Riding schools....I don't get it

Kenzo

Kenzo

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Why on earth do they teach their students or children to jump when they can't even trot or canter properly?

Then they wonder why the pony stops, ducks out, resulting in unseating the rider or rider clinging on for dear life going over the jump and nearly falling off.

I don't get it, is this how they teach them these days?

Every time I walk past a local riding school I see this, I don't know who to feel sorry for the most, the child, the pony or the poor parents parting with their hard earned cash to watch their child nearly fall off everytime they ride.

at a BHS approved yard :confused:
 
Yup I'm with you, I went for an interview and trial at a RS as a freelance instructor and I was appalled with what I saw. All the pure children needed was some basic lessons and lots of basic trot/canter experience and there they were hooning around doing all sorts in an extremely dangerous manor and not even enjoying it really.... I took the job when offered thinking "I could make a difference" then had the YO complaining I wasn't sticking to her pre set lesson plans, even thougth the kids were way better and learning more.... don't get it either!
 
Don't know, to be honest my nephew aged 8 is just learning to ride at the moment, he's now walking and trotting off the lead rein (only just) and hasn't gone near a jump yet. Although they do occasionally have poles on the ground as part of the control exercises they do (steering round/through/over stopping between them etc).

I believe that they don't move out of the group he is in now until they are cantering off the lead rein happily. They don't seem to jump in that group either.

So from that I have deduced that until they are cantering off the lead rein they don't jump.

Whereas when my sister and I learned, back in the olden days we used to jump on the lead rein from trot.

I think it is probably good to leave it until they are fully in control and happy to canter but I wonder if a little pop whilst on the lead rein is good for balance and confidence......

Not sure, we never jumped anything too big whilst on the lead rein and it was definitely less scary to do it off the lead rein as we were used to it on the lead rein. I've got a photo somewhere of me leading my sister on a NF pony over a step up and drop down on the xc course!

But back then you stayed on the lead rein for longer too, so it probably isn't a fair comparison. My rising trot was much more established by the time i came off the lead rein, and certainly my sister had experienced a few strides of canter before she came off the lead rein (Thanks to the NF pony and my fast running on the xc course!).
 
Gone are the days when riding was a philosophy too. Now it's just business like anything else.

Nothing is sacred.

(I'm in a moaning mood...)
 
Why on earth do they teach their students or children to jump when they can't even trot or canter properly?
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My local RS is exactly the same. :( Pupils have no idea about trot diagonals, using their legs for anything other than 'kicking on' or the quality and rhythm of the pace and yet, they are jumping 2'9" courses.
 
I think the standard of teaching in (SOME) riding schools has declined significantly over the past few years.

I had a break from riding for a number of years after I'd had to give back by loan pony and a couple of years ago had a few lessons at a BHS approved school not far from me. The first instructor I had was brilliant- she understood that I used to be able to ride fairly decently and that my seat was OK, my legs were just awful and I'd lost the "feel" a bit (for when the horse is working well etc). Really enjoyed lessons with her as she made me ride "properly" ie using seat and not hauling on the reins. She cut down her hours due to pregnancy and so I had a new instructor. He was telling me to turn by pulling my inside rein.... I was thinking "what about leg, weight etc?".... I didn't go back for a lesson there again!

The same establishment also has a feed store so whilst there a couple of weeks ago with a friend we stopped to watch a lesson. It was young children on cute ponies going over trotting poles and small jumps. The positions were awful, hands all over the place and terrible instruction! The instructor was shouting at the poor children for being too far away from the horse in front yet when a child cut across the school to catch up she was told off for bad steering. The pony at the back had no hope in hell of keeping up- it was so tiny!
 
Because some are more worried about clients comming back then about them learning correctly.
Your will keep seeing it as long as the clients DO go back......



The good schools are out there,when you find one praise it and support it as much as you can,report the bad ones as well as voting with your feet ;)
 
People are also too impatient. If they think they are marvellous, then they think they should be doing more. In today's climate, if they don't get what they want, they go elsewhere....

Riding is fast-tracked, as is everything else these days, whether we agree with it or not.

