# 3 months of western riding lessons what stage are you at? (Long)



## Cowgirl101 (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm glad for you!

Two takes lesson bareback! I rode my own horse and I lope 5 paces. So you learn everyday.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Netty,

That is just terrrific! I think it's wonderful that you are hacking out, and riding a new horse and all. You are a brave soul. It is the person who rides IN SPITE of their fear who is the brave one. 
I don't know about bareback, but do try some lungeling lessons at some time when you feel up to it. I think you have a good instructor, and please tell her/him that I said so!


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## netty83 (Sep 21, 2010)

tinyliny thank you. I will let my instructor know thank you. We are friends also and she is my inspiration! I went riding just before xmas and my instructor rode out one of her 2 yr old cobs which have only had around 10 rides altogether. The aim of this was for me to realise that i don't need a safety net (lead rope)all the time my instructor being there is enough for me rather than when i have a confidence wobble asking her to take the lead rope. I was really suprised that i took the lead through the woods negotiating fallen trees. I thought if i took the lead the youngster would take the lead from my horse and i really enjoyed it.


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## netty83 (Sep 21, 2010)

to add to this post. I had a little mishap on Wednesday and my lesson horse slipped on wet grass as we were about to set off trotting solo. I was thrown into the horn and have a pretty impressive bruise from knee to top of thigh. Immediately after it happened I was shaky but managed to stay calm and carefully walked off the grass onto solid ground. Once we had walked around for a little while we ventured back onto the grass and i got all tense and anxious about it happening again and therefore my horse got tense and anxious and started quickening. I had another lesson today and was absolutely fine on the grass. I was a little nervous even in walk but managed it with deep breaths, but when we went to the grass where the slip happened i could feel myself getting anxious and nervous and the horse started quickening again. I don't want this to become an issue for me or horse any advice? I seem to let the fear get so big it takes over me and i struggle to stay calm.


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## horserider321 (Dec 31, 2010)

I'm at Canter/gallop now. Just one question, when Cantering, how do you know when the horse is going into a gallop?? Because I was Cantering and then the horse went faster, but not into a full gallop. What does that mean?


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## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

netty83 said:


> Any one who has had around three months or has similar experience with confidence stopping progress please let me know your story and any advice /comments welcome. Thank you!


Hi netty! I, too, have been out of the saddle for quite some time (10+ years) and have just recently started taking lessons again. I was due for lesson No. 9 on Sunday, but was rained out. So, I'm about -- give or take -- where you're at now. (Disclaimer: I'm riding English, but given our levels, well ...  )

My trainer is just 25 (I'm 32), but she's great and makes sure to explain everything to me -- if this horse is a pain to catch, if there's anything special I need to do for this particular horse while mounted, how their gaits are, etc. and that *really* helps me know what to expect and prepare myself mentally. And I _completely_ trust her and the horses she puts me on. Until I'm able to trust myself more, I think that's a major help to me.

Right now, I'm still doing walk-trot around the ring, building up my balance and trying to remember how to put everything back together. My trainer told me that during the next lesson, she wants me to give cantering a go. She asked me if I was ready to canter last lesson, but my legs felt weak (and she caught me off guard), so I declined, but told her I'd work up my mind to give it a go the next time. (I've gone from being a little apprehensive to looking forward to it. Hope it goes well -- I'll know Wednesday.)

For me, I like not having a lot of unnecessary surprises and my trainer's really good at letting me know what she has planned for me for that lesson as well as the next lesson. 

And this is probably really silly, but ... whenever I find myself getting anxious about a task or about an upcoming lesson, I just try to compare it to something I do at work or a real life situation. Nine times out of 10, the real life situation is far scarier/difficult than what I'm doing with a horse. The funny thing with me riding though, is that I'm not so much scared of getting hurt as I am just looking like a total goober.  But I'm probably just a little 'off' there. 

Is getting hurt your biggest fear? 

As for your little mishap: I've found that when my horse trips, or misbehaves and leaves me wary, if I give it a little time, the fear/uneasiness just passes after a couple of good lessons. Also, instead of thinking of it as a mishap, why not think of it as an experience? As in, 'this is what happened when my horse slipped on wet grass. I didn't fall off, I'm proud that I acted appropriately and didn't freak out. I now know what to expect should this happen again.'

Sorry for the length ... I've been itching to tell other horsey people how my lessons are going. It'd be cool if you kept us up to date on how things are going though.  It always feel like I'm the only adult having to relearn everything.


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## netty83 (Sep 21, 2010)

Hi opus love your thread thank you so much! I think my biggest fear is that i will get hurt falling off as i have a small child (i think as you grow up you analyse things alot more than when you were younger) and alot of people say to me that the only way to make sure you don't get hurt around horses is to not be around them at all. That isn't an option for me as they are in my families blood and I have just kind of lost my way and confidence. I totally trust the lesson horse he is fantastic and i know the fear and anxiousness totally lays at my door. I also think my lack of experience and lack of balance has something to do with it also. What amazed my instructor was that once we had been on the grass again (her leading me) on Monday and I was all back calm again I was able to take control again (took the lead rein back)and off we went at a walk with no problems, so this told her that i was confident with the horse and was just the issue of the grass i'm hoping with a couple more lessons it will get better. I feel like I have taken a step backwards but maybe that is necessary to go forwards. My instructor doesn't lunge her horses as she doesn't feel it is necessary for the kind of lessons she does (mostly hacking and dealing with confidence) so I am considering taking a couple of lunge lessons this week from a friend of mine who is an instructor if she can fit me in just to try and rebuild some of that confidence I was starting to have at trot. I will keep posting my progress may be nice to have a look back over please keep me updated as to how you are going also. good luck.


