Who Is Beginner Adult Rider For?

You know you’re in the right place if:

1. You’re an adult who loves horses and wants to learn as much as you can about them and riding, from either a beginner or nervous rider’s perspective.
2. You didn’t ride as a kid but have started riding as an adult and/or would love to.
3. You love horses and love riding, but they still make you nervous.
4. You’re afraid of falling and getting hurt.
5. You’re afraid of looking stupid.
6. You’re a perfectionist.
7. You’re frustrated because you try so hard, yet can’t seem to (insert your “problem” here, i.e., stop bouncing in the canter, stop your lower leg from swinging, feel confident, yada, yada, yada)!
8. You’re frustrated because it feels like it’s easier for everyone else and you don’t know what you’re doing wrong.
9. No matter how many lessons you’ve taken, you still feel like a sack of potatoes.
10. Your horse show nerves are making you not want to show – again, from a newbie to showing perspective (I’m in no way pretending to be some adult ammie, just a fellow adult who has spent the last decade+ learning to ride and put my brave pants on at non-rated shows!)
11. Expanding on number 10, you’re not an adult ammie, but rather a “regular” person riding a “regular” horse but still want to be the best rider and horse person you can be.
12. You don’t own your own horse. If you do have your own, I hope you stick around and take whatever works for you, but this is just an FYI that I’m coming from the perspective of having spent the first 13 years of my riding life riding a school horse. I co-own one now, but learning how to ride is a whole other kettle of fish when you’re riding school horses, especially when you’re just learning as an adult!
13. And further expanding on number 12, since you don’t own your own horse, you, of course, don’t have horses on your own property. This matters again as those of us in this boat don’t have the same opportunities to create the relationship and/or practice as those who do.
14. You’re looking for advice on riding from someone who didn’t ride as a kid.
15. You’re looking for advice on riding from someone who it doesn’t come naturally to (me, me, me! lol).

This list will be expanding as we go, but for now, I hope you get the idea.

And little more info because I’m wordy like that… 😉

• I absolutely love meeting adults taking the big step of learning to ride so I’m hoping this takes those “meetings” to the next level! Riding as an adult is so daunting and takes an enormous amount of courage.
• I also don’t think adult beginners get nearly enough credit for putting their foot in the stirrup for the first time, not to mention there are very few resources for us to answer the questions unique to us.
• I came across so few adult newbies when I was first learning. Other adults I occasionally had a lesson with usually rode as a kid so had muscle memory and experience – it was like riding a bike for them. Sure, they often had some fears and their bodies didn’t cooperate like they used to, but it wasn’t the same as starting from scratch. I had no reference point for how things should feel. What’s it supposed to feel like when you’re stiff and scared?
• I also had so many lessons with little kids with the only adults being those there to watch their kids in the same lesson as me! It was mortifying and exhilarating at the same time. I felt ridiculous riding with kids younger than my own, yet I was also proud of myself for having the courage at the same time. And many of the moms told me they wished they could take lessons as well – so I know you’re out there!

Anyway, I’m so glad you’re here! I hope I can be some help on your journey with what I’ve learned on the way about riding as an adult, especially one who spent years riddled with fear.

And if nothing else, this allows me to blather on about horses and continue on my own journey of overcoming fears and being the very best horse person I can be.

Canter (or walk, trot, or gallop – wherever you’re at on your journey!) on! 😀🏇😍