Sending horse away to trainer/prof schooled

Malibu

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 February 2006
Messages
2,191
Location
In the Saddle
Visit site
I was wondering who has sent their horse away to a trainer to be schooled,intensive schooling, do you think that after a month the effects of the schooling will be worn off by the original rider's riding?
 
I think you know my opinion on this!
I just feel its pointless because they will come back improved but you have not moved forwards. My trainer will sit on my horse but then gets off and says you need to do this, he is horrid doing that, I did not realise he did this etc we then work both of us into getting to the next stage. I bring on all my own horses so they have all my failings.
There will always be the exception to the rule where you do know what you are doing but maybe have not got enough time or there is a particular issue that needs boot camp.
 
Yes, I think the training would wear off. However, you could go and have some intensive lessons on the horse before you bring it home so that you 'learn' too!
 
I recently went to my trainers for two weeks schooling to help improve but instead of them riding I had the lesson every day so agree with Lec on both improving. I was really impressed with the improvements.
 
I know alot of top eventer who send their horses away for dressage training.. ie Lucy W sends S to Pammy Hutton for more than a few weeks over the winter..

If you have a young horse then no, i'd say it was a bad idea and that you should just have more lessons on it and work through things.. but if you're competing at the top of your game, then i don't see the problem with sending them away to someone who trains at that little bit of a higher level than you.. just gives you the edge, even if it's one point, they all count!!
 
We sent Boo away for a month, the change in him was HUGE but I rode him better on the flat because they just did jumping on him, so to be honest between the 2 of us, we moved him forward by quite a bit. I haven't jumped him for ages but then he has had staples in his foot!!
 
But Lucy W is a very very capable rider - They are schooled to a higher level than she probably has the time to do. Lucy W can push the buttons so to speak. Plus they would not just send anything its only the best that would go.
 
I sent my boy away for a 2 months to local eventer, as i didn't have enough time to bring him on as well as compete on the pony, and was throwing me off striding in fences and i was in top competition with pony. so off went horse!

i saw him twice when he was there, and then asked eventer to do a PN with him, and went and watched him. then i went for a couple of lessons at eventers yard and then took horse home. our training is going well as we are continuing on with what the eventer was doing.

one every 2 weeks i go to his yard and get a lesson with him, so he can help me with any problems that i might get whilst schooling/competing him. i am planning to send my boy back after the new year so he can do another PN with him, then hes all mine!

i think that is a good way of riding, as i have an eye on the ground that knows how he goes!
 
I think it is a pretty pointless exercise TBH. I school a few horses for various people a few weeks at a time then they go back to their owners for a few weeks. Each time they come back to me they have often gone backwards a lot. Not saying that would be the same with you but I think that is the general thing that tends to happen.

I think that the best course of action - if you want to take that route- is to go away for a intensive training course with the horse itself..
 
I've sent a lot of mine away and always had good results. They go to my trainer who knows the issues/problems we are having and they work them during the week and i go and have lessons at the weekend. Alfie came back from 2 weeks and the improvement in him was unbelieveable, his canter was so much more balanced, i can then work on what they have done and i still go back for a weekly/fortnightly lesson to keep on top of everything. I would not send one to someone that didn't know me or the horse though. Don't see what good that would do.
 
I think it helps in developing a feel for the next stage you might be aiming at, but ultimately you have to be capable of riding to that next level, i think it can be beneficial, otherwise people wouldnt go and buy schoolmasters etc to learn on.
 
I definately wouldnt say its a pointless exercise at all. Archie stayed with my trainer last week for a week of dressage. I had a lesson when i picked him up and the change in him was amazing. I think it depends how capable the rider is as to whether its beneficial or not. I cant spend a week with my trainer, as much as i would love to, as i work full time. I wanted him to start changes and halfpass with him so that Archie got the correct schooling from the start. Altho i did halfpass with Bloss, its not the same teaching a young horse, especially one with loads of talent that i dont want ruined by me doing things incorrectly! Now Archie has an idea what im going on about i can work on getting it more established before my next lesson. I try and train as regularly as possible and have a lesson next weekend and the weekend after with Andrew. Archie is going to spend another week with him in December aswell, and i will be sending him every 2months to Andrew (hopefully) for a weeks worth of training each time.

Back to the original question - i think that as long as you keep up lessons with Jo hun, then you will be able to feel the benefits. I personally think you are doing the right thing sending him away, as you dont have the facilities for the winter, and it will really step his training up a gear whilst you can focus on college and work and go over for lessons with Jo as much as possible.
 
Sending a horse away for training is ok but when it comes back you have to know what buttons to press. The horse has had the training but you haven't. I made arrangements for my daughter to stay with a trainer for a few days taking her horse with her. The change in them both on her return was fantastic....I believe that if you are able to do that it's the best way.
smile.gif
 
i wouldn't, because i love being shown how to teach the horse myself, so i'd rather spend the money on lessons for us both. i think if the usual rider is very good anyway, then of course it can be very beneficial long-term, but if not, then the horse will soon revert to whatever it may have been doing before!
 
Yes and no...... I have youngster, I have lessons with an eventer, and every so often they get on for a lesson.... as what you see and what the riders feels are two different things.... then I continue having some more lessons etc...

I think its worked well that way .... gets me to see what id really like to achieve/what hes capable of then we improve together as a pair and my instructor can see what the best way is to deal with things
smile.gif
 
I think it depends massively on the rider/horse concerned. If the rider is essentially not up to the horse, sending ita way for schooling probably won't work long term. However if it is a question of time/wanting to start something off correctly like amny posts above, then it is probably a very good idea!
I think sometimes people overhorse themselves and think the problem is the horse, if you know what I mean? And therefore think sending it away will solve the problem?
I think for most people on here though, that isn't the case, and intensive schooling can certainly bring them on in leaps and bounds! Lessons with the person schooling the horse must be a good idea too.
 
Mine went away for 2 weeks as I couldn't ride for those 2 weeks/was away.

Yes, he may have gone backwards in some respects due to my riding not being as good as theirs, but before he went his canter was awful, which wasn't my doing. I couldn't sort it out, but can ride it and improve it once it was semi-sorted if that makes sense?
 
I agree with PG on this.

It is not "pointless" because if you are talking about a young horse, than I strongly believe that good training cannot be wiped out of a young horses brain!

Yes you can get the horse back, and yes it can go back to how it was before. (That brings the question over who needs to be sent away for training)!! But the weeks that a young horse has spent learning new things cannot be anything but beneficial to his development, surely?
 
I send my horse for schooling when I go on holiday and she comes back much more responsive but unless I have lessons she slips back a little - that's because I don't ride as well as my trainer. If you send your horse for schooling at least you'll know how much better they can go and what you should aim for.
smile.gif
 
I sent mine away for 2 weeks once and it came back a different horse, it took a year for it to wear off. Best £250 I ever spent.
 
Top