26Sep/1020
It’s just not worth it, what do you think(10 points most honest answer)?
well ever since i started riding i have always been put on the crappy horses, first i was on a 22 year old maclay eq horse, that couldnt do much. I rode him for a majority of 2 years, then i got to show a fox hunting pony who didnt know his lead changes, and now im showing a 21 year old spectacular eq horse...in his day. now he has choppy strides and can't do very well any more. My parents cannot afford to half lease, lease or buy a horse. I'm thinking of just quitting because my riding isnt improving any and i'm not doing as well as i possibly could at shows because of the circumstances. Should i just quit? what do you think?
September 26th, 2010 - 06:00
neverrrr give up
September 26th, 2010 - 06:41
Just because you have horses that are older and not “advanced” then maybe you should re think things….. you dont learn to be a good rider by switching to a better horse. You learn on the lower horses. So you need to work hard and MAKE your riding better…. the horses dont do it for you. You PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY have to become a better rider.
September 26th, 2010 - 06:43
I definately don’t think you should quit! You just have to make the best out of what you have, and one day maybe you will be able to get better horses
September 26th, 2010 - 06:48
Well, depending on your age now It seems that you can’t buy the horse yourself and your parents are the ones paying for lessons (which is fine of course). Since you are still young, maybe work harder and get a good carer, and one day if you have enough money you can be able to buy a horse.
But remember that horses consume a lot of money.
So maybe split the ownership and the cost with someone else as you get older.
Goodluck, just wait things usually get better.
September 26th, 2010 - 07:03
Don’t give up. If you love riding you will be okay.. but if your just doing it because. then i mean its your life lol but Giving up is quitting. And “quitters never win” haha theres my deepness for the day
September 26th, 2010 - 07:18
How old are you? You should be very happy to even have the opportunity, some people never get a chance at all. I suggest you suck it up. Or just ask them if you can have a different horse. Your choice, sorry to be kinda rude, but honestly no horse is crappy. Just ask if you can have a younger horse..
September 26th, 2010 - 07:56
DO NOT QUITE RIDING!!! I understand where your coming from. All the horses I’ve gotten the chance to ride are all old. I think the youngest horse I’ve ever been on was like 17 years old. If you love it there is no reason to quite. Talk to who ever it is that keeps putting you on thoes horses and see if there is a younger and/or better one you can ride.
September 26th, 2010 - 08:06
Never give up! Change barns, most places will encourage you to do better! If you love riding, don’t give up!
September 26th, 2010 - 08:29
Horse racing is very expensive i agree to that. You shouldnt quit because you are not improving….but, maybe you should for money issues. Maybe take up another sport? maybe you can race bikes or something thats what i do
. Biking is fun in many ways such as keeping in shape and riding threw cool areas. It is also very cheap!
Hope this helped
September 26th, 2010 - 08:47
Perhaps you are not advancing to more talented, younger horses because you are not advancing as a rider. Focus on improving your equitation, not on what you think you are being denied. Your riding is not going to improve if that is the attitude you approach it with. To be frank, with that approach you wouldn’t advance at my barn either. Use every riding opportunity, every lesson as an experience to learn. You wanted honest, that is my honest opinion.
September 26th, 2010 - 09:01
hey, never give up! i would go to some other stables, and talk to the owner about your problems, and maybe they will let you ride there best horse!!! and start saving up your money!!! you will eventually have enough to buy your own horse. just, keep trying
September 26th, 2010 - 09:47
My advice: Develop a strong “Why am I doing this?”
(Try to think of 5 reasons for each)
Why do you want to do this?
It will mean this ..(fill in)… to me.
It will mean this ..(fill in)… to those I love.
I will feel …(include at least 5 emotions)…. when doing this.
September 26th, 2010 - 10:35
I think it sounds like:
a) you blame the problem on the ‘crappy’ horses, but a good rider should be able to manage almost any horse. If you always rode perfect horses, you would never have to do anything. This is why riding is a sport! (and, if the horse has choppy strides, is it because of an injury/health problem? if it just ‘happened’ then it might be that he is being shod wrong – the angle makes a difference)
b) there was no mention of a trainer or any sort of teacher. This is a big part of improving your riding. If you are training with someone and aren’t improving or aren’t learning to handle your horses and make them perform to the best of their abilities, then get a new instructor.
