# New Adult - Discouraged



## Inga (Sep 11, 2012)

I would say that you are doing great! Learning a new skill is hard enough, trying to get back in shape at the same time, takes time. You should be very proud of yourself. Bless you for working on a life time goal, you are way out ahead of many people. 

I would love to see pictures, video if you feel brave enough to post them here. Don't be discouraged, instead be proud of yourself... you are amazing!

When I was a kid (mid to late teens) taking lessons, there was a guy who was 65 and had just retired. He, like you, decided to work on a lifelong dream of learning to ride. It didn't come easy to him but he never gave up. There were a few fools that chucked when they would see him coming in with his shiny new boots and helmet. I was proud to know this man, I think of him often. Inspiring to say the least. That man even showed horses for several years. He met his goal, as will you. Keep up the good work.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

It is all totally normal! It DOES get better.

Remember that with children and teens, they have a lot more natural flexibility to their bodies. You also have to consider that if they've been riding longer than you have, they have more experience with riding and with their bodies while riding that it's easier for them to adjust since they know how to adjust - you're still building a foundation.

You can't compare yourself to other riders, regardless of age, when you're still learning the building blocks to good riding. You don't use your legs for most other activities the way you do with riding, so you're basically building new muscle. It takes time. Remember not to hold your breath while posting - that can cause you to feel out of breath when you finally do take in some air.

Good luck and keep at it!


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## NordicMan (Nov 4, 2012)

Thanks ! ;-) ... On the breathing, that's is definitely something else I need to constantly remember .. I do unintentionally hold my breath.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I started at 50. Since I was stupid enough to buy a horse and THEN start learning (bad idea), I was able to ride 4-5 times/week. A couple of things I found:

1 - 40 years of jogging left me with very tight hips. Tight hips make it very hard to relax into the saddle. It keeps your thighs squeezed together and shoves you out of the saddle. After 4 years...I still have problems. Rode yesterday, and had cramps in my hips near the end of the ride.

2 - Heels down. Often preached, but I honestly think older riders deserve some slack. When people told me to put my heels down, I tired to SHOVE them down, creating tension thru my entire leg and making my riding much worse. If you have to choose, and a lot of older beginners do, a relaxed leg is far better for good riding than heels down.

However, it will get better with time. This is one area I've made progress:










I'll also note that it is far easier to get your heels down if your feet are slightly forward of your hip. I shoot for the back of my heel aligned with my belt buckle.

3 - I was also told toes front. Right. Like that will happen. After 4 years of riding, I'm happy if my toes are only 45 deg out. Trying to get my toes further forward again results in tension in my leg.

My favorite book on riding is "Commonsense horsemanship". He argues the key is to learn to feel your horse's movement and balance, and to move in harmony with your horse's balance. In my experience, too much concern about my 'position' was harmful to learning to feel and move with my horse.

I had a back injury (thank you, Mia, for the bolt that led to it!) that is only now, 4 years later, starting to work out of my lower back. I didn't realize at the time how much that limited my progress. I didn't start cantering for 3 years, but then, I didn't take many lessons either. And cantering with a very stiff, rigid lower back wasn't going to work anyways, as I look back on it.

In my limited experience, most younger people really get a kick out of an older guy learning to ride. I've met with lots of help, and have yet to have anyone try to discourage me. My youngest daughter and I ride together regularly:










Yes, that is Mia...our current goal is for Mia to become a good trail horse. We recently started on solo rides in the desert. Riding is a lifetime exploration. I enjoyed watching a video on campdrafting, and in particular the competitor who was 80!

Paradise Lagoons Campdraft - YouTube

Also - I think western riding is more forgiving for an older beginner. I've become a *******ized rider. I ride an Aussie-style saddle with a forward seat, except with longer leg than normal and use western reins. The western lessons I took for about 4-5 months were very good. the instructor was very big on teaching how the rider's position affects the horse's balance and willingness, and that is very important no matter what your riding style.

