I've just had a rubbish lesson - any sympathy available?

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FinellaGlen

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I've just had one of the worst lessons ever. I rode so badly that I felt as if I'd totally wasted my money. It was all my fault and not the instructor's or my pony's fault.

I suppose everything was conspiring against me since I had a bit of tummy ache, a really stiff back since I woke up this morning and I felt shattered because of the intense heat before I even started. I don't have the luxury of air con in my old Land Rover so I arrived in a soggy heap and things just didn't improve one bit
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There are pigeons nesting in the school and I have a bit of a fear of pigeons for some reason so I kept worrying that a pigeon was going to fly into me - unlikely I know but fears aren't always rational
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My leg yielding was dismal, my turns on the forehand not much better and I got so frustrated with my general awfulness that I gave Nelly a bit of a tap with my stick and got a small buck in return as if to say "It's not my fault Mum!"

Has anyone else ever had a lesson like this? Or am I wasting my time booking in for next week?
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Bad lessons mean you have stuff to improve on!!

I know how you feel, had group lessons for yonks, then decided to have private lessons, fell off in trot!!!!!

but since my bad lessons my RI has seen how much we are improving etc etc so stick with it!!

*hugs* for your rotten day tho
 
Oh I have them frequently, just put it behind you and look forward to your next lesson. Sometimes it's just not meant to be.

Don't dwell on it, its truely not worth it. I have just bought a youngster and the thought of leg yielding and turn on the forehand are a million miles away.

Your next lesson will be so much better, I had one today and although I had the odd pigeon flying about we are cursed with peacocks and we both don't like them.
 
My view is, if you don't have a really dire lesson once in a while, you have nothing by which you can measure the good lessons !

Cheer up, its Friday. Have a big glass of wine, put this lesson behind you and look forward to next week's.
 
definately not wasted, and book for next time. i have rubbish lessons too and come out really dispirited but often find that you focus only on what went badly and only remember that, when actually you did some good stuff too. sometimes it helps to have someone you respect watch and they can feed back the good bits as well as laughing about the bad bits with you.
 
I'm frequently frustrated by how badly I ride ... we all have those days once in a while. But just think how great it is when you have a good lesson and you are buzzing afterwards!
 
Sounds as if you had a completely crap day on the whole
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. Pete bucks when I give him a tap but I've sort of got used to it. Big hugs anyway your next lesson will be so much better promise
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Thank you to everyone that has replied. Your positive comments have dispelled the gloom. I am now looking forward to riding tomorrow. Going to have a short hack and then a quick play in the school just to reassure myself that I really can ride
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Sympathy to you, but honestly it happens to all of us, I went to sj lesson last week, had a major period pain so feeling a bit down anyway, she jumped really well, then trainer adds in a gate type fence, which we have jumped before, cue me riding like an imbecile, pulls her up in front of the fence, loses the plot completely, gets bawled out quite rightly, then jumps the jump well a couple of times.  Trainer then leaves me to walk the pony down, me in floods of tears because she was trying so hard & I let her down, luckily he had left before I crumbled.  This week, all goes fab & we jumped really well, just a bit of a steering error & a stop at a decent size fence that I was a bit worried about, once we'd jumped it, just wanted to do it again, & I'm so excited about what we achieved, so honestly book again for next week, & try & focus on the bits you did well, rather than as I did last week, the ONE fence I rode badly!!  Good luck.
 
I have lessons like this too!! We hack down there nicely, good halts, good outline, obedient....then we get in the school, my legs turn into pony club ones, my horse turns into a giraffe (we have peacocks, rabbits and guinea fowl!) and it all goes wrong, then next week though its all better so don't let it get you down
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have a good ride tomorrow
 
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone else ever had a lesson like this?

[/ QUOTE ] Yes, my one and only show jumping lesson. It took 'horrendously incompetent' to a whole new, shockingly, crappily, abysmal level, and I didn't even fall off. In fact, like your lesson, my horse was probably trying its best the whole time.
[ QUOTE ]
Or am I wasting my time booking in for next week?

[/ QUOTE ] Yes. What you actually need to do is pack Nelly up into a trailer, and send him to me.
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you are not wasting your time booking for next week!! we all have shite lessons, god, i've had a few myself. as you have said, you were not feeling great so straight away, that is going to make you feel less responsive and even more down, try to pick out some positives...you didn't fall off, that's always good!! draw a line under tonight, don't worry about it and look forward to your next lesson!
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I have had lots of frustrating lessons where i feel i have ridden badly. Like other people say pick out things that you did do well and consider all the other stuff as things that need to be improved.

Also i find it helps to remember that one bad transition/circle/leg yield/lesson doesn't make you a bad rider. I also read somewhere that a rosebud is just as beautiful as a rose even though it isn't fully developed, really cheesey but it helped me realise that just because i am not a Grand Prix standard rider doesn't mean i'm not a good rider, i just have things that need improving - just like we all do!
 
LOL @ me....... I knew something was going wrong... I have these almost every time i ride! haha I know bobs wonderful, but... sometimes RI's are concentrating on.... lets say... toes in... when ur horse is going like a plank, thats when i get pissed off!

DONT WORRY ABOUT IT! =]
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Update - just been for a lovely hack in the sunshine and I am feeling happy again! It was too hot for schooling but I have booked another lesson for next Friday and I am looking forward to it. I know that I can ride a lot better and I WILL!!!!
 
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