Anyone ever had a lesson at Oldencraig?

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Horseymumma

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Just wondered what's it's like there? I am thinking about going for a lesson on one of their horses but as it's quite expensive I just wanted some opinions on people that have been there. PM me if you'd prefer.

Thanks :)
 
Hmmm - a few years ago we arranged for a friend to have a lesson on a schoolmaster there for her birthday and it was very pricey. She rode a beautiful horse who was very well schooled BUT......

The school was supposed to be hers alone and she ended up sharing with three others - not a problem ...:confused:

The instructor spent more time talking either on his phone or to the other people in the school than teaching my friend. If we heard "just try that one more time" whilst he had his back to her chatting to one of the other riders ???!!! :eek:

It was incredibly infuriating and not worth the money to be honest ! :mad:

Hopefully it has changed since then.......
 
Horlicks said:
Hmmm - a few years ago we arranged for a friend to have a lesson on a schoolmaster there for her birthday and it was very pricey. She rode a beautiful horse who was very well schooled BUT......

The school was supposed to be hers alone and she ended up sharing with three others - not a problem ...:confused:

The instructor spent more time talking either on his phone or to the other people in the school than teaching my friend. If we heard "just try that one more time" whilst he had his back to her chatting to one of the other riders ???!!! :eek:

It was incredibly infuriating and not worth the money to be honest ! :mad:

Hopefully it has changed since then.......
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I would have threatened to sue ANYONE for that!

It will be tres expensive as it is a place for celebs to see and be seen - but the main instructor (VT as was ) is extremely good and a private lesson with her ( if you're up to it ) would be well worth the money. There are some serious contenders going there.

Full livery is around £200 a week but then, not many places have a jaccuzzi for the clients!
 
I had a lesson there about 3-4 years ago. It was wonderful! The instructor was really nice and friendly/helpful; he gave me a tour of the place and showed me all the 'celeb' horses and described all of their routines/feeding etc; the horse I rode was amazing! The instructor told me he cost over £100,000! I couldn't believe it until I got on him (bit scary, actually!), but the instructor really looked after me and gave me such brilliant advice. I was on my own in the school and the instructor was totally focused on me. The horse was incredible and I really learnt a lot in that half hour lesson.

It was NOT cheap - it was a treat to myself and I promised myself I would go again one day. But I would say it was worth it - of course things could have changed in the meantime. I don't suppose I will go again, now that I have my own. I would say it is like owning a Volvo myself and having a go in a Ferrari!
 
MrsHutt said:
...... now that I have my own. I would say it is like owning a Volvo myself and having a go in a Ferrari!
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If that's him in your avatar - I like your Volvo just fine! A lovely personable face. A lot of those high power dressage beasties are quite mean machines.
 
I had two lessons a long time a go. One with Miss Thompson and one with the then senior instructor 'Guy' cannot remember surname.

I was in a different situation as I had responded to a for sale add and was trying the horse. That said the lessons were good and I was being taught as if it was just a lesson rather then marketing the horse. I did feel very nervous and inadequate because I was way out of my comfort zone but I just concentrated and tried my best. I am sure the instructors knew full well the horse was masking my useless riding.
 
I went and had a few lessons there recently, after not having ridden in a while. I had one lunge lesson (useful as I had been out of the saddle for so long but I wouldn't bother with it again), one 'ordinary' lesson with a junior instructor (the one I enjoyed the most - the horse was just one of their regular lesson horses but much, much nicer than anything you would get at a normal riding school and I had a lot of fun. I did share the arena with a whole load of other people though, including VT herself), and one 'schoolmaster' lesson (fab horse, but I hadn't been on a horse in a year, so after the previous two hours I just couldn't use my legs. The instructor was a bit of a dick, but tbh if I was trying to teach somebody on a GP horse who couldn't do a rising trot, I'd be pissy too. I did do some lovely canter work, and had a chance to really sort out my canter-walk transitions which I had been struggling with, but I physically couldn't trot, which was rather embarrassing). Overall, I would go again, but make sure I was a lot fitter first, to get the most out of it. You do have to be fairly thick-skinned as well, because you will be in the arena with about four other riders, all doing tempi changes down the long side - my pride was definitely wounded. :o
 
AdorableAlice said:
..... as I had responded to a for sale add and was trying the horse.........
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OMG Alice! My wallet and cheque book broke out into a sweat when they saw that!

