Riding School vs Reality

[Nayumi1]

I've had several discussions over the last year I've been riding where it's been mentioned that riding school horses don't give an accurate reality on how to ride a horse. In the riding school they do the same thing day in day out so you learn to be a passenger rather than actually ride, control the horse etc.

Also that riding schools give a false sense confidence because you reach intermediate in classes but in reality you a still a novice.

Just wondered what other peoples thoughts were on this?

My personal experience is I have learnt so much more from riding privately than I did riding in a school.

 

[EventingMum]

I think assuming all riding school horses are either push button or perform regardless of the rider is a generalisation. Riding school horses have to be able to tolerate different riders so the one to one relationship and trust some horses have with their riders isn't replicated. However many riding schools will have horses that suit different abilities of riders with some being only suitable for more able riders and won't perform unless the rider is competent while others will trundle round with beginners on board "going through the motions" and making mistakes while remaining safe.

Part of the skill set of a good rider is being able to assess a horse and rider it accordingly but riders usually learn the basics on a tolerant, safe type who knows the ropes before developing more feel and subtlety which enables them to progress onto more sensitive horses. Everyone has to start somewhere and these steady types give an ideal way to learn.

As a riding school proprietor, I have a mixture of horses including some more forward sensitive types however it would be negligent to put riders who were not established in the basics and lacked balance and feel on these horses. However, riders who are more competent learn a lot on these horses and are usually quick to acknowledge if the horse isn't going well it's usually something to do with the way they are riding. The very nature of riding school lessons restricts what can be done as they are run within a set time frame, be it 30, 45 or 60 minutes and most clients will only ride once a week.

There is no clear definition on what a novice or intermediate rider actually is - it's all within the context of the description and will vary between individual riding schools and the wider equestrian community.

 

[pennyturner]

Some of my sharers have done up to a couple of years at riding school, and arrive with no idea how to catch, tack, or even safely lead the pony, let alone ride it.

 

[Nayumi1]

It must be hard as a riding school to cater for all types of riders as well? I also imagine it depends on the individual riding school and the instructors knowing which horses will suit the level of riding. I found it interesting as a rider has to start somewhere so a school would be the ideal place however, if there is such a difference in riding when you go to your own horse how do you make that change? I'm not experienced enough to be able to pass comment but it was something mentioned to me a few times.

 

[McFluff]

Personally, I think I benefited hugely from learning in a (very good) riding school. I learnt how to ride different sizes, shapes and types of horse, I learnt how to assess a horse, how to get the best tune out of them and how to look to myself first if things didn't happen correctly. A good school and instructor will really work to develop confidence, feel and ability to gain a set of tools that will help you. Even once I owned my own, I still enjoyed an occasional school master lesson as it is good to feel something on a different horse (the only reason I don't do this now is that the school has closed).

I have seen people who have over-estimated what they can do following some lessons - however, I don't think it is the school that is to blame for that. The couple of bad examples I saw (that didn't end well for the overconfident person) - they felt that they could 'ride', but their instructor was saying to them that they had barely started to learn. It is difficult for an instructor, as you need to balance the needs of the horse and the expectation of the client - when to introduce someone to a more sensitive horse??? When they are actually ready, or when they need their eyes opened as to how unready they are (but risk their confidence or the horses wellbeing in the process)? In the examples I know, the instructor chose the safe route and the people went on to have bad accidents on private share horses...

I'm less convinced that only ever riding one horse is good for you - I think that can stick you in a rut, and let you develop bad habits that you don't really uncover until you sit on something else. I actually really worry about the fact that there are so many riding schools closing - I personally don't think this is good for the future of riding and good horsemanship.

 

[Antw23uk]

I practically grew up at my local RS and learnt so much but then I was there ALL the time not just for the riding but the care and yard duties which come with horse ownership. It would depend on the individual but if i was looking for a sharer, for example, and the person had only ever ridden in a RS having lessons I would likely avoid because it would be the lack of knowledge in horse care that would let them down for me but no, learnt tons as a kid in a RS and loved it all Was always being stuck on the naughty or new ponies which taught me how to stay on, lol

 

[Cowpony]

It's like everything - you get out what you put in.

