LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hi all, I've booked to have horse riding lessons for a few months as part of my Duke of Edinburgh's award. If things go well then I may continue. The problem is I have never riden a horse before in my life and I literally have no clue! It's a 1 on 1 lesson so at least I won't look like a moron in front of all of the experienced riders Would any of you be kind enough to give me any tips for my first lesson next week? Thanks - LCL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 It's years since I had lessons - and I wasn't a brilliant rider by any means! All I would say is don't worry, the instructor will know (or ask) if you have had any experience, and they will treat you accordingly. They won't let you get into difficulties, after all they want you to enjoy it and come back again. Wear wellies or at least stout ankle boots if you can; firstly, horses have a nasty habit of stepping on your toes, secondly it will help you to put pressure on the horse's sides with your leg. Try and relax - very important, I used to grip the reins with white knuckles and it really doesn't help! Have fun, I gave up lessons after a couple of years but enjoyed it very much while I did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I got back on a horse after 30 years off them a while ago. I was exhausted! You must be much much much younger than me, so I don't expect it will wear you out but I'd say do a bit of bending and stretching beforehand, and be prepared for a sore bot My biggest tip would be to try to relax, you'll enjoy it so much more. Instructors the world over tend to bark instructions at you, but they do always have your best interests at heart. Don't worry if none of it seems to sink in, it does take time. And don't be scared if they have your feet out of the irons, or ask you to drop the reins, its all about learning the basics - balance for you and commands to the horse - and you will feel great once you've done it, its goes in the box marked 'I didn't know I could do that' Tell us how you get on, I hope you enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hi all, I've booked to have horse riding lessons for a few months as part of my Duke of Edinburgh's award. If things go well then I may continue. The problem is I have never riden a horse before in my life and I literally have no clue! It's a 1 on 1 lesson so at least I won't look like a moron in front of all of the experienced riders Would any of you be kind enough to give me any tips for my first lesson next week? Thanks - LCL Not seen you on here LCL for a while. Where have you been hiding? My advice is don't fall off. I used to go riding years ago and I used to fall off every time I went. It became quite a joke with my friends. You will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 Not seen you on here LCL for a while. Where have you been hiding? Hiding under a mountain of school work, sadly Added to the time I spend doing all my extra curricular activities, I really just don't have the time any more. Thanks for the advice everyone I'll let you know how I get on. The instructor mentioned on the phone that I should wear wellies, but having tried them on they're a tad small now. Do you think it will be okay if I wear my walking boots? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 As I recall, ideally you want something with a low heel (rather than completely flat) as it helps you to keep your foot in the stirrup. Can you borrow a bigger pair of wellies? They are probably best - it depends what your walking boots are like, but the soles might be a bit thick and make it difficult to fit your foot in the stirrup. Definitely don't wear trainers, as they don't give you that instep shape that you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkitty Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I'd also say it might be an idea not to wear jeans, or trousers that have a large seam down the inside leg. Serious chafage! Not that I speak from experience It'll be great, you'll discover muscles in your inner thighs you didn't know you had Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Excellent advice - wear trousers that are comfy/stretchy. I wouldn't wear walking boots, you won't be able to 'feel' what you are doing and as Olly says they may not fit in the stirrup anyway. A shoe/boot with a low heel is ideal or borrow some wellies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Nothing to add to the above really - comfy trousers (leggings would be okay - definitely nothing with a heavy seam down the inside of the leg) and wellies to start. Be prepared to bump around to start with and ache afterwards but be warned, it's addictive - I've been riding 25ish years and couldn't imagine life without it, it's just the most fab activity. Listen to your instructor who, as said above, can have a tendency to bark instructions but they do know their stuff and simply want you to be safe. In the yard, just be aware of a few safety issues. Don't walk behind any horses without warning them that you are there, they might kick out in surprise. Any horses that e.g. bite ought to have a notice outside their stable but ask before you approach just in case there are any bad tempered animals (hopefully not). Above all - HAVE FUN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Relax and have fun. As long as your walking boots aren't too chunky then you should be fine in them. Careful with leggins as they can be a bit slippy, which if you are just learning can make you feel less that secure! Sit up tall and straight and keep your heels down, think of it more as standing up with your knees bent and a horse between your legs, rather than being sat down on a horse. If in doubt grab a chunk of mane and tell your instructor if you are not happy doing something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I was out riding this morning and it was fabulous in the sunshine ...just schooling my newish pony that I am so lucky to share. Riding is very addictive, a great outdoor sport....I have been riding for 28 years tomorrow....my first lesson was on my birthday (which is tomorrow.) A riding hat is essential which the riding school you are attending should let you have one for a few lessons,but make sure someone who knows what they are doing fits it for you....it should be quite a tight fit. Boots with a small heel and comfortable stretchy trousers/tracksuit bottoms. Put longer socks on too ...that will stop any chafing on your leg....I used to help teach children ride with Riding for the Disabled and I remember sometimes their socks just weren't long enough. Enough rambling, have fun and enjoy. Looking forward to hearing how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 These are my walking boots (well, shoes at least, I wouldn't really call them boots) so I guess they wouldn't really be suitable 'cos they're a bit big Put longer socks on too How long are 'longer' socks? I don't think I have any that go up much further than my ankle. I have some really massive wooly ones that I use when I use by walking boots. If I can manage to fit my enormous feet as well as those thick socks into my wellies then should I use those? Thanks again for all your help everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 In an ideal world, you really need boots with a bit more of a heel and boots with an ankle part to support you. If you are wearing shorter boots (ie not wellies), longer socks up to knee will just protect your leg from your boot chafing your leg. I hope this helps, I wouldn't get too worried about it all, turn up and enjoy! Thinking about it some riding stables do have boots you can borrow too, I'd ask them if they do, that will save you borrowing wellies from someone. