I think h/j barns are the easiest place to find lessons when you are getting back into horses. And that’s not a bad thing, as the better ones really focus on seat and equitation and balance and staying off the horse’s face. I’ve seen unfortunate results from adult beginners or returning riders going into mediocre dressage lessons too early, and learning to water ski on the reins, losing an independent seat.
Anyhow, h/j lessons on safe enough school horses is probably the safest and smartest way to ease back in. For myself, I did twice weekly h/j lessons until I felt that I was genuinely competent again to ride unsupervised (about a year and a half ) and then I started nosing about for half lease opportunities at other barns that had trail access (my first lesson barn was landlocked). I went through a couple of different situations before I ended up with current horse on long-term free lease, I did the h/j lessons on schoolies for 5 years total until I was sidelined with an injury and then never went back because my primary horse was taking up my time. I didn’t make a choice to leave the h/j lessons, it just happened.
TsarBomba, does it help if you think of your h/j lessons as much as riding physical therapy as actually learning things? It sounds like you’ve had some major medical stuff, and it’s fantastic you’ve recovered enough to want to ride again. Give yourself credit for that!
By riding PT I mean the primary point of doing riding lessons is to get riding fit and co-ordinated again, to make your body do what your mind knows.
You might be surprised at what you retained and what you lost. For instance I had forgotten how to hold the reins properly but I could still effortlessly sit a big sudden spook (amazing my h/j coach who didn’t think I could ride very well at that point!).
You will probably find there are some muscle memory things that are hardwired, some things where you know what you should do but the body won’t obey, other things that you can do but that hurt like anything because you’re out of shape (two point!), and maybe some things you always did wrong :).
But if you think about it as getting stronger and fitter because your body has gone through the wringer medically, rather than going back to zero because you don’t know anything, it might be easier to set goals and celebrate milestones for yourself that aren’t even obvious to anyone else.
When you feel safe and physically competent to head out alone on a horse again, you will find the next opportunity, whether that’s a half lease at the h/j barn or something totally different at a barn you don’t even know exists right now! Something will turn up when you are ready to start looking for it.
The other option is one I see too many returning riders take, and it’s not a good one. That’s to rush into horse ownership and pick up a bargain on a green project horse that needs a loving home, but is way way too much horse for the rider right now.
I hope that explains it better. At the time the cost was $65 for a 30 minute private but I stopped riding about 8 years ago. I believe it is now about $80 or more for the same lesson.
