A few weeks ago I had the privilege of taking a riding lesson with one of the amazing women I have befriended as a result of this blog. Carey invited me last summer to “crash” her riding lesson, but it never happened; I put it at the top of my“Fun Things To Do Summer 2018 List” and we made it happen–Yay! I highly recommend mixing things up and take a riding lesson at a different barn with one of your friends. Here’s why:
1. Ride horses new to you.
This will help you up your skills as an equestrian. Back in the day, I used to show in the intercollegiate shows where you compete on a horses that you have never ridden before. You would literally pull the horse’s name out of a hat to determine your mount. I feel like it’s easy for us horse owners to get into a rut because we’re so used to riding our horses a certain way. We’ve got their quirks figured out, but the horses also have our quirks figured out and sometimes use it against us unless we’re really “on” with our riding.
How cute is this bay mare? So fun! (Thank you Lady Photographic for all the fab photos!)
Riding a new horse is like starting with a clean slate. We can focus on just riding and perhaps not anticipating behaviors that our own horses tend to exhibit. By riding new horses you’ll develop your sensitivity as a rider which is a fantastic side benefit.
2. Expand beyond your barn bubble and meet new horse-lovin’ friends.
Every time I have been to Carey’s barn, Bluepoint Farm, it seems her barn family is always just about to have a party! For real. After our recent lesson, tables were moved into the aisle way of the barn and everyone brought food items: some from Trader Joe’s and some homemade, beautiful cheese dishes, chocolately desserts and bruschetta. And there were drinks to top it off. Someone was grilling burgers and hot dogs.
How pro are Carey and Mo? #ridinggoals
The older I get the harder I find it is to meet new people. So having a chance to make some new horse friends is always a welcome thing.
3. Riding in the lesson with your horsey friend=good times and growth times.
It’s one thing to cheer each other on at shows or to observe each other’s lessons, but it’s completely different to be able to ride around the arena with your pony-lovin’ pal. It’s an up-close opportunity to observe and encourage each other. You can learn from each other. It’s kind of like playing tennis: if you play with someone better than you, you’ll improve your skills. Carey and Cosmo are more advanced in their jumping skills than I am. I didn’t make it to their level, but I might have ridden the wave of their confidence as I followed them on course.
I could get used to this special treatment! Thanks Bluepoint Farm for your hospitality. 🙂
4. Have fun being the new girl.
Generally, when you are the new person at a barn you get a little bit of special treatment. Not that I need pampering, but it was fun having the horse all tacked up for me, waiting in the crossties and having Carey’s trainer help me get my stirrups just the right length. It’s always a little awkward to do that with gloves on.
5. Have a fresh set of eyes evaluate your riding abilities.
Probably one of the most exciting benefits to riding at a new barn with one of your horse friends is being able to have your riding skills evaluated without any previous notions of how you ride or what you should work on. You know how sometimes people try to really talk themselves up to be amazing expert riders? You hear this particularly when people go on rental trail rides or horse shopping. I kind of do the exact opposite and talk down my skills. So it was cool to be praised for doing a good job, and shining beyond what I expected of myself. My confidence grew from the accolades I received in this new setting.
Coolin’ down with my cool friend.
All in all, I had a fabulous time and hope I can go back to ride and hang out with Carey’s crew before the summer is over.
Thanks for reading and have a great 4th of July! I’ll be in Austria, hopefully taking in all the sights from The Sound of Music!
Your Turn: Have you ever had a chance to crash a friend’s riding lesson? What was that like? Leave your story in the comments.
If you enjoyed this post, click here to subscribe to our email list for bi-weekly horse lover inspiration (product reviews, horse health info, riding inspiration, etc.). Also you’re invited to stride along with Knight and me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
10 Comments
Leave A Comment
Related Posts
I'm Susan and this is my horse Knight. We have been a blogging team since 2015 and we're glad you're here. Tally ho!
Looks like a blast!!
P.S. Where were these photos when we were looking everywhere for good helmet visor shots, lol…
Okay, so next time you need a shot of anything–helmet, visor, gloves, hooves, mane comb. You know who to call. I’ve got “connections.” We’ll get ‘er done for ya. 🙂
As someone who doesn’t own a horse, I’m always riding someone else’s horse and often a new one. It’s one way to really test your skill. What you think you’re good at one, you can’t even do on another. And people teach riding SOOO differently. Looking around a testing instructors first is also good idea before you commit to one. I’ve had instructors give me completely different instructions.
Oh my gosh! I totally forgot to mention that point about different instructors instructing so differently–and it can be a really good thing too. It’s amazing how just a subtle nuance of explaining how to hold the reins, for example, can make a light bulb go on in a rider’s understanding. For example, instead of “use your left rein,” I had a trainer that would say “squeeze the rein like a sponge” and then she’d put her hand over my hand and squeeze the way she wanted me to. It was amazing how she could break it down so well.
I am like you, always talk down my skills. Mainly because I don’t want to be over horsed in a situation I am new to. People still make assumptions though.
Good point about not wanting to be over horsed in a new situation. It’s one thing to be in a new situation and another thing to be over horsed. You’re right–I would hate the double whammy of both at once! Long live talking down the eq skillz!
I definitely know my limits, and tend to be very up front about what I think I’m capable of. And it’s such a confidence boost when another trainer thinks I’m doing a good job. (Or my own for that matter!) I’m so glad you’re still getting saddle time even with Knight on vacation. Carey’s barn sounds like a ton of fun!
Her barn is sooo fun. I was trying to think of a way hubby and I could move to San Diego. LOL! That would be a really, really long and ugly commute to my teaching job in LA.
How fun! I haven’t done this before, but I have had the opportunity to ride a few other friend’s horses and it was great to ride a new to me horse and be successful! So glad you had an awesome time with Carey at her barn!!
Thanks, Tracy! It is really fun to hop on various ponies. I was riding a 15ish hand Morgan in some lessons recently and I couldn’t help get the giggles when cantering because it was just such a different feel than my big TB!