Riding School Riders?

[PonyIAmNotFood]

I have to admit this is actually an excellent point - as I said before I do know owners who talk the talk but can't walk the walk...

Do you think that most RS riders would know how to fit a saddle? As in how wide it would need to be, how much stuffing it needs, if it moves when ridden on? Etc etc etc.

IF they want to learn the resources are provided by both the schools I ride at, obviously people who come once a week and just want a plod wont be interested but any kids or adults who help out or ask will be taught the basics of tack fit so they would spot that it's bouncing about or not sitting right in front or whatever. Then they would hopefully have the sense to get the fitter out if it was their horse. I think the point some people are making that you should learn at a RS for a few years before getting a horse is a good one, like tinselmoo says. This brings back my view that there should be a test you have to pass before being allowed a horse!

 

[charlie76]

Quite agree with the above. Many RS have the staff and facility and oportunity to learn more about horse care and management, its just some people, suprisingly enough! Just want it to be a weekly hobby, its not their life and therefore have no inclination to learn anymore.They just want to enjoy the riding they do.

 

[Ibblebibble]

A riding school is no different to any other school, it teaches you the basics and you can choose to expand on certain areas (subjects) that interest you just like at senior school, but just like senior school it can only teach you so much, sooner or later you have to get out there and experience the real world. how many of us left school thinking we were pretty damn grown up and knew everything only to realise after a while that we were really only just beginners?? RS life is the same, you can reach a certain level and be pretty confident that you know plenty, then you enter the world of horse ownership and realise that you're still a beginner

A good RS can be invaluable in giving a good foundation of riding and knowledge but it can never replicate horse ownership

 

[Hippona]

Quick tale....when I kept my horses on livery there was a novice family with a couple of ponies- no problem, nice people- took advice and learnt and did their best. Some family members came to see the ponies- decided they were cute and reserved a stable for a pony for their daughter......

They then went to the sales...picked up a yearling (covered with lice) and brought it back to the yard......in a transit van. Clueless was an understatement.....

All kinds of disasters ensued....YO was nearly tearing her hair out on a daily basis.....luckily this phase didn't last too long and pony thankfully went on to someone who actually knew what they were doing....

I doubt very much someone who had been educated at a decent RS would have done this......Personally I feel that as horse ownership has become relatively cheaper over the years it has made it easier for people to jump in at the deep end.....sometimes the cost difference between regular quality lessons and a cheaper end of the market DIY livery isn't that great- so why pay a RS when you can have your own? You can understand the thinking from a financial POV I guess.....

 

[Kat]

......Personally I feel that as horse ownership has become relatively cheaper over the years it has made it easier for people to jump in at the deep end.....sometimes the cost difference between regular quality lessons and a cheaper end of the market DIY livery isn't that great- so why pay a RS when you can have your own? You can understand the thinking from a financial POV I guess.....

Whilst I would never say that horse ownership is cheap, I can confirm that there actually isn't a huge cost difference between owning and having lessons! As both my husband and I were having lessons it probably would have been cheaper for us to buy a cheap nag and have it at some ropey DIY yard if we had been so inclined.

Luckily our instructors and our good riding school had inspired us to want a bit more so we actually spend more having our horse at a yard with decent facilities and services etc.

 

[Amaranta]

Its a massive generalisation to say that RS riders know less than horse owners, I know plenty and have seen plenty of private owners riding their super obese cobs in a narrow, ill fitting saddle, turning them out on good grass until lami hits, etc. Clearly they know more than a RS rider.

Whilst I agree with you that there are some horse owners who lack experience and common sense, it is ridiculous to expect a RS rider to have the experience of a long term horse owner - this is a fact not a generalisation and I am not bashing the RS rider here, we all have to start somewhere.

 

[dunkley]

Everyone appears to be assuming all RS riders are beginners, most definately not the case.

I don't think anyone has said, or implied this

Good riding schools are, as I said before, worth their weight in gold. They provide an excellent foundation for ownership. I have, however seen poor, ill-equipped 'riding schools' encourage clients with very little knowledge to buy a horse, and then keep it on livery at the 'school', where the 'support' they get is as inadequate as the original instruction. But of course, double whammy for the 'school' - they get livery, and a captive market that continues to pay for unqualified, highly suspect, 'tuition'. One of my distant inlaws sent their very young child (8, or 9) to a so-called 'riding school' and asked after two years if I could recommend anywhere, as the child was 'getting bored' (Why didn't they ask in the first place?). I directed them to a small (approved) RS run by a friend, a qualified instructor. My friend was horrified that this child, after two years, did not understand what "change the rein" meant!

