Hello, I'm new here, fascinating forum. I learnt to ride as an adult in my 20s and I returned last autumn to riding aged early 60s. I've been having private lessons and now I've joined the Take Back the Reins class.
The riding school where I go has lost some of the better horses to injuries lately and some of the more difficult ones are therefore coming my way. I've ridden a chestnut mare a couple of times and the private lesson I had last week on her was enough to put me right off. Everyone says she is difficult and in the group lesson she went around with her ears back resisting throughout.
Last week I had a private half hour on her and I felt that she completely ignored me and would only respond if I whacked her or if the instructor persued her with a lunge whip. This was even walk to trot, canter was impossible. She shakes her head a lot and swishes her tail and at canter, if I stopped using my legs, she just stopped and in the downward transition, she just dropped into walk and slopped along. I felt really demoralised. I think the instructor, who owns the school, was a bit stressed because she isn't usually so unhelpful but she ended up saying that maybe I had weak legs and should use spurs, that the horse was stale but tough, that was her life and that out on hacks she would buck and throw people off and that the staff and teenagers could get her going.
I have ridden horses who were dead in spirit but this one just feels she's switched off and she's saying 'why should I?' I don't think I'm especially weak, I go to the gym three times a week, swim and do a lot of other vigorous exercise. The other horse I've ended up on is a very long pony who finds it difficult to collect, he is also a bit lazy and when I rode him, I twisted my back which hurt for several days.
I was really enjoying coming back to riding but now I'm wondering if it's too late. Any thoughts on how to ride a stubborn horse like this would be helpful and maybe about me and riding technique. I can't believe I need to be an Iron Woman, I think I'm fitter than most my age. Thanks. :-(
The riding school where I go has lost some of the better horses to injuries lately and some of the more difficult ones are therefore coming my way. I've ridden a chestnut mare a couple of times and the private lesson I had last week on her was enough to put me right off. Everyone says she is difficult and in the group lesson she went around with her ears back resisting throughout.
Last week I had a private half hour on her and I felt that she completely ignored me and would only respond if I whacked her or if the instructor persued her with a lunge whip. This was even walk to trot, canter was impossible. She shakes her head a lot and swishes her tail and at canter, if I stopped using my legs, she just stopped and in the downward transition, she just dropped into walk and slopped along. I felt really demoralised. I think the instructor, who owns the school, was a bit stressed because she isn't usually so unhelpful but she ended up saying that maybe I had weak legs and should use spurs, that the horse was stale but tough, that was her life and that out on hacks she would buck and throw people off and that the staff and teenagers could get her going.
I have ridden horses who were dead in spirit but this one just feels she's switched off and she's saying 'why should I?' I don't think I'm especially weak, I go to the gym three times a week, swim and do a lot of other vigorous exercise. The other horse I've ended up on is a very long pony who finds it difficult to collect, he is also a bit lazy and when I rode him, I twisted my back which hurt for several days.
I was really enjoying coming back to riding but now I'm wondering if it's too late. Any thoughts on how to ride a stubborn horse like this would be helpful and maybe about me and riding technique. I can't believe I need to be an Iron Woman, I think I'm fitter than most my age. Thanks. :-(