Briefly:
I had forgotten this about riding, but I think it's true. If you haven't ridden for more than 3 days you either come back and have a great ride - almost as if the break kicked you and the horse up a notch, or you have to start over on some things. In the second case, if you ride for 3 days in a row, it's that third day that you kick back up again to the good stuff.
Would love to hear if anyone else experiences this, with riding, or anything else.
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
8 comments:
It's been so long since I've ridden I think this time I'm going to have to start from scratch. Unless of course it's like riding a bicycle. I can't wait to get on again but I'm sure not looking forward to the aching muscles etc... What I remember from when I rode a few horses everyday is that each day was different, as each horse came out with a different set of issues,some good and some not so good.
I don't think I've ever been able to ride for 3 days in a row, or closer than 3 days together!
But I will say, that when I have an extended time off, both myself and my horse come back refreshed, and she is almost always better than when I left her last.
Our current stretch of non-riding time is now 5 months. Perhaps she'll be Olympic level when I get back on her? =D
Arlene, I hope your first ride back is a good one. There have been times when I've ridden more than one horse a day, and it was good for me - but I have no idea how I got anything else done. Probably, I didn't! :)
Michelle, I am not always able to, but I am also constantly attempting to have a regular riding schedule b/c when I do, my entire body, mind, and spirit is healthier. You'd think that would pretty much assure a ride every day, wouldn't you? :)
My latest plan was alternate days with Keil Bay and Cody - but for various reasons I've ended up riding Keil for 3 days straight. Now I'm remembering that awhile back I was doing a thing where I rode Keil for 3 days, gave him 2 days off, and somehow fit that in with doing the same with Cody. All because of this rule of 3 thing.
I love what your wrote about being Olympic level when you get back on!! I might try that one myself!
i always feel like i ride better after a few days off... maybe three days is just long enough to let go of some of your bad habits or forget about the problems with the last ride, but not so long you get out of shape ;-)
That could be it, jme. I've also noted that sometimes a longer break works well too, but most of the time, for me, I do feel the butt in the saddle multiple days in a row limbers me up.
I know what you mean. I've never ridden for more than two days in a row, but the second day was pure joy.
If I rode at least once or twice a week I was happy and so was my horse. We usually rode trails and never more than 5 miles round trip, so not too much to wear us out.
If I went two weeks without riding, I was so sore the next day.
Funny how our bodies adjust in that way.
I am sure that with missing all these months of riding, when I do get back out there, I'll be starting over..with everything, and I'm sure that a lot of ground work will be required for my mare, too. :P
~Lisa
Fortunately, I think the bigger picture of riding is like riding a bicycle - you will need to retrain your muscles after this time off the the trauma to your knee. But the muscles will "remember" what they supposed to do, and you'll just need some time in the saddle to get back the finer points.
As evidenced by my returning to the saddle after 25 years - although I could barely get on the horse those first few rides, when the mare I was riding got annoyed at me and took off like a train, jumping a mounting block that got in her way, I never even lost a stirrup. My body knew what to do and did it for the time it took me to get the mare to a halt.
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