Good for you TDD! Enjoy some time to yourself and the horses will be right where you left them when you’re ready to come back. 
TDD: good for you. Horses will always be there. We have a very active re-riders group on this forum; all of us took breaks. Some short or sporadic, some long (like me 25 years). If you haven’t read “Lean In”, its worth it to read. We need different things at different points in our life; it’s ok to take a break sometimes. It can give you perspective and appreciation you might not otherwise have.
Good for you!
A broken leg has sidelined me and I sent my horse off on lease to my trainer. You know…I don’t really feel badly about this break from riding. I just get this strong intrinsic feeling that this is right. Listen to your intuition!
I’m in the beginnings of taking a break. After 3 years of hard training, showing, and learning a new horse, I started to feel like I “had” to go ride and I hated that feeling. I was just tired. Then, in a very polite way, the wheels started to fall off and I got myself hurt. With my trainers help, I made the decision to send my horse away to be sold. It’s been 6 weeks and I have been very happy doing things for myself that I hadn’t done in the past because I “had to go ride”.
I wondered how I would know if I was done for forever or just needed a break. I got asked to help a college student ride her horse over summer break and when I went for the trial, I knew immediately that I just needed a break, that I wasn’t ready to be done. Now, I’m looking forward to just riding to have fun - no hard training or showing, just keep the horse in shape. While I’m looking forward to finding a more suitable horse to call my own, the break will be enjoyable.
Horses will be around forever and you can always come back. At some point, all of your questions will be answered, just like mine were.
Thanks everyone! I have a great group of women at the barn I’m at, including my trainer, whom all have been wonderful in supporting. I’m thinking that taking lessons for now will be a nice way to have a break but still get my fix.
Riding is so expensive and time consuming. This may be a controversial opinion, but if you aren’t already looking forward to your next ride almost every time you get off a horse (bad rides and general life blahs like “it’s hot/cold outside waaah” notwithstanding), I think taking a break is about the best thing you can do for yourself.
You are not going to want to look back and realize that you tied a bunch of time and money up doing something your whole heart wasn’t in.
I could have written that post! I just graduated college and am trying to sell my horse (a almost 5 year old homebred) that I do not click with. He is my buddy and a sweet horse, but he is just not for me. I will be really sad when he goes though. I am moving to a new city and starting a teaching job in August, so time and money will be limited. I am leaving my retiree at home (and sale horse with trainer), so I will be horseless. I am strongly considering taking weekly lessons to get “in” with the horse community in my new city, and keep up with some riding.
I feel guilty about letting all my gear, trailer, truck, and everything sit, but it is not going anywhere! I totally understand where you are coming from though. Horses have pretty much run my life forever, so it is weird thinking about stepping back for a bit.
Recently someone told me when it isn’t fun it is time to re-evaluate what you are doing, whether take a break, change disciplines, whatever. We do this for fun, so when it isn’t fun anymore, something needs to change.
FF, I agree with you. I’ve been wishy-washy with I should keep lease horse longer, I should send him back…wah wah wah…but my heart just isn’t in it. I’m not dying…if I want to go ride I can take a lesson or find something to hack. I’ve been riding ever since I was very little and I’m sure when my heart is back in it, I will be too.
[QUOTE=french fry;8178382]
Riding is so expensive and time consuming. This may be a controversial opinion, but if you aren’t already looking forward to your next ride almost every time you get off a horse (bad rides and general life blahs like “it’s hot/cold outside waaah” notwithstanding), I think taking a break is about the best thing you can do for yourself.
You are not going to want to look back and realize that you tied a bunch of time and money up doing something your whole heart wasn’t in.[/QUOTE]
:yes::yes::yes::yes::yes:
