 | | Jodders. Ride a horse | | How to ride a horse |
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Stop faffing - start riding!
It's all about riding!
Of course, horses are going to be all about riding. But you'd be sprised how many people who have a horse of their own, become confused and side tracked by other issues, and riding seems to take a back seat.
It can be expensive to go riding and this can be both an excuse and a distraction for not getting on with it. When you get down to the bare bones of it, your monthly bills, unless you have your own land, which not many of us do, are your stable bill, feed and farrier. There'll be other irregular expenses like wormers, teeth examinations and vaccinations, but once you have your basic equipment, there is no need to keep spending money unless you want to. Nor is there any need to spend precious time frequenting the tack shop - time that should be spent riding. Can you afford a horse?
Focus on the riding. Do you really need the latest jacket, shirt or jodpurs? Just how many rugs or saddle cloths to you really need, even if your horse looks cute in them? Don't make the expense of these things the excuse that stops you from riding. With equine clothing - getting the essentials is all you need to worry about at first.
Focusing on your riding keeps you finding out and learning. So maybe you have a few problems, you have days when you feel you're just getting no where, and it's just easier to take a trip to the tack shop and spend on stuff to cheer you up than confront that horse again in that field!
Why do we prevaricate?
So why do we get so sidetracked by tack shops, cleaning out the tack room, gossiping down the yard - anything but getting on the hosrse?
Sometimes it can be a conscious or unconscious lack of confidence, or just being plain scared. Maybe your horse is difficult in hand, and the way she leaps around stops you from getting on. Maybe you're had a fall - even a small one - and once this happens, every time you go to get on again, your mind takes you back to what happened before. Maybe you're seen someone else having a fall, and can't stop thinking about what might happend to you. It's the 'what ifs' that often hold us back. What if he spooks at a lorry? What if he plays up when he sees other horses? What if he runs away with me and I can't stop him?
Enlist help
But stop for a minute and think. Is there someone around you who could help? Is there someone in your yard who maybe knows a little bit more than you, who would point you in the right direction? Is there someone you could ride out with to give you confidence, or could you invest in a few lessons?
Alternatively, is the 'help' you are getting holding you back? People have different styles of being with horses, and different teaching styles. Maybe you have a friend who encourages you to do things you don't feel comfortable with - like insisting you get on a spooky horse, or canter on a hack before you are ready. Although it's important to be focused with your riding, and keep trying, this does not mean doing things you are not happy with, or are beyond your present skill level. Try to find a teacher who is happy to help you become more confident witout 'pushing' you into things you don't feel happy with - it won't help you confidence or make you a better rider. Find a teacher you are happy to work with.
At whatever stage you are at with your riding, there's always more to learn. Look around at all the resourses available for learning about horses, from Parelli to the BHS. Don't just get into a habit of riding in one particular way. Look around you, develop your own style and your own way of thinking, and keep reading and watching dvds on riding. Keep the brain switched on. and use all that information around you. Have a look at 5 top reads for riding with confidence.
In the end though, you can watch all the videos, read all the books and take all the lessons in the world. It's still all about riding, acutally getting on that horse, every month, every week, every day.
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