How many "Horsey Ladies" are here?

[Michelemarrano]

Hi folks--I ride 50 miles/week on a bike and also ride and American Saddlebred gelding. I riding a horse once a week after biking 5 or more hours a week excellent cross-training. As I approach 50, I find that riding erect in an English saddle at the trot and canter really straightens me out after cycling.

On the Saddlebred Rescue website, I'd like to brag to you guys that I've gotten 4 horsey-ladies in Ohio to take up cycling as their cross-training into an aerobic activity.

I now go on bike rides with horsefolks and I take cyclist friends to the barn.

How many of you cyclists are also horsewomen?

[LoriO]

I am! I am lucky enough to have my horse at a barn that is 4.5-5 miles (depending on which way I go) from my house. So I get the best of both worlds, I ride my bike to the barn and then get to ride my horse and then bike home again!

Everyone teases me about my 2-wheeled horse around the barn. It even gets parked in one of the stalls when I am there :-)

[firenze11]

I am, too! My mom and I both have Morgans. Mine is a gorgeous black gelding and my Mom's is a wild chestnut mare. They're amazing.

I've been riding since my 8th birthday, but have been doing it less and less as the years go by. I used to show a lot, but it became less fun when we were doing it on our own and I didn't have a barn full of friends to do it with. When I get home from school I'll be able to ride more with my mom.

Cool to see other riders (besides those two-wheeled horses, hehe) on here. :)

[Michelemarrano]

How lucky you are to ride your bike to the barn. Our barn is 15 min away thru heavy traffic. Just 4 min from the barn is a parking lot for cyclists and a 32 mile route along the Scioto River. Last Monday I went for that 32 mile bike ride, then swung by the barn and took Dancer for a half hour spin (walk, trot, canter). It feels fantastic to hop on a horse when I'm loose and warmed up from cycling. No aches or pains!

[Kris]

I started riding lessons about a year ago, after 30 years of not being on a horse. I really love it. I can feel the difference in my back and my flexibility. I used to ride western, but now I'm trying English, and finding it very challenging. DH rides western, and we go together. We needed some activities after the nest emptied.

[Brandi]

Awww I wish I could be! I love horses but I am deathly allergic to them! If I get within 5 feet my face swells up. I have been this way since I was little and I hate it. what i wouldn't give to be able to ride without feeling like cr*p. I have to watch from afar and dream!

[Michelemarrano]

Hi Kris--I'm glad you like your lessons. Me and DH ride English--I'm an old "saddleseat" rider and DH rode "hunt seat". I had a five-gaited American Saddlebred mare (excellent trail horse); DH had a huge bay Saddlebred gelding he rode as a hunter. We rode together before our children came along.

I stopped riding in 1994 as we outlived our horses and started our family. Our girls are now 13 and 17, and we are both back in the saddle. There is a wonderful Saddlebred barn near our house--the trainer is the best caretaker in the world. She has a really neat niche of affordable lessons, affordable leasing, reasonable board. She makes riding attainable for us middle-class folks. She's trained and shown world champions but would rather have a barn full of truck drivers and nurses than work for rich folks. :D

I started riding back in November. I take 1-2 lessons per month and lease a wonderful lesson horse. I really find that posting a trot English style really works my core muscles and is making me a stronger cyclist.

Keep up with the English riding lessons--your cycling self will thank you!

[copperlegend]

Me me! I've been riding hunter/jumpers since I was 6 (wow, 21 years now, sheesh!), rode Western for a bit when I was in college because our IHSA team needed some spots filled. Unfortunately I had to put my horse down in November, and it's taken a while to get back in the saddle, but I have a great friend with a few lovely OTTB's for me to ride.

The barn is a mere 3 miles from my house, and I have a feeling I'll be riding my bike there from now on.

[arielmoon]

Me!

I have a 13yr old Arabian Gelding named Iceberg and he is a 2nd/3rd level dressage horse.

[solobiker]

I don't know too much about them. All I know is that they scare me. They are just sooooo big and powerful. They are very pretty though.

[MillieNZ]

Me too :)

My mare is retired and back to the farm that bred her to be used as part of their breeding program......... I miss her smiley face:o But since we are moving overseas at the end of the year, i'm happy that she is in a lifetime home......... In the meantime I ride everyone elses horses............:D:D:D

[Michelemarrano]

How cool! Dressage horses, hunters, Arabians....how cool! Now....who is going to post pics of their equine friends? Here's a pic of me and Dancer, the nice boy we're leasing...

