Is it to late for me to start taking horse riding lessons?  I have never been on a horse before however grow up on a farm and had horses around me all my life but when I was younger I was to scared to get on one ha ha.  As I fast approch 30 I have had (for the past few years) an eurge to learn to horse ride.  My parents live a few mins from my house on a farm and in the future I would love to own my own and ride.

Just a few questions:-

1. Am I too old to go to a riding school at 30?
2. Would I be too heavy - im 17 1/2 stone and 6ft 2 (although the dr would say i was very much over wait I and others would say I was in propotion with my height lol)
3.  What do I look out for when choosing a riding school?
4.  Any other advice?

Hope someone can help

Not into horse riding myself so can't give you much advise there but I am fast approaching 30 toooooo and I think it is now or never for me with lots of things in life. So take the plunge Good Luck

i started riding at 21 , then took it up again after i had my first child at 26 . You're never too old !
Don't worry about the weight - they put you on the right horse for your size .

You're definitely not too old or too heavy to start learning to ride :)

At the riding school I used to go to many people didn't start riding until they were older and could afford lessons - some after a lifetime of wanting to ride too. In my class was a lady of 52 who had always wanted her own horse and at 52 was finally in a position to afford/have the time for one. She went for lessons for 3 years then bought her own horse :)

You may have to try out a few riding schools before you find one you like. The first school I went to I didn't know what to look for. It was all very exciting, lessons out in open fields where the horses would often bolt etc. After a few years and some very close shaves as I learnt more I realised that they were taking far too many risks, the horses were worked too hard and the tack etc was in very poor condition.

If possible try and go for a personal recomendation. Then go and have a look round. There's nothing wrong with horses living outside and being muddy but they shouldn't be matted or thin looking. Ask how long each horse works a day, the school I stayed with the horses would only do one lesson a day, maybe two lessons at the weekend at the most. They also had a day off a week. The tack was all in good condition. They kept the horses forever. The first place used to buy horses cheap and then sell them on, which is good experience but again more dangerous than the lovely old schoolmasters they had here.

Hope all this helps, the real horsey people will be able to offer far more advice :)

Hi

1. Am I too old to go to a riding school at 30?
Not at all. Look for a BHS Approved, preferable Natural Horsemanship led school - where horses are kept naturally as possible, make sure you are happy with the horse you ride and its tack looks in good condition :) You could ask for recommendations on the forum here: http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk
2. Would I be too heavy - im 17 1/2 stone and 6ft 2 (although the dr would say i was very much over wait I and others would say I was in propotion with my height lol)
You will have to look a bit harder to find a riding school with a horse with enough bone to carry 17.5 stone. Some of the heavier cobs can do it easily - but some schools have a limit of 14 stones because the weight of someone starting to ride is "heavier" than someone who is experienced - in that newer riders haven't perfected the position etc yet. Just explain your height and weight and be honest as you have been and then they can advise you from there.
3.  What do I look out for when choosing a riding school?
See above :)
4.  Any other advice
You'll need a good hat - some jods, good boots - not trainers or wellies - and go and enjoy yourself.

If you can afford it then I would recommend private lessons. You will learn much quicker than in a group and it will help you learn your position faster.

Oh, and prepare to become addicted :D I am - hence I have 9 horses :D

Too old at 30?  I am very nervous of horses but have always fancied learning to ride.  I am (again :rolleyes:) at SW trying to lose weight because I decided months ago that I will have my first lesson as a 50th birthday present to myself.

I've reached a point in my life where I've decided to do what I want to do otherwise when will I do it?

It is never too late!! I have taught alot older people than 30 and it is so rewarding seeing the looks on their faces when they are finally riding round and it is something they have always wanted to do.

We always had a large selection of horses so could cater for most weights, we did have a maximum weight but can't remember what it was. But when people booked for the first time we used to ask their weight so we could match them with a suitable horse.

