Is it cheating to get someone esle to school your horse?

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Harveysmum

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When I got my horse last year, I paid virtually nothing for him as he was in a real state. He was in and out of work due to his condition and some lameness problems but there was a period around June when he was sound and going well. I was ready to really start competing but weeks after our first show he hurt himself in the field and had to have four months off. When he was in work he was schooling well and worked on the bit in walk, trot and canter, however when he came back into work after his time off we just didn't see to be working as we had done before, my normal instructor wasn't able to help me and I started to lose my confidence. At the begining of this year I decided that as I had the money we would go and get some professional help. I decided to have a very experienced dressage rider bring him back into work properly for me as although I had been keeping him ticking along I thought it would do us both some good. The idea being that she would do the basics and then teach me on him for a few months so we could get our confidence back

The problem is part of me now feels like a bit of a failure having to get someone else to do it for me and that if we compete and do well it's on the back of her work not mine. She has only been riding him for two weeks and the sensible part of me says that she is a very good rider and has given him the ground work that only that sort of experience brings.

So my question is, is it cheating to get someone else to school your horse in these circumstances and did I do the right thing?
 
pfft. I would have NO problem with someone more experienced schooling my horse!
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Why not get yourself a good instructor and have lessons? both of you would benefit from it.
 
No of course it's not cheating. You have the option to have someone else train your horse......it's your decision and providing they do it as you would wish, then it really doesn't matter at the end of the day which experienced person did the work.....you'll still have a decent little horse at the end of it.
 
I think it is a great idea.

Confidence is a fragile thing and if you were losing it, then you weren't going to be doing either you or your horse any favours.

Sometimes it is best to step back and let someone else take over. Then your confidence comes back and you can build from there.

You definately did the right thing
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Nope, I regularly get better riders to ride Ty - they can usually pinpoint what you need to do with them and help you get over certain issues......agree with the lessons though
 
Getting someone else who is fit and riding regularly to ride your horse is generally not a bad thing.

The only thing is that it may not fix certain problems - unfortunately if the horse still think they can take the p*ss with you, then someone else riding won't help.

I'd get someone else to school you horse and then book and intensive set of lessons for you and the horse. That way you have a chance to make real progress
 
No

Pickle had loads of problems out hacking, so I got nervous hacking him which made him worse. A client loved him and asked permisiion to hack him (which I gave) e has taken him past all the scary things and he is a lot bigger than me so can hold pickle easier. Also he is a very relaxed rider. So thanks to him pickles hacking is near perfect.
 
Yes I totally agree about the lessons, I have booked to stay with this lady for another two-three months having lessons 1-2 times a week. I think the reason I started losing confidence was more that I wasn't sure how to take him further and he was really weak after all his time off. It's stupid because whilst I was off I was riding a friends horse who does AM/PSG level dressage and getting on really well with him. I had quite a few lessons on him but as Harvey started to come back into more and more work I stopped riding him and just rode Harvey. I think the thing was that I started to doubt myself as he didn't see to be going as well as he had done before and due to family problems my normal instructor couldn't teach me. Eventually I just got so down about it I stopped riding him.

I am really hoping that I can do well on Harvey this year and have set myself a goal of qualifying for the areas and if I can the nationals this year. A big goal I know! but I think if you want something enough you can do it, I think that's why I feel I have perhaps let myself down and given up too easily but it's hard when it stops being fun anymore
 
it is not cheating at all. i think its actually good to have someone elses perspective on a horse and me and my best friend (who is a professional rider) regularly swap horses to help solve eachothers problems. if my confidence is ever down he's my first port of call as i feel that its better to get help on a problem rather than try work it through and end up with a bigger problem. i think you did exactly the right thing!!
 
its not cheating in your case but if someone schooled the horse everyday and then you just wanted to go to competitions and claim the glory then yes, it is kinda cheatin.

I've just got a new instructor who is fab, and I reckon Honey and I will improve lots. But whilst I am away at uni she is going to school her once a week as there is only so much mum can do and I believe if in the long run it is going to improve YOU ans the HORSE then any help is good
 
I think it's a good idea in your case. I DO however know of people who are SJing and whose instructors fine tune their horses for competitions. Now, I'm not opposed to this except from the POV that if you're not putting in the work yourself, you'll be learning less than if you do... if you see what I mean. So, basically, I LIKE to put the work SJing into PF and A, BUT, if I wanted them to do something I wasn't up to (more complex dressage moves, for instance) then I wouldn't be averse to getting outside help (plus lessons for myself so I could ride them properly)
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I have a friend who I pay to school my horse once a week as what with work home and hunting twice a week its a great help it also keeps my boy supple a s hunting can make them a bit wooden and i'd rather ride in a sports car than a morris minor !!! so I don't think its cheating but good for your horse its beter than being stuck in a stable or just out in the field.
 
I am in a similar position myself. My lad was only 5 when I got him, very poor and done nothing at all. I have hacked him about for the past 12 months and done a bit of schooling but it was time to start proper work and I was struggling, so I have just enlisted the help of my yard owner, he is schooling him twice a week for me, then comes and gives me tips when I'm riding the rest of the week. We have only had this arrangement for two weeks so far but its going really well. His walk work is more or less there and his trot has improved no end. He's also started to muscle up in all the right places.
I dont feel guilty - why should I? I'm giving my lad the best possible chances that I can.
 
Your horse and you are getting educated and this is only a good thing. I wish more people would be more sensible and take this route.

A big pat on the back, you are doing 100% the right thing.
 
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