Getting back in the saddle after weight loss. . . any tips?

Hi! I own an 11 year old Morgan mare (Baby) and I am just itching for spring weather so I can get back in the saddle! I have owned her for 3 years, but have never ridden her. I got her through a "rescue" situation. She is broke, but obviously hasn't been ridden in a while. I myself haven't really rode on a regular basis since I was a young girl. I am now 35 and can't wait! Since WLS (11/11/03) I have lost 64 lbs! I am now down to 235, and now feel more comfortable with the idea of putting me up on her back (without killing her!). By spring I should be down even more (which is totally exciting!). I need tips from you experienced horseman, on what I should to get myself (and Baby) ready for our time together. Thanks for any help you have to offer!

you know morgans cant be high strung ( from my experience) so at least you have a good steady horse, i assume you know how well broke she is, my advice, get her used to the most stressfull part of being ridden , the saddling and bitting, run her on the lunge, does she have a good sized pasture for exercise??? if she is in a stable or small pen , then get her on a lead , and walk her like you would take your dog for a walk , if youre down under 230, you should be ok , the walking and exercising you get from walking her will get you in shape too youre not old , 35 is nothing, there are new riders in thier 50s and up ! not a big deal ! just start soft , and work up to long endurance trail rides , and what not, if youre planning on competitive riding thats another ballgame .... Beth

Hi again! Thanks for all of your input! I don't ever plan on doing any competitive riding, only pleasure. I do have a large pasture to start working with her in. I am excited, but in the same sense I am also scared. I have never ridden her. I know that she is broke, but not sure how well she will be in the saddle. I have put a saddle and bridle on her with hardly any problems. So I do know that someone loved her and took good care of her, at least before the last owner she had! I love her very much and have only had her best interest at heart. I think that is why I haven't ridden her in the last 3 years. My weight was always and issue with me. Now I feel good, I have quite a bit of confidence back, and can't wait for this "beautiful" Indiana winter weather to disappear! Happy horsing! Stef

So let me get this straight, you haveh ad her for 3 years , and never ridden her? has anyone ridden her at all in the last 3 years? if not, then i advise just judicious caution , she might be fiesty , and probobly slow to take lead cues when you get on her, how cold is it ? i will ride at 32 degrees, but colder and i say, no way i guess im a wimp you need to make sure she is ready for you, i would check her out like i would any new horse, saddle and bridle her, and leave her halter on, with her tied securely, lean in to the saddle, if you can get most of your weight on her without any fuss, then go ahead and ride her, just go slow for both of your sake, do you have a round pen ? because that would be where i would start, since it has been so long for both of you , letting her out on atrail could be a bit overwhelming for both of you, work her in a round pen , or in her pasture ( but remember working her in her pen may lead to poor response ( Barn sour) , so it might not be an accurate assesment of her, do you have any horsey friends who can help you out, even a local trail riding group , or kids in 4 H might be able to try her out before you do , it sounds like youre more scared than anything, perhaps im wrong, i think she should go fine, its not like were talking an arab , shes a morgan, the original "i think i can" horse shes what, 11 , so she is past any young horse childishness, and i dont think its a problem , you and her have another 10-12 years together, im sure they will be great ones ! Beth

Hi Beth! You are right, I am a little scared. However, I have gained so much more confidence in the last couple of months that I can't wait for it to get a little nicer out to begin riding! No, I don't have a round pen, but a very large pasture. I am hoping to purchase a round pen this spring. How big do you recommend? I was thinking anywhere from 40-60'. Not sure if that will be to much or to little. Until then , I plan on starting her out in her pasture. I have tacked her up since we have had her w/o much fuss. My husband (who weighs approx. 180) got on her back and it didn't seem to bother her. I think she will do fine. She is the dominant horse, but she is also a lover for attention. She is all by herself right now, but we are taking in a board this weekend. I can't wait! She needs some companionship. I would love to have a large stable someday. That would be my dream! Oh well, I guess you've got to start out small to make it big, right?! Ha-ha! Anyway, it was nice hearing from you. Have a great day!

If you can afford a trainer, I would suggest putting her in training for 30-60 days just to have someone "feel' her out. I got a horse from a friend who's daughter decided she didn't want to ride anymore. We had alot of problems with this horse, rearing, biting etc. He seemed like a nice horse. 90 days in training and he came back a nice riding horse. I think his problem was that he had too much time off and thought he was in charge, until the trainer set him straight. Be careful. If you can't afford a trainer, be sure you work the heck out of that horse in your round pen BEFORE you get on. Have fun. Be safe. Rachael

Hi Beth! Its been a while since our last talk, but I wanted to let you know that I signed up for riding lessons. Its great! I am having so much fun, and I am regaining a lot more confindence. I have been spending a lot of time with my mare - grooming, working with her feet, and some walking. She has been doing pretty good. I will be purchasing a round pen in about a month or so. I can't wait! I definitely need that in order to properly work with her. Oh well, just wanted to let you know how things are going and thank you again for your support! Have a great day!

