Okay, here's my thoughts that have been milling around in my head for a while now and after reading a few recent threads, have really made me just THINK hard about what to do and how to go about things and i'd like your opinions on whether you think I should or not.
So here goes my complete honesty and horsey life story!
I started riding lessons aged 8. Half an hour private, once a week. I did this for about a year and then stopped. Started again at 11 in a group lesson with my 2 friends and an instructor that liked to talk more than ride (we'd sit on the horses listening to her and not moving and then start riding for the last 10 minutes of our lesson!) so I didn't progress dramatically. Once I got to aged 14, I found myself better than I could have thought. I was in a more advanced riding group and we were jumping around 2'6 each week for a few months though I don't feel i've got the jumping 'style' and 'technique' as i've never had PROPER riding lessons at the stage where I was learning to jump.
I got a loan pony at the point of learning to jump who was up for hacking, light schooling etc. so I never really started to jump properly. Since then i've had 3 loan horses; none of which were up for jumping and were more the hacking types. I am a fairly confident rider. I don't worry if a horse spooks or starts to jog off with me but I do feel I am lacking something and i'm not sure what?! :unsure: I've always doubted my riding and put myself down which i'd rather do than big myself up, look stupid and ride something that wasn't suitable for me but on the other hand, I feel this trait about me may hold me back from progressing..
When I first started riding I was very nervous, would worry sick about my riding lessons due to the fear of falling off. I got more confident in my early teen years from riding a fantastic, push button pony though from time to time I still feel the odd few nerves running through me if I am about to ride a new horse that I don't know.
I know i'm sounding like a complete riding mess but what i've been wanting to do (which was the whole point in this thread!) was to start riding lessons again and go back to where I feel completely confident and move on from there and to do the things I feel I lack skill and confidence in. Riding lessons where I am are £35 per hour for a private lesson which is good BUT the riding school is a 50 minute drive from me and ideally i'd like a horse to ride which I can build a bond with and go from there. So i've been thinking for a while now, to get a new share horse if possible. A horse I can share for 2 days a week and have private lessons from a local instructor who is fantastic and charges £15 for 45 minutes. I know i'd have the cost of a share horse but where I am they aren't much. Roughly £50-60 per month which i'm fine with - it also means i'd get to do the mucking out, poo picking, grooming, feeding and other bits and pieces that goes with horse care unlike I would at a riding school.
My end goal would be to feel completely happy and confident in all 4 gaits on any 'average' horse I were to get on and also be able to jump well (sounds like most people's goals I know but i've so nearly got there in the past I think i'm just sad i've never progressed that little bit further and achieved it)
SO, do you think this is a good idea? Am I going the right way about what I want to achieve?
So here goes my complete honesty and horsey life story!
I started riding lessons aged 8. Half an hour private, once a week. I did this for about a year and then stopped. Started again at 11 in a group lesson with my 2 friends and an instructor that liked to talk more than ride (we'd sit on the horses listening to her and not moving and then start riding for the last 10 minutes of our lesson!) so I didn't progress dramatically. Once I got to aged 14, I found myself better than I could have thought. I was in a more advanced riding group and we were jumping around 2'6 each week for a few months though I don't feel i've got the jumping 'style' and 'technique' as i've never had PROPER riding lessons at the stage where I was learning to jump.
I got a loan pony at the point of learning to jump who was up for hacking, light schooling etc. so I never really started to jump properly. Since then i've had 3 loan horses; none of which were up for jumping and were more the hacking types. I am a fairly confident rider. I don't worry if a horse spooks or starts to jog off with me but I do feel I am lacking something and i'm not sure what?! :unsure: I've always doubted my riding and put myself down which i'd rather do than big myself up, look stupid and ride something that wasn't suitable for me but on the other hand, I feel this trait about me may hold me back from progressing..
When I first started riding I was very nervous, would worry sick about my riding lessons due to the fear of falling off. I got more confident in my early teen years from riding a fantastic, push button pony though from time to time I still feel the odd few nerves running through me if I am about to ride a new horse that I don't know.
I know i'm sounding like a complete riding mess but what i've been wanting to do (which was the whole point in this thread!) was to start riding lessons again and go back to where I feel completely confident and move on from there and to do the things I feel I lack skill and confidence in. Riding lessons where I am are £35 per hour for a private lesson which is good BUT the riding school is a 50 minute drive from me and ideally i'd like a horse to ride which I can build a bond with and go from there. So i've been thinking for a while now, to get a new share horse if possible. A horse I can share for 2 days a week and have private lessons from a local instructor who is fantastic and charges £15 for 45 minutes. I know i'd have the cost of a share horse but where I am they aren't much. Roughly £50-60 per month which i'm fine with - it also means i'd get to do the mucking out, poo picking, grooming, feeding and other bits and pieces that goes with horse care unlike I would at a riding school.
My end goal would be to feel completely happy and confident in all 4 gaits on any 'average' horse I were to get on and also be able to jump well (sounds like most people's goals I know but i've so nearly got there in the past I think i'm just sad i've never progressed that little bit further and achieved it)
SO, do you think this is a good idea? Am I going the right way about what I want to achieve?
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