Saying that, when I was learning to ride in the late 70's into the 80's, I was on the lead-rein for about 2 lessons!!! We were off and being chased round to get the ponies going faster..... The instructor didn't believe 'pansying about!' ex-cavalry major he was, you know the sort, slapping his stick against his boots! :D

Don't recall it did me much harm though.....
 
DragonSlayer said:
People are also too impatient. If they think they are marvellous, then they think they should be doing more. In today's climate, if they don't get what they want, they go elsewhere....
Click to expand...

One and the same thing DS,people new to the sport expect to progress faster then they can,the RS is worried about keeping the business so pushes them onto more advanced stuff to keep them happy and so a vicious circle begins.
If all school taught to the same level they would drop out of the sport,but they stay riding badly because their cash funds schools that allow them to do so giving the good ones a bad name in the process :(
 
I've worked in quite a few schools over the years, and never come across one like you describe. From what I've seen nowadays, most schools are terrified of letting kids do more than they're able to do in case they fall off and the parents sue them. Insurance for RSs is crazy nowadays. I filled in for an instructor at the local Eq Centre a couple of years ago, and the roost was ruled by the accident book and the solicitors.
 
I never learnt to jump at a RS, I could walk, trot and canter, I was balenced (well I think i was, I never felt unsafe), But I ended up teaching my self at 14 when we got Herc, tbh I wasn't really fussed, I would have like to have jumped, but it never bothered me.

When I was talking to my mate the other week (who still rides in a RS) She told me that she was taught to jump, before she was probably ready (could not do a stable sitting trot) and fell off. Also a large number of the people in her lesson group, still can't tell their trot diagonals and it's supposed to be the advanced group.
 
both my kids are riding in the same riding school i did, Patrick is jumping little jumps, aged 9, and so cocky it's unreal. he was the first grandchild on both sides, both horsey sides, and we fecked up by trying to get him riding asap, he had a few falls and then hated horse riding. It's only since may that he asked to go back, as we didnt push him, and now he loves it. Wants to do "jockey canter" all the time, and a few weeks ago "made" the pony take off across the fields, as he wanted to go faster. My heart isnt able for it, but he's totally loving it. Shauna, on the other hand, will be 6 on the 30th of this month, and wanted to go horse riding in may, was great for the first 2 or 3 lessons, then started to go really wussy, which we figured out was down to be-friending all the helpers, had them eating out of her hand, Laura, the instructor, got a little cross withher in one lesson, and just said enough is enough!! You are going by yourself, you are well able to do it, so she did, whilst bawling, but 10 mins later, she was shouting at anyone that would listen to look at her cos she could go by herself. She wont be jumping for along time yet, they take it on an individul basis, which is the only way, as far as i'm concerned. when they start young, theres plenty of time for jumping, once they know how to do everything else first!!

Riding schools that have your kids jumping too soon are only going to destroy their reputation!!
 
Hmm... I wonder where some would see me in this.

Firstly, you only need to read any of my lesson reports to see how much I love my RS and how much they have helped me improve since February, when I started weekly lessons.

When I started, I was very nervous of cantering. Now I can happily w/t/c without having a breakdown, and this is thanks to my instructor and my RS.

Have been starting to canter without stirrups, and while scary, I am getting better (and I havent come off yet!).

I suppose a lot of people on here would (and do) think that I am not ready to start jumping.

I have had four actual jumping lessons in my life, two as part of my weekly group, and also two privates which I saved up for myself. I have only ever jumped Albert or Bonnie Coblet, and I trust these two horses completely! I have been able to improve my confidence jumping with Bonnie especially, as I know that I can point her at a jump, and that if I have the correct approach, enough impulsion, making sure she isnt rushing, nice and straight, then she will jump it.

I also popped over my first ever course at our Pony Week this summer, on B. I personally feel that being allowed to start learning to jump has improved my all around riding. My lower leg is a lot more stable, my seat is better, and I am more confident riding trickier horses. If my instructor thought I was not ready to learn to jump, if she thought I was putting my safety at risk in any way, she would NOT let me jump!

ETA: Sorry for mini essay there :o
 
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