Horse Girl Problems

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi, I'm around 13, and I live in SoCal, so Im not sure if you know the area, but right now i ride around once a week, and ive been riding 4 years so im ready to start doing more, but my parents cant pay for it (and i dont expect them to) and my trainer cant have working students under 16 for liability reasons, so im looking for ways to make some money, and i cant think of anything besides dog walking. Do you have any ideas? Thanks in advance❤

Hi! I love that you’re willing to work for what you love at such a young age-- that’s a great quality that I hope you never lose. I think that babysitting or being a mother’s helper is always a great way to make some cash (depending on the area you can make quite a bit for a few hours of work, too). If you’re not RedCross certified I recommend taking a course if you can (you can get certified in a day), as it’s a nice thing to be able to add when advertising, especially since you are on the young side. Petsitting is also great. Selling old books/toys is a good way to make some money as well, it’s not guaranteed but can usually get you something. 

Those are more general ideas, but a great way to make money is to think about what specific interests/skills you have and see if you can create a job out of that. For example, my younger sister is really into photography and started an informal photography business at 15-- she posts in local facebook groups and offers to take family portraits for various occasions. Maybe you’re crafty, and want to try to sell some jewelry or something else you make. You’re a little young to tutor, but that’s something to think about as you get into high school (or possibly now, if you feel comfortable in a certain subject and want to try reaching out to families with younger kids who would maybe want some extra practice). Good luck, hope this helps a little!! 

[horsegirlproblems]

Sorry @ people who are waiting for their questions to be answered, I’ll get to them this weekend!! Been so busy with school, I apologize. Thanks!!

[horsegirlproblems]

Hey! So im having trouble with getting motivation to go to the barn & ride. I work to ride & i dont even feel like working at the barn anymore. Usually i love riding & working where im at now. Its a private barn so no one bothers me, i can just do my job & ride by myself. My "boss" even gives me lessons sometimes. But i just have no motivation to go at all! Idk if i should just maybe take a break from horses for a little while or just force myself to go

Hi! I totally know how you feel– I’ve gone through a similar process. There’s no right or wrong answer per se, but here are a few things to consider. Firstly, what goals do you have for your riding? Even if you’re getting all these great opportunities, it can still be easy to lose motivation if you haven’t defined new goals to work on. New challenges are what keep riders fresh. Think about what you’d like to work towards (jumping higher, showing, training a young horse, etc), and talk to your trainer to make it a reality. 

However, if that doesn’t excite you or you try it for a few weeks and still feel "stuck,” it’s really helpful to take a break for a little while. Sometimes when you’ve been doing one thing a long time (like riding) it’s natural to start to feel a little burnt out. This doesn’t mean you are or that you should quit, but honestly I strongly believe that it’s very healthy to take short breaks occasionally from whatever it is you love doing, to prevent yourself from burning out and to just get out of your bubble and explore new hobbies/facets of your personality. Take a couple weeks off (or however long you want), and then when you return to the barn you’ll probably find yourself refreshed and ready to start again. And if you decide to prolong your break and explore another hobby more, that’s 100% okay too. It’s good to get new perspectives, it doesn’t make you less of an equestrian, you’ll always have your love of horses/experience riding. Best of luck figuring everything out! <3 

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi! So the horse I ride (not my horse so I can't train her or anything) doesn't consistently get lead changes so my trainer tells me to do simple lead changes. However sometimes the horse will attempt to do a flying lead change without me asking and ends up cross cantering. I can't really tell when she is cross cantering because when I look to check my leads it looks correct so how can I tell?

Hi! I’d say usually a cross-canter will feel just kind of...weird. Like a little bumpier/harder to sit, or less coordinated/fluid than a regular canter-- it feels like the back legs can’t quite keep up with the front legs, which of course is basically what’s happening haha. Those are usually the tell-tales for me, but also judging by what you’ve told me it seems like anytime your horse does a flying change she ends up cross-cantering, so I’d be more comfortable assuming something is off whenever she does a change on her own. At the very least, if your trainer wants you to work on simple changes it’s good practice to bring your horse back to the trot and try the change again on your terms.

