(another) re-rider thread

[succulents]

hi guys! i’m a 31 year old female who started back riding after not having been riding since probably around early high school years. during my more formidable riding years, i took lessons two to three times a week, did summer camps, all the local schooling shows, etc, and basically got to the point where i grew out of my trainers schooling horses and did not have money in high school to invest in a pony/horse of my own so i stopped, pursued other interests, etc. speed along past high school & college. i am now a nurse in a busy field, married, and had a rather traumatic experience r/t pregnancy in which the end result was traumatic. my husband got me riding lessons to try and help me feel re-connected to things i once enjoyed and it is working, i am absolutely in love with the sport again!

I’ve read a few of the other posts people in similar situations have made, so its interesting to see that i’m not totally alone !
but, i am struggling because my inherent perfectionist tendencies. believe me, i know i have flaws! as I’ve learned by my lessons, my brain remembers exactly what to tell my body to do for the most part (except for some here and there refreshers that i am thankful to have a trainer for!) but my poor body is lacking obvious muscle and core strength. i know with time this will come back but it is frustrating.

to any re-riders who got back in the game, what helped you progress and regain your equitation and skills?

i lesson once a week including jumping (my first lesson back on i jumped 3 feet!) plus my trainer is allowing me to hack as well, usually on days of the week she is not there to work on my flat work (obviously just cannot jump) which is enormously helpful and leaves me sore and smiling. but to be honest its not enough for me, i want more!

ideally, i would love to lease/part lease/etc so that i can spend more time at the barn for the therapeutic value it gives me, plus the flexibility it would give me with riding/etc

i feel like in the short time i have been back riding i have re- learned a lot plus learned things i never knew. I’m cognizant that learning always happens, and i am always humbled when i have an AHA! moment.

i have been upfront with my trainer and told her my goals and she seems willing to work with me, but i just feel that “pull”, that i just want to be riding all the time, you guys and gals feel me?

[horselover305]

I know exactly what you’re feeling! I just started taking riding lessons last week (after not riding for several years), and I’m dying to get in shape enough to lease a horse! But it is really hard regaining the muscle strength that I once had (anybody with me that you couldn’t walk the next day after riding the first time in awhile??). I haven’t tried this, but there are websites that have “Equestrian Workouts” that I’ve been thinking of trying some of them to see if I can get back in shape faster:
https://www.pinterest.com/jaclynjj2013/horseback-rider-stretches-workouts/
Anybody else know good tips? And good luck, succulents! Let us know how you’re progressing with everything!

[succulents]

I am wicked sore today after riding two days in a row but admittedly I love the feeling. I have too combed Pinterest for help for fitness tips!

[succulents]

Also I’m on my feet all day at work , and I do try and go to the gym so I don’t think I’m out of shape per say, just not in shape for riding! HA!

[cleo570]

I was in your shoes exactly a year ago (reading your email was like describing my own riding past and recent past, except that I’m much closer to 40…), but carving out time in my week to ride regularly was an even bigger hurdle than being out of shape (also a problem, don’t get me wrong!). I actually started taking a weekly dressage lesson, which has improved my overall riding and fitness. I would even venture to say that my dressage lessons were more physically demanding than jumping in many ways.

Until this past month, I didn’t really have the time to ride more than once a week, but I recently started half-leasing a former WEF jumper, a pretty hot ride, and I like to think that the dressage has really paid off in keeping my super-sensitive, fireball mare happy and focused over fences and on the flat… so this year, I plan to refocus my training on jumping with an eye to combined events…hopefully even later this year.

Doing dressage was different enough from h/j/equitation to keep my perfectionism at bay while improving my skills in a totally different way. I think I would have been discouraged in many ways by my lack of physical ability if I went back to h/j lessons last year. I found that I really love dressage, and am still planning to do 1-2 lessons a month on my girl, as she seems to really like it too (but we are both jumpers at heart!).

Sorry for the long post - good luck!

[succulents]

no please keep with long posts, i do not mind! i like to hear everyones individual stories! thats interesting about the dressage aspect. i have never ridden dressage or thought much about it, so that is a different perspective, thank you!

luckily time for me is not the issue, i am close to a good amount of barns and i work 645a-315p so finally have some flexibility!

[SuzieQNutter]

Please come and join us in the rerider support thread. You do not have to read back, just copy your opening post and go from there.

There is a DVD from Jennifer Kries called all over body toning or something like that. It is all done lying on a mat (make it a 1 cm thick foam mat) and is Pilates, Yoga and Ballet combined.

