How do you (adult amateurs) get better? (cross-posted)

[SadieRidingHorses]

To the adult amateurs out there, interested in your thoughts on how you got better. Looking for things in my control as a busy, non-owning but leasing and regularly riding re-rider.

Did you do things to get stronger out of the saddle? Audit clinics and volunteer? Ride round and round without your stirrups?

I’ve been back at riding for a year this month, and I’ve certainly made strides. But I had a frustrating morning. It mostly involved a derailed schooling show and a thrown shoe. But I was really frustrated with myself, I think, that my riding and horsemanship has not progressed better or faster.

So I’m looking for your thoughts. What are things that you did to make yourself a better rider for your horse and student of the sport? Trainers, what do you see students do that leads to improvement?

[Djones]

My husband started riding at 43 when he met me in 1999. Fast forward 6 years and we’re lost in the mountains in Montana. 12 hours or so of saddle time taught him to sit with a horse and relax his lower back.

I’ll message you the trailhead information

But seriously… ride ride ride ride ride. That’s the only way.

[eponacelt]

A couple of things:

1 - Riding is a priority. If you don’t ride 4+ times per week, it’ll be hard to make consistent forward progress. It can totally still happen, but it’ll be slower and your fitness won’t be the same.

2 - Fitness is a second priority, and one to work on out of the saddle. I ride dressage and have back issues. If I didn’t regularly strength train, I wouldn’t have made the progress I have. I also run and do cardio 3x per week and fit in yoga whenever I can. Prioritizing fitness right below riding has been important.

3 - Ride more. I have two horses that generally each are ridden by me 4-5 days a week. Having multiple, very different horses has helped a lot.

4 - Commit to regular lessons. Seriously, no one does this alone and eyes on the ground are invaluable. And when you can’t lesson, get someone to take video or use Pivo so you can gauge where you are on your own.

[showy]

I’ve been riding for about 20 years now but at the beginning of this year left my longtime trainer. I discussed my goals with the new trainer (basically get better!) Here is what I’ve changed and what has made a huge difference in my riding:

1- Workout! I started lifting with a personal trainer. I knew absolutely nothing and had not picked up a dumb bell once in my life. Lifting weights, even small amounts does wonders for your muscles when you go engage them on horseback. Get a personal trainer or knowledgeable friend if you are as green as I was.

I also aim for 150+ minutes a week of cardio. Choose whatever you want- running, ellpitical, rower, stairmaster, swimming, etc. I mix it up between all of these. Work in HIIT if you can.

I find that once you get your abs to a good place, they are easy to maintain. I started with videos like “Yoga with Adriene Abs” and worked up to harder ones. MadFit and TheNX are great. All on youtube.

2-Riding Journal. Every time I have a lesson or ride in a clinic or show, I write in my riding journal. It is a word doc on my personal laptop. I find it really helpful to reflect on what I learned, what I need to work on, and how I have improved. It is now super long but fun to go back and read. Good place to vent when needed.

3-Goal setting. Write down a 3-6-12 month goal(s) and share them with your trainer. Find benchmarks to measure them. Celebrate when you do!

4- Ride time. The more, the better. As you know. Also agreed with the poster who said regular pro rides are a must. I know there’s some shame in the HJ industry about it and it always confused me. Why not get better faster and keep your horse going their best? You’re a busy, bill paying adult. Pay for pro rides and have your horse ready to help you improve.

[wsmoak]

Get thee to the gym with a good personal trainer. My preference is NASM certification.

I basically took the same lesson for multiple years in a row. I physically could not do what I was being asked to do, and certainly could not safely progress to jumping higher or more complicated courses.

Then I spent a year working with a trainer, lost weight, gained muscle, improved stability and balance and… wow. I could do anything, and I felt safe and confident doing it.

Sure, riding more is important. But if you are not in good enough shape (and I mean strength and balance and reaction time, I am not saying you need to be skinny,) to be able to advance your riding skills, you won’t progress as fast or as safely as you might want to.

[rulex]

For me what has made the biggest impact was finding a great trainer, and bonus for being able to let me sit on some really well trained horses.

For years as an adult ammy I felt like my riding plateaued. Since finding my current trainer, who I have been with for several years now, every lesson feels like I’ve made some amount of progress, no matter how small. My schedule has not been consistent either, sometimes only riding 1x a week.

[findeight]

No sport can be mastered without participating in the sport. Yes you can work on fitness and basic muscle groups used in the sport but you can’t learn feeling, timing and develop intuition without actually doing it.

Since OP is a non owner, shes got more flexibility in seeking better coaching and better horses to ride then owners, actually a plus. Owners ride what they got in whatever discipline its trained (more or less) with no flexibility to experiment and branch out.

Another thing, developing a real feel for the horse can be accomplished with hours in the saddle in ANY discipline. Some disciplines are less expensive then others too, saddle time is saddle time and good horses are good horses regardless of what they wear.

Seek the best coach and best horses you can anywhere. We get so wrapped up in discipline and maybe trying to compete with barnmates or friends, we often forget to just ride the dam horse. Most of that skill set is basic to all disciplines. Open your mind to all possibilities to use limited time and miney best…

[outerbanks77]

@findeight

Another thing, developing a real feel for the horse can be accomplished with hours in the saddle in ANY discipline. Some disciplines are less expensive then others too, saddle time is saddle time and good horses are good horses regardless of what they wear.

This is true. I rode a green Shire over the summer, and although he is wildly different than my horses (WB and appendix QH), the additional saddle time was good for me, and I gained some skills that transferred over, as well as the little bit of added fitness from more rides. However, as a working adult with a career, riding 3 horses, staying fit and also maintaining a home just isn’t sustainable. Two horses/8-10 rides a week plus working out is still a challenge, but I really try to make it work!

[anon40672407]

The thing that sticks out to me in your post is the mention of frustration. My “cure” for that is a lame horse that needs a full year of rehab. Please, don’t go that route.

Don’t lose sight of the fact that you currently ride well – better than you did before. Not as well as you will later. It is a progression. Don’t let your impatience with that REALITY ruin the current moment for you.

Follow some of the advice here and see what makes a difference to you.

[SadieRidingHorses]

Thanks, @anon40672407, for your response. And sorry about your horse - that is so, so tough. But your perspective is excellent, and a good reminder to me.