Also, I’m sure your trainer has already told you this, but to keep your horse from trying to switch leads, try to bend her head slightly to the outside of the new direction (or think of it as bending to the inside of the old direction, whatever works better in your mind) as you come across the diagonal, and keep your opposite leg on, almost as if you were going to ask for a counter-canter in the new direction. Then a little ways across the diagonal, bring her down to a trot, switch your bend, and ask for the transition again. Good luck! :)

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi I have a question that might be a little stupid but I'm not from the states. Is it mandatory to ride on half canter when on hunters? Im moving in to Massachusetts and I want to start hunters (after being a jumper for 8 years). If so how do I start riding on a half canter?

Hey, no worries! Definitely not a stupid question haha. I assume by “half canter” you mean “half seat,” when the rider lightens their seat/goes into a little two-point? If so, then no, it’s not required for hunter jumping classes. At the higher levels, you’ll see more half seat as a way for the rider to show off the horse’s movement, but you should ride according to whatever suits your horse and your own balance, as finding distances are more important. If you were to do a flat class at a competition, you would want to ride in a half seat at the canter to let your horse’s stride flow nicely for the judge. So you may want to experiment with it during lessons, but don’t feel like you have to do so for jump courses right away if your eye/balance are better in a full seat. Enjoy Massachusetts, as a born and raised New England-er I think you’ll really enjoy it!

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi! So i have a slight problem. I have a problem with keeping my heel down when asking for the canter. & even sometimes when im cantering, i cant keep my heel down. In the canter i do notice that my heel is not down & i'll think to myself, heels down. But i have a hard time keeping it down when asking for the canter. Any advice?

Hey, so sorry-- I didn’t get a notification for this message so I didn’t see it in my inbox! 

Transitions are difficult mostly for that reason, it’s really easy to focus just on the “gotta go faster!” aspect of it and then let little parts of your position fall to the wayside, like your heels or your hands or something like that. However, I’ve noticed that my position during transitions always improves when I don’t try to make a split-second decision to ask for a gait change. When you know you want to transition to the canter, bring the horse to a walk or sit the trot for a few seconds and set yourself up for success: stretch through your calves to sink into your heels, sit up tall, lift your hands, etc. Slide your outside leg back slightly while still at the walk/collected trot so you can make sure your heel stays down, then ask for the transition. I think that taking more time to set up always works out better in the end. And if the horse starts to get away from you a little bit and starts to rush (which almost always causes a rider’s heels to fly up, understandably as they try to save the transition), just bring him back down to the walk/trot and try again. Don’t be afraid to use a tap of a crop or nudge of a spur if you feel like your leg needs reinforcement, just so you don’t have to sacrifice your leg position to get a response (and it’ll help your horse respond to more subtle leg cues over time). Hopefully this helps a little, I know it’s frustrating not to have a quick fix but over time you’ll start to form muscle memory which will help. And if needed, play around with your stirrup length a little-- make sure you have room to stretch your leg, but also check that they’re short enough that you have a definite anchor. Good luck <3

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi I'm new here, I have a saddlebred mare and I'm having to break her in because she hasn't been ridden in a while and I'm just now getting into walk to trot and they're little cues, like just clucking, and everytime I cluck she goes straight into a canter or gallop and I have pressure on the reins but she knows her own strength she realllly does. Every cue is a canter/gallop cue for her, h e l p!

Hey, welcome! Have you taught your mare how to lunge yet? If not, I highly recommend doing so, and if she does know how to lunge, try working with her on the ground so that you can practice the transitions and solidify the cues, which will help you replicate them more easily in the saddle. Frankly, even having someone lunge her while you’re riding may be helpful: it gives you a change to practice the cues you want from the saddle, but having someone holding the lunge line gives you a little extra control over her reaction. Eventually you’ll be able to work with her on your own, but if her impulse is as strong and immediate as you’ve described, then it sounds like ground work may be the best solution for now (taking one step back to take a bigger leap forward, that sort of thing). Let me know if this doesn’t sound possible for you/her and I can give different advice, but that’s where I’d start! :) 

[horsegirlproblems]

hi! i have no trouble keeping my lower leg closed and heel down at the walk/trot, but at the canter i pinch with my knees and my heels point up. how can i fix this? also this causes my leg to swing back when i jump so i when i two point i just lean forward instead of standing in my stirrups and closing my hip angle. do you have any advice to practice closing my hip angle as well? thanks so much!