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

Whilst I agree with you that there are some horse owners who lack experience and common sense, it is ridiculous to expect a RS rider to have the experience of a long term horse owner - this is a fact not a generalisation and I am not bashing the RS rider here, we all have to start somewhere.

You've managed not to generalise to ALL horse owners, saying SOME lack commonsense and experience, therefore it's fair comment that not ALL RS riders lack experience and commonsense, right?

I'm not saying you should expect ALL RS riders to have experience but I am saying that some are given the opportunity to learn this and do have more than they are given credit for.

 

[Amaranta]

You've managed not to generalise to ALL horse owners, saying SOME lack commonsense and experience, therefore it's fair comment that not ALL RS riders lack experience and commonsense, right?

I'm not saying you should expect ALL RS riders to have experience but I am saying that some are given the opportunity to learn this and do have more than they are given credit for.

Absolutely, SOME RS riders will have more common sense that SOME owners, no doubt about it, it all depends on whether they are willing to admit (or even realise) that they do not know something, we all know novices who soak up info like a sponge, learn how to recognise and deal with situations and go on to become good horse people and owners, BUT there are far more who think because they have ridden walk, trot, canter and can take a small jump that they have learned all there is to learn and therefore stop learning, lots of these become horse owners too, bad ones.

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

Absolutely, SOME RS riders will have more common sense that SOME owners, no doubt about it, it all depends on whether they are willing to admit (or even realise) that they do not know something, we all know novices who soak up info like a sponge, learn how to recognise and deal with situations and go on to become good horse people and owners, BUT there are far more who think because they have ridden walk, trot, canter and can take a small jump that they have learned all there is to learn and therefore stop learning, lots of these become horse owners too, bad ones.

I know far more RS riders willing to admit they don't know everything and far more willing to learn and develop than private owners with that attitude. They come from both sides but I have met more private owners who are self proclaimed 'experts'. ETA. These are not usually from a school background, more from the background where they learnt on private horses.

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

A good riding school, with experienced instructors, is a wonderful environment to start learning about horses and ride to a competent level. Riding experience is gained through riding as many different horses as is possible. I know folks who have owned horses all their lives and are no great shakes. As a child, from a non-horsey background, my riding school and their wonderful instructors were a godsend and set me up for furthering my knowledge of all things equine. I can still hear my instructors voice reverberating in my ears when I question myself. As a child it was a wonderful experience and instilled in me the dedication required to strive for continual improvement and satisfaction.

 

[Spiritedly]

When I was at school my friend had her own horse I rode at a riding school, when it came to advice for bitting, feeding etc she came to me. Why? because I didn't think I knew it all and was gods gift to horses and I spent every spare minute learning! I read books, I asked questions and I spent time around a variety of different horses. No rs riders don't have to worry about hay, farriers etc but that doesn't make them any less knowledgeable about them. I'm sure everyone on here whether they own horses or not knows about the escalating price of hay and that horses need shoeing/trimming! and bitting/ tack isn't much of an example given the amount of posts on here asking for advice on which to use! Horsemanship comes with horse ownership? Does that mean a horse owner of a year whose never had a lesson knows more than a rs rider of 20 years who regularly helps at the stables?

 

[supercowpony]

Luckily, I have ridden for the past 7 years or so at a very good riding school. You are expected to want to learn about horse care as well as riding, being taught to tack up, groom, and rug etc.
I also think my instructor/yard owner/riding school owner is one of the few who actually tries to teach people 'feel'. Once the rider gets to a certain level in the basics she very actively tries to make them 'school' the horses. She will tell them the horse is falling out through the shoulder, why the horse is falling out through the shoulder and how to correct it. The pupils however gain valuable experience by riding a variety of horses, and so encountering horses with a variety of faults or traits.

Also offered, which I think I would have benefited hugely from before buying my own, is part loan of a riding school horse. I really think more riding schools should offer this, as you learn to ride on your own and 'school' yourself, but with supervision. You look after the horse, but are safe in the knowledge that if you have done something wrong, the RS staff will correct it and tell you to LEARN from your mistake.

