Ride
posted by citizen.K on Sunday, June 14th, 2009 / 
Print & Hang in the Barn
I ride. I ride at least six days a week, and I ride seriously. By seriously, I mean when I get on, I’m not just lackadaisically roaming around the ring for 15 minutes and hopping off. I get on, I work my horse, I work myself, and we usually both get sweaty. Even when it’s 20 degrees.
I find though, most people whom consider themselves riders, don’t. Whether they own a horse, own multiple horses, lease a horse, compete, or just ride to have fun, a majority of people involved with horses don’t actually ride.
I just can’t seem to wrap my head around the idea of being in horses, spending large amounts of money on board, vet, farrier, and all the other miscellaneous costs of horse ownership and not taking full advantage of it.
All of this is besides meaningful excuses like injury, work, and school. The average horse person just doesn’t ride, on average, at your average barn. You can tell I’m being scientific.
Some numbers. I’ve boarded at six barns in the past 18 months (no, I’m not a barn hopper—my place of work has moved a lot and Mr. Horse has to be nearby). Of those six barns, there were about 65 owned horses, and by my six-days-a-week-at-the-barn calculations, I definitely only saw no more than ten horse and rider combinations in regular work or regular riding. Funny enough, one of those riders was over 65 years old, and she rode hard five days a week through the heat of the summer. Never less than an hour.
So, what’s up with the rest of the “riders”?
Is it motivation? Don’t get me wrong; after a long day at work, sometimes going straight home sounds really nice. It’s not that I don’t want to ride, but I DO want to sit down and relax.
Currently, I don’t have the driving excuse. The barn is located less than a mile from work (see, sometimes that means you gotta move barns). Even still, I generally don’t need an excuse because I really do WANT to ride, every day. The times I don’t want to ride, I shouldn’t. Those days are few and far between but usually occur from lack of sleep or lack of food. And Frankie responds to my mood. A foul, lazy, or hungry Kristine creates a irreverent, moping, or agitated mount. I know if my work face isn’t on, neither is his.
Occasionally, a relaxing trail ride is in order, but even then we’re both working on something. Forward walk, balance, listening to my leg, my position. The ring is all well and good 4-5 days a week, but enough is enough. Out of the ring both of us must get.
And then again, riding can be pure relaxation for some people. Calmness. Away from it all. Those people are different. Maybe many of these people are the ones who aren’t riding their horses. But the strange thing is, I sometimes get different information from those people directly. “I wish I was jumping bigger.” “He is always so lazy, I hate riding him.” “I work on everything from my lessons but we just aren’t getting it.” And the classic, “I don’t understand why he acts up every time I ride him?” (don’t worry, it’s not you).
Here’s some tough love:
He’s out of shape because of inconsistent work. You probably shouldn’t be jumping at all, let alone bigger.
He’s lazy because he doesn’t get worked enough and you don’t push him. It’s just like kids, if you let them get away with it…they will.
Working on everything from lessons? Hardly. Here’s what you actually do—ride two days a week out of a lesson. Those rides consist of 30 minutes tacking up, 10 minutes adjusting things once mounted, 3 minutes of trot, 15 minutes of chatting, 1 minute of canter, and an hour untacking and hanging out. Stop fooling yourself.
And acting up? EVERYTIME? That’s because when you ride he is hyper, bored, annoyed, and in need of consistency. Get your ass to the barn more often and you’ll have a different horse.
If you’re lacking wherewithal because you’re lacking a goal, you’re still not trying hard enough. A horse show, a clinic, a lesson, and obstacle to overcome (quick ideas: fear of trail rides, fear of x size fence, canter transitions, halt, turn on the haunches, backing, posting trot no stirrups twice around ring, or maybe just five steps) there can be a zillion small and large goals to set to help motivate you to ride.
Even if your riding is simply a pleasure process—if you’re frustrated with your hack, two to three days a week isn’t going to cut it. Riding to relax, and riding to work you and your horse, properly, do not have to be mutually exclusive. Hell, most everyone, no matter how competitive, or not, says they ride to relax. However, even if you aren’t looking to improve your riding or your horse, a lazy pickup of the left lead canter is going to cut into that tranquility.
I guess I just don’t appreciate those who equate showing up to the barn with riding. There is so much time and money going into this sport; what are you doing here besides catching up on barn gossip? There are cheaper options.
If you do own a horse and are only able to ride two or three days a week, find someone else to ride your horse. Guaranteed, there is a girl out there, near you, maybe not riding at your barn currently, or possibly NOT RIDING AT ALL that would LOVE to ride your horse. Make her happy.