I learned to ride in a riding school and currently have my horse at a livery yard which is also a riding school. Years ago I did the Pony Club D and C tests, so knew a bit about horse care, but before I bought my own horse I worked at the riding school as a helper; did the Progressive Riding Tests, which teach stable management and horse care as well as riding; and the BHS Road Safety course. After many years of riding the horses in the school I took the plunge and bought my own, but kept her at the riding school/livery yard so I had the support of people who knew what they were doing. There is no doubt I have learned a huge amount from having my own, and if I needed to I would be confident of looking after her independently now. But I also learned a lot by riding different horses, learning that they all have different quirks, looking after horses that weren't all easy etc. Even now, if mine is off games I will have a lesson on a riding school horse. As others have said, there are different levels of horses for different riding abilities, and you can learn something on any horse if you have a good instructor.

I've also seen people have a year of lessons and then buy their own. Some have been sensible enough to ensure that they have expert support and have come on hugely. Some haven't and have ended up with a horse they are terrified of riding and is now a field ornament. I was probably slower to cut the riding school apron strings (arguably I still haven't) as I'm a cautious person who underestimates my ability, so I wouldn't condemn those who do it quicker, but there is often a feeling that some people don't know what they don't know......

 

[JFTDWS]

I think assuming all riding school horses are either push button or perform regardless of the rider is a generalisation.

Sometimes the RS ponies are worse! Or, at least, inclined towards different sorts of vices - you don't see so many sharp, overfed and underworked horses in an RS, but you do often see some which tend to nap and are lazy. That's useful for an RS, in some respects, and more difficult for a rider in others.

The biggest problem for riders coming out of an RS is probably the tendency for some to be a bit institutionalised - if they've done stable management, they'll have learned their instructor's (or the BHS / PC) ideas about how to do things and manage horses. And as every poster on here knows, there are a million and one different opinions on most things, so the chances of walking into a share withe someone who doesn't do things differently are tiny! Also privately owned horses tend to do less work, and are sometimes more "indulged" - in their quirks, or in their feed - which makes them a different challenge to a fairly inexperienced rider - and an RS rider is likely (though not inevitably) inexperienced because of the limitations on time in the saddle, and having the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them.

And actually, learning how to work a horse independently is one of the things that comes up on here all the time from new owners, people leaving RSs and, sometimes, long term owners who haven't done much schooling. Partly because, I think, this sort of thing best learned by trial and error, and not being afraid to try things out - which is easier when you're young and daft!

 

[TotalMadgeness]

Interesting thread!

I have ridden at a number of riding schools over a number of decades and even owned a couple of horses during that time. About 10 years ago however I got made redundant and so I worked at a couple of riding schools starting as a mucker outer and finishing as a coach (after taking my UKCC exams). I really feel I learned a hell of a lot more then than during all the decades of riding once or twice a week in a lesson or owning those poor horses I owned during that time. Working at the schools taught me all the good, bad and the ugly sides of riding schools / livery yards / horses and gave me a such a huge amount of confidence being around all types of horses that when I took the plunge and bought again I was definitely in a much better position. I have now got my own place and two horses, one a youngster, and I really do thank my lucky stars for those couple of years slogging away on a minimum wage. Having said that I still feel I'm learning every single day as there is always a new challenge round the corner! I can even remember the day I learned FINALLY how to ride a horse in an outline and even which horse I did it on - it was during my time working at the riding schools and it was a horse called Bailey - a great schoolmaster now long dead. And it wasn't in a lesson either - it was when I was schooling Bailey in the arena at lunchtime (we were always asked to school at lunchtimes so the punters in the restaurant overlooking the arenas had something to look at). Happy days.

