do you have lessons?

I do know as I have a 5yo who I find challenging and need an eye from the floor. Will be starting my three yo next year and will probably wan't the same with her. Although I am competent I find it really helpful to have someone spotting the things I can't see

Until this autumn I didn't as I had a 14yo ex grade B show jumper on loan and frankly there was no point. She knew what she was doing and I ride well enough to be a happy passenger so wasn't worth it!
 
Yes I have 2 lessons a week with an amazing instructor (Mark Armstrongs sister). She has helped me and my boy so much. I've had him nearly 8 months now and he was as stiff as a plank of wood when I first ride him in the school, but now, the difference is amazing, and it's all thanks to my lessons. We have learnt how to work as one and it's created a strong bond between us too.
 
At present. No. This is not because I don't need them (I am personally of the belief that everyone benefits from lessons - if you think you know everything, you so obviously don't.). The reason that I don't at the present time is that I have changed horse type so dramatically I don't know who to go to. I have ridden with some of the country's top dressage instructors but I guess (maybe wrongly) that they are not the right people to help me with my p*k*y pony. If anyone knows of someone in Cheshire ish who can help me with the showing side of things I'd be grateful of that info.

Bx
 
Absolutely, and love them. Another vote for seperate jumping and flat trainers, although jumping trainer always asks what working on on the flat so can incorporate it :D

I learn so much, we're progressing, and I get such a buzz from a good session when I achieve results I would never do on my own.
 
Interstingly my 4 year old was a bit of a mare when asked to canter in the arena. He has no issues on hacks but worried that he would run out of room a small space. My jumping trainer laid out 5 canter poles. They were on a distance that would be an effort to trot through so horse offered canter. Before I knew it he was happily popping into canter on the lightest aids.

Amazing what a good trainer can suggest - even to someone very experienced like me.
 
Yes I have lessons, when I can afford them! I use different flatwork and SJ instructors, and when I occasionally get the XC bug, I have lessons from a friend who events. I think instructors are quite personal and it's taken me a while to find someone up here who suits me. I go to a classical DR instructor and a pro-SJer - I am constantly surprised by how much crossover there is between them (maybe I shouldn't be so surprised though!). I'm currently struggling to free up my horse's shoulders as he is quite stiff so both instructors have been giving me very different exercises but with the same aim and logic. It's been a bit of a revelation! :)

ETS - I daren't even start trying to tell you about the work they both have to do on my riding though... both have the same criticisms though, so I guess that's a start. Would just help if my awkward body would cooperate!
 
I think I have had two lessons this year :o

This isn't arrogance, just lack of time/money/organisation/instructors really!

I desperately need a lesson, after my first visit to a school today for ages, I can no longer ride. Thanks for this post, will text instructor now. :)
 
I love having lessons, even though I know I can be difficult to teach! I am fairly experienced and have been classically trained and I have to believe in what the instrutor is saying/ their training methods for me to comply!

I normally try and watch them teach a few times before I dump myself on them!
 
Yes and I love them. I have a lesson once a fortnight with my main trainer. he only comes down every other week so have no choice. I have asked him, several times, to move in with me (no ties!) but he won't :rolleyes:

I was filling every other week with a different trainer but I seem to of fallen out of that at the moment. They are well worth having for me, my riding has improved immensely in the last year :D
 
Currently, no as I don't have any spare cash in the run up to Xmas!! I absolutely love a good lesson, it stops me then riding around in eggy circles in school and not really thinking about what. I'm doing!

I don't see why anyone would answer 'no, never' as they're so beneficial to everyone, from happy hackers who may want to work on their position to make a 4hr hack more comfortable, to a top SJer who wants to win masses of money lol
 
I try to have them as often as I can (maybe once every two/three/four weeks - its too expensive to go much more than that). I only ever used to have jumping lessons, but am now sometimes having dressage/flatwork for jumping lessons because after having just one, I realised how much it can help having someone on the ground. e.g. I was having problems with leg yielding, couldn't work out why at all, but then my instructor watched me do it once and said that I'm dropping/collapsing my shoulder, and as soon as I stopped doing that, the exercise was much improved.

I could never really see the point in flat lessons, but now I'm trying to have them more often (jumping still has priority though!) - since I'm now on a pony with the potential to do something (eg go on the bit as opposed to my little hunting ponies who were great at PC and galloping but not much else :)) I'm more motivated :D
 
I haven't had a lesson for the last two years and I really miss it. My riding isn't nearly as good as what it was and I seem to be hacking more and more instead of schooling. It's a cash and time issue. I really don't have time for a lesson every week and I don't have the money either at the moment and this situation isn't likely to improve for two years :( It's getting me down a bit because I am struggling with schooling my Welshie and I really need an instructor to whip both of us into shape. I am saving up so I can have a few at some point in the new year.

However, my boys are happy - they adore hacking, I would just like to feel really competent schooling and jumping again.
 
Yes I do, even after riding for years, with a good instructor I find every lesson either challenging or informative in some way. I don't think we ever stop learning, I hope not anway, or it would be rather boring.
 
No, but I would if I could afford them regularly. Currently re-schooling my 15yo myself, it's going ok so far, but would probably be going better if I had some eyes on the ground!
 
Yes once or twice a month which is all i can afford really and also have to hack to another yard for lessons so whenever i can fit them in. Love my lessons and have progessed so much with them x
 
I really want some but i am struggling to find someone i like. I wish i was rich and could hire Sylvia Loch. I've been riding Osc for over a year now and think i know him pretty well. He goes ok for me most of the time, and i have recently started to knuckle down on the schooling and he's being a super dooper star! :D In a fortnight we have got ou shoulder in pretty darn good and consistent (was ok but not technically good) and our canter transitions which i always ignored coz we were rubbish are now 100x better already, to the point that we tried our first flying change on sunday and got it on the second attempt. Then tried again yesterday on each rein and got both exactly as i asked for them. Went back to basics with jumping over the last few months and have had no run outs since we've started again so that seems to be working.

Would still like to find someone to help me out when i get stuck though. Like i can't get him to go through with his back end on leg yeilding even though he is responsive to my legs and moves off them. The closest instructor i have clicked with is about 150 miles away though. :(
 
Some but not a lot. Find it difficult to find someone I like and they seem to make us worse rather than better!!

Has put me off a bit.
 
I try to have at least one every 2 weeks during the competive season - Its hard for me as I am at Uni for most of the week, therefore time is precious with the horse, and can sometimes only be ridden at weekends.

I would love more lessons - but I try to be consistent when I have them; as I prefer a preventative method rather than seeking help when a problem arises.

I have 3 great people to get help from though; one is my fantastic YO who is normally always happy to help, the two others are fantastic as well, good friends and not afraid to speak their minds :)
 
I wish i did. just never have- mums always taught me a lot, then i just "did" it.

Now i want to ride more competetively (i cant spell that word tonight, apologies!) i want lessons to sharpen me up a bit.
I keep trying things a bit more advanced and hit the erm actually i dont know how to ask??
 
Yup - I love having lessons. Just depends when I can get the funds together and when my instructors/trainers/friends are free to teach me!
 
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