Intensive Riding Courses

[Splash2310]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for some advice on what to do with my lovely boyfriend.

He is desperate to ride, and currently comes to watch me on my current share every week, and even mucks out her stable for me. I would love to get him on her for a walk and trot, however she is not a beginner’s horse, and it is both unfair on her, and her lovely owner, so not an option.

In his ideal world, I would find him a horse and teach him, so we can start hacking and riding together. Obviously, I am aware that this is not possible, and he will need to go to a riding school for some lessons.

I was wondering everyone’s thoughts on intensive riding courses? My plan was to get him a one-off beginners lesson (to see if he actually enjoys it!), and then perhaps investing in an intensive course (the one I have looked at is at my old riding school and would consist of completing eight hours of riding sessions and four hours of stable management over four days).

Has anyone had any experience on intensive courses? Ideally, I would like him to be confident in walk and trot and starting to canter by the end of the week. Having worked in a riding school – I know that people progress at different rates etc etc etc (and he also has terrible rhythm, so I’m excited to watch a rising trot!).

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[be positive]

It could be the ideal way to get him started as he is so keen, I have taught a few adults this way and the progress is far quicker than in a normal way of having an hour a week.
I start them on the lunge with no reins, usually by the end of lesson 1 they have got rising trot pretty much established and can walk around loose at the end, after 8 lessons, an hour in each session will probably be a bit much for most beginners to cope with so be careful he doesn't get too tired to improve, I would expect them to be able to sit fairly well in all paces, be able to pop a small x pole and have a decent understanding of how and why things are done.

The last one I taught had to be able to ride to church as best man for a wedding without looking totally incompetent, he managed it but did not continue to ride afterwards, he was very fit and sporty but still found riding far more difficult than he expected and would have struggled with any longer than 30min sessions which we did most days for a week.
The other option that may be worth looking into is a few lessons on a simulator if there is anywhere local to you which may be a good idea for a male who can find riding uncomfortable initially and this will put some off.

 

[sportsmansB]

Speed of progress depends on lots of things
Of course physical fitness is important
But also having been through the process of learning another sport / skill where it is important to be able to ask different parts of your body to behave in counter-intuitive ways (heels down, sit straight, push down into the balls of your feet, etc!)- sometimes people who ski or even have taken up golf are better able to do this.
A good dose of bravery is also helpful, as time is wasted worrying.
Just like any new thing, the more regularly we do it and cement the learning, the quicker it comes- so intensive courses do work, as long as he is ready for the potential pain/ discomfort, and you have a decent school who will really put the effort in too.
Once he is walk / trot / canter with decent balance, you could consider a riding holiday or long weekend - you would have to go on one too easy for you, but theres no substitute for hours in the saddle - and if you broke it down by hour v what you pay per hour over here, they can actually be good value. I went to a place in spain near Malaga for a long weekend, called Hacienda Horses- got a hack out for 2-3 hours in the morning and a lesson in the afternoon, full board accommodation in a lovely Finca with a pool etc and loads of time to relax in between. They take people at all levels. Just an idea - I can always justify a riding holiday somehow...

 

[Rowreach]

Adult men who want to learn are surprisingly easy to teach. An intensive course like the one you suggest will show him if he really wants to do it.

I had one client (40s) who went to his first show four weeks after first getting on a horse, jumped a double clear and came home with a rosette, and another who decided he wanted to go hunting, bought a lovely old schoolmaster, had six weeks of lessons and then hunted once a week for a full season.

They're much easier to teach than women 😂😂

 

[GreyMane]

This may be obvious, but... clothing is worth getting right.
I used to take treks out with very fit and sporty people, who had never done any riding before.
One man landed really badly on the pommel on a steep downhill right at the start of the day, had a very, very long walk+lead for the rest of the ride, and never rode again as far as I know !
Another of the men always wore his cycling shorts as a base layer, and I'd recommend something like that.
For males, worrying about a mistimed landing must play havoc with the concentration...

When I think of all the money, time and many tears I've expended on learning to ride, I would secretly be a little teed off if someone was able to attain proficiency in mere weeks!

 

[Rowreach]

When I think of all the money, time and many tears I've expended on learning to ride, I would secretly be a little teed off if someone was able to attain proficiency in mere weeks!