Good luck! In 5 years, you'll be as old as I was at the start...:twisted:

Oh - holding breath. When I'm nervous riding Mia in the desert, I sing. She doesn't mind, and I have a hard time being tense while singing "Red River Valley". Or "Four Legged Friend":


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

I rode exensively as a youngster - I showed and trained jumpers and never got tired or sore. Fast forward 40 years. At 59, I started riding again. I KNOW what to do, but my body sure doesn't cooperate. I'm still not even able to mount without a mounting block, but I'm working on it. I know I'll never ride like I used to, but I'm having the time of my life and it's worth every twinge and ache. You'll get better and I think it's great that you're learning to ride. There is no "normal" time frame - everyone learns at their own rate. As long as you're having fun (at least most of the time LOL) DON'T STOP!!! It will be worth it, and MUCH more fun than working out at a gym!!!


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## justashowmom (Aug 14, 2011)

You sound like you are doing great! The problem I have run into, and I will be 58 next year, is that as soon as I fix one issue, another one crops up. Sigh. Fix my swinging legs, now the left shoulder wants to lead everywhere along with my left hip which resulted in some "lovely" bulging left diagonal circles. Work on that, forget to breathe or relax my arms and hands. Now my back hurts on the right side because I am trying to fix my being crooked. 

Keep it up - on the days it all come together, there is no better feeling.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I see people in their 40 and 50s every summer learning to ride and to play polo at the same time. They have many of the same issues you are having, but eventually do amazingly well.

Keep it up, you'll have a fun, healthy hobby for the rest of your life.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

NordicMan said:


> My frustrations are that I worry I am too old and too far gone.


NM, I know number of people who started riding around your age (BTW, I got my horses and started serious lessons/learning well pass my teenage years :wink: ), and do just GREAT! So don't be discouraged: learning correct riding is not fast, and just need practice-practice-practice. Also if you take lessons for just 4 months (and to me sounds like you do a very good progress), it's still quite short, so no wonder you didn't try to canter yet. Canter will come - don't worry about it.

As for soreness... How intense are the lessons? I sometime have sore muscles after my dressage lessons (and I try to ride every day with lessons once/week usually). I'd suggest to do some stretching and warm-up exercises before you get on a horse - it'll make your muscles "ready" for the ride.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

Magnesium suplements can help if you have overly tight muscles, and drinking a few glasses of water after each lesson will help reduce soreness.

mainly it is just practice, practice, practice. It sounds like you are doing well, keep it up!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Better to start at 45 than at 55, or 65. Never look back, it's a waste of time.

IF the others in the arena judge you, then it only means they have some growing up to do. But, I'd bet that if they are watching you, it is not with a judgemental eye, but with admiration and respect.

I started at 41.


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## NordicMan (Nov 4, 2012)

Thanks - ALL!!

You are all incredibly nice, encouraging and supportive. 

Virtually all of the other students are teen girls or girls in early 20s. There is only one other adult male who I rarely see. Instructors though are highly trained adults - who I think see me as their special "pet" project .

The teens are all very nice and polite .. 

In a way I'm glad I'm doing this now with my current mindset -- I don't think as I teen I would have had the same resilient attitude, and been able to laugh at my mistakes like I do now.


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## CharliesMom (Jul 7, 2009)

My mom is almost 50 and even though she lives in florida she takes lessons 2x a week and calls me to tell me about her progress and asks for help and my opinion and is thrilled with it. She has a lot of the same issues but loves every second of it. I've been riding (seriously riding) for 4 years and I have the same problems sometimes and I'm 22, so don't get discouraged!! The important thing is that you decided to do something that you love and have always wanted to do, so don't be hard on yourself! Be proud that you took the steps to do it, there are lots of people that let fear get in the way of that. The only person you have to prove yourself to is you (and you're trainer but only so you can get the lesson done, it comes with the territory)
It takes time to get the muscle memory there and when it kicks in it'll come second nature. As far as the muscle stiffness, I recommend eating a banana before you ride, it helps cut down the lactic acid release in your muscles and helps you maintain flexibility and endurance. Also, even though you're a guy, YOGA IS AWESOME! Some guys are a little skittish about that, but its not girly and it'll help your flexibility, position and balance. Take you're time and don't beat yourself up about the small stuff, riding takes an extensive balance of forethought and zen. Don't give up!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Nordic, your mind is sharp. It's the body that's lagging a little. A good lower body stretch which you can do while watching tv is to grab a piece of 2x6" at least a foot long but doesn't need to be longer than 18". Stand alongside a wall or stout piece of furniture. With hard soled shoes (riding boots) place the ball of your foot (both feet) just on the plank so your heels can touch the floor. Tell me if I'm wrong but you're bent over and your bum is sticking out behind. Here's the fun part. Stand up straight. OK, not so bad, right? Now pull your hips forward until your shoulders, hips and ankles line up. Feel the pull? The wall is there to help you balance. Bend forward a little to release then repeat a dozen times. This will stretch all those muscles up the back of your legs including your glutes and will help you lower your heels when riding. You have to do them almost daily for weeks. The more you do them the pull will begin to diminish and you'll be able to hold the position for longer periods of time.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Well, consider this. Taking lessons 2 times a week, you are riding, on average, 8 times a month. After 4 months, you've probably gotten somewhere in the neighborhood of just under 50 rides under your belt. In the grand scheme of things, that's not very many. If you were a horse, you'd still be considered very "green broke" LOL.