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Relax and enjoy it! Don't be afraid to ask the instructor if s/he asks you to do something you don't understand and take a little time to get a hat that fits you reasonably well (if it's too small it will hurt, trust me, but too big and it won't do its job!!!) Let us know how you get on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Sit up tall and straight and keep your heels down, think of it more as standing up with your knees bent and a horse between your legs, rather than being sat down on a horse. The best advice I ever heard was to try to sit exactly as kinsk describes and also to imagine that if the horse suddenly disappeared, you would land on your feet and not fall over! (which is to say, don't lean forwards or backwards). Being tense makes people hunch forward so do try to relax despite the unfamiliar feeling and all the information being blasted your way! So, in summary, sit tall and straight but not stiff, imagine you are standing with your legs bent, and relax. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 The best advice I ever heard was to try to sit exactly as kinsk describes and also to imagine that if the horse suddenly disappeared, you would land on your feet and not fall over! Thanks for that and thanks everyone else for all of your lovely advice I am ridiculously excited now I've got a few books out on the basics, and I've watched a few videos on YouTube as well, so hopefully I won't be too bad. Roll on Saturday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Oh and have a nice hot bath after Saturday will soon be here, hope the weather is nice for you. I'm still feeling a bit sore from the weekend and I ride regularly, Lord only knows what I'll be like after 200km across Mongolia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 200km across Mongolia! Wow! What's that in aid of, I assume it some sort of sponsored charity event? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I did 100 miles a long time ago!!! For my Duke of Edinbugh Gold Award. I was the only person who did not ache that much...which I put down to my training beforehand of riding 4 or 5 times a week including hacking out with no stirrups! I must have been mad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 I did 100 miles a long time ago!!! For my Duke of Edinbugh Gold Award. I was the only person who did not ache that much...which I put down to my training beforehand of riding 4 or 5 times a week including hacking out with no stirrups! I must have been mad! Wow! Hats off to you How long did it take? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I did 100 miles a long time ago!!! wow well done! Yup it's a charity thing for help 4 heroes. Two friends were doing it but one has broken her shoulder so can't, I've been roped into it but don't have that long to get the fitness levels up, my boy has been in semi-retirement for about a year now, and have barely ridden this year due to work commitments so need to get cracking. We need an update on Saturday after your lesson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 We did 100 miles over 4 days, the aim was 25 miles each day, but it ended up being more as each time we cantered (wasn't that many so as to keep the horses well) we got lost as we were going too fast to notice where we were going. Ha ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Yup it's a charity thing for help 4 heroes. That's a great cause, good luck! We need an update on Saturday after your lesson Will do! I'm really excited! We did 100 miles over 4 days, the aim was 25 miles each day, but it ended up being more as each time we cantered (wasn't that many so as to keep the horses well) we got lost as we were going too fast to notice where we were going. Ha ha! Wow! That's really impressive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) I'm back I really, really enjoyed it! The weather was fabulous too which made it even more enjoyable. I managed to squeeze into my wellies by the way, and they were fine for riding in. The stable took a while to find, but thankfully we weren't late. When I got there I was extremely nervous There were loads of people there who were a lot younger than me and had obviously been riding for years, I felt like an idiot. They put me on a black and white horse called Ed. I was really scared by this point (I'm scared of heights and horses are tall! ) but once Ed started to walk I calmed down a bit as I realised it wasn't too bad My instructor was really nice She could see how nervous I was but she was very patient and explained everything really well. At first she just had me riding Ed round in a circle on the lunge line, then once I'd gotten the hang everything (posture, looking up at the horizon etc) we moved onto a trot. Trotting was a lot harder (it's very bouncy! ) My instructor got me to stand up in the stirrups to help me to get an idea of how I should move when the horse is trotting. That was a bit scary but I think I got the hang of it eventually. I was really enjoying it by the end. After that my instructor took Ed off the lunge line and got me to ride him all over the ring to practice guiding him with the reins. She said afterwards that it's really rare for her to let someone off the lunge on their first lesson, so maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought I was! Overall, I LOVED it , and I can't wait until my next lesson I'll probably go to the library tomorrow to see if they have any books on riding. Obviously horse riding really isn't the sort of thing you can just learn for a book, but I think it would help for me to learn a few horsey words etc Thanks again for all of your advice everyone, it helped a lot. Edited for spelling Edited March 25, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 So pleased that you enjoyed your lesson It sounds like you had a great time and did really well too. You'll be addicted before you know it! Trotting is really tricky until you get the hang of rising up and down in your stirrups, sitting trot is much harder and something I still struggle with after 25 years of riding But it won't take you long to master the rising trot and then you'll be away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
