Horseback Riding Anyone?

[Miss Ambient Cloud-Waters]

Hiya! Does anyone do any horseback riding or show? I've been thinking about competition but I dont know what I want to do yet....
I was at a Hunter Jumper barn but recently swiched to a Western and English barn where I do lessions and volunteer work now. My trainer changed the way I ride so I'm starting from about 0 again (-.-). I've taken interest in Dressage, Showjumping, Cross-Country Riding and different types of Driving (e.g. Draft, Pleasure and Fine Harness). I've been riding every summer since I was about 11 and I'm 15 now. I know how to walk, trot/sit trot, (my trainer is re-teaching me how to canter), jumping position or half seat, ground poles and cross rails.


So, any ideas or advice?

[isobel black]

Holy shit, Lakita's posturing as a WASP this time.

[korinna5555]

Wowwwwwwwww................

[Solumina]

Originally Posted by korinna5555

Wowwwwwwwww................

Yeah that's my thought

[Opteron_Man]

Originally Posted by Solumina

Yeah that's my thought

Yeah, me too.

[Tismine]

I really, REALLY want to answer this...
= [

[Beneath the Shadows]

So answer it.

[Tismine]

Alrighty then!
So, I rode everyday, at least 3 hours a day, for several years, until injuries and finances forced me to stop. And I competed in hunter-jumper, jumpers, and equitation.
Do you only ride during the summers? If so, you won't be able to compete very efficiently. You need tons and tons of training to get everything perfect: Ie, hand position, balance, exact position of heel and placement of whip. This is especially important in Dressage.
If you were doing hunter jumper, I wouldn't suggest you drop EVERYTHING you knew for strict showjumping, as it probably still applies. Unless, of course, it's something dangerously stupid, like kicking the horse, or having a hard reign.
Hm..if you plan to compete in all of those disciplines, you probably won't get very far, no matter how talented you may be. It simply takes too much muscle memory to get both you and the horse prepared.
...you could have just said eventing, by the way. It's dressage, then cross country, then showjumping. I've never competed in the former two, but I did train several horses to be able to do first level, and as said, I competed in showjumping.
Right, Dressage first!
You'll prolly be in introductory, as you seem new at this. (introductory, training, first, second, third, fourth, if my memory serves me correctly.) Try your hardest to be in a standard size arena- this will probably be what you are competing in. You'll only be asked to walk and trot at this level, so be sure you've got those down perfectly! At the lower levels, you only need to know the basics: AKEHCMBFX. (All King Edward's Horses Can Make Big Fences [e]Xceptionally.) KNOW THESE. They will save your life when you are in the middle of a combination and forget what to do. Work on perfecting your sitting trot, and gliding with the horse. Make sure your back position is completely straight- not leaned too forward or back, and have your arms loose, not completely stiff. Judges love a soft mouth. However, keep your reigns taught! You don't want them so loose that you can't feel your horse's mouth. Always keep your chin up (never look down! ever!) and keep a slight smile on your face. Don't scrinch your eyes from the sun. Keep your hands in the same position, almost always. Your horse should be trained well enough to know that a slight twist of the wrist means to turn or to stop. Try to instinctively know which leg is leading during the trot. It's very unseemly to look down, and then have to sit to two beats to change. Your heels should always be down, but make sure they don't pulse too much while posting. Your leg position SHOULD NOT MOVE unless doing a more advanced move, where you need to give the horse different signals. Always look relaxed. And always assume that the judge is staring directly at you! After you leave the arena, pat your horse, smile, and praise him. If any mistakes were made, they were your fault. It's a good idea to practice with the same horse. I rode a lot of different horses while training, but for shows I always rode the same one, because I knew her and could feel every bit of her body through my legs.
Cross country: This part is fuuun! Unfortunately, it's also what I least know about. My job was to get the horses used to and over the fences. X D. Anywho, I'm not too sure about the levels..most of the ones we did were divided into 4 sections: A,B,C,and D. Phase A is done at a trot, to warm up the horse and rider. Don't take the whole thing at a gallop! Neither you nor the horse is ready for this. Watch your horse. Know how much they can take. Push them, but not too far. Watch your terrain- you should always be aware of this, as it can make an easy jump dangerous. Speaking of, sometimes a jump that looks easy is actually exceptionally hard to jump, and a jump that looks hard is easy. Don't psyche yourself out, but don't think you've already done the jump. And watch for drops! You need to be prepared for any sort of situation. Always look where you need to go next when going over a fence, as your horse needs to know where to go. That said, have fun during this! You get to do my two favorite activities- ride alone outside and jump!
Showjumping: Favorite discipline! Oh, dear, how do I give help? I'm mainly a hunter, but with showjumping, don't watch your form so much. In hunters, you ask your horse to give up his comfort for yours; in jumping, you need to give up yours for the horse. Make sure to pace your intended course beforehand, so you can count your strides and, thus, know how to pace your horse. When you rise, focus ONLY on your horse and the course. The judges aren't there. The audience isn't there. It's just you, the jump you're going over, and the jump after that. Guide your horse to the best place to make the jump, and for god's sake, give him his head, but give him support! I also prefer to ride one horse- it allows me to feel every step, and I know when she's hesitant, tired, or hurt. If you get a fault, forget about it. It happens. If you dwell, you'll just think about it longer. And always look to the next fence.

