Should I quit riding?

[erinmeri]

@EqViolet

Thank you for all the advice. I think getting physically stronger would definitely benefit my riding skills, so that’s something I know I need to start focusing on in any case, lol! And you’re right, quitting won’t benefit me. It’s hard to keep a strong, positive mindset in a repetitive environment but maybe I can figure out creative ways to challenge myself and improve my abilities. I actually wonder if it would be beneficial to ask my trainer about ways to spice up my lessons and find new things to work on. Of course, I still have the option of checking out other barns, which is still something I will try to do. But since I don’t really want to leave if I can find another way to enjoy riding again, maybe following your advice would be a better option to try first.

I hope it helps! And I agree with the other response you got… gymnastics, focused flatwork, cavaletti work, hacking out… all these things really help improve your riding and keep things interesting. Today we did a lot of serpentines… it got me to really focus on using my aids to keep him centered through them. Sounds boring but it was fun.

I don’t know where you are, but it seems here on the East Coast opportunities to hack out and trail ride are more abundant. Maybe ask about that? On my second ride back, we cooled out around the pastures. As a Californian, it scared the daylights out of me… we didn’t ride out a lot and my show jumpers were largely too hot to trail ride and we didn’t have pastures to ride between. But despite a spook or two, it was fun. Really fun. And heck, I got to ride through a few spooks in a location where I wasn’t comfortable. That’s worthwhile in and of itself. Riding through a spook or buck in the ring is different than doing it outside, at least mentally.

Anyways, this is all to say that you can find value even where you think you are limited. I understand that a heck of a lot more now as an adult than I did as a junior.

[S1969]

@EqViolet

That’s a really good point. In many ways, my eq has increased greatly since I came to this barn, and so I know my current trainers can and will help me improve it further. But lately, I feel like it’s been getting a bit worse. So that’s another thing that is causing me to question my options right now. Maybe it’s because I haven’t ridden a ton this summer, since my barn has been away at shows a lot? But I also wonder if it’s because I lack motivation. I’ve never been someone to give up, but lately I’ve had a lot of moments where I just stop caring about how I look or ride, as awful as that is. Like, towards the end of a lesson, I’ll just be wanting to get over the last fence and be done, you know?

Maybe I don’t need a barn change, I just need to figure out how to re-motivate myself. Although I’m not really sure how to.

It sounds like you need a new trainer. Motivating you to improve is the trainer’s #1 job. If they are not doing that, what are they doing while you’re riding?..they’re not talking to the horse. If they are just “letting” you jump the horse around, what exactly is the point of paying them?

I think you need to take a trial lesson at another barn and compare their lesson format to what you’re getting. Maybe it will be similar, maybe it will be very different.