Yes, you can set rules, watch to make sure she is a good rider, and of course expect her to take care of your stuff and horse. But don’t be selfish. See, either way, boredom does your horse no good. In the metaphysical sense, you’ve cooped up this horse and kept him away from the roaming the countryside. Better make it worth his while with consistent companionship, work, and training. And you’ll benefit from it during your relaxing rides, or especially if you’re in work and training.
At the far end of the non-riding riders section, leasing can be a fantastic option. However, there are many people wanting to lease in the same boat as you. And of course you have really good intentions. But many, like you, will not follow through with them. “You don’t have the time”. “It’s only temporary”. “You’ve got some other things going on”. “You just need a break for a while”.
Maybe you’ll get to the barn one day a week. Maybe. And doubt starts to feed the (missing) initiative. “Am I not riding because of the horse?” “Could it be the trainer?”
Sure, could be both. And I’m not here to examine the brains of most horse people; too messy. But if you really aren’t riding, or not riding enough, examine why. But don’t make excuses. No one has enough time to ride if you have a full time job. Really, come on. After an eight to ten hour day—not to mention commute time, is there really another one-and-a-half to two hours left in you?
Only if you want there to be.
You started riding for a reason. Did that reason go away? Somehow I doubt it. Either something sucks where your horse is, your horse is too much for you, you have outgrown your horse, or you need some goals, plans, and motivation.
If things in your life are just too crazy for riding horses, as long as the “crazy stuff” isn’t in perpetual motion because of your normal psyche, that’s just life. But if priorities have changed, it’s okay.
Just don’t make your horse sit and rot because you’re holding onto something that, plainly, isn’t going to happen.
8 Responses to “Ride”
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June 14th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Dear Kristine,
When I could I tried to ride 7 days a week, on my Anglo-Arab. That was many decades ago, I developed MS. I am back riding a half hour, hopefully twice a week, on other people’s horses. Even though I’m disabled I make my horses WORK. After all an extended walk is a powerful gymnastic.
I have really enjoyed reading all of your postings.
Keep up the good work.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Amen. You said it. I’m currently horse-less (read: broke) but I am DEFINITELY THAT GIRL at the barn who is always looking for something to ride. My barn is a far commute, so riding depends more on traffic patterns than my actual schedule. I don’t think I could handle riding LESS THAN 3 days a week. I have always tried to do 5 days a week and EVERYONE at the barn knows I’m always looking for something to ride. Right now, I only ride one horse. For the last 2 months, I was riding 3 but one got retired and the other got leased to someone else so I’m down to riding one sale horse. When he sells, I’ll be twiddling my thumbs for a while but even then I might have saved up enough money to buy some lessons at the local fancy-pants jumper barn.
I think the relaxation in riding comes from the workout. I’m not really satisfied with my ride unless I come out the other side sweating. That’s how I get relaxed. Most horses I ride have issues–that’s why nobody else WANTS to ride them. I get a lot of satisfaction out of working through those issues and showing the owner exactly what their horse is capable of. That almost ALWAYS requires SHOWING UP to the barn more often and working the horse HARDER. I think that a lot of “bad” horses are just underworked. Unfortunately, if they’re lame AND naughty, then it becomes more difficult to try and work their brain without working their body too hard and making them lame. I haven’t quite figured out how to do that yet.
I love this website!
June 17th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Hello there, I totally agree!! I’m a riding nut and have been told I get really cranky if I have to skip for some reason. However currently I have a situation that maybe one of you could help me with? I have a really fun Oldenburg gelding(semi-green) which needs to be hacked for a while. I unfortunately broke my foot recently and the doc’s say no riding for about 4 months
Since I’m a serious rider the thought of my boy going without exercise/conditioning for that long is very depressing! I can’t bare any weight so not even lungeing is a option for me. So is anyone out there interested in hacking/schooling a nice horse for a bit? I’m fortunate to have him at my home with a place to ride/tack etc. but no rider… I have an opportunity for the girl wanting something to ride. Oh might be helpful to say where I’m at, 15-20min. south of Portland,OR on the 205. Anyhoo thought it was worth a shot to just put it out there for ideas. Thank you in advance and keep up the great articles!
June 18th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I must say, this inspired me, only if it’s because I feel like you’re looking straight at me while you’re writing it. It’s easy to justify something in your head if you don’t think anyone else is noticing. While I don’t actually think you WERE writing about me, this feeling of shame is enough to make me go out and ride her, everyday. From here on out.
I’ve been slacking for far too long and it shows.
