Feeling really down about my riding - opinions wanted please

jesterfaerie

jesterfaerie

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I lack confidence issues when it comes to jumping and during my jumping lessons at uni we have jumped 1.10m on a regular basis. So I wanted to try get some lessons in during my time off uni to help keep regain my confidence as much as possible.
My horse is no where near able to jump that height nor will he go near fillers atm so I opted to have lessons at a local riding school. It is not a BHS approved yard.
I have had two lessons and haven't come away happy after either of them.

Last week I was on a lazy pony who I had to constantly hit with a whip and still had no reaction out of so I felt really crap trying to jump it. Today I rode one a bit more alive but could not for the love of god get a decent canter transition out of him.
My jumping feels better, I am too busy getting annoyed at myself over the flat work to get worried about the jumping.
Here I do not get a chance to warm up properly in order to jump well (imo), ie indirect transitions to get them off my leg (which they aren't) it is basicly a few laps of the school in walk and trot and a bit of a canter.

I am worried that if I continue to ride lazy ponies over smallish jumps then I will still have issues when I get put on a more advanced horse and jump higher, and I don't want my flat work to go down the drain because that is what I am best at.
(The horses at uni are all over 15hh and are fairly good to ride but do not cover up the riders faults they are fairly push button but you do still have to ask to get a good transition, right leg or whatever).

Now I can ride, I know I can ride. I am working towards my stage 3 riding, I ride at uni (only 8 out of 30 or so people get to ride), I can school a horse fairly well and improve them, I can ride in an outline, lateral work, jump. Granted I am nowhere near as good as people on here and I am the first to admit my faults but I do feel that I can ride well enough to ask a horse to canter and pop it over a little fence but now I feel like I cannot ride AT ALL and it is really getting me down
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The instructor is a very nice girl however I feel rather patronised sometimes when she tries to explain things to me. Should I try and find somwehere else to ride or stick at it where I am now?
Or try find another place aswell?
I am unsure as I don't know whether riding ponies which are hard work will actually benefit my riding or hinder it in the long run?

Thanks
 
I think you should look else where as you are feeling down. Riding a lazy pony will not help you as you spend more time trying to get it to move then working on your riding.
 
I would find somewhere with better horses to ride if I was you.
At the level you ride at from your description it sounds more like you're paying for the privilege of schooling their ponies for them, rather than you actually getting anything out of the lessons.
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Do you know someone in your area who maybe isn't a riding school, but has a schoolmaster type that they would let you ride?
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If I were you I'd leave that place sharpish and find somewhere that preferably trains to stage 3 level so they have horses capable of doing things a bit more....theres a few schools round here where the horses also event/BD/BSJA and if you can ride they go REALLY well but forgive a less experienced rider without being plods.
 
Damsel - That is exactly it, I today once he was in a forward canter towards the jump I felt much better as i could stop kicking and just squeeze. Seriously last week it was none stop pony club kicks.
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Faerie- No unfortunatly I don't know anyone, I would much prefer this even if I am not taught by a qualified instuctor just someone who knows their horse and has a good eye when it comes to jump position who may be able to help me.

Annette - There is one place I know of where I have ridden at before (Did my ND in horse management there) and they do have horses capable but they have a waiting list.
Unfortunatly due to me not having a summer job lack of finances limits me to go to a very good place on a regular basis.
 
The horses aren't really taking my confidence away just putting me down. But thank you for wishing me luck
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I will need it.

It doesn't help that I think so little of my 'ability' either but now I just feel like I am bouncing around all over the place (they aren't bouncy ponies) legs going everywhere and the instructor doesn't really seem to believe me when I say what my experiences are. (She hasn't said anything just sometimes I feel she thinks I am making excuses up for my bad riding).
 
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