Cant ride!!

Dizzy Woo

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2008
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Not sure if this belongs in the Confidence Club but as I consider myself a full member at the moment I will post here.........
Have started to have lessons again after my little spree of accidents.
The aim is to improve my seat and thus improve my confidence.........
Had my first lesson today on a massive (17hh) beautiful coby boy (I am used to my 13.3 haffie)
Walk was fine, went into trot and I bounced all over the place :unsure: his trot was so different from Daisy's who I have been riding on average 4 or 5 times a week for the past 4 years.
For a while I felt so absolutely useless and was rather embarassed, my seat was all wrong, legs wrong, hands wrong but by the time the lesson was over I was doing ok and really enjoyed it but I am amazed at how bad my riding has become by hacking out and not keeping lessons up.
I am so pleased that I have started the lessons up again (thank you SJP - your suggestion) really looking forward to next weeks one and RI has given me lots of homework to practise on Daisy.
Another positive little step to getting back to where I want to be :smile:
 
You've mis-titled your thread!!! Of course you can ride!!

There are very few riders, even those that have been at it for years, that can go from a 13.3 to a 17hh steed and not have a few problems adjusting to it!

Don't be so hard on yourself, and keep at it - you sound like you are doing great.... at the end of the lesson it was coming together, and that's just one lesson. Well done! xx
 
You've mis-titled your thread!!! Of course you can ride!!

There are very few riders, even those that have been at it for years, that can go from a 13.3 to a 17hh steed and not have a few problems adjusting to it!

Don't be so hard on yourself, and keep at it - you sound like you are doing great.... at the end of the lesson it was coming together, and that's just one lesson. Well done! xx

Yes, this ^^ It sounds like a great lesson by any standards - go easy on yourself!
 
Can I ask where your having lessons ? (pm if you'd rather) I'd love to ride a Shire :wub:
 
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Can I ask where your having lessons ? (pm if you'd rather) I'd love to ride a Shire :wub:

Dont know if he was a Shire, I said he was a coby boy because he was coloured and big and that was about all I noticed about him (shamefully)
I found the whole thing of just turning up to an already tacked up horse and then at the end of the lesson just hopping off and thats it to be a bit disorientating (doesnt take much :tongue:) so thats why I 'labelled' him as coby.
BTW school was in Bournemouth if thats any good?
 
When I first got Ben I found that I was always being bounced out of the saddle. It reminded me of when I first started to learn rising trot and I would get behind the movement. He is about 16hh, possibly bigger, and has a very long stride. I was used to riding a 14.2hh in my lessons and the difference in their striding is huge. The first few times I rode him I was really pleased that there was no-one watching me because I looked like a complete novice.

Now I am used to him, I love his long stride. I don't have to rise so often so preserve energy!
 
I've been to the one in Fordingbridge :) If it's a good school and recommended then I'll do the distance no problem :)
 
You've mis-titled your thread!!! Of course you can ride!!

There are very few riders, even those that have been at it for years, that can go from a 13.3 to a 17hh steed and not have a few problems adjusting to it!

Don't be so hard on yourself, and keep at it - you sound like you are doing great.... at the end of the lesson it was coming together, and that's just one lesson. Well done! xx

That was just what I was thinking when I read your post DW. We all get rusty, I think lessons whether regularly or occasionally are good for all us riders.
 
Don't be so hard on yourself, of course you can ride. But it is quite scarey just how badly you ride when you are just hacking out and the terrible habits you get into isn't it!!

I had everything wrong with me. My hands were wrong, my arms were wrong, my ankles were wrong, my toes were wrong and my legs were too far back, I had no contact on his mouth and I didn't use my legs either!!!!!
I had nothing but critisism chucked at me for just under an hour for the first three or four lessons!!!!

But it was constructive, and to be honest, I think like you, it didn't bother me because I felt I was learning and improving and as soon as YO is off her sick bed, I shall be back in there, having a load more critisism!

So go you, well done.:dance:
 
Every horse we ride or handle has something new to teach us. Sounds to me like you mistook building on what you know for not being able to ride at all.
 
I had everything wrong with me. My hands were wrong, my arms were wrong, my ankles were wrong, my toes were wrong and my legs were too far back, I had no contact on his mouth and I didn't use my legs either!!!!!

.:dance:

I have just had a ride on my old steed Daisy and practised some of the stuff I learnt yesterday, unlike you sjp I used my legs all the time! well today I sat how RI showed me andsat with my bum bones plugged into the seat and let my legs 'hang', only using them when needed and then relax again, Daisy was brill, instead of me constantly pushing her on with my legs and seat I let her go and just nudged when necessary, I think she is going to really appreciate her new mum in a few weeks when it will all come together - power of positive thinking :dance:
 
I have just had a ride on my old steed Daisy and practised some of the stuff I learnt yesterday, unlike you sjp I used my legs all the time! well today I sat how RI showed me andsat with my bum bones plugged into the seat and let my legs 'hang', only using them when needed and then relax again, Daisy was brill, instead of me constantly pushing her on with my legs and seat I let her go and just nudged when necessary, I think she is going to really appreciate her new mum in a few weeks when it will all come together - power of positive thinking :dance:

Fab, it sounds like your instructor is perhaps of the Mary Wanless school - I know from reading (no, part reading!) her book she talks about being plugged in.

She will really appreciate you. I know Tobes is much happier with a confident mum - and an awful lot less spooky. He did spook at a pheasant today ( I really can't blame him, they are not there and then flapping!), but nowhere near as bad as his previous spooks.

Am so pleased for you, you have gone on the first step to sorting it all out. And I think it is really helpful to ride real horses and different horses because they all react differently to different pressures, situations etc.
 
Fab, it sounds like your instructor is perhaps of the Mary Wanless school - I know from reading (no, part reading!) her book she talks about being plugged in.

I collect books but never seem to have the time to read them, I think I might 'collect' a Mary Wanless one now :biggrin:
OH is doing the local pantomime for the next 4 weeks so I am a panto widow so who knows I might well actually read a whole book :bounce:
 
Oooh, fab, lots of lovely time for you! Will double check tonight for you re plugged in and Mary Wanless!
 
Is it Mary Wanless style your RI ? - even better definately more intersted now, I like her methods. It's a school near Parley is it ?
 
Having had some RWYM lessons a few years ago now I bought the book. Not sure if it was just me but although the lessons made perfect sense I found the book really confusing. I did find the lessons really useful at the time although subsequently went down the EE/classical route.
 
Dug out my Mary Wanless book last night, and yes, she talks about being plugged in and bearing down and pads - and that is in the first chapter!

Sounds good.
 
sounds great Dizzy Woo --

and as sjp says, the key is to find an instructor you connect with - -some of us do well with the constructive criticism -- and need that little push to keep going

there are also SO many different approaches -- natural, classical, riding on a loose rein, riding with contact, riding using legs, riding without using legs so much -- the key is that they can ALL work -- but you need to find the approach that makes sense for YOU, that you can stick with and work with -- and have the support near you to do!

Cathy
 
Is it Mary Wanless style your RI ? - even better definately more intersted now, I like her methods. It's a school near Parley is it ?

I dont know what her style is! I just did what she said. My daughter who is a brilliant rider doesn't rate her to high but I really liked her, she seemed to be on my wave length and I could see a reason behind everything she was saying.

I had never heard of Mary Wanless :unsure: But am going to have another lesson with her this week on a different steed so I will ask her then :wink:
 
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