Should i keep taking horse riding lessons or just stop until i get my own horse?

Question

I have done horse riding since i was 8 years old and im 16 now. I love horses and being around them. But even though horse riding is as much part of me as my name, i seem to have lost all the intrest and passion i used to have for it. But for the past year i have ben very bored in my lessons, doing more or less the same stuff over and over again. I mean, i think ive learnt most of the stuff i can learn in riding lessons and if i want to go any further, i would have to get my own horse. The only problem is, i live in the city and in order to care for a horse of my own, i would have to go to the stables every day, my life style just doesnt allow that right now. It would not be fair to the horse.

Has this ever happend to any other horsey people out there, cos i dont know if this is just one of those teenage phases ; ) or if i should pay attention or not. Just want some ppl's opinions. thanx!

Answer 1

Having your own horse is way different than riding, and much more expensive. It takes a very serious commitment and lots of money. It may or may not be a teenage phase, I never grew out of mine. Being in the city will make it that much more difficult.

For now, I would recommend that you continue your lessons and maybe take out a partial lease on a horse instead of buying one (for a certain amount of money you are guranteed to have x hours on x days in which to ride, plus the owner will probly require that you share in the upkeep duties). Give the lease a try, and if you can handle it, who knows. Good luck!

Answer 2

I can understand the boredom. Unless you are planning on doing something new and maybe competing in something, basic lessons can only take you so far.
I have a couple of suggestions, if you think you should by pass the lessons (maybe instead of quitting, you could go to one a month just to keep you fresh):
1) lease a horse, full or part time (means you wouldn't be responsible for vet bills or boarding, you are basically leasing to ride)
2) talk to your instructor and what suggestions they might have to change the routine
3) buy the horse and pay for full board (means you only have to visit a couple of times a week, but it's very expensive)
4) find a kids camp or guest ranch to work at during the summer as a wrangler or house keeping (have to be 18 to be a wrangler), but if you worked house keeping you could ride
5) look for a training stable or similar and volunteer (or part time worker) to be an exercise rider.....many places would love to have someone come in that they don't have to pay, to maybe just get the horses out on the trails, or over jumps or something.

If you are feeling like you are not as interested and passionate about horses as you once were, maybe you need a break. Most people realize how much they miss it once they leave it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Then you could get back to it in a couple of years when you have a little more time.
Good luck

Answer 3

This has happened to me before. Its kinda a different reason tho. I had a bad fall and every time i got back on i wigged out. I probably took off more time then i should but it made me realized how much of a part of my life it was. I would say maybe take off at least 2 or 3 months. Or you could talk to your trainer about doing something different in your lessons, maybe asking about taking private lessons so you will be the main focus and you wont be as bored. Leasing is an option you can ask your trainer about. Even consider about changing the type of riding you do (chang to english if you do wester or vise versa).

As for the wanting to own a horse its a big responsibility you need to consider carefully. Im 17 and i have had my horse since i was about 13 and i have been through a lot. I almost lost him twice do to an infection to the hoof and that just devistated me. He is still alive but having a sick horse is such a huge struggle and i love him so much that i dont want to get rid of him. Im working with him rite now restarting walking and trotting. All im saying is you need to think of all the possible things that may happen and think about it long and hard.

Answer 4

Have you ever looked into maybe leasing or half-leasing a horse? this way you don't have all the responsibility of owning your own horse and you would maybe get to compete a little bit.

After 8 years id imagine that you're a pretty experienced rider. Are there any race training centres in your city? a great way to learn more and meet new people is during the early morning workouts, i don't know about the states, but here in South Africa the trainers ALWAYS need more work riders, and there's usually someone who's willing to help you out, as it IS vastly different from riding English or Western.

Also you can do it on the weekends.

Maybe try speaking to your instructor, tell him/her how you feel and see if they can't help you out.

One thing I will say is that im very impressed at your attitude toward all this, about saying "i dont know if this is just one of those teenage phases..." and about "it would not be fair to the horse." You seem like you have a genuine love for horses or else you wouldn't have stuck with it for so long.

I know people who rode as teenagers, and then gave it up only to start riding again in their mid-30's etc...so don't throw it all away yet!!!

I hope this helps you.:)

Answer 5

If you still have an interest in the sport and want to further yourself as a rider, I would advise doing a partial lease if one's available to you. In a partial lease, you normally pay for half of that horse' board, shoes, and vaccinations. In exchange, you're allowed to ride it between three and four times a week. This can be a great stepping stone between lessons and buying a first horse. You don't have to be at the barn every day, and you know that when you're not riding the horse, the owner's there to look after it for you. It also allows you to develop a bond with the animal. Riding more than once a day will strengthen your muscles and better your position. You can also talk to the horse's owner about the possibility of competition, if you are so inclined. Many owners allow the leasers of their horses to go to shows and compete, but this is definitely something you talk about before signing paperwork.