[arielmoon]

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/arielmoondance/Ice/6-9-07b-1.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/arielmoondance/Ice/IceHSN07a001.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/arielmoondance/Ice/Ice-Jenn.jpg

[Michelemarrano]

Hi Ariel Moon--

What a gorgeous Arabian you have. I really respect the discipline of Dressage, it's unfortunate that I know so little about it. My Saddlebred trainer refers to Saddleseat riding as the "NASCAR of dressage!" LOL!!

BTW--I used to take my younger cousin to the barn back when I had my gaited mare 30 years ago. Michael is now a dressage instructor in Rhinebeck, NY!!

I've recently ridden in dressage saddles (Michael's and my step-mom's) and I must compliment how truly comfortable they are!

Thank you SO much for posting your pics!

[arielmoon]

Thanks Michele! Ice is a wonderful partner for me in dressage. We had a rough few years then when I first got him but now we really click. Unfortunately, I have yet to be cleared by my therapist for riding since I broke my pelvis in March. So he's enjoying his summer vacation!

I have ridden saddleseat and it is fun. Dressage starts with the foundation of riding and it allowed me to have fun in other disciplines such as saddleseat and western pleasure. I started out riding hunter jumpers when I was young but I never learned to get a feel of the horse, I only knew how to sit up there and look pretty.

[ehirsch83]

I grew up doing h/j/eq. and up until 2 months ago taught full time for my profession. I needed a break(it was getting in the way of my cycling and racing!)
Starting this fall I will be teaching 1 or 2 days a week and riding some for people, while pursuing a job in a different field.

Here is a picture of me and my old junior hunter(probably 8 years ago) and then a picture of me hacking one of my clients horses.

[MillieNZ]

I grew up doing h/j/eq. and up until 2 months ago taught full time for my profession. I needed a break(it was getting in the way of my cycling and racing!)
Starting this fall I will be teaching 1 or 2 days a week and riding some for people, while pursuing a job in a different field.

Here is a picture of me and my old junior hunter(probably 8 years ago) and then a picture of me hacking one of my clients horses.

That's a serious nice horse you are hacking out :)

Here's Millie & I eventing ;)

[LoriO]

I am ashamed to admit it but I have almost no pictures of Lizzy and myself together. I think it is time to make hubby come out to the barn with his camera and take some pictures of us!!!

Anyways, here are some pics of my girl. On the first pic, Lizzy is the bay in the middle.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/bunniboop/lizblissrap.jpg

Ohhhh, feeding time!!!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/bunniboop/Lizuphill.jpg

And just looking pretty
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/bunniboop/lizhead.jpg

[arielmoon]

Such pretty horses!

[Andrea]

Me back in high school (1998 maybe?)
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2688/241/5/1191535421/n1191535421_30341414_3143999.jpg

I trained professionally for a while, but then I went back to school to get a "real" job & haven't ridden in a couple of years :(

[sundial]

Andrea, you are just full of surprises. :cool: I think I understand why you've taken to mtb racing. :D

[kermit]

Rode h/j since I was 16. Then after I got hired with the police dept. I had to get rid of the jumper. Started back up off and on. Okay ehirsch83, what was your junior hunters name. I was still riding then, before the last bad accident(kicked in the face). I'm sure I know you. I rode with Elaine Morden and Margie Engle. It's been 1 year since I rode. After the kick it took 7 years then I'm riding a TB baby for Elaine and he flips over on me...2 more broken ribs. Really could not afford to get hurt since my husband was home after back surgery. Sometimes I really miss it. Small world.

[Michelemarrano]

You ladies ROCK!! What gorgeous pics!

Kermit and Ariel--I wish you both a speedy recovery. Are you able to cycle?

How often it has been in quite moments as I pedal down a country road that I feel the presence of my old gaited mare, Red Apron, who I had until 1994. She lived to a ripe old age and was such a happy girl.

I'm trying to post a pic of my girl back in 1973...

[Michelemarrano]

Hi Andrea! My DH is from Memphis--we lived there 1988--1991. I kept my gaited mare near Eads at Betsy Bates' place. This was a hunter-jumper barn on over 100 gorgeous acres near the Wolf River. (Paul Jones Road). We may know some of the same people...

[ehirsch83]

My junior hunter was Landover. I got him and did him in the 12-14 eq and childrens hunters before moving into the large juniors and the big eq. We also played around in the jumper ring some. Jimmy Torano did him in the 2nd years for me when I first got him and Dottie Barnwell used him for her eq. horse sometimes.
I grew up riding at Carriage Hill Farms with Jane Fenessey(up in Delray).