Yes, the wife of the bloke who went showjumping after four weeks was extremely annoyed

 

[Bellaboo18]

I'm glad you've posted this thread. No help but I think I might look in to this for my OH....it's more confidence to handle them he needs though.

 

[Skib]

My OH learned to ride starting when he was 67. He had two lunge lessons to prepare him for Western trail riding in the States and he learned sitting trot and sitting canter. He did well controlling the horses in the USA and continued to ride weekly when we got back. It took him much much longer to get rising trot. He learned to lead horses around but not much more from the ground. He was like a Victorian gentleman waited on hand and foot by the young women on the yard.
My feeling is that it wouldnt have been good to do a crash course on consecutive days. He could have been sore. I once met a young man who had been scared off riding for life by being taught too fast at a local RS and expected to be brave cantering.

 

[GreyMane]

...My feeling is that it wouldnt have been good to do a crash course on consecutive days. He could have been sore. I once met a young man who had been scared off riding for life by being taught too fast at a local RS and expected to be brave cantering.

Agree totally, my sister was put off by one bad experience of being tanked off with, and that was at a young age. Also, taking a tumble as an adult learner can dent the dignity, nerve and body much more than in your youth, regrettably.
I wonder if Splash's boyfriend's "terrible rhythm" will improve after some riding lessons?
On that TV show where someone had a few weeks to to "fake it" as a showjumper, tutored by Tim Stockdale, they chose a young woman who was a podium dancer at a club, because her rhythm was very good indeed. What she found really challenging was the mucking out IIRC

 

[Splash2310]

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments - I think I might get him a one off lesson in a couple of weeks, to see if he likes it, before maybe sending him on an intensive course later in the year!

It could be the ideal way to get him started as he is so keen, I have taught a few adults this way and the progress is far quicker than in a normal way of having an hour a week.
I start them on the lunge with no reins, usually by the end of lesson 1 they have got rising trot pretty much established and can walk around loose at the end, after 8 lessons, an hour in each session will probably be a bit much for most beginners to cope with so be careful he doesn't get too tired to improve, I would expect them to be able to sit fairly well in all paces, be able to pop a small x pole and have a decent understanding of how and why things are done.

be positive - your style of teaching sounds great. I would love to have him learn on the lunge, as he'll feel as though he has more control, rather than being lead around like a small child at a slow pace. I know for certain that the riding school I have seen the course at will have him nowhere near popping a small x pole - so I wonder if it might be better to go somewhere else...

This may be obvious, but... clothing is worth getting right.
I used to take treks out with very fit and sporty people, who had never done any riding before.
One man landed really badly on the pommel on a steep downhill right at the start of the day, had a very, very long walk+lead for the rest of the ride, and never rode again as far as I know !
Another of the men always wore his cycling shorts as a base layer, and I'd recommend something like that.
For males, worrying about a mistimed landing must play havoc with the concentration...

Great point GreyMane - I will definitely recommend cycling shorts!

My OH learned to ride starting when he was 67. He had two lunge lessons to prepare him for Western trail riding in the States and he learned sitting trot and sitting canter. He did well controlling the horses in the USA and continued to ride weekly when we got back. It took him much much longer to get rising trot. He learned to lead horses around but not much more from the ground. He was like a Victorian gentleman waited on hand and foot by the young women on the yard.
My feeling is that it wouldnt have been good to do a crash course on consecutive days. He could have been sore. I once met a young man who had been scared off riding for life by being taught too fast at a local RS and expected to be brave cantering.

Ha Skib, that sounds exactly like my BF's attitude! He has already told me that later in life if we have horses of our own they must be on full livery - and I can tack them up! Perhaps I should start mucking out my own stables again in case it's putting him off...

My worry is that he is very keen to 'run before he walks', and has already been asking me how to gallop! I have a feeling that he will get onto a 16hh cob and brick it though, so we'll see!

 

[oldie48]

Many years ago I took a boy friend on a hack at a RS. I'd had a few lessons when I was a child and could walk trot and canter on a steady horse, he'd never sat on one before but he was naturally well balanced, very fit and totally fearless. He took to it like a duck to water and after a couple of one hour hacks looked totally at home, he'd probably have been happy going hunting. I was very peeved! If you really want him to ride, I think an intensive course is a good idea but be prepared for him to be better than you.