Hey, so sorry for the late response! 

If you feel comfortable, try dropping your stirrups for a portion of your canter– it automatically sets your leg in the correct position and forces you to use your thigh and calf as opposed to you relying on pinching with your knee. No-stirrup work also has the added benefit of making your legs stronger, so that you have more muscle control, which helps with things like your leg sliding back over fences. Even when you ride with stirrups, every lap focus on elongating your entire leg (not just jamming your heels down). Stretch through your calf so the weight is in your heel-- think of your heels as anchors, sinking you down. Also take care also that you’re not leaning too far forwards, causing you to lose leg contact and grip with your knee more-- you want to stay centered over the saddle. Doing a few laps in two-point (or even full-on jumping position) on the flat may also help with your leg position and your hip angle over fences: doing it on the flat helps give you a feel for how long your leg should stretch and for what a closed hip angle feels like (when you anchor your heels and push back at the waist slightly) so that when you go to actually jump, you have some muscle memory to work with. Good luck, hope this helps!

[horsegirlproblems]

This new horse im exercising doesnt stand when you mount. I'll have one foot in the stirrup & i'll be swinging my leg over to the other side & he'll take off at a fast walk to the arena. Im not sure how to break this habit. Any advice or tips you have will be greatly appreciated!

If possible, have a friend help you by holding him for you while you get on-- if you both have the time, do this several times in a row to teach him what you want. If you’re by yourself, try leading him up to it as if you were going to hold him for someone else to get on by walking on the right side of the horse, then make him stand correctly by the block for a solid period of time (not just a few seconds) before coming around and hopping on. If he still tries to power-walk away before you’re ready, dismount and make him do it again. This time, try to test your weight in the stirrup before you mount, and if he starts to move stand back on the block and nudge him back into position. You can also use positive reinforcement: if you stand at the block and he stands patiently with you for several seconds, feed him a small treat (and be sure to withhold it if he moves even an inch). You can eventually progress to leaning slightly over the pommel of the saddle, and feeding him with your right hand by his right shoulder, so that he stands quietly in anticipation of the treat. Most horses are pretty food motivated, so it shouldn’t take him long to get the message ;) once he is standing consistently, you can downgrade to just a pat so that he’s not reliant on treats all the time. And remember, while you want to get on safely, try to swing up quickly and not waste any time. Good luck!

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi! You probably don't remember, but I was the one with the 5-part question about having to adjust to my favorite lesson horse's new lessor riding him a lot, etc.. I just wanted to thank you for all the wonderfull advice you gave me (it really helped❤) and say that everythong worked out perfectly! A little bit after that message, my barn became a PonyClub center, and my instructor let me have him as my regular PC horse (I'm rating for my D-2 in coming weeks and will continue riding him through..

my D-3 and maybe even C-1). I am still riding at the 'new' facility, but since I'm not at the point where I can show any of those horses now, I'm going to show him in two weeks, in all of my divitional flats, hunter hack, and maybe even crossrails!! His lessor continued on with him for a while, and is now riding a horse at the new place, who she LOVES, and he still has lessors, but thats the way its been since I started with him, so I dont mind at all. Thank you so much for the advice you gave❤

Aw, thank you so much for updating me! I definitely remember you and I love hearing updates like these, so happy to hear everything worked out and that I had a small role in helping you feel better. Best of luck at your show!!! 

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi. I have a little problem. My stirrup always slides back on my foot so that its near my heel. Its only the right foot that this happens to. I can keep the stirrup on the ball of my foot on the left side. Just not the right. Any advice on how to fix this?