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## netty83 (Sep 21, 2010)

so sometimes i feel like i am not progressing as having only one lesson a week which costs £30. I can't afford any more than that. I have a mare of my own but she is due to foal in March. I know this might be controversial but could she be lightly ridden at the moment (I haven't ridden her properly for nearly 4 months) just in walk? I am really considering loaning a pony for 6 months so that i can put my lessons to good use and practice at home. Please let me know what you think to lightly riding my mare around the field (just in walk).


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## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

-- I have *no* idea about riding your pregnant mare. Sorry. :-\ I've only owned one horse, and that was an Arab gelding. For about 6 months.

I know you said you prefer hacking, but do you think some occasional riding in a ring might help with your confidence? It's boring compared to trails I'm sure, but you'd have an even footing surface and you could concentrate on the basics in a controlled area. Maybe not all the time, but once every so often might help.

The lunge lessons sound like they'd help too.  At least with deepening your seat/improving balance.

Do you have any other friends you can go riding with as a casual thing? Even just walking around? If you get the pony, would there be someone around to check on you when you rode? I don't think my confidence is enough at this point (even on a great schoolmaster) to ride around by myself. 

Have you asked your trainer's opinion? I think she'd be a great person to ask. 

As for the fear, I don't have children, so I don't have that additional aspect to think about. I do many other things besides riding that could relate in serious injury -- from driving about 70 miles a day, to using power tools, crossing the street, etc. And I'm pretty sure I'm more likely to get in a car accident (god forbid) than seriously injure myself riding a horse. 

I do think the fear will subside once your balance improves and you get more seat time. It's like the first time I drove, I swore I was going to crash or hit something. But after years of doing it, I feel prepared for just about anything these days and definitely don't fear it. 

==

And yes, I will post back as soon as I get my next lesson in. (More rain today) Please keep me updated on your progress as well.  It doesn't have to be every week, but when you get a chance it would be nice. (I promise to eventually not write so much!)


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## CelticAngel (Jan 2, 2011)

Hmmm...I'm at about three-four months training now and currently in the "taking a week off to recover from getting tossed for the first time" stage.=-)

I didn't have any training before I started so I was very green. I feel like I have actually come a very long way in the past couple months, but mostly because I push myself very hard. I started in a western saddle but have been in and out of an english to learn balance. I started with rainbow reins to learn to keep my reins even but graduated to split reins about a month ago. I just learned the one handed rein hold a few weeks ago (and it's giving me icky fits figuring out how to adjust the reins). I've learned two-point and posting fairly quickly. Have done lots of two point over poles to ensure its a solid two point. Lots of patterns and circles. I've only walked and trotted thus far...but they tell me I'm almost ready for a lope. We talk a lot about body position and balance but they tell me I am very good in both categories. I am blessed with very quite hands which is a plus.

I have one lesson a week and I feel that I'm progressing nicely with it...although I would love to have additional seat time to practice things. About once a month, I schedule an extra lesson just to clean up some things that I want to focus on. I also spend a few other days just hanging out there and helping around the stable. They appreciate the extra hands and I learn A LOT by just being there. =-)

Am a bit nervous about getting back on a horse next week but I know that it's something I have to do if I'm to regain the confidence I lost by getting thrown. I rode the horse that threw me right after it happened for about another hour but I was on edge the whole time.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

You the person who had the horse rear and fall on her? Is that the fall you are referring to?

It's nice to hear that you are progressing along so well. It's always fun to hear people describe the learning experience. I tend to forget that one has to learn how to post and it isn't easy at first. It is so second nature to me know, but I remember my fist lessons and how I was always right on the edge of losing my balance, all the time. I had to ride the horse to the arena through the woods and usually tried to trot there, and I was constantly moving around,just barely catching my balance before I got to the point of no return. I only came off that mare once in 2.5 years of riding her., and I rode her bareback a lot.
But the older I get, the more often I come off, it seems. 

The more you ride, the more you realize how much it takes to be a really good rider. When I first started dressage lessons I asked my then teacher, "How long does it take to become a good dressage rider?" Her answer was, "At least ten years". Wow!


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## CelticAngel (Jan 2, 2011)

Yep...that's me! Odd as it sounds, I'm dying to get back up to the stables but apprehensive at the same time. My doctor told me to take a solid week off to make sure the swelling in the foot goes down..which is actually good timing because it will take that long for my new helmet to get here.

I agree with the length of time comment. I do push myself hard, mainly because I want to get to a point where I feel confident helping with other horses and begin some lower level showing...but I realize that it's a long, ongoing learning process. I'm thankful that I have trainers in the local area that have national experience that I can draw from. It's a great resource to have that not everyone gets...so I'm counting my lucky stars! Between the three, they have pretty much done everything there is to do in competing so I have that support in whatever discipline I choose. Right now, I really like the idea of reining but have been told that to start, equitation and showmanship would be a great place to start. 

Then of course, there is always the dream of winning the lottery so I can build my own facility and have a horse rescue with lots of horses...and lots of help! But then again, if I win the lottery, I can afford to hire people to take care of the horses and I can enjoy them! =-)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I just remembered the first time I came off in lessons. I had almost forgotten this. I was 18 and came off my horse while doing some riding without reins excerisze and the horse spooked and dumped me head over heels and I badly sprained my ankle when I landed. I got back on, finished the lesson, put the horse away and when I tried to drive home, I couldnt' put the clutch in with my injured left foot so had to drive home with one foot doing all three pedals (manual transmission). Next day I couldn't walk at all so went and had xrays and wore a cast for two weeks (no breaks but bad sprain) and hobbled around campus on crutches. It took a YEAR to fully heal! 
Take your time.


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