Fed up with dressage, or with trainer?

[tristar]

red light - you feel useless, red light you felt your horse did`nt have the strength to do what she was doing before, this is why there are so many frustrated horses and riders around, you know more than the instructor, your instincts and feeling for you mare are spot on, you feel the basics are not correct.

go into the arena when it is quiet and ride the most basic moves, like going large concentrating on straightness and riding each corner well, don`t use force, if you ride a circle add in different ingredients as you become more confident, you need to find your confidence and take time to process the feedback from your mare, soften your legs and shoulders, if the horse slows down, you slow down, and find a kind way through all this, bin other theories, the best instructor will be your mare showing you by her reaction that you are starting to build a partnership.

,

 

[rachk89]

Definitely style mismatch. I dont mind that way of training, I am used to it as had a very military style of teaching for years. I like my new instructor though, he explains things and makes sure I understand.

 

[Goldenstar]

Sounds like your trainer is training the horse from the ground through you, using you as a puppet rather than training you in how to train the horse. Either discuss this with her or change trainer.

Some trainers have had no training in how to Coach a rider and know nothing about how people learn, they are just riders that are training.

Now this is something I really agree with .
Coaching is a skill and it's my observation that many riders / trainers are better horse trainers that the best rider trainers tend IME to have more formal educations .
Back to OP's issues I think you should should just book a lesson with someone else and see how you feel about it .
Don't overthink this just book a lesson go explain what you want out of it and give someone else a whirl .
I personally hate trainers who don't leave you with a very clear idea of what you need to be doing next .
I know what I like , I like trainers who correct and develop your riding and I like trainers who send you off to do your thing and then join in as the session develops I like trainers who are kind and generous with the horses .
I go to lots of people ,if someone does not ' fit ' my mindset I just don't go back .
I have a trainer I use regularly and then dot off to others to keep myself on my toes .
I think you need to learn how to learn better OP and try other people .
Lesson are IMO about the best fun you can have with horses so if you are not enjoying it don't plough on change something .

 

[milliepops]

Lesson are IMO about the best fun you can have with horses so if you are not enjoying it don't plough on change something .

^^^ agree
I love my lessons, probably more than competing and I like that a lot! Always come back filled with enthusiasm and can't wait to get back on and practice what we've been doing. Some people are really gifted trainers.

 

[GlamourDol]

WHoaa far too much information, take it back abit. Is this canter circle okay? Does it just go a bit awry when you ask for the medium? In which case can you medium canter on a straight line? 3/4 line? Close your eyes for a few strides if you need to, (and its safe to) does she go off line when you do?
I think maybe you need to have a chat with your trainer, I know its hard, but if you like everything else shes doing its not worth getting lost over one thing. Try a lesson with someone else too, sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can make the world of difference and put you back on your way.

 

[CoachinaCar]

Sorry Cortez only just seen this.

It is possible when teaching to ride the horse through the rider. So I could if I was teaching a new skill tell the rider what to do every step of the way to get the horse to go the way I want it to. So I could for example say in a Shoulder In be saying - More inside leg, keep the outside rein, half halt, more energy, sit up, etc etc etc

I would be looking at how the horse is going, imagine I was riding it and what I would be doing on each step and feed that back to you. As long as you react and are effective you will then achieve what I want you to achieve to make the horse go better. You will feel it going better but will struggle to produce this on your own.

In contrast we could talk through the aids and how to set the shoulder in up and then I can leave you to ride it, see what happens ask you what you felt, give you some tips on how to make it better and leave you to try again. It will take longer initially for you to ride as good a shoulder in as if I was talking you through it but over a couple of months you will be able to produce it on your own much quicker than if I talked you through every step. Taught this way riders make much quicker progress than one told what to do.

It also over time produces a mindset in a rider where they start to work things out for themselves in everything they do and they will gradually rely less and less on the trainer and become a trainer in their own right.

 

[tallyho!]

Sorry Cortez only just seen this.

It is possible when teaching to ride the horse through the rider. So I could if I was teaching a new skill tell the rider what to do every step of the way to get the horse to go the way I want it to. So I could for example say in a Shoulder In be saying - More inside leg, keep the outside rein, half halt, more energy, sit up, etc etc etc

I would be looking at how the horse is going, imagine I was riding it and what I would be doing on each step and feed that back to you. As long as you react and are effective you will then achieve what I want you to achieve to make the horse go better. You will feel it going better but will struggle to produce this on your own.

In contrast we could talk through the aids and how to set the shoulder in up and then I can leave you to ride it, see what happens ask you what you felt, give you some tips on how to make it better and leave you to try again. It will take longer initially for you to ride as good a shoulder in as if I was talking you through it but over a couple of months you will be able to produce it on your own much quicker than if I talked you through every step. Taught this way riders make much quicker progress than one told what to do.

It also over time produces a mindset in a rider where they start to work things out for themselves in everything they do and they will gradually rely less and less on the trainer and become a trainer in their own right.

Thank heavens teachers like you exists or else I'd have given up yonks ago.

 

[CoachinaCar]

Thank heavens teachers like you exists or else I'd have given up yonks ago.

Thank you. My philosophy as a trainer would be to make my riders independent of me, to want me but not need me.

You have to train riders to analyse what they are doing, to self-reflect on what worked and what didn't. Only by making riders self aware will you make them successful.