Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[cacticollie]

hello everyone! So i don't actually own horses but i do take riding lessons. And i have a question, how do you be more involved in horses and learn more ahout them? Not just about riding but about barn management, tsck, the different styles of riding erc?

find people who do that sort of thing and learn from them
most people will be more than willing to show you! i have a friend currently teaching me ranch management. find a lot of people into horses through events/saddle clubs and start from there.
ask your trainer about different tack types/riding styles. my trainer teaches both western pleasure and dressage luckily. the internet is also a good place to learn about tack. depending on where you live, you could also take tours through a saddle shop and we have a bit/spur maker here who offers free tours

[Wren,]

hello everyone! So i don't actually own horses but i do take riding lessons. And i have a question, how do you be more involved in horses and learn more ahout them? Not just about riding but about barn management, tsck, the different styles of riding erc?

Become a working student. When I started English back up after two years ago, I began riding once a week until my trainer offered me a working student position, and then I began riding 4 times a week under professional instruction, riding everything from Halflinger ponies, to OTTBs, to 18 hh Oldenburg geldings. It is very hard work, but I achieved my goal in joining a collegiate riding team in a little less than a year, and we have sent 2 riders to nationals this year in which on of them is now ranked 8 in the US and Canada. It takes lots of hard work in the cut throat equestrian world to get what you want. Lots of people will claim to be 'trainers' or whatever but don't listen to them until you are actually able to physically see their facilities.

[Wren,]

Greetings fellow equestrians. I am a riding instructor and horse trainer under both English and Western disciplines. I have 12+ years experience as an equestrian. However, my certification is on hold since I'm currently in my first pregnancy! <3 I am more than happy to answer any questions pertaining to horses and ponies with bad habits to on the bit work and everything else in between. I am also very familiar with your high spirited horses known as OTTB's for I personally have a mare of my very own named Princess Spanky who's had her fair share of lessons she's taught me. Feel free to PM with any questions!

Discipline Highlights:
___[•]Enlgish:
-English Pleasure
-Hunt Seat
-Beginner Level Dressage

___[•]Western:
-Western Pleasure
-Barrel Racing
-Trail Horse

Who are you being certified under? Also, are you Hunt Seat Equitation or Hunt Seat Eq Over Fences? Also, since you're a trainer, you should know that not all OTTBs are high spirited and shouldn't be if being worked properly on a regular schedule. Many of the OTTBs I work with are quite well behaved and don't differ much from a QH.

[isl]

Hi!
I am a horserider, don't own one, but take lessons So I think I will come and talk here sometimes
I love the Fjords and luckily I can ride them often. It's my favorite breed. I like them because they have their own way of doing things, like we have one that reverses things like garbage cans. My second favorite is the Haflinger, because of the same reasons.

What is your favorite breed?

My favourite breed for sure is the Shire or the Percheron.

I have 1 Percheron gelding, 1 Shire mare and 1 Shire gelding and they are beautiful horses!

[Livid-Silver]

I have a question :3
So, the pony that I ride sometimes is a brat >.< He doesn't listen to me if I want him to turn when he is trotting. He either stops trotting and walks or immediately speeds up which is dangerous.
Does anyone have any tips on how to control him better?

This actually sounds like a balance issue to me. He gets 'stuck' in the same pace and alters his speed when turning because he is trying to re-balance. I'd say he probably does the same thing in walk, but its not quite so obvious As for controlling it better, making sure you have your own balance is paramount. He can't mind his own balance if he's having to catch you as well. This is very much a feel thing and difficult to describe, but play around with your posistion and make sure you're sitting square and even, going with his movement rather than in front of it or getting left behind. Having someone on the ground is the best way to accomplish this If you feel him slow down into a turn, click him up a little or push from your seat to encourage him forward and if you feel him go to speed up, sit a little deeper and ask for a half halt so he comes back to you. This won't change overnight and will be a process before he really changes, but any little change is a step in the right direction! Take your time and have fun

@Middle Earth.; Just to add on to what everyone else has said, doing your own research can be really beneficial! There is heaps of research and forums and other literature that is free to access online Also, picking an experienced horsey person you know, probably at your lesson barn, and asking them to be bit of a mentor can help as well. One of the best things about horses is that you never stop learning, so read on!