At the Fulmer of old - one was up for sale (negotiable) and £80k was refused - World Class of course in 1978/9 for quite some time my horse lived had an Olympian each side of her - and she was better bred than me! Hahaha.
 
Wow it should be interesting then, even just to ride the horses.

To be honest I am a little nervous about the horses as unfortunately I think my TB is very much in the volvo category, although he is a much loved Volvo. :)

Might be cheeky and ask for a quick tour too, sounds like it would be an eye opener. I would love a livery yard with a jacuzzi! I would never leave! :D
 
1stclassalan said:
OMG Alice! My wallet and cheque book broke out into a sweat when they saw that!

At the Fulmer of old - one was up for sale (negotiable) and £80k was refused - World Class of course in 1978/9 for quite some time my horse lived had an Olympian each side of her - and she was better bred than me! Hahaha.
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There was no price on the advert I called them about and the horse was not Grand Prix potential, although it was nicely schooled and I was assured it was suitable for an amateur owner set up. It was at the top end of four figures and exactly as described on the tin, passed the vet and 9 years on has been a horse of a lifetime.

The horse posed some problems when he came to my routine and took a very long time to settle. He was institutionalised and depressed, he did not know what grass or freedom was and the change of routine hit him hard but he came through it. We competed him as a dressage horse and then produced him as a show hunter, he took us to many championships and Hoy's. We saw Ian Winfield at the regionals one year and Ian asked us when we would be paying the balance on the horse because he reckoned he had sold the horse to us too cheaply. He did, but the horse was not blossoming in the big yard routine and became a very different horse on a one to one set up.

I stupidly turned down a lot of money for him during his show career, but I could bear to think of him going back into a big yard, he would be so unhappy.
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As with all places it's good and bad in certain areas, I used to fit saddles there, some nice horses on site.
Katy Price used to ride there, not sure if she still does but glad I missed that!
Last time I was there, long time ago, I was fitting a saddle to a client's warmblood mare, a stallion had been turned out into a paddock about 50 yards away maybe more, he decided he wasn't staying there and crashed through the post and rail fence in to the next paddock, scattering all the horses on the yard and spooking the horse I was fitting the saddle to, absolute chaos for 10 mins until he was caught!
It was very clean there as they rely alot on image, some of the staff were up with the fairies but others very friendly and helpful.
That was a while ago though and could be totally different now,Oz
 
AdorableAlice said:
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i saw these photos on another post and i just wanted to say what a beautiful horse you have!

we considered looking at a horse from oldencraig....phoned up Ian, and to put it politly it sounded like he had been down the pub to long! :eek:

horse had sold and he said phone back tomoz to discuss what we were looking for..... well after that phone conversation we didnt!

but id love a lesson one day with VT - although 30mins does seem very expensive
 
AA - forgive my forgetfulness - I've passed comment on your georgeous horse before!

Price is neither here nor there - when you want something sometimes you have to pay until it hurts! My mare's ex owner would have canned you rather more I think and more as likely - if he'd seen you later - completely blanked you or cut you dead. The Oldencraig people are far more ameniable - mind you - was the place sold recently?

Gent has great leg/foot position too - if I've not mentioned it before!
 
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Thanks for your comments, 1stclassalan! He is my special boy and coming along very nicely (although he'll never be a Ferrari!)

This thread has made me curious again (although they often hold shows there that i could go to) - I wonder if I might have another go up there!

Let us know how you get on if you go - I would be interested.
 
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