Quitting Riding, Y or N? Opinions?!?

Okay, rough day today. I ride about once a week but since the start of this year, it's been a little funny. We took nearly a month off in January, came back full speed for February, then skipped every other for a while, until now where I've been gone two weeks and came back. It's been crazy, but usually I still end up getting to ride once a week, so I should be getting better, not worse, right?

Apparently not.

I ride hunter jumper and have been for about three years. I jump 2'3-2'6 (on my good days) and do lead changes and such. I was called a natural and was always the best in my class. Lately, I've been doing stupid beginner mistakes. For a while, it was turning. I couldn't turn right!! My circles were WAY too big, but my instructor firmly believes that when something goes wrong, it's never the horse's fault. So even though I rode a pregnant mare and then a horse blind in one eye and they turned extremely awkwardly, it was my fault. Then the turns became better, but now my jumping is askew. I never take off in the right place, my balance is all off, and today I fell off.

I don't fall off very often. Only three times in my entire history of riding have I actually come off of a horse and it's never been bad. Today I was going over a jump. I chose the wrong spot to take off, didn't have enough leg at the base, ended up going over the tall part of an X jump and landed heavily on my horse's neck, completely unbalanced. The horse was unbalanced by my efforts as well, and I kicked my feet out of the stirrups and slid off to the side, landing heavily and knocking the wind out of myself. Now I'm sore, both in pride and physically, and I don't know what to do. I have ONE MORE YEAR LEFT OF RIDING FOR FREE because I'm going to be an adult next year and my parents will no longer pay for it.

I am deciding between riding, but not jumping. In which case, I've already mastered my groundwork and what's the point of my parents paying $45 so I can hang around horses for a few hours? I need to be LEARNING something, but I've been getting progressively worse even though I've been attending more often. I could also quit, which would suck. It's the only sport I participate in and I really, really love horses. Plus, this is the last year (and I know it will be for a long while) I can still ride affordably. Additionally, I could just keep doing what I'm doing, fail, feel disappointed in myself, and want to quit after every bad lesson, which happens every week.

Advice?

I don't recommend quiting, every rider at one time or another gets to a point where they want to quit. You've been gone for a while and now you just need to get back into the swing of things. It takes time to get back into it, a few weeks, a few months, it just depends on the rider. I took a 5 month break last year due to school and a problem at my old barn. I started back up in November at a new barn. It took me a good couple months to get use to things and I still make dumb mistakes every now and then. (I also ride once a week) Don't give up if riding is something you really enjoy, keep with it and just go through the rough patch. However, if you decide to quit jumping you could always try dressage. There are always things you can learn.

It sounds like you're maybe getting burned out. If you still love it and want to ride, don't ruin that by pushing yourself into doing things you aren't enjoying. Do they offer hacks/trail rides at your stable? Maybe the arena riding needs to stop for a bit. A bit of advice - you're never done learning with horses :) Teach yourself to braid manes. Teach a horse a trick if you're able to do any liberty work. Take a horse who normally only goes out to be ridden, out to be hand-grazed. It's slow but relaxing. Do something different, but do not give it up if you're still in love with horses. Just don't burn yourself out on it :)

Last edited on 2016-06-29 at 13:20:35 by `texan

okay, we all go through rough spots when riding. I've been riding for almost nine years now, and if I had quit as soon as I felt the way you do right now, I would have stopped riding a long time ago. Truth is, every time we get out of our comfort zone, we'll start feeling as if we're becoming worse. THIS IS TEMPORARY!!! I say you should braven up through this harsh times and you'll see you will be fine again before you know it. Believe me, we all feel like this at some point, and it will happen again someday. It's just part of it all.
Also, keep in mind falling off is very normal and does not indicate how good or bad you are. Even olympic riders fall off. I've fallen off around 11 times, 3 of them in the same WEEK! Don't make any harsh decisions because of today. And heck, you can ride for free!! try it out for a while, you'll see things will brighten up.
I would say just do flatwork if you don't like jumping, but it sound as if you liked it when you were good at it, you just don't like messing up. stick to it

Good luck and best wishes!

Last edited on 2016-06-29 at 12:48:51 by Reeses Pieces

Riding is not easy. It's a lot of time and money. If you're not enjoying it, stop. If you want to keep going, then do so. There's also nothing that says you have to make a decision now that will hold for the rest of your life. I've ridden for about 20 years, but have taking a ton of multiyear breaks in there. Sometimes life takes over and you just plain can't ride do to time or finances.