@Huggles; if you want to have horses you need to get a job. No short way about it, horses are expensive. In fact, I'd highly doubt you would be able to earn enough to pay for all of your horse's expenses on a part time wage. I am only going off what you said board costs, plus general horse expenses and the average wage/working hours for a 16 year old in my area. This of course could all be different where you're from In my experience, barns often don't really pay all that well- after all, there is always someone else waiting to take your place. Certainly look around and see what barns in your area are offering pay wise and what hours you'd be expected to work and whether they pay in cash. Places which insist on paying only in cash are always a little suspicious for me. I am by no way saying don't work in a barn, but do think about it wisely and do your research. Compare the average pay per hour for barn work with other local retailers and see if the rates are comparable. There will be a job out there to suit and it pays to do your due diligence

~~~

There are a lot of new people on this thread, which is great to see! If it worth wild, it might be a good idea to post a little introduction if you haven't already I'll introduce my crew properly tomorrow if anybody new is interested in hearing about them; I'm sure we're all guilty of using any excuse to talk more about our horses I've got 3 at the moment, Reggie, Cleo and Miles, plus a pony I am prepping for sale named Cody. Reg is a clydie x I've had since he was a yearling and he is now rising 5. I broke him in as a late 3 yo and he's just been ticking along quietly since then. Mainly doing dressage, but he's had one eventing start for a 3rd place (I think it was. It was a looonnngggg day lol). Cleo and Miles are my two warmbloods, Miles being Cleo's foal. They haven't been doing all too much other than chilling in the paddock, but Cleo was my dressage horse and before that she was an eventer for her previous owner Miles is only 6 months old, so he is just being a general gobber as foals do

[DysphorianAsh]

I used to ride horses a few years ago until the place I was at kicked me out for some reason?? I never got to even ride but once, but I have a question. I have scoliosis and I was told I can't do much but have the horse in a walk because the "bouncing" you have to do when trotting and related. Would that be okay for me to do? I'm getting back into riding someone's horses and I want to make sure it won't make my scoliosis worse (or hurt the horse, which it won't if I don't do it)

I used to ride a horse named Boo and he was so amazing. He fought the other horses for my attention (nothing more but nipping at them and lightly pushing them, he was not aggressive) and always met me at the gates once I got there. He was one of the best things that ever happened to me ahh. But I'll never see hime again ;3c

[tenturo]

I used to ride horses a few years ago until the place I was at kicked me out for some reason?? I never got to even ride but once, but I have a question. I have scoliosis and I was told I can't do much but have the horse in a walk because the "bouncing" you have to do when trotting and related. Would that be okay for me to do? I'm getting back into riding someone's horses and I want to make sure it won't make my scoliosis worse (or hurt the horse, which it won't if I don't do it)

I used to ride a horse named Boo and he was so amazing. He fought the other horses for my attention (nothing more but nipping at them and lightly pushing them, he was not aggressive) and always met me at the gates once I got there. He was one of the best things that ever happened to me ahh. But I'll never see hime again ;3c

I personally would invest in a back brace before riding again!
A close friend of mine used to ride quite often until her scoliosis got really bad and now she can't ride unless she's wearing a back brace. I'd try to do exercises while riding to help keep yourself grounded in the saddle more to avoid as much bouncing as possible ( and post when trotting ! )
definitely consult with your doctor on all of this , though

[gamorasass]

I used to ride horses a few years ago until the place I was at kicked me out for some reason?? I never got to even ride but once, but I have a question. I have scoliosis and I was told I can't do much but have the horse in a walk because the "bouncing" you have to do when trotting and related. Would that be okay for me to do? I'm getting back into riding someone's horses and I want to make sure it won't make my scoliosis worse (or hurt the horse, which it won't if I don't do it)

I used to ride a horse named Boo and he was so amazing. He fought the other horses for my attention (nothing more but nipping at them and lightly pushing them, he was not aggressive) and always met me at the gates once I got there. He was one of the best things that ever happened to me ahh. But I'll never see hime again ;3c

I personally would invest in a back brace before riding again!
A close friend of mine used to ride quite often until her scoliosis got really bad and now she can't ride unless she's wearing a back brace. I'd try to do exercises while riding to help keep yourself grounded in the saddle more to avoid as much bouncing as possible ( and post when trotting ! )
definitely consult with your doctor on all of this , though

After over a decade of riding I've been told to stop. My scoliosis is causing severe pain and riding is not helping that. I miss riding more than anything. It been just over a month since my last ride and I am still too heartbroken to even go to the barn right now.

[Faded...]

My sister got this beautiful gelding he is so far calm and behaves! he's around 18 so thats a great age for her.

[Brynmala]

@ Rainbowhorse - nice looking horse, what do the brands denote?

I had some fun and games yesterday. My partner currently has a rotator cuff injury so is off work and can't do a lot with her horse, so I get to do 90% of the horse work... yay. They still both need exercising though, so a friend came over to ride Ollie (mine) and I got Prophet (my partner's Arab), only the second time I've really ridden him. Another friend wanted to come out with us on her allegedly Dutch warmblood mare Connie. Connie isn't getting enough exercise and is an excitable type anyway, and she and Prophet were just winding each other up. Have to say her rider made a much better show of staying in control than I did! Luckily it was up a fairly steep and long hill and he ran out of puff before the end (and I made him go on then anyway, just to prove a point). Ollie, bless him, behaved impeccably and we all got home safely.

Also Ollie (now 27) has just been diagnosed with very borderline Cushings. Anyone got any tips on managing it?