Hi! You might need to replace your stirrup pads, sometimes when they get worn out it’s harder to keep a good grip on them. Your stirrups may also be a bit too long, so consider shortening them by a hole or so. Otherwise, it’s probably a matter of general leg placement. Make sure that as you ride your leg is stretched long so you sink down into your heels and anchor yourself on the ball of your foot. Don’t grip with your knee (that will make your toes point down which makes it easier for your stirrup to slide back), instead open your hips, stretch up tall, and let your thighs and calves do the work. Every few strides, do a mental check and see if you need to open your shoulders, elongate your leg, or stretch further into your heels, in hopes of catching yourself before there’s a problem. Good luck <3

[horsegirlproblems]

Hey there! I've had this problem for a couple of months now, where about 15-20 minutes into my ride my ankles roll outwards and my feet curl towards the barrel of the horse, and I can't get my leg back to where it should be! It's super frustrating because I've never really had this problem before a few months ago. I think I put more weight on the pinky toe side of my foot than the other side, and that's why my ankle is rolling, but I'm struggling to fix it, and I would really like to show (1/2)

(2/2) with the new horse I'm riding this summer, but I can't very well show in an eq class with wonky ankles, and it makes for a very unstable jumping base too. I was thinking about getting orthotics to help redistribute my weight, but I came across wedged stirrup pads and there seem to be some very mixed and strong opinions about them. Do you have any thoughts on if they might help, or if I should try them? Thank you!

Hi! I don’t have any experience with wedged stirrup pads so unfortunately I can’t attest to their effectiveness, but maybe one of my followers has used them and can chime in! Orthotics are a good idea as well, I really like using them for things like weight distribution. Some light physical therapy-type of exercises might help you as well, in terms of strengthening your ankles (maybe working with a resistance band, or a few slow calf raises). 

I know the wedged stirrup pads were really your biggest question, but for what it’s worth here are a few other riding-related things to keep in mind that may help: check that you’re not pinching with your knee or thigh when you ride, that can also mess up your weight distribution (you could be putting *too* much weight in your stirrups as a compensation measure, and the added pressure may be what’s making your ankles go wonky). Drop your stirrups (if you feel comfortable) to feel where your leg should naturally hang and force your calf muscles to engage more. When you pick your stirrups back up, take care that you’re placing all your weight on your stirrups-- it seems counter-intuitive I know, but you really only want to use them as a light anchor point as opposed to sinking all your weight into them as the only thing keeping you on the horse (you actually want your core to be engaged enough so that you can balance more independently). Hopefully this wasn’t too confusing haha, it’s been a long day so apologies for the messy writing. Good luck!

[horsegirlproblems]

Hello :) All my life I've been told "HANDS DOWN" a lot by self confessed 'old fashioned' style trainers, so I've got into the habit of having my hands just above the pommel, three still bend in my arms but not a right angle, I really want to have them higher up but I'm struggling to remember to consciously change it, can you think if anything that might help? Do you know how long it'll take for me to get used to having them like that?

Hi! So, if possible, the best thing would be to work on this with a trainer who believes in riding with an independent hand, so that he or she can help show you correct arm position and remind you to carry your hands independently when they start to fall into your lap-- that sort of consistent reminder will help ingrain the position into your muscle memory. Likewise, when you ride on your own try to pick maybe 4 spots around the arena to be “check-in” points, where every time you pass them you run through a mental checklist of your position, arm position included. 

As for just a general overview that might help, keep in mind you don’t necessarily need to bend your arms at a right angle, but you should have a soft outward bend and be able to lift your hands high enough so that 1). your balance doesn’t come from hanging on the horse but rather from you engaging your core muscles and anchoring yourself in your stirrups and 2). leg your horse is able to get round and come up into your hand when you add leg. So to help you get used to the position, strengthen your core as best you can out of the saddle, so that it’s not so much of a struggle to carry your hands independently. Unfortunately there aren’t any quick fixes, but good luck!

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi! So i have trouble keeping my leg position correct in the canter. Im fine in the walk & trot. This new horse im riding has a very weird/bumpy canter. Plus he has a big belly. So my leg tends to be more forward than i would like. But i can keep it in the correct position at the walk & trot. Just not the canter. Any advice or tips?

