in my title for the Clinic or anywhere in the description, my plan was to use the word Confidence to get people's attention, of course it would put people of seeing the word "Old" and I wouldn't want to target anyone or aim something horrible towards them.

I completely agree that using Confidence clinics is aimed at all agers so I think this would be the perfect way to start.

Again you don't see many clinics aimed particularly to those lacking confidence, so this is something I will look at arranging.

Thank you

 

[Skib]

I started as an older rider in my 60s - And you are right about the lack of provision for us. However many older riders like myself and other retired people I meet at our RS do not own their own horses on account of the cost, time and energy etc. So a clinic that was limited to horse owners might not attract a lot of people. On the other hand if you can use a RS and use their horses and ponies, it would be a great idea.

One of my most fun memories was playing pony club games at a NR get together held by a RI member eml.

My experience of being an older rider at a clinic that was open to all ages was not so positive. The danger is that one is left to trundle around alone or taught by an assistant instructor while the younger people are the stars of the occasion.
In general and from a very small sample of older riders on this forum, people seem to give up when their yards begin to exclude them. Or (as with owners) when their long term partner horse eventually dies. It takes some determination to start over again on a new horse.
Then people give up too when it gets boring. My OH felt he wasnt making any progress or learning anything new. I guess his sessions were more like RDA. And didnt merit the cost. He did a lot of canter - but I dont think there is any incentive for instructors to help the elderly canter if they are nervous which is what you propose. Health and safety looms too large. If it were done at all by our RI , it would be done on the lunge and not at a clinic held for a group.

With regard to the jumping. One cant generalise. I never wanted to jump. I am a hacker. But an o.a.p. who started about the same time as I did, wanted only to jump (which she did) and she always rode the same mare and only ever in the school.

Selside mentions basic dressage. I dont think there is a shortage of lessons for that. What is lacking is RS horses capable of higher levels of dressage and the teachers to give instruction. I havent found that and am told it will be hard.

While weriting this I see the thread has switch to confidence.

Lack of confidence is an entirely different issue from riding as an older person. You shouldnt confuse them in a thread with the title for Older riders. I am not the oldest client at the yard where I hack. There is someone in their 80s. And I have never heard anyone mention loss of confidence. But I suppose those who lack confidence dont book to ride.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I bought my first pony at 50: I could just about ride but would have been classed as a novice by anyone's standards.

Looking at the experiences of many people on this forum, when you buy a horse as a novice there is a lot more to your initiation than jumping and having a little canter. There is an Oh sh*t moment when your new partner is unsettled, unreliable, anxious, and looking to you for leadership and you don't know how to provide it. There must have been half a dozen threads about this on the forum just this year.

I think it would be great to have clinics aimed at adults, people who have had a life and now have a horse! There's a lot of scope though, from "refreshers" from people who used to but are rusty, to "helping hands" for people who haven't actually done it before and are worried because they no longer bounce.

 

[carthorse]

I think if I was having confidence problems the very last thing I'd feel like doing would be travelling to a strange environment to attend a clinic with an instructor I didn't know, possibly with an audience watching. If I wasn't nervous before I would be then! No, I'd get someone out to me to work one to one & over a period of time. So if you were advertising to come out and teach as specialising in nervous riders I would be interested if I felt I needed help, but no matter how you worded the ad for a clinic I wouldn't be persuaded.

 

[amie foster]

Thanks a lot for everyone giving feed back. It seems to be 50/50 Some of you agree it's needed but then someone of you say it's not.

I posted also on another website thread called Horsey and Over 40 just to also get their views and a lot of them said what a great idea it was. It's like some people say it's not always a confidence issue it's mostly about having more opportunities for adult riders. There definitely wouldn't be any audience in my clinics just one to one or small groups.
Some people did actually mention confidence, meaning they haven't got as much confidence like they would when they first started and they feel like they could do with a boost.

A lot to work with here so thank you

 

[Mary Poppins]

But there is a big difference between an 'adult' rider and an 'older' rider. I would class anyone over the age of 18 as an adult rider. And yes, clinics for adults (without kids or teenagers) are very popular and welcome. I'm just not sure about making it a clinic for adults aged 40 years and over. How many 50 year olds would mind or care about sharing a clinic with a 25 year old? I don't think many would at all.

 

[Taffie]

I think you have two different things here:
1. classes on a one to one basis for those with confidence issues, which could be at any age; and
2. classes or clinics for older riders which encourage and address more challenging aspects of riding such as jumps and cantering, but in a way which is more careful with those dodgy joints and bones. I'm probably in the latter category, I really enjoy the challenges but don't want to be so gung ho! that I could seriously damage my already badly arthritic body.

 

[OldandNew]

I describe myself as an "older rider" as I'm 70 and started riding only 10 years ago. I too think that confidence is a separate issue as this affects riders of any age. At my age, I am more concerned with general stiffness (which impacts on mounting and dismounting) and my generally arthritic limbs.