Old rider - continuing

Skib

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2003
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I was not altogether right when I told Cortrasna not to worry about taking a break from riding. She would still know how once she got on Dolly.
Altho that is true, I had an unintended break. And I have learned it is harder to resume when one is old.
One has to look on line for a teacher.
One has to ride an assessment test.
One has to get to know a new horse as one's old favourites get old and die.
One turns from a rider who rode week in week out in all weathers to a picky person who wonders if the risks and the weather make it worth while at all.
I followed my own advice and did all the above. I have resumed lessons - terribly out of practice. And am being reunited with my darling Grace - but tho it looks good on paper, I really dont know about hacking madam - Carrying on is not a fairy tale.
 
Ah alas, I think that nothing gets easier as you get older. Not even sleeping! But at least you know that you know how, you just need to be reminded.
 
Personally I find i very easy to lose my riding mojo...in my case the apathy starts to kick in on day 3 of not riding.
 
Well my enforced 3 month break has had a huge impact on my riding unfortunately - I am now concentrating on working through the pain barrier when riding and just hoping things gets less painful with each ride, I suspect this will not be the case for me, the pain barrier seems to be getting harder and harder to get through and you can only take so many pain killers before they too start to play havoc with your health.- too many old injuries coming back to haunt me now - damn depressing actually :(
 
Personally I find i very easy to lose my riding mojo...in my case the apathy starts to kick in on day 3 of not riding.
I'm exactly the same, I can lose my mojo so quickly! Yesterday I couldn't face riding and today I forced myself too and I am so glad I did as it was the best ride I have had with him in a long, long time he was like his pre cushings self and full of it...just lovely :D
 
Can't even give mine 3 days off so don't have chance to loose mojo. All I can suggest is just to keep at it the more you do easier it will get.
 
Having not ridden since Tuesday, due to life getting in the way, I could have quite easily just hugged them both, but I mafe myself take G out for a hack and it was wonderful. I had a really special time with her today, can't articulate why - especially as I found her in the field having removed her muzzle magically from UNDER her headcollar again, leaving the headcollar and the straps of the muzzle intact!
 
Thank you for posting, to show me I am not alone.
I am glad I wrote that before hacking Grace because NR can so easilly give the false impression that we are all doing wonderfully.
I did hack Grace - no gentle introduction but plunging straight in with canter and going down a track I have avoided as she could easilly go bonkers.
It felt fine. I had just had a lesson with many canter transitions, so got my confidence up.
My riding of her was not as high quality as it might have been - out of practice. And we had a lot of head flinging and spit flying, bad manners to which I shall attend.
To the people here in pain - I am so sorry - I dont take pain killers but I avoid the pain. I learned very early on that I cannot ride wide horses - no cobs. If I did I would be in agony next day.
I rarely ride two days running. Especially not hacking with lots of sitting canter. All things in moderation.
But I also know that rising trot is therapeutic for my back. Sitting in a library working or slumping when I sit on public transport is worse for my back than riding.
Cortrasna - I am so sorry things are bad for you. In theory getting back to riding should loosen one up - as Dr daughter told me years ago that just sitting on a horse in walk involves many tiny unconscious adjustments to one's muscles. My share was intended to improve my health in convalescence. Very slowly. It took more than a year.
I hope it will get better for you again - slowly. I believe my own riding will improve gradually from now - as I get back to riding twice a week.
 
I am off riding due to a suspected kidney stone, and awaiting the results of tests which may or may not show anything.

If not, I will have to accept that the momentary pain I felt - while riding, in fact - could have been any number of things. It might have been caused by riding - and therefore another hazard to try not to worry about when I ride - or revealed by riding, and therefore another thing to celebrate about it.

Although an odd and at times painful event, I can't think of a better symbol for this passion and predicament we all share, but which is perhaps most intensely felt by us late-starting, non-owning, occasional riders.
 
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