It's finally happened....

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Twiglet

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My boyfriend has decided to learn to ride....
I'm all for supporting him being involved in my hobby, but my lovely young eventer isn't cut out for life as a riding school mount, so I'm in the market for the best adult-teaching riding schools near SW London/Surrey. The ones I know of are Wildwoods in Surrey, or Kingston Riding Centre. Both are on the expensive side, unsurprisingly. Having not really known a proper novice in a long time, is there a better way of going about this - shall I insist he books himself in for only lunge lessons in the short term? Is there much to be gained from group lessons as an adult? And how do I explain to him how he goes through the pain barrier of learning rising trot as a man?!
 
Having taught many total beginners I would always say go for private lunge lessons until they can rise to the trot in balance and are able to steer it makes no sense to me for someone to be trying to learn the basics in a group especially a man who really needs to get balanced fairly quickly if they are not going to end up in pain and put off by the experience.
If he is fairly fit, generally sporty and can ride a bike it should only take a couple of lessons to get the basics if the instructor is good, the last man I taught was rising in the first lesson, albeit a little wobbly at times, the incentive is there to get it as quickly as possible so there should be no real pain barrier to deal with.
 
He can work in the gym to get the idea of which muscles to use by sitting on the big ball and posting, sitting up straight arms in front, eyes level, this will get away from the "sack of potato" style of balancing.
Cycling shorts?
 
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Oh you are so much kinder than me! My then OH kept banging on that riding was easy and riders just sat on the horse.

So.....I booked him a lunge lesson ... He refused to wear tight jeans or briefs because he knew better.

He was doing sitting trot within 6 minutes, sat on himself numerous times and completely removed all the hair from the inside of his legs. He also had problems walking several days later.

But he NEVER said it was easy again!
 
If you have time to travel out to Reading then cullinghood have a mechanical horse.
Whether it would dent a male ego not being allowed on a real animal straight off I couldn't possibly comment - but if he is into IT/gadgets you might sell it that way.
 
Thanks all. To clarify, I don't think sitting on the horse itself will be an issue, he's hacked my old boy on the lead rein quite a few times, and we've attempted some bouncing trot, so I more need a very kind horse and a shouty instructor, to help him understand how to move on. I don't mind leading him round in walk on my current horse, I just won't risk anything faster.

He swims at national level and is an ex-marine, so the fitness itself shouldn't be an issue - the pain very much is though (after the first trot he was determined to buy himself a cricket 'box)!! Luckily he's never dared to make the 'riding is easy' comment....
 
If you can walk him round on your horse get him rising while walking, it will not be the same as in trot but will make it easier for him to get going in a proper lesson, I always get people rising in walk first so they have an idea of it, some find it strange as they have to leave the security of the saddle momentarily, his fitness will make a huge difference to how quickly he gets the hang of it.
 
Twiglet, our local (v v good) RS will only put any new person on the mech horse.
Doesn't matter if you have ridden at 3*, you will still have an assessment lesson on it before being allowed to get on a horse/pony there. (they have a long waiting list for lessons too)
Usually their beginners have 4 - 6 lessons on it, before getting on a horse, as it teaches them SO much first.
Really recco you find somewhere with one for him to start with :)

To add, its something that can be fitted in on winter evenings, in the dry, so just like a workout in the gym :)
 
Chessington Equestrian Centre may be worth a look - not sure what prices are like these days, but have a good variety of horses, and do some evening lessons.

When I got back into riding, I did a few private lessons there first then joined one of their evening groups - I found the groups good as at that time I needed time in the saddle to get physically back into shape more than the intensity of a shorter private lesson. Could always mix and match with groups/private lessons/hacks.
 
Just to give some advice from a male perspective. He will be better with tight boxers rather than briefs. And buy them a size smaller than normal too. A lot of guys think briefs would be the most comfortable but in fact they push everything up to the front where the pommel on your saddle is! Not ideal! Lol
 
Think any decent RS is expensive these days, or at least in the SE. My local is a bit :eek3: price wise and that's Sussex. I think group lessons are only good if you get a good bunch of competitive/egg each other on types. Pity where you are is a rubbish area for finding a saddle club as they'd be used to keen guys!

Might be worth looking at where the Riding Club London use for their lessons, they should know of some decent places all around the area and ones that don't have stupid weight limits (I'm only a stone and a half under said Sussex RS's weight limit for example...)
 
Twiglet said:
Thanks all. To clarify, I don't think sitting on the horse itself will be an issue, he's hacked my old boy on the lead rein quite a few times, and we've attempted some bouncing trot, so I more need a very kind horse and a shouty instructor, to help him understand how to move on. I don't mind leading him round in walk on my current horse, I just won't risk anything faster.

He swims at national level and is an ex-marine, so the fitness itself shouldn't be an issue - the pain very much is though (after the first trot he was determined to buy himself a cricket 'box)!! Luckily he's never dared to make the 'riding is easy' comment....
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I think your making a wise choice by not doing the lessons yourself, I stuck my oh on my warmblood mare on the lunge as he had hacked her quite a few times with just short bits of trot, well she was fine until the trotting bit she got so excited she ran off in canter and he nearly fell off as she just would not stop, it was one of the funniest things ever but we never did it again as it was not safe and he was happy just plodding out hacking anyway.
 
M4X said:
Just to give some advice from a male perspective. He will be better with tight boxers rather than briefs. And buy them a size smaller than normal too. A lot of guys think briefs would be the most comfortable but in fact they push everything up to the front where the pommel on your saddle is! Not ideal! Lol
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omg, a man post!, did jhoward take note?
 
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