# Is it normal to stop liking riding horses?



## SomeRandom (Jun 7, 2010)

Okay so, I'm a boy 15 years old, I've been riding for roughly 6 years and I guess it was pretty fun when I started learning but now its getting boring, I'm thinking of quitting horse riding and focusing more on other sports like tennis.

So basically what I'm trying to ask is, does horse riding get boring after a while and should I stop?


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## Cougar (Jun 11, 2009)

Only you can know for yourself if you should continue or not. But! Just like anything else in your life riding can get boring if you are not challenging yourself properly. Maybe try taking lessons and up the difficulty level of what you are doing? Or switch what style of riding you do? If you ride Western maybe try riding English or vice versa. If you do a lot of ring work go trail riding. Switch it up.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

if you have been doing the same stuff for 6 years then it probably would get boring. I have been riding for around 5 years, started off english went to western for a bit, went back to english starting showing at low levels, jumping more and going on trial rides more.
Mix it up if you have been doing the same thing


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

You're at the age that many young men 'fall out of riding'. After all, it is a transition time in your life...cars/driving, sports, working, thinking about your future, girls, and deciding what part in your life each of those will play (including riding). Typically it is not so much being bored as it is a normal desire to try different things (e.g. sports), and there is not enough time in the day to do everything. If you want to try something else, do it. It is much worse to have regrets later, and riding will always be there for you if you want it.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Not unusual at all, especially at your age. You have reached one of the points in life where your interests start to change some. If you aren't into riding right now, no biggie - you may or may not find the passion for it again later.


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## AfterParty (Jun 4, 2010)

PaintHorseMares said:


> You're at the age that many young men 'fall out of riding'. After all, it is a transition time in your life...cars/driving, sports, working, thinking about your future, girls, and deciding what part in your life each of those will play (including riding). Typically it is not so much being bored as it is a normal desire to try different things (e.g. sports), and there is not enough time in the day to do everything. If you want to try something else, do it. It is much worse to have regrets later, and riding will always be there for you if you want it.


I agree 100% , well said !


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

Young fella,

You are all setup and you don't even know it!

In a couple of years all your guy friends are going to be laying around under some car and you are going to be out riding with all the girls with a big ol smile on your face.

Keep the riding going ....we need more young men in the horse world.


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## sullylvr (Aug 13, 2009)

well it depends on what your doing! if youve been riding for 6 years, as in learned the basics and just did that for the rest of the time, thats totally normal! id get bored if i was doing the same thing for that long too! but if youve been advancing, jumping higher, learning more difficult dressage, and showing, then that may be a sign that your looking for something else, and thats okay too! mabye you need to advance even more if your getting bored with what you do! hmm or you might do western, but its the same case, showing, advanciing in more difficult things ect. i hope you figure it out !!


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Haha, I agree with Marecare.

A lot of teenagers (Girls and Boys) fall out when they ge tinto high school, but don't realize that they have something special that will carry them thorugh a lifetime. Horses help so many people. I think my horses raised me more than my parents did, lol


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## xdrybonesxvalleyx (Jan 17, 2010)

Treat it like a horse.

What do you do if your horse starts getting bored out on a hack? Make things more entertaining for him. Just the same, don't neglect yourself. Change it up a bit.


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## Carleen (Jun 19, 2009)

Haha, I love MareCare's post! So true!
When I was 17 I stopped riding due to school/work/etc. Two entire years passed and suddenly I realized that I hadn't ridden in two years. I started missing it and have gotten back into it since. I don't regret taking a break at ALL, it proved to me that I am really passionate about it.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

It depends on a lot of things. What sort of riding have you been doing? Are you doing it as a competitive sport, or just for fun? Are you actively not liking the riding you're doing, or is it that you've gotten to where it's not a challenge, and you want to try something different for a change?

That last has always been something that has affected me. A big part of the pleasure I've gotten from a lot of the activities I've done throughout my life has been the learning process, the acquisition of new skills. So once I get fairly good at something, my interest tends to taper off because I find some new challenge.