OK, I was trying to keep that short, and I still let it get too long..there's just so much to know! And be warned that many of the girls can be snotty; being the only pale girl with black nails was always fun. T_T
Hope you were serious, and I hope this helps. = D

[korinna5555]

Originally Posted by Tismine

...you could have just said eventing, by the way

That's what came to MY mind, haha.


I might have to sell my horse soon.. :[

[Solumina]

Awwww why?

[korinna5555]

My mother says he can't stay here after I graduate (I have no fucking clue why not.. I told her I'd pay for his care) and I can't take him with me..

[Solumina]

That sucks. Maybe they are planning on using the field/barn for something else, that or they just can't be bothered to take care of him. I know that you said you were planning to move but could you board him until then?

[Tismine]

What would be better for your horse? If you can't take him with you, would you ever be able to ride him?
I'm certainly not suggesting that you sell your baby, maybe..lease him? That way, your parents can't complain, and you don't have to pay as much.

[korinna5555]

I'm gonna look into a lease, possibly with a 4-H kid..
I REALLY don't want to sell him.

[Tismine]

I can understand the sentiment. = ]
I hope you find a good leaser for him, preferably someone who will braid him mane and ride him bareback X ]
I'm sure you will, though. There are plenty of children who are dying to have a horsey all to their own.
Well, he WOULDN'T be all to their own, but it's the feeling that counts. ^_^

[korinna5555]

Yep :]

He's so good with kids.. he'd be a great beginner horse, after I've worked him back into shape. Bad back + winter = no riding. D:

[Solumina]

Hm...you could check around some of the local stables and see if maybe you could board him in exchange for letting them use him for lessons, I seem to recall quite a few situations like that at my last barn.

[korinna5555]

I'd worry about a lesson horse situation.. I've seen too many good horses ruined by too many inexperienced kids. I'd have to check that out.

Ideally, a intermediate rider with a good trainer is what I'd like.

[Solumina]

Understandable

[honeythorn]

I used to take regular lessons when I was younger, and later went on the odd hack, but I haven't ridden for years. I'm too heavy now I'd need a bloody draught horse!

I've always wanted one of my own but they're so expensive. No way I could afford one, and I am particularly fond of the Friesian breed ( which I definitely could not afford in a million years )

[Solumina]

Ooo yeah Friesians are lovely but quite expensive, as are all horses. I was lucky, my neighbor is a horse trainer and she specializes in rescues so she would commonly want a companion horse along when she went out on trails and such so she gave me lessons in exchange for riding along with her. Later I leased one of her first rescues for a while but stopped once I was going to be going away for school, she still lets me ride him though and we sometimes go out on the trails when I'm on break from school.

[HumanePain]

Back in the 90's when the cowboy fad was raging here in So. Cal. my daughter and I went to western style horseback riding lessons every Saturday. I must say it was very relaxing to go from high pressure conference calls in the office fixing corrupt databases to brushing quarter horses and just walking along the riverbed. I even wore pointy toe cowboy boots. I am still thinking of investing in a pair of lace up Justin's because they are very durable and would be good to wear when working in the backyard.
http://www.cowboybootreview.com/prod...rge_WK0905.jpg

[Solumina]

Hehehe I'm trying to picture you are a cowboy and I must admit it is a rather amusing image.

[korinna5555]

Justin's are NICE boots. ^^

[Tismine]

They are! And you can have a sledgehammer (or, in my case, a Percheron's hoof) slam onto your foot and barely scratch it. XD