 

[oldie48]

There are good riding schools and there are some that are not but I do think it's a huge shock when you get on a horse that isn't a RS horse. I had lessons for a year at a very good RS, a mix of group and private, did some hacking out on a sensible horse and thought I could ride! I was lucky enough to buy the perfect first horse and ignorance is bliss. tbh I didn't realise how suitable she was until I bought my second horse, who could be very tricky. Twenty years on, I'm still learning and when I think back to how badly I rode I'm surprised any of them put up with me!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

What all-too-often happens, and we've all seen it unfortunately, is where the horse that is a "riding school novice ride/plod" gets out of that environment; and then very quickly the new owner releases that their favourite Ploddikins who was always such a good boy at the RS is a perfect demon away from the routine and regular exercise.

 

[teapot]

Depends on the riding school!

 

[Trinket12]

Very much depends on the school. When I first learnt how to ride as a kid, it was in group lessons and as such there wasn't much focus on form etc. I learnt the basics. I always thought I could 'ride' until I started back up (after a 30 year gap) riding two years ago, I realised that while I had some basics, what the previous school taught me wasn't in-depth enough! The pony I ride can also be a little minx, and not your usual RS plod, she has taught me just as much!

 

[honetpot]

It all depends on the riding school and the quality of the ponies and the instruction. A good riding school will teach you the mechanics of riding but there is so much more to riding and horse management than that.
I used to know someone who had been taught really well, and rode beautifully, she rode far better than me, but had no understanding of how a horse thinks and reacts. Very few schools do hacking and very few learners would pay for horse theory lessons.

 

[Equi]

I’ve never ridden a riding school horse that knew how to really go but that was me in many cases. but there is a real lack of good type horses here anyway unless you’re paying for that specific type of lesson (like dressage etc) but as a larger rider and in the past a nervous one I was not able to get many lessons like that so it was the good old cobs for me. I only really started learning on my own horse. Again that’s not to say they’re not out there but many are not in everyday lessons. I did pay for a lesson once and the Horse wasn’t actually a riding school horse it was privately owned but was safe - thing was awful. I gave up as I didn’t feel comfortable kicking anymore and the whip didn’t do anything. It was safe as houses, cause it didn’t bloody move.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

It depends on the RS. When I learned to ride, I rode hunters and smaller riders rode show ponies, as soon as we graduated from the steady reliable mounts who could be trusted not to run away with us/throw us off.

 

[criso]

I rode at riding schools that that had a variety of challenging horses and well schooled (sometimes both) as they trained up to stage 4 and needed horses that were capable for all levels.

However there are 3 areas where it was limited

- The criteria for grouping lessons into beginner, intermediate, advanced. Advanced meant you had learnt to canter. A true novice who has no context or perspective thinks they are actually advanced.
- The situation in which you rode are very controlled. It is one thing riding in a familar manege, quite another on the same horse out on a windy day when it hasn't had much turnout.
- As others have said, people didn't learn horsecare so wouldn't know how to muck out or tack up.

I got alot out of it as I was coming from a background of having had my own ponies but little instruction when I was growing up. So I had context, I was just about competent enough to ride challenging horses and didn't mind and I benefitted from some formal instruction to improve and tidy my riding.

 

[Nayumi1]

It’s been really interesting reading the responses. It really does seem to be dependent on the riding school and what the person wants to achieve from it. It also seems that learning care for horses is lacking but then even loaning you don’t necessarily get the experience of caring for your own horse either.

 

[Surbie]

I think researching the riding school is important, but I am a bit geeky. There are quite a few around me, but the best two I have found are 20-30 minutes drive. I am tall and not light so there are never many horses I can ride at an RS usually. These 2 have a few each, and some are more challenging rides. Both offer cross country lessons as well as jumping and dressage. One of them won't let you go out on a hack till you can reliably and safely canter without stirrups, which I don't think is a bad idea.

I still have a lesson at either once a month so I don't just get used to sitting on the same horse. It also means I can practice other things that I find difficult on my horse.

 

[JFTDWS]

It also seems that learning care for horses is lacking but then even loaning you don’t necessarily get the experience of caring for your own horse either.