If you do continue, I would recommend seeing if you can do some barn work in trade for rides, so you can get at least another ride a week, and you are taking responsibility for your own saddle time. It's extremely difficult to progress on one ride a week. No one is that natural that they can ride less than 50 times in a year an expect to see massive progression.

It's entirely possible that the type of horse your trainer/coach is putting you on is a less push button, so now you're having to really use both legs, inside and outside rein, your seat, upper body, and arm softness in turns where before you could perhaps get away with looking and pulling the inside rein. (Just an over exaggeration, not claiming I have any knowledge of you or your riding.) I thought I was a spectacular rider until I broke/backed my first. Learned really quickly that there is a big difference between green and unridden. Mostly I just realized that I had a heck of a lot to learn. We never master riding, ever; I doubt anyone ever will.

Doesn't matter if you're a homegrown hero or Ian Miller, you have good days and bad days. And if you go home sore you should have learned as much or more than if you had a really "on" ride. In the end it's up to you. If you love it, being good won't matter as much as getting better. If it's not something you have to have in your life, there are probably other things that will make you far happier.

Not to be a killjoy but . . . *pokes TaC rule about asking for real life advice*

Ultimately we don't want things from EV to be responsible for changes in your real life, that's mostly why I point that out.

Can I get some clarity on that?

Because to me that rule is written so that I don't tell someone they need to start eating 4 cups of coconuts a day in order to be a good rider. Not on opinion on the general concept of riding.

It specifically speaks to medical professionals. I doubt the original poster is expecting a doctor's note to tell her/him whether to keep riding or not. But rather seeking opinions based on our own perspectives. To me, this is basically the same as asking what you think of my new haircut.

Please feel free to correct me if that is not the intent of the rule.

Give hacking a go! I bought an all rounder this year and have been riding western my whole life and have recently transitioned to English. I have had a rough year myself so I had lost a bit of confidence as I suffer severe anxiety. I attempted jumping and it didn't go how I'd expected straight up. I then purchased a seasoned well bred riding pony and have been hacking this year. I absolutely love it. It's loads of fun, no pressure and I do it with all my mates. Don't give up on riding! If I did I'd regret it because now we've done two big shows and have another two this weekend and I wouldn't have done it if I didn't push myself and persist. Horses are good for the soul. We always make mistakes, we are human. On the weekend I nearly won a reserve champion sash and our work out was perfect except on the last serpentine I picked up the wrong lead! I was devastated but it makes me more determined to keep trying and trying harder. Keep persisting, you'll look back on this and think this was just a minor speed bump and you'll be glad you didn't give up on it :-)

If it was me I'd probably find another trainer. Someone who can be more understanding and work with you to get past your hangups. At some point everyone has rough spots and you need encouragement to get past them - not someone blaming you every time. I don't take crap from people and I wouldn't tolerate someone making me feel bad for falling or someone blaming me when the horse doesn't perform up to snuff or a very valid reason. S'yeah

well i would not quit if you really enjoy it then don't and i mean don't quit please see i have never rode in my life i have been near and been able to touch but not ride a horse so if you love it please do not quit in less you know it is better for you i don't know a lot about riding at all but if you feel like you need go stop riding then well stop but do not let me change your mind on riding

well i would not quit if you really enjoy it then don't and i mean don't quit please see i have never rode in my life i have been near and been able to touch but not ride a horse so if you love it please do not quit in less you know it is better for you i don't know a lot about riding at all but if you feel like you need go stop riding then well stop but do not let me change your mind on riding

Don't. Quit. That's my only advice to you. I let drama get in the way of my riding and left the barn I was at. I haven't been able to find a place like it since, and have been LONGING for riding. I have another year to wait before my horse will even be ready (fingers crossed) and big enough to start under saddle training, and even then, I have to take it step by step so it's not like it'll be fun. If you truly love horses AND riding, don't quit. If riding isn't the biggest piece of horses you love - ask if you can just come to groom and spend time with horses, or work with rescue horses.

Don't quit! You may think you suck but don't worry, sometimes we just don't feel like riders, i go to riding classes as well, and i can assure you i've done a lot of errors, i've gotten upset because of my lack of leadership on the horse, but i've never quitted because i wanted to, it was because of money but that's another story-- Don't give up what you love the most. And... you only have a year left! use it as much as you can!