Hi! No-stirrup work is one of the best things you can do. I know it can be hard, but even a few laps of canter will force your leg to hang down correctly and prevent you from bracing it forward, and it also just generally builds muscle with helps with controlling position. In addition, make sure that you’re not depending too much on your hands/reins for balance– that tends to make your hands and shoulders stiff and locked in one position, and by supporting the horse that way if he pulls you down (like in a downward transition), your leg will shoot out in front of you. Don’t bury your hands in the horse’s mane and pull down-- instead, lift your hands so they’re independent, engage your core, and use your body weight to sink down into the saddle and anchor yourself in your heels. Take care you’re not bracing too much against the stirrup— you want your heels down, but think about sinking down into them as opposed to jamming them down. Keep your hips open to roll with the horse’s motion, but be careful that you don’t get too behind the motion as that will push your lower leg forward. Basically, you want to use your stirrups to balance on to counteract the bounciness, but you shouldn’t really be gripping on anything, like with your knees or by bracing on your stirrups– it’s counterintuitive at first, but your goal is to be as flexible and adjustable as possible so it’s more important to have your own independent balance. Hope this helps a little!

[horsegirlproblems]

Recently, due to health issues, I had to leave my barn and sell the horse I had owned for 7 years. On the contract, it stated that the only thing they had the right to sell was my horse and that was if I hadn't paid board. They decided to up my board by 50 dollars the money before my horse left and it took me two weeks to pay for that, but I paid. The day before my horse was supposed to be taken, I was hospitalized and could not go to the barn to collect my things. A few days ago

Part 2 a few days ago, I got out and I messaged the owner that I would be coming up to collect my things. She told me that she had gotten rid of all of my things even though she has no right to. My tack altogether was worth over 2500 dollars and she sold it right out from underneath me. Can I take her to court for it or do I have the right to have her get those items back?

Unfortunately, I can’t help much with something like this. I don’t have a law degree (at least not for a few years haha) so I don’t feel comfortable advising you on your chances in court. From what you’ve told me, the situation definitely sounds sketchy to say the least, but I can’t tell you how to handle this from a legal perspective (especially considering I don’t completely understand the situation myself). My advice would be to contact an actual lawyer to sort this out and figure out what your best course of action is. 

[horsegirlproblems]

How do you cope with selling your forever horse? I had to sell my baby girl because of all the medical issues I'm currently facing and I haven't gone a day without crying since selling her 3 weeks ago. I want to go back and take lessons again but even seeing horse posts on Facebook depress me. Help.

Selling a horse is always an emotional experience, and honestly you probably won’t feel “fine” with everything for a little while longer. Sometimes grief just needs to happen, and it’s painful but ultimately fleshing some of those feelings out is what will help the most. Don’t be hard on yourself– you did the best you could by your horse and that’s what counts. I always recommend getting yourself a memento of your time with him, maybe a nice photograph/drawing or a bracelet made from a few strands of his tail (they sell kits for making one). Then you just have to slowly start to fill the void– take a few lessons for fun, volunteer at a therapy barn, whatever it is that gets you just to start enjoying spending time around horses again. You may find that actually doing a horse-related activity (e.g. making yourself take a lesson) doesn’t depress you as much as passively looking at horse posts online, simply because the physical nature of the activity occupies your brain + gives you actual enjoyment, as opposed to looking at photos which only invoke nostalgia. But if being around horses is still too difficult, though, keep yourself busy with other activities-- no one is good at just one thing, so you should just try a bunch of other hobbies and see what sticks. Of course it’s a bittersweet opportunity, but you do get to explore other facets of your personality which is incredibly valuable (and something not done nearly enough by horse people, in my opinion). 

Everyone handles this process differently, but I hope this post can act as a springboard to give you some idea on how to start moving forward. Best of luck with everything <33

[horsegirlproblems]

Hi I am saving up for new tall boots and was wondering what brands you recommend? Thanks in advance :)

What sort of price range are you looking for? I'll assume since you're saving up you don't want super high prices, so for moderate prices, I really like Ovation, Mountain Horse, and Ariat (Ariat has some on the pricier level and more moderate, but good quality all around).