Wow you’re a tough lot out there!

I thought there has to be advantages, as well as the obvious disadvantages of learning something new at my age.

After all I have had a career, a family, negotiated my way through a host of challenging relationships, my muscles might be stiff but surely I have a well developed  muscle in my head to carry me to success on horseback.

So you would think my preparation would be excellent for starting a new, physical activity. That’s what maturity has taught me right? “Failing to plan is planning to fail”.

Well not exactly initially I had no intention of riding, I got amongst horses again helping out at RDA(Riding for the disabled) and then inspired by our clients I thought go for it. No preparation, not even a limbering up. I went along in my “tracky” bottoms borrowed boots and hat and jumped on and was cantering before the end of the lesson.  I say cantering but it wasn’t pretty, I pursued this two more times until my back said whoa and went into spasm. What exactly did I expect, never mind poor technique, lack of knowledge my body was just not fit for that purpose.

After I re started my lessons I slowly got a bit fitter but I could have helped myself and prepared!

Joining Haynet has been a great help though because I do read and try and learn from others which is a sign of maturity (little pat on the back for me then). Still it has been a bumpy ride and I am sure there are more “down”s to come, as well as the rare but wonderful, “ups!”

Reading other people’s blogs , there seems to be a pattern developing whilst I find everyone ,without exception, tremendously kind supportive and encouraging to others, we all seem to be pretty hard on ourselves.

It doesn’t matter whether someone is a beginner, novice, intermediate or top of their game, “we”, I include myself here, are so intense, easily disappointed, demanding and critical of ourselves it is hard to read sometimes. I never thought I would come home in tears after a riding lesson, or doubt whether I could go back for another lesson because I was so hopeless. It’s a hobby supposed to be fun ha, no its not its horse riding and “we” who undertake this glorious adventure want to be more than good we want to be great “thoughtful” riders connecting with our mount in a seamless partnership which takes us to new highs.

You are tough you lot out there, tough on yourselves. I read about your abilities and go green, yet you worry and want better from yourself. C’mon guys cut yourselves some slack. One thing I promise myself to do from now on as a mature student is to learn, work hard but also be fair on myself and not to be too hard when things don’t go well, but, I know I will still expect to do better next time, because “we” demand it of ourselves and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.