Well loaning a horse can be even worse for stable management - you learn to do things the owner's way (or they probably get shot of you!) and the owner may be even more bonkers, or incompatible with real life, or less founded in actual fact than the BHS / PC way which most RS's advocate (to a greater or lesser degree). At the end of the day, the only way to succeed with that is to educate yourself from all the available sources and try and make sensible judgements about which ways will work for the horses in your care.

 

[GTRJazz]

I've had several discussions over the last year I've been riding where it's been mentioned that riding school horses don't give an accurate reality on how to ride a horse. In the riding school they do the same thing day in day out so you learn to be a passenger rather than actually ride, control the horse etc.

Also that riding schools give a false sense confidence because you reach intermediate in classes but in reality you a still a novice.

Just wondered what other peoples thoughts were on this?

My personal experience is I have learnt so much more from riding privately than I did riding in a school.

I think the schools are a good start if you want to progress to a loan or your own horse it takes a long while for the muscles to build up in your legs that will hold you on in a spook or spin, also for the basics need to be in your brain otherwise the horse will pick up on your fear. My horse will drop his head run backwards, spin then charge off but he has done it so many times, I hardly notice now and if someone asked how do to sit that I could not tell them. But it all started from riding school many years ago.

 

[Bernster]

For me they’ve been useful at the earlier stages of riding. Having had a pony years ago, I moved on quite quickly to getting my own after a few months of lessons (but only riding at the weekend). I learnt less about keeping a horse at the RS though and realised I had a lot to learn about caring for a horse, as my parents had looked after this side of things!

I think they are good for the basics and to decide if you like it but I’d then go on to loan or share for that 1.1 relationship, which teaches you so much, and then to buy if you are in a position to.

I have also gone back very rarely to try schoolmaster type lessons but didn’t really click eithertime I did it. Improvement has come with my own horse and good instructors.

 

[wren123]

As a child I was lucky enough to go to a riding school with lovely well schooled horses and ponies, in fact my first pony was quite ploddy, bought on the advice of my instructor as a safe option.
Taking up riding again after giving up when having children it took me a long while to find a good yard. I was looking for private lunge lessons at first, very few schools give them. One I found that did, insisted that I had a private on the mechanical horse (which I was all for) what a waste of time, no correction at all, according to the teacher I was faultless, well she didn't say this but implied it due to no correction just keep saying good, well done.
Since then I've found two yards with very well schooled horses, that if I give the correct aids do as I want, the horses certainly aren't robots, and as my riding had improved I've learnt to get more out of each horse, what both these schools have in common is that they aren't cheap and I'm having private lessons.
Going back to the original question, at one yard I ride at some of the horses used are working liveries so they certainly arent any different from having your own. Trouble is you pay more for this but a well schooled horse costs money to produce and is worth good money.

 

[Landcruiser]

I think the key difference is that at a RS you are the pupil. You are there to learn to ride or improve your riding. When you have your own horse, you are both pupils - you are teaching the horse, and you are learning about the horse's response, trying to improve both yourself and the horse to achieve whatever you want to do. In a way I think it's about horsemanship...as a RS punter, YOU are learning to ride, and maybe if you are lucky you learn a little bit about horse care and handling (of RS horses). As a horse owner/loaner the riding is or should be much more of a 2 way street, both parties learning and working towards a partnership or understanding in all aspects of riding, caring, handling and keeping.