[Andrea]

Hi Andrea! My DH is from Memphis--we lived there 1988--1991. I kept my gaited mare near Eads at Betsy Bates' place. This was a hunter-jumper barn on over 100 gorgeous acres near the Wolf River. (Paul Jones Road). We may know some of the same people...

That particular photo was probably taken during one of the other shows at the same showgrounds as the Charity show. I remember an older man named Harvey from a barn out there who I met guest riding a few times w/the Longreen hunt club. I hacked a couple of horses for him at shows while I was in high school.

[ginny]

here's a pict of me and my mare out and about in the wilds of wyoming ... ah man, I have the hardest time with pictures here... nevermind I can't do it from work...

[kermit]

ehirsch83, I know Jane well, also know Jimmy and Danielle REALLY well. Jimmy used to show my jumper as a 4 year old (off the track) while I was in the police academy. He is so good with the babies. I used to show in Delray during the summer when I lived in Coral Springs. What a small world! I might get the nerve up to go for a hack. Of course it will turn into getting another saddle, maybe a lease...It's very addicting!

[arielmoon]

You ladies ROCK!! What gorgeous pics!

Kermit and Ariel--I wish you both a speedy recovery. Are you able to cycle?



Yes, I have been back on my bike for quite some time now. Or else I would be going NUTS!!

Saddleseat is so fun! Great old pic!

[copperlegend]

the REAL Copper Legend. He was an awesome little TB/QH that my sister and I owned. Never felt so safe on a horse, and I probably won't again for a while. I miss him terribly.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/3041937229_b3b0fe30b9.jpg

Happier, younger days...
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1200/1454304917_1d7a45a0e5.jpg

[Michelemarrano]

Thanks Copperlegend for posting a pic of your good boy. These sweet, sensible, safe horses are priceless! What a blessing he surely was!

My gaited mare, for as fast and bouncy as she was, was bomb-proof. The only time I was unseated from her back in 16 years was in Memphis when she and I were swallowed up by quick sand near the Wolf River! :eek:

Presently, Dancer, the lesson horse we're leasing, isn't fancy or showy. He is gentle, kind and bomb proof. He makes no effort to amuse himself by "testing" his riders. He is another member of the million dollar club!

[LoriO]

My first horse Rosie was a been there done that do anything with horse. She was awesome.

Just as a weird sidenote, the barn owner's uncle the other day was teasing me as I was leading my bike out of the barn to leave and was saying we should call it Rosie. How strange is that. I am seriously thinking of keeping that name for my bike now....

[Michelemarrano]

Can any of you mount your bike from the right side?

I can't. I must be on the left side of my bike to mount, dismount and I always walk to the left of the bike when "leading" it around.:rolleyes:

Have you noticed you handle your bicycles on the left as we do our horses?

[kenyonchris]

I grew up doing h/j/eq. and up until 2 months ago taught full time for my profession. I needed a break(it was getting in the way of my cycling and racing!)
Starting this fall I will be teaching 1 or 2 days a week and riding some for people, while pursuing a job in a different field.


I taught eventing and dressage for almost 20 years. I still teach it, in addition to being a cop. I am also mounted patrol instructor. Here is my Grand Prix dressage horse. I got him when I was 16, he was doing first level or so then. I rode with very, very good trainers and got through Intermediare 1, competed at NAYRC, and was AHSA horse of the year at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd levels, and won nationals at 4th (Jr/Young rider). Also did through Prelim. eventing, and coached three gold medalists at NAYRC. But I burned out on the pressure and stress. Now I teach mid-level dressage and eventing to silly (but fun) women who just want to ride well, and enjoy my "day job".
This was a demonstration ride I was giving....I can't believe I didn't have his socks cleaner or his hooves oiled. Somewhere out there my trainer is sitting bolt upright.
I still have him. He is almost 32, and until he was 25 he could still do piaffe and passage. I tried to teach students on him, but he was not particularly forgiving and they quickly got frustrated with all those buttons. He is out to pasture now but still thinks he is king....because he is.

[copperlegend]

wow, what a handsome boy!

and yes, I HAVE to do everything on the left side of my bike! nobody else gets it

[Michelemarrano]

Thanks Kenyon Chris for posting your pic and sharing your extensive dressage experience with us. Your equestrian career has been so impressive!

You've taken such good care of your gelding--he sounds amazingly healthy at age 32. This is just SO cool! :D