Lesson horses and their workload

[vieshot]

Do you think some riding schools ask to much mentally of their horses?

Like I'm sure fitness wise it's no problem but do you think nose to tail lessons multiple hours each day with novice riders on backs should be kept to a minimum?

It must be so boring for them day in day out and I know some schools are like this!

Opinions?

 

[emma.is]

horses for courses, some love kids and would prefer to plod around than be galloping but I know that some horses would imagine that to be their own personal kind of hell. But I do agree that there are some horses in r/s who shouldn't be

 

[AprilBlossom]

In my experience, the ones who didn't enjoy it showed this by regularly putting their riders on the floor one way or another, and were sold on to private homes pretty sharpish before they got too badly behaved!

I think a horse can have a variety of far, far worse lifestyles than the humble riding school.

 

[Littlelegs]

I agree it must be boring. Good rs near me only keeps the horses used mainly for novices for a few years so they don't get stale, & even then they get some variety with more advanced classes, showing etc. And the ponies for novice children normally are loaned on site after a few years to those wanting a first pony before being sold to them, win win all round for horse, new owner & rs owner. New ponies bought cheap, ridden by experienced riders before those suitable for novices are used for novice lessons. Maybe not always do able but lots of kids with their own go too so not a high % of novice pupils.

 

[celia]

I don't think it's in any way a welfare issue as the horses are usually well looked after and probably in better shape than a lot of privately owned horses (i.e. not as fat!), but yes, I think a lot of riding school ponies are probably bored stiff. Unfortunately, the ones with the nice amenable temperaments, that don't object to doing the same thing day in, day out are the ones that will end up doing it for years. I've known several riding school ponies who were quite 'dull' in the school - very safe and quiet for novices - but would light up and become great fun out on a hack or doing somthing a bit different. Obviously this is a bit of a generalisation - I know there are some great riding schools where the ponies get a lot of varied work but I suspect it is a pretty common problem. I think places that offer hacking/trekking as well as school lessons are better as the horses get so much more mental stimulation. It's an interesting topic. Not what I'd want for my horses, but I wouldn't want them in a top competition yard either!

 

[opinionuk]

I used to have a riding school and I would never let each horse be ridden for more 2 lessons a day, stuck in an indoor school ridden by novices just didn't seem fair, in the end I gave up the riding school and ensured each and everyone of them went to good homes.

 

[PinkCob]

Each horse or pony is different. I think, if they've been doing it for so long or from a young age then they don't know any different! And, the novice horses/ponies wouldn't be novice if they kept refusing to go would they!?

Saying that, you can't force a horse to do anything, What's the saying? - You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink - I think most horses and ponies enjoy what they do !

Obviously, you may find some do get bored or distracted but overall i'd say they're happy and do it because they're happy !

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've known several riding school ponies who were quite 'dull' in the school - very safe and quiet for novices - but would light up and become great fun out on a hack or doing somthing a bit different

My first pony was an ex RS pony (he had learnt to plant and you could not move him for love nor money) and he was very forward going on hacks and would often try to bog-off with me.

 

[NightOwl]

In my experience, the ones who didn't enjoy it showed this by regularly putting their riders on the floor one way or another, and were sold on to private homes pretty sharpish before they got too badly behaved!

I remember a rather gorgeous tb x like this my riding school bought. Was young and excitable and this only got worse! The last time I saw the girl riding him couldn't stop him from galloping around the school full steam ahead. So I got on him being the crazy teenager I was and found the brakes. Never stopped trying though to give him his credit. I was supposed to be learning a dressage test and couldn't tell you a thing about it at the end of the lesson great fun though. Livened the lesson up. He dissapeared sharpish after this though which was a shame. Wonder what happened to him.