That will improve your riding and mean you don’t have any aches or pains from riding.

[succulents]

Sure- I will post in that thread! I didn’t know the politics of it, thought it was for already established re-riders!

[HipNo34]

succulents (and all), I was compelled to sign back up after reading your post. That you were jumping first lesson back gave me some hope that I might not necessarily be starting at square one, clutching mane and on a leadline. Oh, and I will follow you over to the Re-Rider thread.

I’ve been ten years away (or more, I try hard not to count) from riding, the forums here and many more years from showing. I didn’t realize anti-sweat sheets were considered relics, for one thing! After 20 years in horses, I’m not entirely sure where the time has gone away from them. In the past year or two, I’ve started to get those old feelings back – I blame the USEF Network ! So, on the occasion of a milestone birthday, I’ve made it goal to start again this year. I probably won’t until warm weather arrives but in the meantime, am making notes of the exercises and off-horse suggestions made here. I’m fairly fit but not at all the way I was in my working student days --getting an edge on the inevitable aches and pains is hugely appreciated.

[succulents]

hipno34- glad you signed up and posted. i’m new myself here as well, so hi!

i have to say, now that i’m riding again, i am sorry that i ever stopped in the first place but you know, life happens too. i was apprehensive starting back with lessons to be honest. my husband went and bought a bundle of lessons for me for my birthday gift, and i scheduled them, texted the trainer and showed up at the barn a bit apprehensive.

the barn was new, but the smells were the same and that whole smell, you know the one, just flooded me with sweet memories. my trainer had the horse ready for me, the tack out and told me, “have at it!” i looked at her and was like…“its been a longgggggg time” but in all seriousness, it all came back to me, to grooming, to tacking up, like i had never even been gone from it for so long; it all was just second nature.

and getting back in the saddle was just amazing. it was like all the pressures i feel during my day at work and in life had melted away. though under me sat this horse who i didn’t know, i didn’t feel that apprehension i had felt prior to coming to the barn. i felt in control.

i mean, i started with your basic walk, trot, canter, half seat, sitting trot, etc. i had told her the height i used to show at/jump back in the day through a text, and on the first lesson after i guess feeling me out she asked if i wanted to jump. of course! so we jumped and it was awesome, especially because the horse in particular who i was riding became a totally more forward horse over jumps and i again felt that feeling i had loved of jumping before.

so yes, you too can do it, despite how achy / sore you might be afterwards. every day i ride i am sore, but i see that as a good thing , my muscles are working I’m pretty sure you won’t be relegated to the leadline . best of luck xo

[HipNo34]

Thank you! And, oh, do I ever miss that smell!

I do feel like it’s all still there in my head but guess I won’t know about muscle memory and the rest, riding-wise, 'til the day comes. What I really wish is that I hadn’t sold my saddle. Old-school and no knee-rolls. Though my 40-year old self will probably be singing another tune first lesson back!

Good luck to you, too!

[BayDemon]

I havent read all of the posts above, but I am a re-rider too! I have ridden constantly, but I am coming back from a western hiatus. I needed a change, and was thankful that someone still had a horse that I was riding about 5 years ago when I took that hiatus, and she offered to let me use him. He is AWESOME. I cant believe how bad I was when I got back into it, now I am getting better, but still no 3’ jumper yet. (Kids take away all of your core strength)…I am working on getting my position back and my core strength back. Hopefully I will be able to!!

Welcome back in the saddle!!!

[succulents]

good luck baydemon! sounds like you are well on track to where you want to be! and how awesome is that you are still riding the horse you were riding years ago? so cool!

[succulents]

oh man, i was so surprised when i started looking at new saddles … now thats a whole other topic. but having been of the other school/younger riding/years ago, saddles just weren’t like how they are today. i sat my butt in a beautiful prestige paris saddle at my tack shop, wound up taking it on trial (and still have it on trial because the store is so wonderful) and its like it was meant for my body. perfect saddle, but way more advanced than i had ever ridden in before! i love that though.

[HipNo34]

A lot of things weren’t like they are today, lol. Stop me when my Rip Van Winkle jokes start getting old! Watching the live streams the past year or two have been an education unto themselves. But in a good way. Except for some of the turnout-related stuff, like the new irons some of the jumper riders are using (“are those red or is that my display?!”)

[ParadoxFarm]

[QUOTE=succulents;7988259]
Sure- I will post in that thread! I didn’t know the politics of it, thought it was for already established re-riders![/QUOTE]

We have no politics over there!!! Anyone, come on over.