are lessons worth it..?

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oliviacharley

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Just wondering how many people have instructors and coach lessons...?
Those people who do...has it improved your riding and relationship with your horse - those who dont - do you miss it and why do you not have lessons..?
 
I personally think it depends on what you want to do with your horse, if you are a happy hacker and content with being a happy hacker then tbh I don't think lessons will drastically change anything for you.

I adore my lessons though, but then I am fairly competitive
 
I think that everyone will benifit from lessons, unless they believe they have nothing left to learn ... in which case there is no helping them. Even the best riders/drivers in he world have lessons/coaching.

Whether people have the time, money and facilities is another matter.
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I couldn't have my horse without lessons - he is a youngster and I am way out of my depth - having an experienced person on the floor every week is of immense help.... and I love lessons and learning and trying to be a better rider (trying being the key word....
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depends who is giving the lesson, tbh. looking back, i have taken instruction from people who didn't actually know much, or weren't good at getting the message across, and didn't benefit my horse or me. i am a bit bitter about the hours and ££s wasted with that kind of trainer. other trainers were absolutely brilliant, and i continue to use their ideas, precepts, images, phrases etc to improve myself and my horses. but i have reached the point of confidence where i won't ever allow a horse of mine to be abused again in front of me because the trainer is "a name" and i didn't dare say anything.
i think everyone, competitive or not, needs a lesson (or at least an observer) occasionally, if only to check straightness etc, for the horse's sake and the rider's. otherwise the compensation can get ridiculous, with a crooked rider and a crooked horse both managing to make each other worse...! or a lazy horse and a slightly clueless rider who just kicks it along every stride, making it deader and deader to the aids, when one short sharp session with an enlightened trainer and a schooling whip to galvanize the horse and show the rider that it can be easier, would do an amazing amount.
i love having lessons, being a guinea-pig, everything. you can learn from almost anyone, i think.
 
I have two lessons a week ... yes they are worth the money and i think it gives you a better bond with your horse/pony and more of a understanding of them .. but yes it depends on what you are doing with them ie dressage/jumping ect,,
 
i have been having regular lessons all my life from my mum, gets a bit heated every now and then but i totally respect her( she is an II instructor) and she makes me work damn hard, she does get the best out of me and i do need pushing sometimes.
 
I don't have lessons, partly because I'm lazy and partly because I work shifts, so can't have a weekly lesson on a fixed day.

I don't really miss having lessons as have a great relationship with my horse which is enhanced by the fact I can taylor what I do to mine and Sparks mood.
 
I've never had lessons properly, just the odd one through pony club or when someone else has asked my to ride their horse. I wouldn't get lessons, but mostly its down to money! I don't think they'd benefit me just now, not sure they can teach you a better way to potter about the countryside
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I think with the right instructor, then yes they are definatly worth it!
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My instructor is fantastic, she gives me and my horse sooo much confidence, and my riding has improved loads since she started teaching me
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I have learnt how to actually "ride" my horse, because all I had ever ridden before were riding school horses. Eventually I want to do dressage and showing, so my lessons have have really helped me
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im about to start having lessons with the kids instructor as im one of the self taught brigade.when i started riding( many years ago ) the school i went to ,there idea of teaching you to ride was to put you on a pony and take you out hacking!
im sure i will benefit as i have seen the improvement of both my girls since they have been having lessons with this instructor
 
I've just had my first lesson for absolutely ages and it was fantastic, really worthwhile and got me back in the mood for more.
Generally I love lessons but that's because I'm extremely picky about who teaches me.
I have had some shocking lessons, and have had real damage done by people who were crap. I now know to say no.
 
If they are with the right instructor for you (and your horse), then yes, worth EVERY PENNY. My personal opinion is that I'd rather pay for occasional one on one lessons than regular group lessons for my kids. For me? Well I'm a very rusty rider who has had to start again after the best part of 30 years off on my daughters pony who she refuses to ride any more as he scares her. For me, he is the kindest, sweetest and willing pony in the whole wide world who goes out of his way to look after me. I need to have some lessons with him, but like many other mothers I expect, all the spare cash goes on the children's lessons. Maybe Father Christmas will bring me some lesson vouchers!
 
I have a lesson every week with an instructor I get on very well we, she just pushes me and the horse enough which I need to stop me just bimbling around. Bear in mind I want to take this horse as far as I can in dressage so we do need pushing occaisionally!
 
For me, yes, yes and yes. I have a lesson every week and without my instructor there is no way I would have had the skill, knowledge or bottle to back my own horse!
 
I love my lessons. I had a great one today and my instructor put out trotting poles which I wouldn't have done by myself. After a good lesson I feel really inspired and it gives me things to practise in the week before my next lesson. If I didn't have lessons I think I would just hack out and potter around the school which wouldn't actually be improving my riding or my pony's way of going and I want to do both of these things.
 