Like others have said, it will come in time, just relax and remember that having fun is the most important thing. You'll progress at your own speed and the less you stress out about it, the faster you'll progress:wink:.

Also, congrats on getting into the horsey world after wanting it for so many years! Good for you!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

CharliesMom said:


> My mom is almost 50 and even though she lives in florida she takes lessons 2x a week and calls me to tell me about her progress and asks for help and my opinion and is thrilled with it. She has a lot of the same issues but loves every second of it.QUOTE]
> 
> 
> Almost 50? Well, imagine that! that's like practically ancient.
> ...


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

This is something that might help your ankles:

Stand on te stairs with your heels hanging off, all the weight on the balls of your feet. Push yourself up and down on the balls of your feet with your ankles. Ankles go down like your riding, then up like your tippee toeing. Will really work those calves!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Here's a heels down tip that really helped me, TOES UP, not heels down. Like BSMS noted, it messes with your leg position if you try to cram your heels down. Instead, just try to lift your toes up a little bit, and I found my legs didn't move. 

I'm 55, rode English all my life, showed and did all the jumping and stuff. Now, I'm all about low & slow, I started riding Western Pleasure and Trail classes 2 years ago and I'm loving it. My husband is just now learning English, and he's having a tough time too. Unfortunately, he's not real consistent with the lessons, so he's not having an easy time. We're hoping next summer he'll be able to start going 2X/week at least and then he'll see some real progress. 

We all have to start somewhere, sometime. I still want to learn how to cut cows but I need to get better at the western stuff first. So....maybe when I'm 60? LOL! We have no plans to quit riding anytime soon, so just keep on going and keep on trying. I'm sure your instructors love you, you're never going to give them a bad attitude, get ****y because they take away your stirrups or throw a tantrum because your favorite school horse is lame. And you probably pay on time.


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

I think it sounds like you're doing great! You shouldn't judge your progress by any set schedule. Everybody learns differently. I've seen young people in their teens and 20's who ride for a couple of years and are behind you - they just have no natural talent. I've seen true "naturals" who just pick it up like they're en extension of the horse. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Are you having fun? Do you feel like you're mastering something a little more each lesson? Are you doing something that challenges you each lesson? Then you're learning at your correct pace.

Don't worry that your instructor might think you're slow compared to others. First, you're paying for your lesson, you can learn however fast or slow you want. Second, any good instructor knows that a 45-year-old isn't going to be as flexible and learn the muscle-memory as quickly as a kid, and should be setting your expectations and challenging you accordingly. What the girls think doesn't matter. Sounds like they're being friendly and respectful. Most riders respect other riders, regardless of skill level. We all started out and had our own learning curves at some time. And I don't think anyone is ever done learning or making mistakes.

For the heel down, when I get sloppy and let my heel drift up, I pull my toes up, rather than pushing my heel down. Seems to engage different muscles and keep my leg more relaxed. Works for my 43-year-old stiff muscles. Just try it to feel the difference.

Remember you're only riding a couple times a week. That probably isn't enough to get your muscles trained well enough to keep from getting sore. Each ride might be like the first ride for your muscles, though it should be progressively getting better.


