A trip down memory lane...

I was just thinking back, to when I first started riding.I almost quit after like a year[going on my 3rd year]because of one lesson. I was riding this adorable gelding named King[RB :(] and he had an iron mouth! I'm serious, maybe 1/4 of the time he would turn when I wanted him to...anyways, I was trotting and then I was supposed to halt. I got him down to a walk, but he would NOT stop. No matter how much I pulled, then pull and released[everything my instructor was yelling to me] and turned his head to the wall, he would NOT stop. By the time he finally stopped[of his own accord], I was crying[yes I know but it scared me that I didn't have control over him]. I really wanted to quit, but my mom and instructor ganged up on me and wouldn't let me. I haven't really rode King since, and now that he's gone forever, I wish I could have ridden him once more, to see if I could get him to cooperate. Now I ride horses that I realize are just as naughty[except now they think its fun to take me out the arena and down the road]and I can control them, but still..

I have some hilariouspictured of me when I first started riding, but I don't know what happened to them.

haha this post doesn't reallly have a point, but I guess I was wondering..Did you everalmost wuit riding? What made you keep riding?

haha someting sorta like that...

Yeah I know what you mean. I just broke my rib this summer from a horse that would not listen no matter what. And I've fallen off horses about 2 or 3 times even before that, and many times I just felt like I should quit trying to ride horses and that I'm a failure to horses. But I try to put that thought aside because my dream is to own my own horse and if I didn't ride that horse then it would be sad. You gotta fall and get back up again! :)

No, if you do that the horse will think it's won and get worse. If I get thrown off or something it makes me more determined to get back on and teach them what they did was wrong.

When I had a severe sprain (worse then a break) to my ankle from being thrown off my old pony I was in so much pain and I was crying my eyes out. But I got right back on him crying (I had to get back to the barn wich was 10 minutes away). After I went to the Hospital the first thing I asked is when can I ride again. They said a month at least. I stuffed my boot to keep my ankle from not moving 2 weeks later. I was more determined to get back on him.

I've fallen off dozens of times, mostly when I was younger and first learning to ride. Fortuantely about half the time I would actually land on my feet-picture riding a 16hh Thoroughbred/Irish Draught at a canter towards a jump, about two strides before the jump -dead stop- and me -swing- around his neck to stand in front of him. :p I also used to fall off of this paint I used to ride all the time, he was a really good boy until he didn't want to be rode anymore. Then it was... OH MY GOD there is a LEAF on the ground...time to DUCK MY SHOULDER and take off...and there you are on the ground and he's laughing at you.

I never really minded falling off, I'd get back on and continue on. There was twice in a row that I got injured falling off, and I really thought about discontinuing riding for a while. The first was that I was riding an off the track tb (OTTB) and we were hand galloping in a field..and he decided he wanted to go home...so when he took off on me I lost a stirrup, and then he tripped and I somehow fell off underneath him, knocked my wind out and he grazed my side with his hoof. I thought I was going to DIE but I was okay.

And then I was supposed to ride in a hunter pace at my school, but something happened and I couldn't ride the horse I was supposed to, so they put me on "Erebus". Anytime I told people I was riding him, they would just look at me and get kind of quiet. I'd never seen him being ridden so I got on him to check him out, and after him taking off on me and not being able to circle him to slow him down (small arena and lots of people) it was suggested to ride him into a fence...he ducked his shoulder, and I hit the ground and blacked out. I was taken to the hospital, I had a concussion and had bruised my kidneys. I never would ride him again, but I did get back on another horse shortly after and haven't looked back.

I really don't get too discouraged about riding...there are good days and bad days, good and bad horses.