I find them really helpful. I want to get my horse up through the grades and without lessons I get a bit stuck in a rut. The lessons help me keep improving my horse's way of going and my riding.

Sometimes I don't have lessons for a while, if I'm working on a particular thing which needs to be better before I can move on and other times I have them nearly every week!

Generally, I think it depends on what you want to do with your horse and who is giving the lesson.
 
Yes, I have lessons with someone local to us who keeps her horse on my yard.

I can't do without my lessons. When I first got my Welshy I used to have two a week and decreased that to 1 as I got more confident. For the last year before I put him on loan i'd only had them sporadically, but then again there wasn't really anywhere else for us to go. Now having lessons either weekly or fortnightly with the new girl.

I do think it's really improved my relationships with all my horses. I've learnt to deal with issues that I wouldn't have been able to alone, and have been able to learn why the horse behaves the way at certain times.
 
Here here, our instructor is fab and there's no way Gem would be the horse she is today without her. We had so much to undo and so much confidence to build but she's now a wonderful horse. And there's no way i would have contemplated backing my own horses without the knowledge and experience i have gained from my instructor.

I also love lessons because i love the feeling when everything you've been working on comes together. Like my first medium trot on Gem, it was a great experience. I also like our lessons on a social level (we always spend ages chatting before we even getting round to the riding bit!!!)
 
Me and my horse have come on so much because of our lessons. I had been out of regular riding for 8 years when I got Baron, and he was green. He could do the basics of everything but not much more. I wanted something like that so we could both improve together at the same pace as I thought it would make a better relationship between us. He has come on so much because of my lessons, he is now doing Novice dressage and 3ft SJ (he was all over the place and totally unbalance jumping before).

I like to have something to work towards and schooling tips. I would not be where I am now without my lessons. I do have a break from them every few months though, just to relax, and sit back and enjoy what we have achieved. And to give him a little break too.

However I dont think everyone needs them, if you dont have any goals and are happy just doing what you are doing and you and your horse are happy then there isnt much point. But even the top riders all have lessons, my instructor competes at prix st george and still goes to her trainer every few weeks. There is always room for improvement and you need to learn it from somewere.
 
Oh yes, def worth every penny with the right person. I have an sj coach & a dr coach & there's no way I'd want to be without either of them. It's v reassuring knowing that there's an answer to every problem & it's inspiring making progress & having some goals to work towards. I'm quite focussed as I compete bd & bsja.

BUT they are a total waste of time, money & effort with the wrong person. If you finish lessons feeling totally useless & despondent or if you realise you've been on a 20m circle for 45 mins while the instructor has been on the phone or if you never feel like you're getting anywhere, you're wasting your money.

And there's no one-size-fits-all either. Some riders might eg feel inspired by a more forceful/direct approach while others might need more nurturing. I think it's important to keep looking until you click with someone.
 
I love having lessons, with both my instructors. Both instructors work on the same sort of principle, but in different ways. I think it helps me become a good all-round rider. Lessons certainly help me develop a relationship with whatever horse I'm riding.
I miss lessons with my YO/instructor though, she's always been fab but doesn't have her own horses for me to ride. Boss/instructor runs a riding school though so I've been having more with her recently, which is nice as I get to ride different horses and learn to ride each horse rather than just one.
I couldn't live without lessons!
 
worth every penny, I have one every 2 weeks and my instructor gives me the confidence to have a go at new things, or help me out if I'm having a confidence crisis. I really look forward to my lesson.
 
If you can find one you really get on with then it is money well spent. We had a horse that was little more than broken & our flatwork instructor brought both the horse & rider on beautifully. Horse & rider are at a level now when we only have him occasionally.

We then tried a couple of jumping instructors but they didn't suit, but then tried a particular one & gelled almost immediately. Within the first 2/3 lesons both horse & rider are going so confidently & jumping incredibly well. It is hard to believe the difference after so few lessons. Lessons are really recommended but you must find an instructor that suits you. Oh, & just because a particular instructor has high fees doesn't necessarily make them a better instructor.
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yes i love my lessons! they are expensive but its my hobby and i (nearly) always come away feeling inspired and more confident - it does that i have a nice instructor though, who listens to me because i can be quite neurotic and paranoid!

i dont have a horse but i ride one and i have lessons on him every week, i havent been able to afford one for a while now but will be starting up again when i get paid in two weeks. when he was off lame i still had lessons on the riding school horses (which where i go are actually pretty decent!!) and had jump lessons too. my jump lessons have increased my confidence considerably, and feel like i can jump bigger now and a tidier round
 
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