I was a riding school rider (with some other horses thrown in every now and again) when I bought my own cob. He was less than ideal, 4yrs and very green over from Ireland. I'd also bought him as a safe responsive horse, but as he got fitter he soon became a forward going more experienced ride. Without the support of a very horsey stepmother (ex international eventer and now successful show rider) who schooled my cob for me, and taught me on him, and then the confidence my RI gave me in that I was good enough for him, and that I shouldn't be scared of him and taking me out XC and competing, I am pretty sure I would have sold my cob.
I was very lucky to have all this experienced support, and after 6 months I felt happy that I had in fact bought the right horse, though we both needed a bit of work to get to that point.

He is a VERY different ride to a normal RS horse, but is used at my RS for the more experienced riders. Many of the horses are working liveries, and so not typical RS horses. Many regularly compete/hunt.

However, my horse would not be suitable for most RS riders to look after or ride by themselves. I think it is the independence and responsibility that comes with your own horse which makes a difference, and though I've now had my cob for 3 years, I feel happy and secure knowing he is on a yard where I have constant support if I need it.
I have gone from always having a lesson when I ride him, to schooling by myself and having a lesson nearly every week.

I do however miss the opportunity to ride a wider range of horses.

 

[maresmaid]

The attitude towards RS riders really gets my back up. I have ridden at one for 12 years, started helping there at the age of 10 and now run the yard at weekends and supervise the kid volunteers, teaching them stable management etc. The riders get their horses themselves and take them in, they un tack and rug up, and lessons are catered to the rider. If kids/adults want to help out they can as long as they are over 10, and there are pony days for younger kids to learn management etc on. We don't hack to be honest, but if the kids who help are insured they can hack around the fields. Advanced riders learn how to improve the horses way of going and lateral movements etc. Advanced riders also help bring on the youngsters/school 'naughty' horses. If people don't want to get involved and just want to come once a week for a potter about that's fine too, it's up to them!

I know many of my friends and other riders who learnt with us have gone on to be very successful with 'normal' horses outside of the school, and I have ridden and schooled plenty of others myself. I am also on the uni riding team and have the ability to get on almost anything and get a tune out of it. (Not blowing my own horn but making a point). People are very prejudiced against RS riders and I just don't get it.

I don't believe there is anything at all wrong with riding school riders, it is right that people have the chance to learn about and enjoy this fantasticly enjoyable, exciting, and frustrating hobby that we all love so much. We are not all lucky enough to have grown up with horses in our families and riding schools have allowed many many people to enjoy horses and go on to be horse owners and very good riders, but riding school horses ridden in riding school situations in general are the STARTING point for riders, a good riding school will lay a solid foundation for a rider to develop and build their skills on, but many riders who have only ever had very limited exposure to riding within a school situation do think that because they can Gallop and pop a fence without falling off they are fully paid up members of the "Experienced Riders Club" I have seen these riders often on holiday hacks with my daughter, they always book on the "Fast hacks" and complain if they are given a horse to ride that needs a "proper" rider on it's back to make it move out of walk into a lazy trot - and I have had some lovely rides out on these horses rejected by the "experienced" I-have-had-a-lesson-every-week-for-the-last-2-years-riding school riders.

Riding school should not be knocked, they are a very important part of our sport, and a good riding school can do a great job in introducing people to a lifetime of the enjoyment of horses, and the riding school riders who can accept that they are on the first step of a very exciting and ENDLESS journey, and can sit upon any type of horse, be it a slow plod, or a sharp TB, and find something new that each horse can teach them, are the ones who will get the most out of the opportunity to ride.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Well, on the other hand, you could say that YOU are the lucky ones being in a position to own your own horses, would it not be fair to say that a lot of people (actually probably most) use RS because they either can't afford to own, don't have the property to own, are taking the first steps to learn to ride or maybe, just maybe, they understand they lack knowledge so aren't confident enough to care for their own? I reckon they'd give their right arms to have to sit up all night with their own horse or to have the chance to learn from owning!