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## EquineBovine (Sep 6, 2012)

Never too old! We have a chap at the hunt meets who is galloping towards 80 and only started riding at 69. He is AWESOME! You will be too!  Keep at it! Sore legs means you've had a good ride! And it sounds like you're doing really well! 
P.S We love photos here!


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## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

Good grief! 45 isn't old at all! Don't worry about your age long as you're enjoying yourself that's what's most important. I took lessons as a child and owned my own horse for a little while thereafter into my 20's. I never thought I would get back into riding but that all changed when I purchased my horse Joey almost 5 yrs ago now. I am 47 yrs old now and I am an avid rider-more so than any of the kids at my boarding facility. I now have 3 horses and wonder what I actually did before my horses. You're doing great! Just continue to follow your dreams.


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

Queen Elizabeth II demonstrates never being too old for a good ride.


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## kellylee (Oct 29, 2012)

It is wonderful that you have the courage to start what can be such a humbling endeavor. When you described all of the things you have to remember, it totally reminded me of learning to play golf! Every time I try to incorporate a new skill, I immediately forget the to keep my eye on the ball because I am so excited to see where it goes (which is usually about 2 inches from the tee-ha!)

I am just getting back into riding again at 43 and it makes me long for the days when I was completely fearless. I too feel super self-conscious at times, but I think it really depends on what the people are like where you ride. I am trying out different places and the atmosphere really makes a big difference. 

I would also recommend a book - How Your Horse Wants You To Ride: Starting Out, Starting Over - by Gincy Self Bucklin. You definitely have to get the book version (vs. the Kindle) because the pictures are so helpful. I like it because she starts with a focus on bonding on the ground, and then gradually moves into a good seat/balance without worrying about too many principles. 

Congratulations to you!


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

NordicMan said:


> Hi - I am a new adult English rider, 4 months into learning. I take lessons 2x's per week. I am a male, 45 years old. This is something I have always wanted to do, but as a kid, logisitics and costs were just too much for my parents. College, job, and raising a son put things off even further.
> 
> When I started riding, I was quite out of shape, but have now lost nearly 30 lbs in 4 months with both riding and supplemental physical exercise.
> 
> ...


 answers imbedded in red


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

Good for you for following your dreams!! I applaud any adult who decides to start riding. You sound exactly like one of my adult students. And yes, as a whole I've found that my adult students are stiffer, sometimes have a harder time doing things, and need more breaks. But I LOVE my adult students. I'm in no hurry to push them and your instructor shouldn't be annoyed either (if she is you have the wrong instructor). The great thing about adults is that you can understand concepts that a lot of kids simply don't take the time to learn. What other kinds of exercise do you do? Running has helped one student quite a bit and yoga helped another. Also, any chance you can ride more often? Time in te saddle is what's really going to help you progress the fastest. Regardless, congrats on riding! Keep it up!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Reno Bay (Jul 8, 2012)

I'm rather young (22), but I have my own problems too. We all do, so don't let anything discourage you. Keep practicing and you'll get it. I've been riding (on and off, whenever we could afford lessons) for about 10 years, pretty much all Hunter/Jumper. Now that I've switched to Dressage, things are very new and I'm having a little trouble getting used to it. Longer stirrups, have to remember to stay looooooose and relaxed (difficult since I'm a tense person), keep the leg off the horse, heels down, toes in, leg back into proper position (shoulder, hip, ankle), soft hands, turn shoulders in corners/circles. It's really interesting and I'm ever so slowly getting the hang of it.

And I'm still always sore after riding. Granted I do about four hours of mucking and other barn work before my lessons, but I don't think it makes too much of a difference.


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## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

I almost forgot to mention that my BO and friend still rides regularly and has just turned 70 and I respect them for this very much. One of my favourite riders is Ian Millar aka Captain Canada and is still competing at the age of 65 in show jumping. You're never too old to start riding.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

NordicMan said:


> When I started riding, I was quite out of shape, but have now lost nearly 30 lbs in 4 months with both riding and supplemental physical exercise.
> 
> My frustrations are that I worry I am too old and too far gone.


You are doing great. Your health has improved. 

Repeat after me. I am not old. I am not old.


