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Learning to Ride - Questions on competitions?

2K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  beau159 
#1 ·
How old were you when you started showing/competing? And how long had you been riding? Who helped you get started, or did you just wing it? I'd love to get into roping, penning or barrel racing (for fun, not really competing) but I'm not sure how/when you get started. Are there ways, even in the beginning, if you can tell if someone would be a good fit for any of those?
 
#2 ·
I was 4 or 5 when I started riding by myself and showing by myself. In barrel racing. My mom does barrels, and so does the majority of my family. As for you, just go to barns or look online for local open shows. Go watch or bring your horse along to "play" as for deciding what you want to do I suggest watching different shows and getting a feel for the atmosphere in each, then going and taking lessons in that dicipline to see if you really do like it or not. It's not about fit, it's about what you enjoy doing and having the right horse to do it with.
 
#8 ·
It's not about fit, it's about what you enjoy doing and having the right horse to do it with.
I guess that would make sense for any sport!! I don't have a horse so I suppose that leaves me to figure out what I like and then find a horse that could do it!! Thanks!
 
#3 ·
I have to agree. I have ridden my whole life, did some junior rodeo stuff and play days. When I was eleven, I got my first highly competitive show horse. His name was Peavy, and I got him half-way through the show season. I ended up fourth place rookie of the year. My trainer at the time was my gaming trainer, and she helped me out so much. When I was thirteen, I started going to a youth/non-pro all-around trainer, and my showing improved so much, so fast, that everybody was surprised. A few years ago, I took some dressage lessons, but I found that I didn't like that as much as what I was already doing.

Do what you enjoy, and keep trying new things.
 
#9 ·
I have to agree. I have ridden my whole life, did some junior rodeo stuff and play days. When I was eleven, I got my first highly competitive show horse. His name was Peavy, and I got him half-way through the show season. I ended up fourth place rookie of the year. My trainer at the time was my gaming trainer, and she helped me out so much. When I was thirteen, I started going to a youth/non-pro all-around trainer, and my showing improved so much, so fast, that everybody was surprised. A few years ago, I took some dressage lessons, but I found that I didn't like that as much as what I was already doing.

Do what you enjoy, and keep trying new things.
Wow, thirteen? That's awesome!! I love when people have that much motivation at that age!
 
#4 ·
I don't compete, but I'd never been on a horse until I was 18. I'm 21 now and have enough experience to take an unbroke horse and train it at least for trailriding. I've only been to one competition though and am looking into getting into Reined Cow Horse which is cow work, cutting, and reining. My girlfriend is 20 and she's been riding since she was about 5 I believe. We have 4 horses, each a mare that is broke to ride, and two fillies, one 5 months old and the other 7 months. We're selling the 7 month old though to buy another quarter horse filly for myself. So then we'll each have our mares, and each have a filly.
 
#10 ·
Well I am hoping I can progress that quickly! Did you take lessons (the once a week thing) or did you meet your girlfriend and get to ride a few times a week? The aspects I'm really interested in is rehabing and just enjoying my horses - if we decide to compete that's fine, but I've got a three year old and we're wanting a few more so I'm not sure how seriously I would be able to compete!

And I would love to get into cow work, if we move back to Texas my hubby's good friend said he'd give us a few steers and help us get started with a (side) ranch. Which I would just eat up. :) (literally and figuratively!!)

And how long were you riding before you felt really confident that you could control the horse? Watching my husband ride (even though he has only ridden that one time) was frustrating to me because he was completely confident and his horse just seemed to understand he was in charge! Granted he's got 100lbs on me, but I noticed you had made a comment about guys being 'made' for riding horses and I have to agree!
 
#5 ·
I got into it myself. No one in my immediate family rode, and they weren't supportive (to say the least) of my riding and wanting to compete. I started riding when I was 12. I showed 4H for 3 years borrowing other people's horses. I quit showing and 4H when I was in highschool. I felt run out by the kids who got everything handed to them. They really looked down on me, made snide comments and just made it hard for me. I never looked back at competing.

