do i swap trainers

[Sags_Deer]

i have or so i thought a reasonably nice dressage horse, doing novice, first season, he is just getting lighter in front but seems to switch of when i get in a test. Im trying to decide to swap trainers and use one locally that also judges so that i really get their opinion of my horse as im in 2 minds as to keep or sell him at the moment. my current trainer is v good and competes at inter1 and grand prix but does not judge at 40.00 lesson its a fair amount to pay. thanking all you lovely people.

 

[kick_On]

you haven't got anything to lose and everything to gain. I have more that one trainer and value a different points of view
g

 

[Peanot]

Before finishing with the trainer at present, try the other one as all trainers teach in a different way. I have been having lessons for the last 4 months from an event rider who rode internationally and he is very good and precise but also is a little slow to move on. He is a perfectionist. I have been out competing show jumping and I am having a few little problems that I wasn`t going through in my lessons as we haven`t yet got onto the jumping part, so I booked a lesson with a sj trainer and this has given me confidence. I love the dressage lessons and I need the sj lessons, so I am having both trainers. This is not unusual and you get the best of both worlds. Both trainers specialise in their disciplines and so I get tips from both. I have now re-registered with BSJA and I am off competing and I will do some trail blazers dressage over the winter months.
Try the other one, but have about 2-3 lessons before you decide who to continue with because the first lesson is always to assess. You may find that the dressage trainer is better (the one you already have) because they are riding at such a high level.
Good Luck.

 

[Sags_Deer]

thanks the other one im considering using is a list 2 judge so should be pretty good as well. I think you are right my exising one is quite a perfectionist as he spent a while getting my horse straight.

 

[Peanot]

Mine is like that too. He spent a full first lesson riding straight lines and riding into the corners! then straightening up and doing precise changes of rein through X.
The next lesson was similar and the next was perfecting a 20m and 15m circle. We have now had 13 lessons with him and we are now working on impulsion and keeping it whilst slowing down, so collection work. We have worked on lateral work, demi pirouettes ( just for 5 mins), lengthening and shortening on a circle, precise transitions, and the horse is expected to do transitions precisely when told not 1/2 stride later. He is very good and my mare is much more responsive and supple now. Before our lessons we had competed in 6 dressage tests with no results, (2 1/2 yrs ago) and since having lessons, we are placed every time out and we have competed in 14 tests. We started with getting placed once out of 2 tests in the same comp, and for the last 3 times out, we have got a rosette for every test so it must be doing something. The last test, I had 7 x 8`s, so well chuffed.

 

[kick_On]

that's a very quality to have for dressage - straightness.
I have more that one, cos one just pushes me really hard and the other ones give me greater knowledge behind movement
marry the two up and the rossetties are flying in