As to what you need to be looking for....it must be BHS approved that is a definate!! I personally would ask that the instructors are qualified to at least PTT and some AI.(They are the lowest BHS teaching exams). I think you need to go and look at a few and get a feel for them. Have a chat to the staff and as long as they are approved I would go with the one that gives you the best feeling. Some yards you can walk onto and everybody ignores you and you can feel really uncomfortable. You want to be somewhere where the staff are friendly and willing to help.

For people coming for a first lesson we used to recommend that they didn't go out and buy all the gear.  Just for the simple fact that although it is something they have wanted to do for years they may sit on a horse and hate it and never ride again. All the gear is very expensive and I personally think it is a big expense until you know it is going to be something you enjoy. We used to have a selection of approved hats in all different sizes that you could hire for 50p an hour but not all yards will have this I don't suppose so best to ask when you are booking. And if anybody had had a fall in them it got thrown away and replaced. We suggested not wearing jeans as they can pinch your legs and get very uncomfortable and good sturdy boots, like Carla said NOT wellies or trainers. Something with a smallish heel.

Like Carla said you will progress faster with private lessons but all lead reins used to be private lessons anyway but again all yards will be different. Also lunge lessons would probably be a good idea when you get going abit as then the instructor can see clearly to teach you but they are still in control of the horse.

Good luck....I am sure you will love it!!!!

Paula.x

Your never too old to start! I horse ride and have done ever since I was little and it is so rewarding! Its lovely getting up to the yard at 6.00am when its freezing cold and then you see the horses' heads sticking over the door as they whinney to you and all the cold and rain seems worth it!

Oh and Carla's right, it is addictive - we have 16!!

Yes, the gear is expensive - buy if off ebay is my advice :)

Always wanted to ride - I used to follow my friend all over the countryside on my bike just so I could have a ride when I was young.  She must have been really fed up with me nagging her in the background saying 'can I have a go now pleeeese'.  My parents couldn't afford lessons - it was right out.  Since I finished work a few years ago I have tried riding - but my knees get so painful that I have to accept that I will never ride now :-(  Still I have my dog so I am not too disappointed.  Oh yes and I am a touch older than 30 ;-) 

Yep ebay is fantastic for bargains!!!:-D

Would go to saddlers for riding hat and body protector though and get them fitted properly!!:-)

Yep - I agree with that :) Although I am very naughty and don't wear a body protector :D

Nope me neither unless I am going XC!!!!!

OH tells me off and when I had a fall out riding a couple of years ago he took great joy in gloating that I wouldn't have injured myself so badly if I'd had it on!!!!!:rolleyes: :-D

No i dont like wearing bodyprotectors because I think they are too restrictive but I have got to wear one for a xc thats coming up! :(

been round a number of stables today and found one i like the best, also the only one that would be able to cater for a big boned 6ft 2 man, everyone else kept saying we only cater for children or adults to 12 stone (dont ever think I have been 12 stone lol)  So Im off for a 1/2 hour induction lesson tomorrow afternoon so really really nervous.  Will let you know how i get one

Clip a de clop

Ooh good luck!!!!! You will be fine and then the addiction will start!!!!:-D

woohoo good for you, look forward to reading all about it :)

That's great news - good for you.  You'll love it!
I got back on a horse last summer - after a couple of years away from riding, there's nothing quite like it.

Good on ya

A lot of men seem to be able to take to riding really easily - natural balance and all that :)

Remember though that a lot of the BHS ways are not always the best ways... there is a whole other way of managing horses to look into :)

And I DEFINATELY agree with that!!!!!!:-D

how did it go?????????????

Definitely not too old.  If you really want to and there is no medical reason why you shouldn't then you are never too old to start anything.  My OH started riding at age 53 after listening to years of me "talk horse."  He decided he was going to find out what it was all about and even took English lessons.  I had suggested Western might be more forgiving but no, he wanted to do it the way I had.