That was until I decided my little mare was an awesome horse, and someone was going to show her. That person was me. As luck would have it, I moved back "home" after college for a job opportunity and began showing my mare. I was beyond thrilled when we began kicking the stuffing out of several of the girls who made my 4H experience hell. That made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :D :wink: One time my 2 year old mare placed 3rd in Sr division western pleasure in an open show (out of 18), and one of the main "mean girls" got kicked out of the class. Her horse was rearing up and bucking!! She completely ignored me, only saying as I left the class that if my mare was so good, we should have had 1st. :lol:

Back on topic, the best way to get into it is to educate yourself on the right way to do it. I'd invest in some dvds, possibly books. Youtube is a good source of information. You might also want to check into getting some lessons in that descipline. I know as far as roping, it is all about practice. When I was getting into it, I'd throw my rope around a 5 gallon bucket in the backyard 100 times a day. There's some great videos online about different roping techniques. If barrel racing is something you're interested in, there is a nice barrel racing forum- barrelhorseworld.com I think is the website. Good luck and keep us updated! :D
 
#6 ·
I have been riding since I could sit int he saddle on my own. Even before that, I was lead around on my horse with someone holding me on. My first show was a western pleasure class when I was four, just walk/trot. When I was five I did walk/trot/canter, and when I was six I started barrel racing, then around eight I was reining, and by ten I did all the cow work. I specifically started jumping when I was twelve, but reining or reining cowhorse has always been my favorite thing.

My Mom taught me a lot about the basics, but at the critical learning point she was still not capable of teaching me advanced techniques fluently (She's a natural, but not a good teacher) so I took lessons at my family's trainer that trained my Mom when she was my age, and is now teaching me. As I progressed, she started putting me on her horses to show. This is the more recent thing. I've really only been competitive with her horses since I was thirteen, and I'm nearly sixteen now.

I do preach teaching lessons, but there's something I preach even more: Comfort. Take your horse out on your property or on a trail ride and just learn their quirks. My trainer taught me so much, but in the end it was my big ol' sorrel horse that really showed me the ropes, and in ways I taught myself a lot of things about dealing with differant situations.

As far as ability goes, there really isn't a good way to tell in the beginning. If you just want to compete for fun, then try everyhing. No reason why not. And remember, sometimes you have natural ability for something but you don't want to do it. I knew this girl who was the best english rider I had ever seen, but she didn't like doing it so she started reining and she sucked. Badly. So she worked really hard and eventually got better and better, and now she kicks some serious butt at every show.

It's up to you in the end, really. :) :) :)
 
#11 ·
This post made me feel so good! I have a 3 1/2 year old son and I am hoping and praying he loves horseback riding. Needless to say he is my spitting image from when I was that age and has the biggest heart for ANY animal, whether it's an alligator, a horse, or a dog, and that makes me soo happy! Hearing that your mom was able to help you progress even without being a good teacher gives me hope!

I definitely see why comfort is just as important as lessons - especially since I'll be having my horses at my home, not at a barn.
 
#7 ·
I've been riding for 9 months.
I winged it at first but then decided I needed lessons and I plan on still
getting lessons here and there. I went to my first two shows..one in august and one in september. So far,so good. I've been having a lot of fun and I do want to compete in some gaming sometime but Im still learning :)
 
#12 ·
Congrats on doing so well!! How old are you? That's awesome! Yeah my plan was to wing it but I didnt' have a horse to wing it on! My Aunt who got me obsessed with horses taught herself to ride and has the greatest approach to horses taught me so much about respecting, loving, and still being in control of a horse, even if it was all on ground. It's a little more intimidating when you're in the saddle but so far I can't imagine being happier doing anything else! (other than spending time with hubby & son! ;) )
 
#13 ·
I've been riding since I was 12, no one in my family rides and the nearest ridding facility was appx 5 hours away. It just so happened that I started going to horse camp for 4 summers, and then took western ridding clinics twice a year for two years.. other than that I trail rode at home on a friends horse and took care of that horse.. over the years I haven't really had much progress with my ridding skills, I certianly know how to handle a stubborn horse though and have lots of patience.. Now I live away from home, am training my 3 yo and hoping to take him in a reining direction.. I'm also getting english lessons a couple times a month just for the heck of it.

