Schoolmaster Dressage Lessons - people's experiences?

[Gerdy]

Can anyone share experience of going for a lesson on a dressage schoolmaster? I guess it's kind of 'market research'!

- What level did you want to ride at? Were there specific movements you wanted to try?
- What was the quality of the horse, and instruction?
- What was the quality of the environment/arena?
- How much did you have to pay?
- would you go again?

Thanks!

 

[milliepops]

I went to AM dressage, where i normally train on my own horse,to ride their schoolmaster while mine was on sick leave.
I wanted to ride a more experienced horse - mine was competing at Medium and I wanted to get a feel for the next level up
The horse is an advanced schoolmaster so knew all of the tricks incl piaffe & passage, which was fun.
I had an very experienced trainer, not the one I usually train with but complementary in approach
I already knew the arena etc was fantastic
I paid about £20 surcharge on top of the normal lesson charge to use their horse instead of my own
I'd definitely go again, time/funds permitting.

 

[Matafleur]

I try to have schoolmaster lessons whenever my horse isn't in work/when I don't have my own horse.

- What level did you want to ride at? Were there specific movements you wanted to try?

Didn't really have a specific level I wanted to ride at - although I do loving having a play at the tricks Just wanted to improve my riding generally.

- What was the quality of the horse, and instruction?

Both excellent, I have ridden 4 different dressage schoolmasters and whilst challenging all have been very well schooled, sound and willing to work. Instructor takes no prisoners but have improved me (and my own horse) no end.

- What was the quality of the environment/arena?

Great, indoor with good surface.

- How much did you have to pay?

£50 for 45 mins

- would you go again?

Yes and do often

 

[puppystitch]

- What level did you want to ride at? Were there specific movements you wanted to try?

I didn't want to ride at a specific level, just wanted lessons on a very well-schooled horse.

- What was the quality of the horse, and instruction?

I rode two different horses, both lovely, very fit and athletic and beautifully schooled. They were both a little 'switched off' though, and I'm sure they would have performed the movements without me even being there. The instruction was not so great - I enjoyed the lessons but didn't really feel I improved or learnt anything.

- What was the quality of the environment/arena?

The facilities were really lovely. Top-notch.

- How much did you have to pay?

From memory, around £60 / £65

- would you go again?

No, I've learnt much more on my own horse with my instructor. It might be useful if I was struggling with something in particular, but not for a general lesson. I would probably go somewhere else too and look for better instruction.

 

[Fuzzypuff]

- What level did you want to ride at? Were there specific movements you wanted to try?

My horse was off with a broken leg at the time, he had been working elem/med prior to injury. I went specifically to ride some flying changes to see if my aids were effective on an experienced horse.

- What was the quality of the horse, and instruction?

Both were excellent, but horse in question has competed internationally and trainer has trained daughters to ride internationally so that's no surprise!

- What was the quality of the environment/arena?

It was at their yard, outdoors. Not the most amazing facilities but I didn't mind, it didn't make any difference to me, what was important was the horse and the instruction.

- How much did you have to pay?

I think I paid £60, this was in Autumn 2013.

- would you go again?

Yes I would. Sadly the place I went to no longer offer schoolmaster lessons as the horse is busy competing again!

In my case I was very lucky, the horse was far from a school horse, he was just having some downtime in his career at the time and has now gone back to competition.

 

[Wheels]

I wanted to work specifically on lateral work as i am starting to use this work with my young horse and wanted to ensure I was correctly applying the aids.
We have shoulder in going well but he just wasn't getting Travers / half pass at all and it's a good few years since I rode those movements

Had two lessons on different horses, excellent quality, one was inter ii before retiring from competitions and the other was previous PSG national champ among other accolades.

The trainer was great too, go to the odd clinic with her with my own horse. She's ridden in the WEG so knows her stuff

I paid £50 per lesson

I hope to go quite regularly, I found the two sessions close together worked well for me so will probably do that every couple of months or at least when I'm stuck on something with my own horse

 

[Nicnac]

Mine was at a very well know dressage yard/competition centre in the South East; instructor has been UK Champion many times.

- What level did you want to ride at? Were there specific movements you wanted to try?
Wanted to learn what certain lateral movements felt like in order to teach own horse i.e. half pass

- What was the quality of the horse, and instruction?
Horse was PSG level and fantastic; instruction was not as good as expected. In fact it was pretty poor.

- What was the quality of the environment/arena?
Arena lovely - pity I had to share it with one other person for half the lesson and the other half with a number of people warming up for the next lesson whilst 'my instructor' helped them!

- How much did you have to pay?
It was outrageously expensive at around £100

- would you go again?
Nope. Learn far more on my own horses with own instructor

 

[puppystitch]

NicNac, sounds as if we may have gone to the same place.

 

[Gerdy]

Thanks guys, that's been really helpful

 

[bubbaloonie]

I've been having regular schoolmaster lessons for the last 15 months or so since I sold my horse (not sure when/if I'll get another)!

- What level did you want to ride at? Were there specific movements you wanted to try?
I had been schooling my own horse at about Ele/Medium level but had struggled to move on from there and so wanted to get experience riding a horse that was confident with the more advanced movements including changes but also had a more consistent connection to the contact etc
- What was the quality of the horse, and instruction?
The horse I ride has competed up to PSG I think but she can also passage/piaffe. She is great. The best horse I've ever ridden by far. She belongs to my instructor (who has competed GP and is a list 2 judge) who has helped me fine-tune and progress my riding greatly over the time I've been having my lessons and I feel now that if I were to get another horse I would be at a standard where with help, I could school it to Ad Med/PSG
- What was the quality of the environment/arena?
60x20 outdoor arena with mirrors
- How much did you have to pay?
£60 for about an hour usually, very rarely have to share the school either
- would you go again?
The fact that I have kept it up over the last 15 months shows how much I enjoy and value the lessons . I have also not found a horse to share as I didn't want to give up the lessons and can't afford to do both. Hopefully when I get my own horse again the lessons will have benefitted me no end.

 

[Nicnac]

NicNac, sounds as if we may have gone to the same place.

Yep!

 

[Sol]

I've had schoolmaster lessons at 3 different venues, including a more 'classical' place, my local trainer who has competed up to Inter I & a lesson with Pammy Hutton which I won (which was free obviously!).

The biggest thing I've learned really is that a) you need to have a good understanding with the trainer of what you expect to get out of it, & how hard you want to be pushed. and b) it's not necessarily something where in 1-2 lessons you'll miraculously improve (at least, not for me).

I don't pay anything for my schoolmaster lessons now, I work 3 half days as a WP instead. Works out better for me & I get 1 lesson per week on a horse who previously competed to Inter I & knows all the GP work. My riding has improved dramatically & I plan to keep it up as long as my trainer will let me!!