Should I wait? WWYD?

[LollyDolly]

Well with me being at uni and only being home during the holidays (even then I go down to Leicester for a bit to see my OH, he also comes to see me too but we take it in turns!) I have found that Sandy's ridden education is suffering.
He is fab to ride, he knows all the basics and is super responsive, light to aids etc. however he can't work in a consistent outline and his canter leaves a lot to be desired, it's very rushed and unbalanced.

Well he's about 7 now (I think!) and I would like him to progress more, however I just don't have the commitment to progress past the basics as I flit between Uni (Huddersfield), home (Cheshire) and my OH's (Leicester)

So anyway I want to hire someone to school Sandy for me, someone who can get him working in a consistent contact and really bring him on and help produce him so that he'll be able to go on and start doing some unaff dressage.

Now the question I was asking is that when should I hire someone to school him? After May next year I'll be done with Uni (although may do a Masters, undecided yet) so do I get someone in now or do I wait a bit until I'll be home more and be able to pick up where the trainer left off?

If I were to hire someone now who after say, a month or two managed to bring him on would he then forget or become rusty in the time before I finish uni and end up back at square one?

Obviously I would have a few lessons off the pro too after Sandy was more established so that they can teach me exactly how they achieved it and what buttons to press etc.

Am I making sense?

 

[LollyDolly]

Shameless bump!

 

[hnmisty]

I read this earlier and meant to reply...and then got distracted

Would you need to hire someone? I wonder whether you would be able to find someone who can't afford their own horse at the moment, but is very competent. I suppose hiring them means you will probably get less idiots ringing you up...

How long a time period are you talking about? Do you want them for a certain amount of time or ongoing? If ongoing, and you've decided it's what you want to do, I'd get looking now

 

[Squeak]

I'd probably wait a bit and time it so that when you finish uni he is fit and in full work so that you can just jump on and go, you may want to leave longer rather than shorter for this though because you may decide to get the pro to do more schooling with him than you had initially intendded or find that Sandy needs longer to learn that you counted for. Is that him in your pic? He looks gorgeous!

 

[xloopylozzax]

Where abouts in Cheshire are you roughly? Pm me if you prefer- I might be what you are looking for!

 

[Squeak]

I read this earlier and meant to reply...and then got distracted

Would you need to hire someone? I wonder whether you would be able to find someone who can't afford their own horse at the moment, but is very competent. I suppose hiring them means you will probably get less idiots ringing you up...

How long a time period are you talking about? Do you want them for a certain amount of time or ongoing? If ongoing, and you've decided it's what you want to do, I'd get looking now

You may be lucky and find someone to ride him for free but I personally get frustrated when I see ads for someone wanting their horse schooling for free... I guess as well it depends on your financial situation, if you can afford a rider from now until May so it is ongoing then I agree with hnmisty that you might as well start now but if only for a certain amount of time then I would wait until a bit later on.

 

[LollyDolly]

I read this earlier and meant to reply...and then got distracted

Would you need to hire someone? I wonder whether you would be able to find someone who can't afford their own horse at the moment, but is very competent. I suppose hiring them means you will probably get less idiots ringing you up...

How long a time period are you talking about? Do you want them for a certain amount of time or ongoing? If ongoing, and you've decided it's what you want to do, I'd get looking now

No worries !
I'd prefer them just for a certain amount of time, I'm not home enough to consistently get him to work from behind and be soft and supple in the contact so preferably I'd like that achieving whilst I'm away so that when I get back I'll have a nicely schooled horse to come back to.
As for hiring someone, I'd much prefer to do that then worry about weeding through the idiots, I'm not home that much and when I am I'd rather be spending time with Sandy myself than vetting a load of random people who think that they may be able to help, as harsh as it sounds I'd rather just hire someone.
I tried to part loan him once however I gave up, I was getting loads of calls from people wanting him for their young children, he may be short (14.3/15hh) but he's also very sharp, skittish and rather green so not suitable for a child.

I'd probably wait a bit and time it so that when you finish uni he is fit and in full work so that you can just jump on and go, you may want to leave longer rather than shorter for this though because you may decide to get the pro to do more schooling with him than you had initially intendded or find that Sandy needs longer to learn that you counted for. Is that him in your pic? He looks gorgeous!

Yeah I don't know how long the process would take until he was working well and able to go out and have a good chance at winning at prelim level, as well as working well enough to go on to do novice. Yes that's him, and thank you!

Where abouts in Cheshire are you roughly? Pm me if you prefer- I might be what you are looking for!

I'm in Comberbach, near Northwich/Hartford way.

You may be lucky and find someone to ride him for free but I personally get frustrated when I see ads for someone wanting their horse schooling for free... I guess as well it depends on your financial situation, if you can afford a rider from now until May so it is ongoing then I agree with hnmisty that you might as well start now but if only for a certain amount of time then I would wait until a bit later on.

I'd rather not have to spend my time at home wading through and vetting everyone, I'd much rather pay a fee and get a professional service off someone who has references and can be trusted. It will only be for a certain amount of time, really until I feel like he is working in a calm, consistent and balanced contact in all three paces.

Looks like I should wait a couple of months then