Well here I am, still in one peice lol I arrived at the stables to be greeted by this rude little girl.  At this point I felt sick, dizy, sweating and panicing.  Well went in and filled in the forms as best as i could as i was shaking to much.  I asked the girl if she was taking the lesson and she said no im just the skivy!.  She then said that your horse is over there and pointed to this huge horse lol (16.5hh) I nearly fell through the floor!  She said oh you have gone white, I said yeah i feel sick to which she said dont worry, he is harmless he is only 6 and is laid back he doesnt do much except kick a lot and plod along! at this point I would have run out the door if I could remember where i came in lol  Well then a lady came round the corner and said she was my trainer and if i would like to go into the indoor arena she would fetch major out!  I felt ill!  Their he came this huge beast! 

Anyway I eventually got on and guess what.... I had a whale of time. wouldnt let the women leave go of the head collor mind lol.  We did two lengths of trotting.  She said next week we would talk about ride and trot, I said all this week i will be talking of riding with a sore bot lol after boucing all over and holding on for dear life.

Well thanks everyone for your support and really glad i did it and cant wait till next week.  I have fell in love with the horse too, he is owned by the riding school.  I wonder if they would let me buy him on working livery lol... goes off to check the bank balance ha ha

Ok, you can call me grumpy if you want - and I don't want to burst your bubble - but are you sure they had you trotting and not just walking? Tis a lot to ask of a horse to carry a new starter in trot before the position, hands and legs are sorted in walk...

And its "rising trot" :D

And horses go up from 16hh - to 16.3 - then to 17hh :D :D :D

You sound like you had fun though :) But if you were riding my horses you'd be walking for a loooong time before trotting :)

Hi sorry yip 16.3hh slip of the finger in excitement lol  Yea we did trot, she got me to hold the rane and saddle strap in one had and the saddle with the other, she said it was to give me the feeling of what its like and to help build confidence.  Yeah I had real fine and glad i did it

I know of riding schools that let people trot on a first lesson. I think its to keep them interested because if they are just walking they'd feel like they arent getting their moneys worth and then not come back. :)

Fabulous, well done you for going through with it :)

I wonder if they would let me buy him on working livery lol  I think everyone wants to buy their riding school horse :D

That'll be you hooked now, before you know it you'll be haivng lessons 3 times a week, trekking both days at the weekend and starting to search for riding holidays on the net

you know me so well lol i have added another three lessons in this week, and looking for riding holidays for next year lol

Lol, you're addicted already!!

Did your instructor mention anything about your seat?  Or give you any clues as to how to get your horse into a walk, then trot?

Your seat, has everything to do with the way you ride - so I would have expected that to have happened way before trotting?  I had a few lessons perfecting my seat before I actually got to a trot!

Just a thought, do you have any books on horses and horse riding?  I read a lot before actually getting on a horse, and found that helped me to understand more what the instructor was telling me. (It was a fair few years back though!)

Keep it up - you'll never look back :-)

Hi

Over the years I think I have had stacks of horse books but doing a lot of reading on the net at the moment.  I also have another question, one instructor said its best to use their horses and not really ever look to owning my own horse, however another instructor at another stables said have a couple of months of lessons and then look to get my own and learn on him/her as we will build a bond and the horse will learn how i personaly will be learning?  Whats everyones thoughts? (finance and time is not a problem)

I personally would not advice getting your own horse this early on. Learning to ride properly takes years and I always think it is best to stick to riding school horses until you can ride properly and are able to encounter problems as they arise.:-)

I agree. There is a lot more to owning a horse than the riding too. It took me 20 years before I bought my own. Its a minefield buying a horse - think dodgy car dealer and make it ten times worse. The more experience you have - the better you will be able to find the right one when the time is right.

Whe you've fallen off ten times and STILL want a horse - thats when you know you are truly committed :)

I think there are pros and cons to both options really :)

Lessons are great, different horses, varied lessons, the chance to stay after lessons and learn stable management but without the responsibility of actually owning a horse.