One thing you might consider is entering into some kind of agreement with a local show stable where you work (mucking stalls or whatever) in exchange for riding lessons or free rides. This way you can try out a new instructor/horses
However, if money is very tight, you need to realize that riding is an expensive sport. Showing is not free and neither is any of the equipment, lessons, etc… So if you aren’t committed, maybe you should save the money for something else
September 26th, 2010 - 10:53
dont give up or let this get you down .. in the horse world a horse is only as good as its rider.. try harder to improve your rideing and show all the others that no matter what they put you on can make it a winner.. if your not 100% in yourself no horse will be good enough for you so prove to everyone you can do it .. dont give up
September 26th, 2010 - 11:10
Well just consider yourself lucky for being able to ride at all.
You can keep riding the horses and stop showing- showing for me is about showing people what I can do and how I communicate with my horse. So what if I don’t get placed as well as I want? The place I get is based off others opinions, the only opinion that matters to me is how well me and my horse got our job done together.
If you are only put on the “crappy” horses, ask to be put on something a little younger or something not so choppy.
Thank your lucky stars you get to ride at all.
September 26th, 2010 - 11:50
don’t quit riding just because you haven’t had any good experiences with the horses you had. try suggesting to your instructor to see if you can train with any of the more advanced horses around. if you show them how much you are committed in to riding, they might want to help you.
believe in yourself and know that sometimes, there are rocky situations you are going to have to go through, but if you love riding with your whole heart, then none of this would matter.
September 26th, 2010 - 12:22
Quit.
You’re in it for the showing and the winning, and that’s the wrong reason. You’ve had far more opportunities than I got at your level – I’ve never ridden a Maclay horse, or a spectacular equitation horse. Those horses, even if not as smooth as they once were, are fantastic mounts for a beginner. I don’t get what you’re complaining about.
So quit.
September 26th, 2010 - 13:06
here’s the thing about horses, most people in this world love them because they are a relationship, not a tool to win with. it sounds to me like you aren’t thinking of the horse, but the results. try refocusing.
for example, do you know how he would react if you brought in an umbrella, if you made funny noises? can you picture what his ears would do, how his eyes and nostrils would change? do you understand when he is trying his best, is intentionally being stubborn or is distracted or frightened? do you know what each different kind of nicker means? all the horses i ever loved, i can tell you the answers to these questions in a heart beat for each one. i have worked so closely with them that i know what they are going to do before they do. part of this is natural horsemanship point of view, most of it is simply knowing there is more to your horse than a riding machine. horses are very magnificent animals. you value a dog for its friendship, and so should you value your horse (only they are even better because you can’t really ride your dog)
if winning is really what matters to you, then you should switch to sports where your “equipment” isn’t alive.
if improving is what really matters, then change what you want to improve on. for example, does your horse walk up to you in the pasture? will he follow you through an open field without you holding a lead rope? can you take off your stirrups or reins and still ride him where you want? those are really big steps that take work to achieve, and don’t require the physical talents many older horses no longer have.
learn you and your horse’s limits. everything else you can improve on! he might not be smooth, but i guarantee there are a thousand things you can improve on.
September 26th, 2010 - 13:34
I don’t tihnk you should give up riding, especially if you enjoy it. Many stables offer discouted riding lessons if you work around the stables, and it’s probably only because you’ve been put on not-so-good horses that your riding isn’t improving. Try, try, and try harder. Never be afraid to work for something you enjoy, it will turn out for the best. If you really enjoy riding, keep working, and check newspapers and online often, a lot of people give very good deals on very good horses. Even if you annot afford to lease or buy a horse at the time, get your name out there, and make sure people know you’re looking, persistance pays off. Good Luck!! Hope this helped.
September 26th, 2010 - 14:20
I don’t know whether you need to quit or not, but you need to stop complaining. When you get put on a horse you don’t like, you have two options:
a. Whine, complain, ask for another horse, beg for another horse, pull the whole “Woe is me” routine.
b. Learn how to deal with that horse.
Guess what? A. makes you a whiney little brat, and B. makes you a better rider. If you have a trainer, then ask for advice. Talk about your problem. Don’t whine and talk crap about the horse. Ask your trainer how to deal with the problems you are having with the horse. Then, maybe you will improve and get to ride better horses. If you are a good rider, you will be moved up to the better horses. Better horses don’t mean you get the easy way out. Better horses present new obstacles and will help you learn further. Try stopping shows for a while, and getting more comfortable with the horse. If shows are the only thing you care about at this point, you need to re-prioritize.
So, if you are determined to become a better rider, then work through your problems. If you only want to ride good horses and get the easy way out so you can win, then quit. I’m not blaming you, I’m giving you facts. Are you A or B?