I have to comment on Amberpicks last comment, lol. Guys are not "made" for ridding, as in ridding like any other sport guys have the muscle factor, to be a good rider you need to have a strong seat and leg to cue and direct the horse, obviously the stronger person would have less struggle with it...therefore with ridding us ladies should excersise and work out along with it if your into competitive ridding.
 
#16 ·
I don't ride purely Western --I'll take an English saddle as well--, but I can still answer questions. I started riding when I was 12 or 13, taking lessons in English and Western and learning the basics of both. I did this for about a year and a half. After that time, I started to show in endurence and competitive trail (I was about 14). I'm now 15 and have been showing more seriously recently, and I've been shopping for my next competitive trail pony.

All in all, took about two years of lessons before any competing at all. Most people don't do this though. I'm not one for competition, really. I prefer to gallop around bareback and have a good time. :D
 
#17 ·
I will say, one of the very best training tool you could ever use is a video camera. Have someone record your riding, then watch it later and analyze what you did right and what you can improve. My method is to find AT LEAST three things I can improve and then visualize what those corrections will feel like before my next ride.
 
#19 ·
How old were you when you started showing/competing? And how long had you been riding? Who helped you get started, or did you just wing it? I'd love to get into roping, penning or barrel racing (for fun, not really competing) but I'm not sure how/when you get started. Are there ways, even in the beginning, if you can tell if someone would be a good fit for any of those?
The first photo evidence of me on a horse, I think was when I was 1 1/2 years old, although I know my mom rode and held me in front of the saddle many times before that. I started riding my own horse at age 2 or 3 (based on photos and what my moms tells me, as I don't actually remember) but I DO remember my first horse show when I was 4 years old. I did the western pleasure (the only showing event they had) and did most of the gaming events like barrels, poles, cup and water, etc.

I got into horses because my mom grew up with them too, so I feel really lucky that it was just natural for us to ride horse!

We always went to 3 or 4 fun horse shows throughout the year. When I hit about age 13 is when I started to get serious with it and tried to learn all I can about anything I could. And I started to push my mom and take us to more shows (it is just my mom and I who do horses in the family. My dad never really did and my brothers eventually lost interest to things with engines.) and we got into doing more things and traveling farther to shows. We mostly like to do gaming and barrel racing, but we do go to local showing shows with all the western events like pleasure, halter, trail, reining, etc).

So for me, it just kind of came along hand-and-hand to ride and go to shows.

And you won't know if you like any of those events unless you try it! You don't have to be the best or win everytime, just as long as you have fun while doing it.

For anything, you can always go to shows first and just watch. And you can talk to people and make connections, because that is the best way to get into contact with the people you are going to need help from (trainers, mentors, traveling buddies, etc).

Roping, for sure, you need to learn HOW to rope from the ground first, before you try to do it from a horse. So that would probably be best to track down a trainer to teach you to rope. You don't want to show up at a jackpot roping if you've never even touched a rope before and if your horse has never been in the box before, just because I guarantee you won't catch anything. :D So that you would want to practice first and then start out by going to practice ropings, which lots of arenas hold.

Team penning, you of course, need a team to compete with. So again, it might be best to go and watch one first and talk to people and find out who would be willing to add you to their team and/or teach you how to team pen.

Barrel racing would probably be the event that you could just show up at and wing it, just because most barrel races also have exhibition rides that you can do at any pace for practice. Of course, it always helps to practice the pattern at home first, but out of the 3 that you are interested in, this one would be the most feasible to just wing it.
 
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