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## Sairys (Dec 22, 2011)

Oh, OP I think you're doing amazing!

I'm 24 and in that age group where people go "oh, but you're in your twenties so you should bounce back from everything and WHY are you sore and complaining and you're YOUNG"! Well, I've been very out of shape for years and I just came back into riding in January of this year. I only started cantering regularly a few months ago. I spent months and months working on leg, trotting in circles, and spending a lot of time in two point. I only recently moved up to the "advanced" group of students who lesson together -- one of them is a thirteen year old and the other is over fifty, only recently started riding, and has a hip replacement.

It's one of those things I love about riding. We can pick it up at any age and excel. And while we may feel sore coming off of the horse it's a good sore! I think you're doing an amazing job and you shouldn't feel discouraged at all. Just look at how well you've done in four months with your health! Imagine doing all of that just running on a treadmill.. I know I wouldn't be able to keep it up! 

I know I'm 24 but I felt the same way; too old and too far gone, because the common assertion is that you start a sport in youth and master it. I felt like that especially after going to several hunter/jumper shows and watching the 9 year olds cantering and powering over jumps. I felt so behind! But with a lot of work and practice I'm beginning to bridge that gap and I feel better physically than I ever did before.

Keep it up! It's obviously doing you good! I also suggest doing some reading. I read _Practical Horseman_ in my free time and I've gotten a lot of great insights. Anything you don't understand you can probably discuss with your trainer. Sometimes the combination of something you absorb while reading and being in the saddle leads to a big A-HA! moment that lets something click that you might have been struggling with before.

I think you're awesome!



> 1) Reining is generally good - though I have to remember sometimes to be more gentle in stopping (hands instead of arms). I rein well in trotting.


It is a difficult and unusual thing to start to learn your body parts independently. When I first started I had to remember that I was riding a horse, not driving a car! It was really very comical as I kept pulling both reins left and right like a steering wheel. As your seat develops you will learn to rely less on your hands and more on your legs on seat, which helps in keeping some of the pressure off of the horse's mouth. I remember when I started learning the canter steering was strange for me because my seat was very insecure. That's step one (which you already seem to be working on well)!



> 2) Posting trot is OK, though on sharper turns I still need better leg support. After about 5 minutes of trotting or when my legs tire, I creep up on my toes and need "heels down" reminders. The posting my instructors insist on is very "light," -- they say pretend my butt is coming down on a baby chick and I don't want to squish it.
> 
> 3) I do ankle and leg stretches daily, but legs and ankles are still like rubber bands. Muscle contract and get hard and stiff .. I need TONS of stretching every time I ride. Getting flexibility is taking a LONG time


Flexibility is rough at any age. Your stretching and exercises will help for sure, but I like to think more about thinking about my weight rather than my heels. Keeping your hip even with your heel and letting your weight sink into your heels will help accomplish it without thinking "heels down, heels down".

The dreaded two-point position is an amazing workout. I try to do two-point at every gait for as long as I can with leaning only lightly on the crest for support, making sure to keep my legs in the proper position. Then when you sit and begin posting try not to let your leg move from that position. Eventually muscle memory will catch up. This also helps me stretch and loosen up my muscles in preparation for my actual lesson work. It is very tiring, yes, but effective.

My trainer also had me do two-ups, two-downs. That is sitting for two beats of the trot and then rising for two beats of the trot (holding yourself up). At first your balance will be terrible but over time it will greatly improve once your leg settles into the correct position. You won't need your hands to lean on as much and your leg position will solidify. This is even more tiring than working at length in two-point, so don't worry about feeling like you need to do it right away. It was months before my trainer suggested I start working on the technique.



> 4) I am learning changing diagonals and steering patterns in ring while trotting. The leg work is coming, but doesn't come really easily.


My trainer had me at this for _weeks_. The walk/trot mount I was on had some minimal dressage training so we did a lot of crossing the ring on the diagonal line to practice using my leg and also switching diagonals on the trot at the right time (and steering). Obviously any horse can cut diagonally across the ring but we were specifically trying to get him to leg yield and cross his legs over at the trot. But even using your leg over your reins to get a little bend in him is a good workout.