But don't overlook Marecare's advice, either


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

I would also encourage you to look up all the great people of history that were accomplished horseman.
The skill that they developed helped to form who they were and what they became.

Horsemanship is *more than the ride* and it can be a skill that benefits the rest of your life.
There are so many lessons to be learned about yourself and your relationships with other.
It is a character building experience that will stand by you for your whole life.

Plus there are lots of girls......Ha!


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Marecare said:


> Young fella,
> 
> You are all setup and you don't even know it!
> 
> ...


 

i agree!


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

What Marecare said. You have no idea how many of us girls are/were hoping to find a good guy that enjoyed riding a horse as much as we did - and as well!

Of course, there's no problem getting out of something you don't enjoy. Try to mix it up, try new things, try harder things, try a harder horse, etc. Maybe you just haven't found your niche yet. =]


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

I took a break from 15 - 20, i went a little crazy and decided I wanted to be an actress instead. I moved to LA and everything.... 

Now I'm going to pre-vet school in los angeles and brought my horse to the city cause it dawned on me he really makes me the most happy of everything I've done in my life. Horse showing and trail riding are the best memories I have in my childhood. So, I learned I had a real passion for it by taking a break.

Only you will know if you're just bored cause you haven't been challenging yourself enough, or if you need a break to try new things. Trying new things is important- it makes you figure out whats really important and feeds your soul


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

You're at that age where it is the 'make or break' point as to whether you're going to drop the riding or keep it up. The point where parents hope like hell that you'll drop it and take up tennis because it's cheaper haha! My poor parents wished and wished that I would drop the riding but I got even more committed to it over those years. Poor people  

Look it's up to you. Do you have a horse or are you just taking lessons? Maybe just give it up for a little while, have a break from it and see how you go. If you miss it then you'll go back to it. If you don't miss it then you're question is answered


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

A lot of teenagers give it up going into high school. I gave it up for about a year(after a bad experince with a horse)and thought maybe I had it wrong, that all the other girls who thought horses were stupid had it right. Yeah after not being happy for a year, I finally got back on a horse and never looked back. I think you should take a little break and see how you feel during the break. But like others have said, all the girls go for a guy who can ride a horse...well at least I do lol and there's slim pickins. Maybe you should switch up what you're doing too. I started out western, rode that for 6 years and then got into dressage. Now I do a bit of everything and it keeps my life exciting. Go on lots of trail rides...thats the cure for everything lol. =)

Oh I should add, take it one ride at a time. That's the best advice my ex-bf has ever given me. And trust me, tennis isn't nearly as exciting as horse-back riding.


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

Kayty said:


> You're at that age where it is the 'make or break' point as to whether you're going to drop the riding or keep it up. The point where parents hope like hell that you'll drop it and take up tennis because it's cheaper haha! My poor parents wished and wished that I would drop the riding but I got even more committed to it over those years. Poor people
> 
> Look it's up to you. Do you have a horse or are you just taking lessons? Maybe just give it up for a little while, have a break from it and see how you go. If you miss it then you'll go back to it. If you don't miss it then you're question is answered


Totally agree. My parents were the same way (and still are, though they don't fully fund my pastime anymore, just help me here and there. They can't complain.). 

I grew up riding with several guys my age, and when we hit high school they started dropping like flies until none of them rode anymore (even though one of them had the most adorable New Forest Cob I've ever seen). If you don't have a horse of your own, and thus the responsibilities that go along with it, I suggest taking a break. If you start to really miss it you'll find your way back.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

When I was that age my friends wondered why I spent all summer going to horse shows until a couple of them came with me. I was the only boy in a group of about 15 girls and 5 or 6 of them were really good friends (and quite good looking). I didn't get teased much after that. If it's boring to you then challenge yourself more or quit and do something else. You can buy alot of tennis rackets and shorts for what a horse costs.


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