I certainly hope that they wouldn't! I can think of very little that is worse than sleeping in the stable every night for a month with a very ill foal and his dam, with metritis and infection-induced laminitis, (the foal was pts after 4 wks, the mare is still with us, 20 yrs later) or going out every hour through the night to check on the mare with a rectal prolapse, who had to be pts a week later, or staying up 'til 3 am with the mare who had a stroke and then ringing the hunt in the morning. I certainly wouldn't wish any of those experiences on any-one but always emphasise to people who are considering buying a horse that they need to be prepared to do all of those things and more, including making sure that they stable/graze their horse somewhere accessible to the winch if the horse has to be pts in situ. I wonder how many Rs riders have thought about that. I'm sure that RS riders do get upset if they arrive for their weekly lesson to be told that a favourite horse has had to be pts since they last saw it but I'm afraid that does not prepare you for having to call the vet in an emergency situation, discuss the prognosis, make the decision to pts and arrange for the disposal of the body and THEN come to terms with the loss of an animal that you have nurtured for years.

As a general view of this thread;

Overall I think that a lot of people are generalising and far too judgemental of RS riders as a group!
I don't think that many people, if any were generalising or decrying RS riders but actually saying that they, themselves had learned far more from owning their first horse than they did at a RS, even if the RS was good and gave them a good grounding in the basics

Just like everywhere else in life there will be good, bad and indifferent people and in this instance riders. That is human. Very trueThey all have their reasons for doing what they do and probably have just as much fun in their own way as you or I or anyone, who are we to judge what is right or wrong for them without knowing their individual circumstances? I know a few schools where there are people who simply lack confidence but still enjoy the work they do within the school is that wrong? What gives us the right to say it is or isn't?

I haven't read anywhere that someone said that RS riders were wrong, merely that they lack experience.

 

[VoR]

The point I was making (of course noone would wish/choose to have to nurse a sick horse Clearly the taking of arguments to the absurd is a bit too advanced!), is that many in RS (from personal experience) want to own but can't for whatever reason, so get their 'fix' at a RS, nothing wrong with that.

I do get the feeling that there is an undertone in SOME (please note some, not all and if you feel this is directed at you then that could be a case of YOU feeling 'the cap fits'!!!) posts that RS riders lack something ('I own my own horse therefore I am more experienced and know more about horse care than you') and as is usual in life generalise to the extreme ('RS riders do this, don't have this knowledge/experience' - no ALL lack knowledge or experience! People too often take a single experience/situation and use this as their basis for judgement on all similar situations rather than taking experiences/situations as unique, no two are ever quite the same, it is like saying all politicians are bent and in it for what they can get out of it...............hmm, bad example!), actually I agree that you can learn more from owning in terms of the care of a horse and you do take on a massive commitment with all the difficult situations and decisions that horse ownership brings, it doesn't necessarily follow though that because you own you know more than the next or have more knowledge than them (plenty of examples in the press and courts of horse owners who clearly don't!).

 

[Sarah1]

Why? because I didn't think I knew it all and was gods gift to horses and I spent every spare minute learning! I read books, I asked questions and I spent time around a variety of different horses

Funnily enough horse owners can read too!

This comment isn't exclusive to RS riders - most owners read magazines & books in order to extend their knowledge too.

An awful lot of owners think they know it all and can come across with a 'holier than thou' attitude but RS riders are the same too - OP for example, having read some of her previous posts it would appear than no-one can tell her anything she doesn't already know!

I have been a RS rider and I have been a horse owner - I have personal experience of both - like many others. Without a doubt, when it comes to horse care/management I have learned most of what I know from having my own horse and I still have loads to learn! That probably applies to riding too if I'm honest but I think that's because my RS wasn't like some of those described on here I dare say some of the RS riders who have places like Charlie76's to go to would ride far better than I do though!

I now have a fabulous instructor who teaches me on my own horse and I'm learning even more from him many, many owners will be in the same boat as me.

I agree with those that have said there should be some sort of test or course you have to take to own a horse - some people seem to think it's like looking after a big dog!

 

[VoR]

I agree with those that have said there should be some sort of test or course you have to take to own a horse - some people seem to think it's like looking after a big dog!

Have discussed this with people in the past and yes have to agree that there should be either a test or a need to evidence that there is a support network with relevant experience. If you go to the RSPCA or similar they do home visits and interviews to decide on suitability before letting you have a dog/cat/tortoise (!!??), Social Services wouldn't let you foster/adopt a child without clearance, etc, etc.

Also, (controversial moment!! ) there should be some kind of requirement on anyone selling an animal to ensure that it goes to a suitable home perhaps????

 

[Sarah1]

Have discussed this with people in the past and yes have to agree that there should be either a test or a need to evidence that there is a support network with relevant experience. If you go to the RSPCA or similar they do home visits and interviews to decide on suitability before letting you have a dog/cat/tortoise (!!??), Social Services wouldn't let you foster/adopt a child without clearance, etc, etc.