Of course, if you're losing interest in horses, leasing one might not be the answer. It really depends on what you think the source of your apathy is. If you honestly think you'd be more interested in the sport and happier riding if you had a horse that was at least partially your own, leasing might work out. If you're frustrated with the entire sport and just bored with horses, though, maybe not. You have to answer those questions on your own.

Answer 6

i'm going through the same thing. see, my we (my family and i) moved out to the country so we could get some horses b/c my mom and dad had both had horses growing up and i was in love with them, and still am. i was still taking lessons and we had the barn half built when my dad passed away. now we have to move back to the city. ive been thinking about quitting since i will never have my own horse to ride, but after thinking about it decided to keep on taking cause it is still my passion even though its dimmed a little nuder the circumstances. for your case you should continue taking lessons and maybe try showing. that way you'll have goals and it will be more interesting. what i have to do is remember why i started riding in the first place and get that feeling back. it's kind of what people have to when they've been married for a long time. i just apply it riding so hope this helps.

you could also try doing something new such as jumping barrel racing, western, dressage, etc.

Answer 7

Trust me, you can never know all there is to know.
But if you are getting bored enough to consider quiting, I think there are some other thing you should try first. Try a new disipline. You don't say what style you ride, but you could probably find somewhere to try, barrel racing, polebending, team penning, reining, dressage, western pleasure ( i mean the real stuff) Learn how to do everything you do now bareback. Try riding SideSaddle. Join a drill team.

How often to you take lessons? If you can find the time to get to the barn 2-4 times a week, you could try half leasing a horse or helping to train a horse.

Its good that you are so honest about what you are feeling. Even just switching barns can spice things up a bit.

Answer 8

instead of looking at the lessons as the same old thing, maybe you should try telling yourself that you could improve on what you have learned. There must be a reason the trainer has you doing the same things over and over. Have you discussed this with your trainer? If not do that. If you are bored with what you are doing, wait on getting a horse. especially as you put it in your own words, "It would not be fair to the horse."
You should wait on getting a horse. That is a big responsibility. Wait until you are over your teenage stuff. Maybe getting a horse would tie you down more than you would want to be tied down. If renting has worked ok for you, stick with that.

Answer 9

I was in the same position. Talk to your trainer and see if there is anything that you can do for fun, if you ride your trainer's horse and have more than one horse you might be able to ask if you can do something together like a trail ride or a gaming day. In your position I suggest staying with lessons, because a horse does take a lot more time if you have to board it somewhere. I did that for a while and was not happy it took a lot of time out of my schedule and was stressful. I hope you have fun with whatever decision you make.

Answer 10

To become better at riding, you need to continue lessons!!!Getting your own horse would teach you more about horses and taking care of them(especially financially if your parents are making you pay) but not more about riding in general.

If you step up to a lease, I'd reccomend some clinics. They can be a little pricy but you can learn from professional riders. Even the pros have trainers! you can never run out of things to learn :)


I knew a girl who was never satisfied with her riding instructor because she felt like since she was diong the same thing over and over, she was wasn't learning anything. To solve this all she would do was change instructors over and over again and eventually she stopped riding.

If you feel like you have gotten everything out of your trainer then switching may be an option, but talk it over with them first! They may have a reason why they are doing a lot of repetition with you. It may be that you need to work on a basic skill better, and once you have it mastered you can move onto more difficult things because you're ready when you weren't beforehand.

Leasing and owning a horse is a HUGE RESPONSIBILITY and costs a lot of money.

If you decide to do such a thing and the horse you decide on is a high-maintenance breed(such as a sport horse, thoroughbred, etc.) You may be required to ride multiple times a week and hire somebody else to ride on the days you don't want to- just to keep the horse in condition. If you take a few days off with a horse like this then they'll get all bent out of shape. There was a girl I rode with who my trainer told her, "If you decide to seriously event and compete with this horse, you'll have to choose between having a horse and having a social life, since you'll have to school her every singleday." (This may not be your situation at all but it is something to think about.)

If you decide to go off to college in two years, the responsibility and ownership would fall to your parents completely and if they aren't horse lovers or experienced with taking care of horses, they give you "the talk" about selling your horse because they can't afford to keep him when you don't ride him any more.