40, fabulous and want to ride horse? How to come into horses as an adult!

Over the years of working with riders, I have had numerous riders that have either come back to riding after 40 or decided that they wanted to fulfill their childhood dream of riding horses (in some cases “Galloping a horse through an open field” haha). Most of these people have been women, who have had children and maybe facing a midlife crisis…haha just kidding.

When they first arrive, they are full of excitement and sometimes fear but they have taken this crazy step and are gung-ho about the whole thing. We go through the process of brushing and tacking up; the riders that have ridden before just take over because they know what to expect and sometimes just need a little help with placement of the saddle and reminder of what brush does what. The newbies are like a toddler, as you literally walk them through holding their hand, of each brush and what it does and why; by the time you have gotten to saddling, you can already see their poor head spinning.

Then comes the part they have all been waiting for: they are gonna ride like the wind like Amy Flemming from Heartland. (haha) I walk them through getting on and the safety procedures and we start talking about horses and what they know and such. Most of them tell me they rode when they were younger or they have been on a horse before, but I try to explain the difference between riding a horse and riding THE horse. We talk about the partnership between humans and horses and how that develops; all the while they are just walking around on a lead, feeling the horse's movement. We talk about riding aids and when we use them and I start to get them turning, stopping, etc. Some tell me “Yaya just let me gallop” but once they have trotted and feel like a fish out of water, they rethink that statement.

Riders who come back to riding or start over 40 years old, I give a huge amount of respect. At first, the decision seems easy… “Ya I want to ride”, but then it becomes a battle of “ You want me to what?!?!”. The fear is different as you realize that you are not going to bounce the same way you once did (because it is not IF you fall, its when and how bad), you already have developed muscle that either work with you or against you and let’s be real NO ONE wants to fall off. I can honestly say, it is ABSOLUTELY harder to get an adult rider past fear than it is a child or teenager. As adults, we have more life experience and have seen things and we very quickly go to the worst-case scenario (or see snapshots in our heads from The Horse Whisperer). Secondly, learning something new or relearning can be a hard pill to swallow when you are learning from someone younger than you… I have had students that literally have jokingly told me, they are the boss because they are older haha. Learning how you use your body to help the horse is complex and boggles most client’s brains, and regardless of age, it takes multiple times explaining something, and then out of nowhere you see the light bulb turn on.

Over the years, I have had some very successful adult riders. They have fought through the fear, frustration, and learning curves; I have had the opportunities to develop them and watch their partnerships with their equine friends grow. So if you ask me what do I need to know starting or coming back to riding after 40 here it is:

1. The sooner you relax and let the fear go, it will be easy and you will develop faster.
2. YOU CAN DO THIS
3. Ask ALL the questions you want… we are here to help YOU!
4. Believe in yourself.
5. Trust the process… YOU WILL get to that dream you have in your head.