Leg exercises are great but don't forget to work your core! Your core is key for all things and will make your life and riding much, much easier.

I don't know how your trainer is but any work on the lunge focusing just on leg (and not worrying about steering) will probably help a bit.

I didn't mean to long post and give you an avalanche of information but it's all things that over many months and with a lot of work have gotten me from zero to jumping small verticals. You WILL get there and you're already doing amazingly! Don't be discouraged!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

You sound like you're doing great! I'm also 45, and I know how hard it is to make your body do things. I started riding seriously when I was 40. Muscle memory really comes into play with riding. Don't get frustrated. It'll all come with time.


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## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

HUGE APPLAUSE!

I realize that everything to be said likely HAS, as this thread is many posts in, and I honestly haven't time at this moment to read them all, but I wanted to make a few quick comments:

1) 45 is NOT OLD...You have MANY, many great years left in ya!
2) AMEN to you for following your dream...it sounds like you're doing GREAT; & REMEMBER, feeling "slow" to come along at a very challenging sport is NORMAL. Even lifelong riders feel that way when they take longer than they expected to manage a new riding skill/horse-training issue! 
3) NO INSTRUCTOR in his/her right mind would be UPSET if it required YEARS of lessons to get you where you want to be as you are providing them with SECURE INCOME during tough economic times! ;0) Kind of being tounge-in-cheek, but it's something to think about each time you feel your trainer thinks you should "hurry up" & get it!!
4) I was a returning rider at age 38 after a solid 15 years out of saddle, & even with 15+ years of youth riding and intensive lessons as a kid, after 15 years off, it took me a good 18 lessons to even build the core strength/returned skill-set to safely start working on my canter/jumping etc...and I can TELL when what I'm doing "feels" right or wrong, as the body doesn't forget....thus, even with that "advantage" I'm still not much farther along than you are...and I only restarted at six years younger than you are!
I love that you're going for your dream! THAT KEEPS US YOUNG! Keep at it & don't let anything hinder you! EVERYONE here will support your endeavors 100%!!

(Now I'm going to make it a point to read up on how very redundant everything I've said was--Ha!!

BEST TO YOU!! B2H

p.s. I'm still a bit sore for a good 24° after EVERY RIDE, & I'm so flexible I can literally wrap my legs around my neck and stand on my hands. Females are OFTEN more flexible than males due to bodies needing to be able to bear children (though I've never had the pleasure!) so DON'T KNOCK YOURSELF for lack of flexibility ...I'm VERY muscular for a "chick" and I guarantee you have core strength 20xs better than mine regardless of how much I work out/ride...keep THAT in mind!!:wink:


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## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

Also - even after 4 months - my legs are still sore the day or two after every riding lesson. I don't mind, but is this also normal?

Yup - for 45 and never really "ridden" you are doing just fine. The heel stretching is a given issues - due to the fact you have NOT done this all your life. It's similar to me and Yoga - just started it - parts are just fine due to having ridden most of my life (over 50 years) but touching my toes shile keeping legs straight? I never have been good at that and I am still not good at that (but can dow heels down all day without an issue). 

Sounds like you have good instruction (not cantering until the trot is good) - you really do need to be able to stop and steer while stick shifting (think Volkswagon beetle) before getting into a Ferrari and doing laps at over 100 MPH.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

I'm 17 and have been riding for 5 years and STILL find that I get sore after a ride now and again, everything thats happening to you through that is absolutely normal and to be expected.

4 Months is nothing, for only having done 4 months so far you are doing seriously well, thats only somewhere around 16 weeks, and with you riding 2x a week, thats only about 32 rides, which is not many at all.

Instead of being discouraged by what you _can't_ do, you should concentrate more on being proud of yourself for getting into it in the first place, and focus on the things you _can_ do. You might find it helps you excell in your chosen domain also, as being negative about things (especially around horses) can hinder your progress a lot, while being positive and saying things like "well hey, I learnt to do this already after only "x" rides"

seriously... It took me the better part of 6 months of riding the same horse every day before I felt confident enough to be able to stay on at a canter, and a further few months before I even thought about doing anything else.

Welcome to the forum and well done to you for finally doing what you've always wanted to do, :thumbsup:


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