Can we have an adult re-rider support group?

[QUOTE=HoosierHorseNut;6091410]
Tarheel, I hope you don’t mind me stealing your signature quote.[/QUOTE]

Not at all - I am sure we aren’t the only COTHers using it! :slight_smile:

[QUOTE=TarheelJD;6086609]
I bought a vest at WEG, since I could try a bunch on there to decide which felt best. I got a Tipperary, and it really doesn’t interfere much at all. Sometimes I forget it’s there until I have to bend down in the pasture to avoid a branch and my chin hits it.

I’m thinking of going to Hunter’s Rest in the fall, and doing the car ride thing. Hinderella – if I do that, can I stay afterward for a few days and take some lessons there? Sort of like an adult riding retreat?[/QUOTE]

I am right here with you! :eek: Came off last Saturday, and have been “quirky” all week. The hardest part? For some reason going up stairs?!? But I have enough “padding” that I can’t find the bruising - but feel it in there somewhere. :wink: Along with a stiff neck, too. :sigh:

[QUOTE=Dewey;6086121]There was a lot of discussion of bad falls earlier in the thread, and I decided that I had been lucky and need a vest. I consider myself a strong rider, and I don’t lack confidence. I school green horses, though, and I am in my 50s. I really don’t want to end up in the hospital, and one bad spook or bucking session could send me there.

Anyone else have experience with safety vests?[/QUOTE]

After flying through the air on Saturday, am rethinking this as well. However, I am verrrrry short waisted - so am very suspect that they’d fit me at all. Am 5’6", but can wear many petite length tops. Almost have right angle hips, so concerned it would sit on me like being on a shelf. I have real problems wearing most men’s tops/jackets.

I am considering a vest too. But I first have to get over that whole “looking stupid” thing. I know, I know, but its real, I feel it, and I need to get over it.

I’m actually wondering if a vest would help my position. I slouch and kind of protect my abdominal area, and I’m wondering if a vest would help me.

BTW, my dressage saddle came! I haven’t really ridden in it, but the day after it came I rode in it for like 5 min in my yard and its LOVELY.

I’m actually excited to spend the winter with my pony and do some dressage with him, maybe take him to a few schooling shows.

My trainer has a couple of horses that she might let me lease, so I’ve suspended my dreamhorse search, for fear of being sucked in.

That’s an interesting thought! I wonder if it might help me as well - one of my worst eq habits is being slouchy with my shoulders.

CVPeg, if you’re short waisted, look at the children’s Tipperary vests…even the large sizes are shorter in the waist. If that doesn’t work, I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that you might actually just be able to cut away the last section or two on the vest. It’s made up of a number of individual sections, like ribs, and I don’t see how cutting away the last one would in any way undermine the function of the rest of the vest.

Riding on a made horse at Hunter’s Rest is a wonderful experience. On one of my visits, we were trotting along, out in the open on a hack, and I was able to completely let go of my reins and do exercises with my arms, and my horse never changed his pace…not a bit…kept going along at that lovely working trot without veering or stopping. Now THAT wouldn’t happen to me at home ;(

I know some vests come in children’s sizes. Will have to investigate which ones.

Don’t know if anyone else is expecting snow, but tonight/tomorrow we are expecting our first snow of the new year…I actually really like snow, but I hate the headache it causes (water freezing, etc)

I was hoping to ride in my new saddle tomorrow but we’ll see how the weather holds out…

In CT they’re predicting 3-7 inches. I actually like a nice ride in the snow, as long as it’s not icy. I might break out the western saddle & just play around.

I also have to get out my “redneck tank heater”…foam wrapped in contractor bags…and duct tape it onto the water tank. It cuts down on the lengh of time I need to run the tank heater.

Y’all please keep the cold weather up there. We’re due for 70s for the next 10 days.

At this rate, the flowers will be blooming in early February. Of course, we’ll also be dying of heat stroke by mid-April …

Good morning from Tennessee! I have daffodils blooming despite the storms that rolled through here last night, and the falling temperatures afterwards. Off to the barn for a lesson. The last two times I got to ride a really nice sale horse, so probably won’t be as lucky this time. Still, the barn has great schoolies.

Tonight will be bittersweet. It’s our local association year-end awards banquet, and I won Adult Equitation again. Already sent picture to COTH for the annual Horse Show issue which should get published in March. Mr. Stall Rest is doing ok, but it looks like I will be sitting out most of the show season this year, unless I lease a horse for an occasional show just to get my “fix.” The upside is that riding different horses has definitely helped my riding. It’s becoming easier to get on something new, figure it out and have a good lesson. Oh, the things we do when we are forced to!

