ideas please

[olivia321]

Hi all,
I've previously done horse riding and been to all the lessons, but I stopped the lessons as they weren't exciting enough. I was just going round in circles in an equestrian which was boring as I'm more advanced than a complete beginner. I can't yet afford to keep my own horse but love horse riding, any ideas on how I could learn jumping, and generally gaining more experience etc without having to go through the boring lessons? Any answers would be great. Thanks

 

[catkin]

To be frank, 'boring lessons' are the only way to learn to ride and to jump. Every Olympic rider you have ever seen will have spent hours and hours for year after year in lessons, honing their own muscles, learning to feel what the horse is doing underneath them. They will still have lessons even when they are considered the best in the world - that's what riding is all about.

Don't think of lessons as boring - what could be more fascinating than feeling how the horse is moving, how you are affecting their movement and how to sit well enough to be able to ask the horse to do things for you? This takes a lifetime to even get part of the way.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I hate to say it but I've been riding almost 22 years now and still have "boring lessons" with my boy on a weekly basis as he is young and green and where horses are concerned I don't think you ever really stop learning.

You don't say how long you've been riding for or what you deem to be "advanced" so it's hard to tell just how much experience you have, but it might be worth trying a different instructor if you really feel you're ready to start jumping (although even when you are jumping flatwork or the "boring" stuff will still play a huge part in your riding). Not riding related you could also offer to help out at your local RDA centre. I'm sure they'd be eager to have you and you'd gain experience in handling and caring for horses which will put you in good stead for when you are ready to own your own.

 

[PorkChop]

Have some one to one lessons, the thing is the basics can seem "boring" but are so important. The more you do, the more you realise how crucial and fascinating it is to get the basics right - though maybe that is just me!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I find this thread quite interesting because a few years ago I let a girl ride my mare a few times. She had been having lessons at a local riding school and was in the more advanced RS lessons. She had started to jump at the RS and really enjoyed jumping. After a few times (3 or 4) riding my mare in the school, she declared that 'walk, trot and canter are boring' and that she wanted to jump. I said 'no' and the arrangement came to an end (amicably).

So why did I say no?

While my mare is well schooled, straightforward and happy to look after a novice on the flat, she is whole different ball game when jumps are put out. She has a tendency to rush at fences and then stop or run out at the last second unless you ride her forward. So you have to balance keeping the rushing under control along with keeping riding forward - getting her in a good rhythm, with impulsion and listening to the rider is 90% of the task. An experienced rider has no trouble doing this, but the girl in question was really still in the 'passenger' stage of learning to ride but - and this is the important thing - she didn't know it. It's only when you get better, that you look back and see how far you've come. I also agree with the posts above me, even olympic riders have lessons.

O321 - I've not seen you ride, but I would suggest that you find a different riding school. Maybe private lessons would help you progress faster, so that you feel that you are achieving more and therefore aren't bored? The girl I talked about above did find a true schoolmaster that the owner gave her lessons on, in return for helping with stable duties, poo picking, tack cleaning etc...

 

[NaeNae87]

I spend so much time walking, trotting and catering in circles that it is not funny. Unfortunately, that's the only way to get better. I have been riding for 3 years and am only at the stage now where I am comfortable and competent enough to positively effect my horses way of going. Others who have been riding for way longer than me can vouch that it takes years and years to be able to ride well and you never, ever stop learning.

Even walking there are a lot of things that can be done to improve your balance and position to give you more security when you do eventually get around to jumping. This will give you more of a chance of sticking in the saddle should anything go wrong. I have hour long private lessons and guaranteed I walk away in pain or super tired after each one as my instructor gives me exercises to improve my balance, stability and position.

Stick with the "boring" lessons. Maybe see if you can have a private lesson so you can work with an instructor one on one as most people find they improve a lot faster that way. You don't want to rush into the jumping and all that as if you don't have the balance, things can go wrong fast and you could get badly hurt. It is the same with every new skill. You don't pick up a guitar and are automatically able to play like Jimi Hendrix. You have to practice scales, chords and simple, boring stuff over and aver again.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Group lessons where you follow the same lesson plan each week and have to wait for your turn are pretty dull. I really think that private lessons are the way forward for the OP.

 

[aspirit]

Change the instructor / have a one to one / change riding school. A good instructor doesn't have boring lessons .

 

[WandaMare]

Have you looked into going on a horse holiday / beach ride / 1/2 day hacks? Something like that would give you more riding experiences and many of them include some jumping. Where do you live, maybe someone on here might know somewhere nearby to try.

 

[Sukistokes2]

What about doing some hacks as well as lessons. Private lessons, as others have suggested. It seems to me you are not being challenged by you instructor, are they being lazy and not trying hard enough?. You are paying for these lessons! Or at least someone is! Learning the basics is important but should not be boring. If you are not finishing your lessons tired and having leant something you are being short changed, either speak to them or change schools.

 

[Honey08]

Yes, I agree, find somewhere that hacks out as well as does lessons. I'm an instructor and have seen some schools that do indeed do boring lessons, you just have to find somewhere that suits you. But I also hate riding school clients that call themselves advanced when they've never jumped or owned a horse, I don't call myself advanced with 35 years of riding and an instructor's qualification.

 

[devinstrobe]

Thanks are very informative answers I do think that the basics are very important, it may be boring but help to improve skills. If you get board then must change the instructor, but must do the hard work with the basics.

 

[debbielinder]

Don't right off group lessons they can be very beneficial. You can learn from watching others but more so I find having a group of like minded people who support each other and encourage each other can really help make the "boring" parts of learning to ride a bit more enjoyable.

I once remember hearing pippa funnell say when she first went to ruth mccmullens, who taught her, she spent 3 weeks just in walk as she was told until she could do that correctly she wasn't allowed to trot so it happens to the best aswell.