Got another horse to ride....

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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Since I have had Ben (almost 3 years now) I have never ridden another horse. However a new livery on my yard has arrived with 2 lovely horses. One belongs to her daughter who is away at uni during the week and she asked me if I wanted to ride him during the week to help keep him fit for the weekends.

He is so different to Ben, although he is about 15.1hh, he is much, much narrower than Ben and feels tiny. When I trot him I feel like I am rising about 2 million miles an hour, but this is only because Ben has a huge long stride and I have got used to that stride. He is called Amos.

It's a huge compliment to be asked to ride someone elses horse and a big responsibility as well. Amos is a complete saint, I can feel he has the potential to be really whizzy and he jumps 90 courses with his owner, but he is nice and steady and safe with me. Eventually I would like to jump him as well, but for the time being I am staying in the school getting used to his little strides. We are just walking and trotting at the moment, but I will hopefully canter him soon. I'm doing 2 or 3 days a week.

Just wanted to share - I have to say that riding 2 horses makes my legs ache! I need to get fitter.
 
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Isn't it funny you get so used to your own. Well for me, I'd been having lessons three times a week on a lovely sturdy cob - then suddenly I bought Storm and she felt so narrow and her trot was sooooo fast! I think you'll have a lot of fun - and be super-fit too! Enjoy.
 
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As Amos is so much narrower than Ben I am using muscles that I haven't used for years! It's funny getting off Amos and onto Ben. I have to say that I much prefer Ben, he is so much power and I can really feel him move underneth me. Amos is just funny to ride, I keep laughing out loud.

I do feel a bit of a bad mummy though, as on my non working days I have been driving my kids to school rather than walking so I get to the yard quicker and therefore have time to ride both Amos and Ben. It saves me about half an hour in total and I make my children run round the playground as soon as we get to school to make up for going in the car!
 
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Mary Poppins said:
As Amos is so much narrower than Ben I am using muscles that I haven't used for years! It's funny getting off Amos and onto Ben. I have to say that I much prefer Ben, he is so much power and I can really feel him move underneth me. Amos is just funny to ride, I keep laughing out loud.

I do feel a bit of a bad mummy though, as on my non working days I have been driving my kids to school rather than walking so I get to the yard quicker and therefore have time to ride both Amos and Ben. It saves me about half an hour in total and I make my children run round the playground as soon as we get to school to make up for going in the car!
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Sounds like a great opportunity.

Don't feel bad about having to take the car. When you have a busy life sometimes you need to use it so you can fit everything in! I don't have kids and even I find that I have to take my car instead of walking so I can save a bit of time and get everything done! I'm sure your kids will do enough running around that it won't make much of a difference to them!
 
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You are right, but I have always had this 'walk to school' ethic which I have now broken. The kids think that it is great and much prefer going in the car.

We only live half a mile from school but we have a railway crossing in the village that we have to cross. It is ALWAYS down and we don't have a bridge over it. I am often stood there for 15 minutes waiting for the trains to go past. When I am in the car I can drive around the longer way which is about 2 miles but only takes a few minutes.

It's fun riding another horse, I was worried that I would feel guilty spending time with a horse other than Ben, but I still ride Ben for an hour everyday and he doesn't care what I do when I am not with him. I was also worried that I might prefer Amos to Ben, but I really don't. Ben is always my number one but it doesn't mean I can't like other horses too.
 
Mary Poppins said:
You are right, but I have always had this 'walk to school' ethic which I have now broken. The kids think that it is great and much prefer going in the car.

We only live half a mile from school but we have a railway crossing in the village that we have to cross. It is ALWAYS down and we don't have a bridge over it. I am often stood there for 15 minutes waiting for the trains to go past. When I am in the car I can drive around the longer way which is about 2 miles but only takes a few minutes.

It's fun riding another horse, I was worried that I would feel guilty spending time with a horse other than Ben, but I still ride Ben for an hour everyday and he doesn't care what I do when I am not with him. I was also worried that I might prefer Amos to Ben, but I really don't. Ben is always my number one but it doesn't mean I can't like other horses too.
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Riding other horses can do your riding a world of good and IMO will help when you are riding Ben. Riding a different horse gives you more experience and it will make it easier to adapt your riding to suit different situations. Sometimes you have to look at and do things differently and in turn that will give you more ideas and confidence when riding your own. That is what I find anyway!
 
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I have already learnt that I ride with my left rein about 3 inches longer than my right rein. I was concentrating on trying to walk round the arena with an even rein contact, but this left rein keeps getting longer. That must be why Ben always moves to the left when I am asking him to walk straight forwards. If my right rein is 3 inches shorter than my left rein, then of course he is going to go left!

Amos has these reins with stops in them so it's easy to tell. I am going to get some for Ben so I can be sure that my reins are even!
 
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I need reins with stops! I'm uneven in the contact and need all the help I can get!
Riding two horses sounds exhausting but fun - a great challenge for you there MP!
 
Phew I agree exhausting! I don't think I could do it but agree it's lovely to have the chance to ride a different horse and something I love to do. You'll have to get some photo's for us though MP (if you are allowed) you know how we like to ogle horses.
 
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It sound like a great opportunity and that you are learning from it already :) And sounds like you can Han some fun with him in future too :D
 
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