Pony4me, congratulations on your award. Riding different horses is definitely a good thing. I would like to have more opportunities to ride other horses. But I have limited time in which to ride, and a jealous pony, so I usually stick to riding her.

I rode in the snow today. It was fun, but we’re still limited by the hard, uneven ground underneath. Mahindra was great despite being unridden for the past week and the sounds of snow crashing off the neighbor’s new metal roof. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful ride, just for fun!

Wow. I got to ride a sometimes naughty lesson pony who was in need of a tune up. As it turns out, I was in need of a tune up too. I had forgotten how it was to ride something that would maybe, or maybe not, go over the jump. I have a newfound appreciation for the barn’s pony jocks.

CVPeg - I hope your bruises are getting better!

Pony4me - congratulations on your year end award!

I cannot wait for the time to change - this only getting to ride on weekends is the pits. Did not get to ride on Saturday as the barn group went to a Wounded Warrior Fund Raiser dinner and Grand Prix on Saturday.

But, did get to ride yesterday. Finn was a trooper with his mom who takes a good 15 to 20 minutes to loosen up. And I learned something new about my horse - we were doing trot circles - some more even then others -we had a few bulges. Somewhere in all that I inadvertently shifted my weight to my inside seat bone and voila - a nice smooth soft turn - no pulling, no bulging. So, I did it again - same result. I am suddenly able to do our walking serpentine exercise with almost no hands!!! Loff my trainer who taught him this!

Poor horse - having to put up with me probably sending mixed signals - ok - your hands and shoulder say turn left but your butt says turn right - fine mom, the front will go left but the back is going right. Make up our mind please!

Good news, no bone involvement so it looks like we just have nasty wounds to heal. So we’ve been hand-walking and wrapping for a week and the pony is SO READY TO QUIT THIS.

Luckily, he’s an angel for injections, because we’re also on 4 penicillin shots a day.

Was going to try to ride him at the walk today instead of handwalking, but I’m not sure the timing is going to work out. I have to get us back into work…it’s killing us both!!!

Glad to hear everyone’s hanging in there despite the weather :slight_smile:

Pony4Me - Congrats!!

Hinderella, I would have loved to go out for a nice snowy ride. I was reminiscing to my husband about how much I used to love that. Haven’t done it in years! And our snow is melting, so it might not be for awhile longer!

jaslyn, isn’t it nice when things connect?

Pony4me, congrats on your award! I admire people who can win eq classes. My own style is functional but not pretty. :lol:

I spent the weekend at the barn helping out with two IEA shows: one Sat. and one Sun. I am exhausted! I warmed up horses and announced both days. The green mare I ride was used in two flat classes each day and was such a good girl. I was so proud! She picked up a wrong lead once each day, but I have to say I saw it coming in each case; it was definitely due to rider error. The second day, her rider won a class! :smiley:

Agree! I’m liking my dressage work but it is making every ex-hunter rider bone in my body scream!

[QUOTE=Opus1;6091048]
Oh, and in today’s lesson I did my first-ever practice dressage test. I think it was Intro B. But I did all of it at a rising trot and worked on bending the WB I ride in the corners and doing circles, etc. Once I got warmed up, I think I pleasantly surprised her by how well I was doing transitions and getting her guy to bend.

It was kind of cool, but I can’t help but be a bit - apprehensive? suspicious? - of dressage. So, sit on your butt, get off your crotch, toes pointed straight ahead, arms need more bend, your heels are down TOO far(!), post more up and down … It feels like the complete opposite of forward seat hunter equitation.[/QUOTE]

BonneAmmie, I saw lots of cute ones on Dream Horse today at work (yes, I do check this out on the clock!)…I’ll send you a PM with a few!

who here loves the feeling of accomplishment that goes with having an awesome lesson? i had that tonight. the mare is really getting the idea of spins and rollbacks and other reining moves. she’s using her hind end way better than she ever has. feb 20th will be the day we return to hunterland and see what she’ll do.

Hi, new to the Forums, just poking around and found this thread!

I just made it to 52 yrs. old. Started riding again @3 years ago after a 20+ year hiatus. I have a half-lease on my instructor’s big handsome chestnut draft cross. He and I will ride in my 2nd ever schooling show on Sunday. Just a couple of flat classes, working on my personal goals for the classes rather than the color of the ribbons.

So great to see so many others doing this and dealing with some of the same time constraints–I don’t have kids, but I do have a full-time job and a husband. Oh, and my back hurts!

Looking forward to reading about everyone’s experiences.

Welcome 22Almonds! Be sure to let us know how your show goes!