Hay Steff! I see that you have gotten some good advice so far, but I'll give ya my 2 cents as well. I didn't ride my 3 year old mare much this winter, as our snow was too deep. So she was full of pee and vinegar when I started working with her 2 weeks ago. She is a sweet American Spotted Horse (Belgian/Paint) who loves her mama (me), but can't resist snorting at monsters (in light hearted fun). I started her this spring by taking her away from the herd, spending a lot of time grooming her and handling her, rubbing her with rugs, bags, blankets, etc. Then we got back to basics on a 6' leadline. We walked all over our farm, and as she softened, I took her up snowbanks, through trees and other tight spots by our vehicles, up porches, etc. By the 3rd day, she was just fine with everything I could throw at her. We even walked over a couple of tarps, which are very slippery on the snow. She kept her ears forward, attention on me and seemed to enjoy the extra attention and stimulation. The few times she got ****y and bucked or went too fast on the lead, I just had her circle a few times until she settled and walked directly to me head first with her tongue and lips going. (I don't believe in a lot of circling mindlessly on a longe line. I think it's hard on their legs, and only use this type of training when necessary.) We graduated to walking down the highway in front of our farm, walking into the outskirts of town and around some neighborhood blocks. The 2nd day of this showed that she was just interested in where we were going, not spooking at dogs, fire hydrants, noisy trucks, etc. I carry a Parelli carrot stick that I use as an extension of my arm to move my horse when needed. This helped to keep her whole body well off to the side of the shoulder. You can use any stick that is light but solid and about 3 feet long. It is not to hit the horse with, but to use to apply firm steady pressure on the zone that you want your horse to move away from you, (head, shoulders, hindquarters, etc. As soon as the horse moves just a bit, immediately remove pressure and reward with a rub.) After consistently training with a tool like this, you horse should be ready and willing to move any part of his body without you having to actually touch him. And walking on a lead becomes a real joy! And, your horse learns (or relearns) the use of light pressure as cues during riding. I didn't sit on her until we had walked for 2 weeks. I was using the walking time to strengthen my own muscles and get her in a little better shape before riding. Then I gently sat on her (bareback with only her halter and lead rope) and rode her around our yard. Besides this daily bareback ride, I haven't saddled her up and ridden her yet, as we still have too much snow and neither of us is ready to ride down the highway. The ditches are still too full of snow. There is a wide enough shoulder for walking, but I don't feel comfortable enough to be riding her there. I can't tell you enough about how helpful the time spent walking with your horse is. You can develop a lot more confidence and a really good idea of how to communicate with your horse. Just remember to keep his/her attention on you, and when you are approaching potential boogie monsters, anticipate (without nervousness) your horses potential stopping (locking up) and keep your horse moving like there's no boogie man there. I sometimes have to reach behind me with my carrot stick and touch my mare on her hind quarter to keep her moving and focused when we are passing a monster, like the 6 foot tall, hot pink inflated bunny in our neighbor's driveway. (Funny thing, that monster isn't even an issue on the way HOME?!?!) I will sometimes stop and let my horse check out a monster, but only after she has walked past without balking - which sometimes takes a few back and forths. Best of luck to ya, sweetie! And congrats on getting back in the saddle!

Hi Stefanie, I have a 20something yr old morgan mare. I got her a couple of years ago and she used to be a brood mare. She did that for about 10 years or so. Before that she was a show horse. The night I got her my DH had me get on her backback and walked me around. She was nervous but fine. I ride her a couple of times in the summer. I have never had a problem with her. I saddle her then lounge her a while first. It's nice because she knows how to park so getting on her is easy. She's a sweet old girl. Just go slow. Oh I ride in a round pen and outdoor riding arena. She does'nt like to ride in her pasture, that I do know.

Hi Tammy! Thanks your your reply. I agree, a round pen is the ideal way to start my mare out! I, unfortunately, do not have one at this time (but thats okay because our weather here in Indiana stinks right now anyway!). I plan on purchasing one within the next month or so. What size do you suggest? I was thinking about a 30-35' round pen, what do you think? Right now I am just spending a lot of time with her - grooming, working on getting her to pick up her feet (which she doesn't like so well), and some walking. She has been by herself for about 1 1/2 years, and we just took in a board. Now she is so excited about having a "roommate" that I need to give her some time before I take her out of the pasture for walks. I decided to sign myself up for riding lessons to get a little more comfortable in the saddle before I begin to ride my mare. I love it! I didn't realize how much I missed it until I got on my ride's back! It was great! I also forgot how much leg strength it takes! Oh well, thanks again for your reply. I saw on your profile that you are hoping to have surgery. What stage are you in right now? Do you have a surgery date? I can tell you it was the best thing for me! I wouldn't change a thing! Good luck to you and let me know if you need any idea's, or help with anything! Have a great day!