 

[gnubee]

I rode at a number of local riding schools (of assorted qualities) for about 20 years before I got my own horse. There are certainly differences to what you learn in a riding school to with your own, but I wouldn’t necessarily say either is clearly less educational or makes you a better rider.
At riding schools I learned:
- to get a tune out of a massive variety of personality/size/heights/sensitivities of horse. My confidence to get on pretty much anything and be working up to say 80% of its/ my abilities (depending on which of us was the limit) was pretty high. After a few years on my own I suspect I’ve lost some of this.
- to do things my horses aren’t capable of. Showjumping and dressage schoolmasters with skill way beyond what I can afford to own.
- jumped higher, did more advanced dressage things etc on horses that could teach me as I was learning. With my own we’re learning together and it’s definitely easier to teach things I’ve done before than things that are new to both of us.
- equally, I got to do moves to horses (flying changes, jumping heights etc) which they had never done before or not done for years on quite a lot of horses to learn how to teach it in a variety of ways. With my own, once it’s learned I don’t get to practice teaching it again for the first time.
- I learned a lot from watching other people in group lessons even if they were significantly less experienced than me.
- I learned to muddle through- if my horse is having a bad day or struggling with something we adjust pace, stop and work on it, or do something else and come back to it later. In a riding school group environment you plough on and do the best you can. There are different learning experiences from both these options.

With my own horses:
- I’ve backed horses, and certainly a riding school environment would rarely give you the opportunity to teach a horse those very first steps.
- there’s no health and safety to consider so much more opportunity to ride bareback etc.
- if were struggling with something I can’t ride another horse to learn it or come back in the future after umpteen other people have tried it on the horse. You 100% have to figure out your problems together.
- I’ve had to think a lot more about balance of work to keep the horse fit, interested and us both learning.
- I’ve learned to deal with the frustration of going back to square one.
- I’m always thinking about tack options etc for our current activities and level of training and had to educate myself about things that would have been way beyond my control in a riding school.
- I’ve learned what a horse looks like when I’m it’s only educational input, and through that discovered some well embedded deficiencies in my riding, but also strengths I hadn’t previously considered.


On balance, I think I was a better rider when I was riding regularly at riding schools, but I’m a better educated rider now I’ve got my own.

 

[pennandh]

Since I started riding (20 years ago now), I've switched riding schools a few times - once, when I was about 8, because my favourite pony had to be PTS and it upset me to go there and not see him; once because my much-younger sister wanted to start riding and the yard I rode at wasn't insured to teach children that young; and then back to the original yard when my mother bought a pony and we kept him there (my older sister had been riding there throughout).

All three yards taught me an awful lot about how to get a tune out of a huge range of ponies and cobs, and then assorted horses when I was tall enough to have half a hope of getting on without a ladder. I learned an awful lot of stable management doing day-courses, camps, and a bit of helping on the yard as a teenager. It was at a RS that I learned to bandage well enough that three separate nurses have asked me if I'm interested in pursuing nursing as a career.

The chief instructor gave my sisters and me so much support and advice when we found out our new family pony was rather greener than we really realised when we bought him (he was a ride-leader's pony in a trekking centre, hadn't really ever been schooled or jumped before, and because he'd lived in a very quiet area, he wasn't great with traffic initially either), and I am so grateful for that, because many years down the line he is a regular Mary Poppins of a schoolmaster, though he still has a cheeky streak a mile wide. She has consistently encouraged me to go and try out new types of riding in other places - I've done jousting and polo and stunt-riding and side-saddle, and she always wants to know how it went and whether it's changed how I think of my ideal horse, and it's great to see how pleased she is when I get the hang of something new.

Nowadays, my little sister tends to ride our pony, and I have an exam horse on part loan at that same RS. He's an ex-racer and, whilst he's totally bombproof and as honest as the day is long, you couldn't really call him a novice ride. I love him to pieces, but he is categorically a horse that would have terrified me if I'd been flung on him four or five years ago and left to my own devices, because he's 16.2hh (aka big, in my books), long-striding and quite forward-thinking. He also goes like stink if you point him at a hill and bridge your reins, but I know he'll pull up easily at the top; so it's just great fun.

I know there are Riding Schools out there that are not so good. It is so, so important to find a reputable establishment with good instructors and well-schooled horses (even the plodders where I am will work forwards and round if you ask them properly, and that's as it should be), because a RS like that will give you the best, most well-rounded education in horsemanship you could ask for. And if you decide you want to buy your own horse, you'll have a good idea of what you like to ride and how to get the best out of it.