ponyparty
Well-Known Member
Bit of a moan... well not a moan exactly, just sharing my strange - not particularly great - riding lesson experience ? I was just left thinking “wtf was that?!” afterwards!
I’ve been missing my horsey fix, so I booked a lesson with a local riding school. I thought I’d give one Ive never been to before a go - simply because it’s the closest one to me and £3 per lesson cheaper than the other local one I’ve been to before (and rate very highly).
Wow. That extra £3 per lesson at the other place is definitely worthwhile paying. Won’t be going back to yesterday’s place!
I was put on an obese, extremely hairy, girthy (as in, actually bites when girth tightened) tank of a cob. It was in a hackamore because apparently it fiddles with a bit. I’ve never ridden in a hackamore before but always thought they were fairly severe? I asked whether I ought to ride with a contact, or if I needed to adapt my way of riding, and was told to just ride normally but that he could be “a bit strong” (but also a bit lazy ?).
Turns out it had zero brakes and didn’t like being left behind, classic nose to tail kinda riding school horse... it was just running straight through the bridle - I have no real experience of riding bitless, is this normal?! I wasn’t worried or anything, it was more just annoying ? wasn’t responsive to seat/leg aids - but then I haven’t ridden for ages and am not riding fit so that could have been me. No direction on this from instructor though, bizarrely!
It was also my first ride since breaking my hand; I was not expecting to get my arms pulled out the sockets! My hand was quite sore afterwards. I’m going to up the hand exercises now, ready for next time I ride.
It’s got to be the least enjoyable riding lesson I’ve ever had. The outdoor school was a dirty bog (but apparently better than the indoor?!) - I was covered in sandy mud afterwards. That aside though, I just didn’t feel I was getting any decent tuition - first time I’ve ridden since September and I could feel my legs not doing as I asked them, no comment from instructor though. She was praising a hollow, head in air trot from another in the group, whilst I looked on horrified. I don’t rate myself as a good rider, but at least i’ve learnt from this, I’m definitely beyond the “pay through the nose to be chucked on a badly schooled horse, ride nose to tail for an hour and jump off thinking that was great” level!
Can’t wait for my lesson at the other place in a couple of weeks time; I’ll have to report back on that, as a comparison!
I keep half heartedly looking at horses for part-loan as a temporary stop gap til I get my boy back; probably a silly idea though. Just missing horses so much! Weekly lessons seem like a good compromise - and I might even learn some new stuff (as long as I never go back to that place haha).
I’ve been missing my horsey fix, so I booked a lesson with a local riding school. I thought I’d give one Ive never been to before a go - simply because it’s the closest one to me and £3 per lesson cheaper than the other local one I’ve been to before (and rate very highly).
Wow. That extra £3 per lesson at the other place is definitely worthwhile paying. Won’t be going back to yesterday’s place!
I was put on an obese, extremely hairy, girthy (as in, actually bites when girth tightened) tank of a cob. It was in a hackamore because apparently it fiddles with a bit. I’ve never ridden in a hackamore before but always thought they were fairly severe? I asked whether I ought to ride with a contact, or if I needed to adapt my way of riding, and was told to just ride normally but that he could be “a bit strong” (but also a bit lazy ?).
Turns out it had zero brakes and didn’t like being left behind, classic nose to tail kinda riding school horse... it was just running straight through the bridle - I have no real experience of riding bitless, is this normal?! I wasn’t worried or anything, it was more just annoying ? wasn’t responsive to seat/leg aids - but then I haven’t ridden for ages and am not riding fit so that could have been me. No direction on this from instructor though, bizarrely!
It was also my first ride since breaking my hand; I was not expecting to get my arms pulled out the sockets! My hand was quite sore afterwards. I’m going to up the hand exercises now, ready for next time I ride.
It’s got to be the least enjoyable riding lesson I’ve ever had. The outdoor school was a dirty bog (but apparently better than the indoor?!) - I was covered in sandy mud afterwards. That aside though, I just didn’t feel I was getting any decent tuition - first time I’ve ridden since September and I could feel my legs not doing as I asked them, no comment from instructor though. She was praising a hollow, head in air trot from another in the group, whilst I looked on horrified. I don’t rate myself as a good rider, but at least i’ve learnt from this, I’m definitely beyond the “pay through the nose to be chucked on a badly schooled horse, ride nose to tail for an hour and jump off thinking that was great” level!
Can’t wait for my lesson at the other place in a couple of weeks time; I’ll have to report back on that, as a comparison!
I keep half heartedly looking at horses for part-loan as a temporary stop gap til I get my boy back; probably a silly idea though. Just missing horses so much! Weekly lessons seem like a good compromise - and I might even learn some new stuff (as long as I never go back to that place haha).
I had a lone gunman cowboy walk for a week after that...!