Also, (controversial moment!! ) there should be some kind of requirement on anyone selling an animal to ensure that it goes to a suitable home perhaps????

Absolutely!

And I agree - sellers have a moral obligation to make sure the horse is going to a suitable home where possible but unfortunately some people just don't care

 

[Spudlet]

It's an interesting concept, but given the massive variety of opinion on the most basic subjects on here (and that's putting it mildly), who would decide what makes a home suitable, and who would enforce it?

 

[xspiralx]

I haven't read the whole thread, but my thoughts are this.

I'm someone who learned to ride in a riding school, before getting my own horse after 4 years.

My experience, and from what I've seen from other people who have ridden in mainly RS environments, is that a RS will teach you to walk, trot, canter and jump - to stay on, move with the horse, and learn the basics - but not teach to ride in an advanced way. Riding at a riding school is about improving the rider, not the horse.

But the two go hand in hand.

I didn't learn about schooling a horse, working it in an outline, seeing a stride, educating a green horse - until I got my own. I was reasonable for a RS standard, and certainly the foundations they put in place were good ones, but my riding improved 20 fold when I got my own horse and was riding daily, hacking out, competing, schooling, jumping.

Not all RS horses are plods by any means, and I wouldn't say someone who has ridden only at a RS is necessarily a beginner - but I think at most, there is a limit to how much you can develop your feel and ability when you're riding for one hour a week on a RS horse.

However there are many many people who do own horses who can't ride worth a damn - I think its a bit unfair to cast aspersions on a RS rider buying their own horse - its a learning curve that everyone has to go through.

 

[Spiritedly]

Funnily enough horse owners can read too!

This comment isn't exclusive to RS riders - most owners read magazines & books in order to extend their knowledge too.

An awful lot of owners think they know it all and can come across with a 'holier than thou' attitude but RS riders are the same too - OP for example, having read some of her previous posts it would appear than no-one can tell her anything she doesn't already know!

I have been a RS rider and I have been a horse owner - I have personal experience of both - like many others. Without a doubt, when it comes to horse care/management I have learned most of what I know from having my own horse and I still have loads to learn! That probably applies to riding too if I'm honest but I think that's because my RS wasn't like some of those described on here I dare say some of the RS riders who have places like Charlie76's to go to would ride far better than I do though!

I now have a fabulous instructor who teaches me on my own horse and I'm learning even more from him many, many owners will be in the same boat as me.

I agree with those that have said there should be some sort of test or course you have to take to own a horse - some people seem to think it's like looking after a big dog!

I'm not saying horse owners don't read, I've owned horses for over 20 years now and I still read up on things. The point I was trying to make was , yes if you have your own horse it may be easier, especially in this age of health and safety, but surely the real measure of horsemanship is the willingness to learn? To admit that you don't know it all?

As an after thought...how many people on here who own their own horses still see an instructor, have lessons? Doesn't that make us still rs pupils? Albeit on our own horses and maybe on a private basis

 

[Spudlet]

I haven't read the whole thread, but my thoughts are this.

I'm someone who learned to ride in a riding school, before getting my own horse after 4 years.

My experience, and from what I've seen from other people who have ridden in mainly RS environments, is that a RS will teach you to walk, trot, canter and jump - to stay on, move with the horse, and learn the basics - but not teach to ride in an advanced way. Riding at a riding school is about improving the rider, not the horse.

But the two go hand in hand.

I didn't learn about schooling a horse, working it in an outline, seeing a stride, educating a green horse - until I got my own. I was reasonable for a RS standard, and certainly the foundations they put in place were good ones, but my riding improved 20 fold when I got my own horse and was riding daily, hacking out, competing, schooling, jumping.

Not all RS horses are plods by any means, and I wouldn't say someone who has ridden only at a RS is necessarily a beginner - but I think at most, there is a limit to how much you can develop your feel and ability when you're riding for one hour a week on a RS horse.

However there are many many people who do own horses who can't ride worth a damn - I think its a bit unfair to cast aspersions on a RS rider buying their own horse - its a learning curve that everyone has to go through.

I agree with this post. Not everyone springs from the ground fully formed, wearing jods and a hat, and clutching a crop in one hand and a Manual of Horsemanship in the other. Everyone has to learn somewhere.