But lessons can become boring, especially in a group setting with new members joining(I know not ideal but lots of schools do this) you can sometimes feel like you are doing the same things all the time and not progressing.

Owning your own horse is great, a schoolmaster who can teach you all you need to know, you'll build up a bond and can progress onto competing etc.

But pick the wrong horse, like I did, and your confidence can slip away, leaving you in a worse position. I had to sell my horse after 4 months as he was getting very dangerous and I have noit ridden for about 5 years now as my confidence was shattered :(

Talk to your instructor about it but IMO I'd wait until you've been riding a while yet before getting your own...there are quite a HUGE responsibilty! Great fun too though :D

PS I'm hoping to start riding again this year, I really miss being around horses...that lovely stable smell, their sweet, hot breath....yum!!!

I'd certainly wait a few years before buying your own horse.
It was my dream to own my own pony as a child and that dream stuck with me, living in Birmingham it wasn't possible.  I carried on my riding lessons for a few years, then hacked out on the riding school ponies/horses and helped around the yard.
When we moved to Wales, I did get my own pony ;-) and eventually bought a TB, who was wonderful in every way.  I did have help in buying him though - because even then, after years of riding and being around horses I didn't have the experience or knowledge to go out and buy one by myself.

Hi stafftash

Thanks for the advice, we did about 25mins on sitting properly and walking and less than 5 mins sitting trotting.  Had my second lesson today and totaly enjoying it.  I think I have a library of books now which i am ploughing through lol. 

One person at the stables recommend having my own horse and learning on him as they said the horse would learn me and I would learn and build confidence in the horse, and another suggested using a schooling horse.  What would your thoughts be on both ideas?  I obviosuly understand the risks, financial and time aspect with owning your own however they arnt a problem to me.

Many thanks in advance

Hi, I'm really glad you're enjoyng your lessons

I don't think there are many people who would say you should buy your own horse just now. I'm with the people that would advise waiting for a couple of years really. There are many reasons for this, I think it's good to learn on a variety of horses, try going to different stables too and going for treks/hacks when you're confident enough. Also "A horse is only as good as it's last rider", is a statement my friend often made. It may not be completely true but I can see what she meant. As you are just beginning to ride it would be better for you to ride horses that are schooled by better riders inbetween times :) Also I know myself that it's all too easy to lose confidence when riding, if/when you fall off it's sometimes easier in a riding school environment to switch back to a steadier horse to rebuild your confidence.

Hope you continue to have fun, I'm sure you will :)

resurrecting this post out of curiosity - are you still riding? Hope you are :)  Any chance of an update??

Ooh yes, it would be lovely to hear how you're getting on.

Hope it's all going well.

Hi everyone, Well here goes started the lesson beginning of June and Had lessons every day since, At the End of June I bought my house Major, who is one of the main horses I had been learning to ride on, he is a star, he was brilliant when I was starting out but is the type of horse who takes you futher in your riding as you progress, he is lovely.  I decided to do a crash course having hourly and two hourly lessons every day since begining of June, both on the groud (stable management and on the horse) and now do regular hacks out with the rest of the gag.  Its been great for my confidence, great for the social life, and the best thing I have ever done.  I would strongley recommend it to everyone!.  If you wana do something, just go out and do it dont hold yourself back
:-)

Had lessons every day since

Goodness, do you walk like John Wayne now???? ;)  Can you sit down???? :D

Just about lol, thats why we have been doing a mix of lessons ie lunging, ground work, stable management etc.  Its fantastic! :-)

:D

Horses are as addictive as dogs aren't they :D

Well done, fabulous news all round - keep the updates coming. What about a pic of Major? You can put the link in your profile :)

WOW :D  I'm pleased for you that you went for it.  Bet you don't have a single regret!

wow brill WELL DONE!