(Plus I need to get stronger so that I can be an asset to you and Frank =) )
July 21st, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Thanks for the inspirational butt kick…I’m riding 3-4 days a week in addition to ground work 2 days a week…I wish the other riders at my barn were less chatty and more focused on their riding as well…maybe I’ll post this at the barn
July 26th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
My horse is an Arabian that at first I thought I couldnt handle him because im only 13 and not the bravest because my first horse was a 3 year old appaloosa well he wasnt trained and my family didnt know better and neither did I i mean come on how many people really know everything when they buy their FIRST horse. So anyways he threw me over his head high and far. Before then I loved to go FAST. Not walk or a slow trot but fast ( I was just starting to ride again from years before). But he ruined that for me I became scared and never rode for months luckely I didnt break or injure anything and thank goodness for my mom she reminded me to wear my helmet. But anyways I was ridingmy new arabian and was scared to death but his old owner ( we became best friends) made me lope because I HAD to or else I never would and ya he loped but it was much faster to my surprise he was galloping. I was so happy that I had accomplished such a big goal that is was crying it was like magic. This horse (denim) has truley taken care of me and helped me relized I can conquer my fear and now im better at riding ya I will admit I dont ride like I used to but I can ride. This doesnt really mean much but if you work hard at something you can acomplish what u want to.
December 14th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Just to be the devil’s advocate here, my big pet peeve is people who pound thier horses into the ground in tiny, repetitive circles and don’t feel like they’ve “accomplished” anything unless the horse is frothy.
If you want to compete, you need to be schooling longer and harder than what you’re going to ask from your horse at a competition/event. I’m a foxhunter — I understand conditioning.
But “boredom” comes in many forms, and I’ve never seen someone successfully pound a lameness or behavior issue out of a horse. The harder you work a hot horse, over time, the fitter he gets. Often, difficult horses are uncomfortable with thier equipment or thier job, which needs to be addressed by a vet or trainer. A cut in high-sugar, high-protein grain and a few days out in the paddock to decompress can do wonders to get them look forward to thier time with you.
My point is, mix it up. Sweat doesn’t equal training, results do. I have spent hour-long lessons at the walk and been grateful for the privilege because the level of responsiveness and balance you can acheive makes every ride thereafter a better experience. Ground work is great, ground poles and cavaletti are great, trail rides are great. Everyone will look at you crazy, but if your stable driveway has an incline (and no traffic), try doing shoulder-in or leg yeilds up and down the hill at a slow walk. I guarantee your horse has not used THOSE muscles before.
If you do high-energy competition, it makes sense to do high-energy training. BUT for people who really only have 2 days a week to ride thier horse (and can’t supervise the barn rat nor pay a trainer) because he’s just a recreational horse, it seems to me that having him fitter than his job (and fitter than his rider) is a recipe for more danger and difficulty in the long run.
I don’t see anything morally wrong with having a pleasure horse (so long as he’s cared for appropriately by a stable manager). It’s not a competition across disciplines where you can find a correlation who rides harder to who loves thier horse more. People need to do what is within thier limits.
So, along with that, someone who rides 2x a week should be on a broke, quiet horse, not an OTTB. That goes without saying. But I took from Kristen’s post that she was frustrated with otherwise-competent riders who just don’t put the hours in.
Sometimes, you just CAN’T put the hours in (says the law student who is posting on this website instead of studying for her tax exam). Are you saying people who can’t devote 6 days a week to riding shouldn’t own horses?!
December 26th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Hi Elana,
You are absolutely correct. There are many horses that 1. cannot hold up to the rigors of intense training and/or riding or 2. do not need to be fit.
However, even the horse that doesn’t need the fitness, also may really be happier with the companionship and relationship that is involved in a 4-6 day a week rider.
Then there is the ADD horse with too much energy that has a 1-2 day a week rider that physically and mentally NEEDS to be worked 5-7 days a week or they go nuts. Plus, those seem to also be the people that EXPECT that same horse to be perfectly mannered the few times a week they do ride them. Not every horse, even the well trained horse, is able to be really good when they have too much pent up energy.
Just because a horse goes outside doesn’t mean they exhaust their energy for the day. Sure, outside might take the edge off, mentally and physically, but it in no way replaces the exercise received from a 30-60 minute ride. There is no doubt that some horses do in fact need that to be physically and mentally “happy”.
Where I see fault is with the people that buy a horse that either needs that 5-7 day a week ride to be good, sane, and happy or physically up for what they expect of them, BUT only show up 1-3 days a week and either get upset because that horse is bouncing off the walls OR even worse ride them like they are as fit as a horse that is ridden 5-7 days a week.
So no, a person who only can ride 1-3 days a week can and should own a horse. But they shouldn’t own a horse that needs 5-7 days a week of riding nor should they expect their fitness to be that of a horse who is ridden 5-7 days per week.
It’s all about buying the right horse for you and your circumstances.
I hope you did well on your tax exam
Kristine