I rode at RSs for many years because I was not one of the fully-formed, then I moved onto sharing privately owned horses, hacking them out and having lessons on them too. For me, the step was not too huge because of the wide variety of horses I had ridden and looked after in various RSs, some of which were not in the least ploddy - for example, one RS that I hacked from had mainly young horses, which while not mentally unstable (well, no more than most horses), certainly needed more riding than the stereotypical brain-dead plodder. There was something new to learn from every horse, from the very first oldie I ever sat on to the greenie that I shared most recently, and I'm sure that when I start riding again that will still be the case.

The trick to this whole horsemanship thing is continuing to learn - some owners just aren't interested in doing this, while others are not. This lady, for example, had horses for many years, but I think I'd sooner have the most green RS rider in charge of a horse of mine than her!

 

[Syrah]

I learnt to ride at a riding school.

It's a generalisation to declare all RS's only teach the basics.

I have been taught an independent seat, working in an outline, seat aids, leg aids, the feel of a horse. Why? Because I asked. I didn't just turn up, ride and go home. If the instructor asked me to do something I asked why, what does it do, what will I achieve. I also asked at the beginning of a lesson to learn something - using seat aids as an example amongst many other things.

There are people who just turn up ride and go home and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just because some people do things differently doesn't make it or them wrong. Just because I'm the sort of person who likes to know the why's and wherefore's and perfect what I'm doing, doesn't make me a better person or rider than the next, in fact I'm a pretty cr*p rider considering I've been around horses for nearly 30 years.

It is different owning your own horse and being out of the comfort zone of an RS but that is a mental barrier that most overcome. It takes some a little longer than others, but we all started somewhere.

The horse world is full of judgemental, opinionated, inflated egos. We would all have a much more pleasurable time if we kept our noses out, accept that everyone is different and so long as our horses are well cared for, happy and healthy who gives a stuff.

 

[VoR]

It's an interesting concept, but given the massive variety of opinion on the most basic subjects on here (and that's putting it mildly), who would decide what makes a home suitable, and who would enforce it?

Hey, I just do 'big-picture-strategic-stuff', over to you guys for the detail.

 

[Spudlet]

Hey, I just do 'big-picture-strategic-stuff', over to you guys for the detail.

Arrggghh that makes you a MINISTER!

 

[VoR]

Arrggghh that makes you a MINISTER!

I think it's called 'copping out' Spudlet

 

[Hedwards]

It really does all come down to the riding school, there are plenty out there who will take the money and have people sit on the same horse/pony every week, and do the same exercises everyweek, and not really care about the riders progression.

There are others like the one the OP described in her original post,

and then there are the ones like the RS i learnt to ride at. They only had 4 ponies when i started there as they were primarily an international event yard. They really taught you to ride, but there wasnt the tacking up, grooming etc etc if you just went for a weekly lesson. I started there aged 5 (I think) and cried the first time I rode one of the ponies (having started riding a year prior at a different riding school) - the pony was forward going, and not at all like I had been used to, ie. ponies following the one in front, and just cantering to the back of the ride. No, these ponies meant business and it was a real step up.

I would spend all weekend and all school holidays at the yard, working for free (and the occasional ride) and learnt so so much, from stable management, horse care even down to what you should do if a horse gets cast - this wasnt a service offered by the yard, but something I wanted to do - and lets face it, how many yards would turn away free labour (this is before the whole health and safety stuff that goes on today) eventually the ponies went and werent replaced (by which time I had grown and progressed to horses). My instructor always said to me he wasnt a very good teacher, but he could tell me what i needed to do to make each different horse i rode go well - and this is where I think i was incredibly lucky - I was taught as if i was riding my own horse, and it was all about the way the horse was going and less about me (although was regularly shouted at for slouching or lower leg too forward etc etc!!)

So when i bought my first horse, I was able to get on and have a lesson with my instructor and it was absolutely no different to a normal lesson...

So sometimes yes, its possible to say a RS rider is going to have no clue about 'real life riding' because they've never had the chance to do it, doesnt mean they wouldnt be more than capable with a little experience, however there will be plenty of others out there who would be more than able to just get on with it due to the experience they've had at their RS.

 

[Spudlet]

I think it's called 'copping out' Spudlet

Yes indeed, very ministerial behaviour there

 

[VoR]

So are we agreed then:

a) it depends on the schools approach and;

b) it depends on the person;

There is no one right or wrong outcome.