Advancing my riding

J

JTeighty

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8 August 2012
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Hi,

I have been riding intensley for about 2 years or so, at times riding 3-4 hours a week. I can trot and canter basic school moves (circles, serpentines..), leg yield and jump. Currently though, I am only doing 2hrs a week as I started studying. I have a one hour private lesson and an hour group lesson too.
Over the past few months I dont feel like I have improved much.
The problem is that I dont know what to work on. My current teacher isnt pushing me and we dont have a training schedule. I want to aim towards affiliated dressage and show jumping and eventually ride the harder dressage moves (piaffes and pirouettes) but dont know where to start. Do you have any advice?

Is it realistic to achieve these levels only riding a couple of times a week?

Thanks

J
 
If you have access to a schoolmaster horse, you can :)

For me, being filmed really helped. I could look back and say 'oh, I collapse forwards in transitions, my hands aren't still enough etc etc etc'. And then set achievable goals. Working on core strength really helps too. If you're only getting the chance to ride basic moves, make sure you're doing those moves PERFECTLY :p So your serpentines are all the perfect shape, the loops are the same sizes, the horse changes bend across the centre line and keeps the same tempo in the corners. Etc etc etc ;)
 
I'm sure you'll get some more suggestions on here but I can recommend the Ride With Your Mind methods. I recently changed my instructor as although my previous one was lovely, I just wasn't getting anywhere or learning anything. Riding is an expensive hobby and I think you always need to feel like you're moving forwards even a tiny bit. Ride With Your Mind is the Mary Wanless method, it's all about biomechanics and how your position affects the horse. I'm amazed at how much I need to change my position especially considering no other instructor has picked up on the issues. I find it really interesting. There are quite a few instructors that teach this method if you look on the RWYM website, and some have school horses you can ride. Good luck whatever you end up doing!

Also second what Pigeon said about filming yourself. This is a great idea. What feels right might not actually be right. For example when I feel like I'm sat up straight, I'm actually very slightly leaning back, so can work on correcting that.
 
It is indeed difficult to find more advanced teaching unless one owns a horse. Even if one finds a gifted teacher at a riding school there may not be a suitable horse. It is easy to potter around for years learning nothing.
I solved the problem by looking for further afield for instruction on a particular thing - for instance lunge lessons with a specialist or a dressage rider who could give me half a dozen lessons. I approached an individual instructor recommended by friends, or went to a training centre with a reputation.
I took my education seriously and one problem is the lack of continuity - My dressage teacher moved far away and even locally teachers seem to move on and their students are not permitted to follow them to their next place of employment. I myself have just lost such a brilliant young teacher.
So no, I havent cracked the problem.
 
Thank you Pigeon, RIDMagic and Skib for your responses.

Pigeon thanks for the idea I will start filming. I would like to draw shapes on the ground to follow to perfect my circles and serpentines but not sure what to use on sand without making a mess of the school. Any suggestions?

RIDMagic I will look into that.

Skib how did you find the teachers? My current sharer requires me to use a certain teacher and having difficulty finding a different share (have gone on preloved, sharesuk etc..). But then again I wouldnt know which teacher is good? How often do you ride? Does having a lesson once a week and not riding much otherwise actually help.
 
Honestly what will improve riding apart from a good instructor is bum time in the saddle. If you are sharing why are you only riding once a week?
JTeighty said:
Thank you Pigeon, RIDMagic and Skib for your responses.

Pigeon thanks for the idea I will start filming. I would like to draw shapes on the ground to follow to perfect my circles and serpentines but not sure what to use on sand without making a mess of the school. Any suggestions?

RIDMagic I will look into that.

Skib how did you find the teachers? My current sharer requires me to use a certain teacher and having difficulty finding a different share (have gone on preloved, sharesuk etc..). But then again I wouldnt know which teacher is good? How often do you ride? Does having a lesson once a week and not riding much otherwise actually help.
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Hope this doesn't come across the wrong way but until you can ride more often I'd find yourself a bloody good instructor in a riding school with decent horses and do private lessons and ditch the share. As if you have one lesson on share horse you only have one day to work on " homework " :)
 
On of the best ways to improve anyones riding is to hack out over varid terrain. Riding in a school is all very well, but hacking out makes for a rider who is more in tune with the horse and develop 'feel'. A few years ago I went with a friend on a hacking holiday, a lot of the riders had only ridden in enclosed spaces, I think they learnt mor in those five days than they had in the previous six months.
 
showpony said:
Hope this doesn't come across the wrong way but until you can ride more often I'd find yourself a bloody good instructor in a riding school with decent horses and do private lessons and ditch the share. As if you have one lesson on share horse you only have one day to work on " homework " :)
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No worries. But am not getting you. What difference is there if I'm having a riding school lesson or lesson on my share horse. Either way i only have one day to practice..
 
Do agree that miles in the saddle help, riding in different environments and on different horses. But having said that, I did endless amount of that without getting any better. The thing that turned my riding around was finding a fantastic trainer and a horse who knew how to do the moves and jumps, provided you got it right on board. He didn't give it away (wiley old ******) and she knew how to teach. That is a real skill. Very broke now so can't afford lessons, but once solvent again, I know it's a question of finding the right teacher. Ask around among your horsey friends or a local facebook page for recommendations.
 
Ooh, my wiley old b****r has been edited and replaced with all asterix. Think that makes it look a much ruder word!
 
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