What do you get from your lessons, and your instructor?

JennBags

JennBags

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This has been on my mind this week, I think there must be a lot of average instructors out there who just don't really add value.

I have a fabulous instructor, he teaches me to think, to ride, to ride my horse and any other horse I get on. He teaches me how to teach the horse, what is and isn't acceptable behaviour, and makes me a much more rounded horseperson. Every time I have a lesson I come away feeling as though I have learnt something.

I watched my sharer have a lesson the other day, and I was appalled with the lack of instruction, there was no progression, and no "homework". I had instructors like this for years and couldn't understand why I wasn't progressing, despite having lessons every single week.

I rode out with a fellow livery last night & asked him if he was having lessons "oh no, I'm going to wait until I'm going out & about next year, then I'll have some". Why would you not get yourself and your horse to the best position possible before going out competing?

I've also seen a few posts today by people saying they've ridden for years and don't need lessons, or they're having problems with their horse but can't see how an instructor would help.

I get so much more from my instructor than orders to keep my heels down and my elbows bent - he is my first port of call if I'm having any issues with my horse, and is almost always right in his assessment. Still, you can't polish a turd, so more lessons for me it is :D
 
I think the key is to finding the right instructor for you. I haven't found anyone that makes me feel the way you do about your lessons. (I would love to)
I have a limited budget for lessons and wonder how many instructor frogs I will have to kiss to find my instructor prince!
 
I didn't even realise that you could feel like that about lessons, I always enjoyed them but every week I'd be going over the same old ground. It wasn't until I saw my sharer's lesson that I realised how I'd had instructors like that for years. Her lessons are about 2/3rds the cost of mine, but she would get more out of a lesson with my RI every 3 weeks than with hers every fortnight (have suggested this to her).

Hope you can find someone SD, it makes such a difference. We went out the other week & did a dressage test. Out first time out together for 2.5 years, and I've only been riding for a month after 9 months off....we got over 60% despite a complete left rein canter disaster, and that is all due to my fantastic instructor who has actually taught me to ride.
 
I have a new-ish flatwork instructor and the amount of
progress we've made with my big IDx in just six weeks is astounding. He's changing the way I ride and the way I think about my riding/position/aids.

My other instructor is great when it comes to jumping but I really needed a fresh set of eyes on the flat to take us back to basics and sort out my confidence issues. We're getting there slowly and I felt brave enough to pop Beau over a small jump the other week. six months ago the thought of jumping an x-pole made me feel sick so that was a huge achievement for me.

last year I forced myself to jump and ended up going backwards until I was ready to give up. I muddled through lessons with a several different instructors before finding J.
It wasn't anyone's fault - I had a few silly falls and scared myself, and then put far too much pressure on myself to keep at it because of how much I spent on my horses/lessons etc. I should have taken a step back and tried to fix the issues instead of pretending they didn't exist.

So yes, the right instructor can make all the difference.
ETA - I think our attitude can make a difference as well. I have regular lessons and expect my instructors to be honest with me - if my riding is crap, i want them to tell me so I can do something about it.
I also think you have to want to improve. I had a shared lesson with one girl a while back and she spent most of the time complaining and/or ignoring the instructor. Why bother going back if you're not going to take their advice?
(sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant.)
 
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Finding the "right" instructor is gold. Have also had the lean-on-the-fence types and riding an Arabian for dressage, brings out the best and the worse.

I see a lot of people staying with average instructors because they are worry about offending them by moving on.
 
I don't have regular lessons from my instructor, however when I do she always has me doing homework. I will video myself riding and send her the videos and ask for feedback. The amount of progress I have made with her help is staggering. I always walk away from lessons with her feeling pushed slightly out of my comfort zone and I am amazed at the number of new muscles I discover. The way in which my horses are going is fantastic as well. She is one in a million and I am so lucky to have her agree to teach me. :)
 
I too have started having regular lessons, i used to be like you OP years ago with my old pony have a lesson every week but didn't really benefit from them.

Now i have a lesson once or twice a month (as often as i can afford) and ive gone from wobbling about on my wobbly youngster, to completely changing my riding, position and everything.

She has a knack of making things easy, so if your struggling with something in particular she will find a way to tell you what you need to do to put it right, sometimes its as simple as you need to bend your elbow? or look to your horses left ear as your going around the track but whatever she tells you always works.

I had an epiphanny? the other week, when i realised that for the last 20 odd years i had been riding to trot all wrong, now after two lessons, i am riding trot correclty and balanced, even better still my youngster is responding really well.

I get excited when i have lesson booked now, so i can show her i have been working on stuff and look forward to moving onwards and upwards, and even nicer if i text her in between lessons, she's always full of advice and praise.
 
I use two instructors, both high list BD judges and both compete at a very high level.
This sort of happened by accident but I continue to use both as while they both seem to agree on what needs to be happening the focus from each is subtly different. One focuses slightly more on how the horse is going, the other slightly more on me. I also find that what I learn with one is reinforced by the other. It's not cheap (£160 a month) but worth every penny.
I've watched a lot of lessons over the years and I've come to the conclusion that there are a lot of instructors out there that are doing diddly squat for their pupils. Problem is the pupils dont realise how little they are getting from the instructors until they have a lesson with a good one. Sometimes this never happens.
Interestingly, since I've been having sessions with my instructors, 80% of the liveries on the yard are now also using them.
Seems strange that I'm now in my 50th year of riding horses but my learning curve has never been steeper.
 
Having just changed instructors - I really know how you feel OP.

My new one is amazing. My first lesson with her, I felt like I couldn't ride at all (after riding for 20+ years). She went right back to basics, and started with walking and halting. She gives me homework every week. Last week, for example, it was researching the skeletal system of the horse, she wants me to understand HOW the horse works so I can get the best out of him. She teaches me how to ride my horse, but also how to ride any horse. Focuses on me being the instructor for the horse, and really makes me think. Lessons are as much a mind workout than anything else! There is always an end game to her instruction.

I had changed because I felt like I was not progressing with my old instructor, and never would. I didn't respect her the way I respect the new one. Also felt very awkward leaving her as will see her out on the hunting field so took me a few months to pluck up the courage (I still haven't told her I'm having lessons elsewhere!!). Incidentally, new instructor is also cheaper and always runs over lessons - so end up having an hour and a half (share with another rider) instead of the hour we pay for.

Genuinely could not be happier with mine and realise how lucky I am!
 
I changed instructors a few months ago after feeling like my current instructor wasn't helping my horse progress. After 4 lessons he has improved no end - I came out of our lesson this week grinning like mad as he just went so much better than he ever has! And our dressage scores are on the up and she's actually making us progress - and offers to come and warm us up at competitions!
 
I get support, encouragement and assistance to make me and pony better as a team :D Have kissed a couple of terrible instructor frogs that quite frankly have dented my confidence and got us no further forward. Current instructor(s) are fab, and work for both of us not just me or the ned. Love them as I 'get' what they are asking and explaining and I can see and feel results and I know what I need to do to work on things in my own time to help us both improve.

I have seen some instructors that have a 'set' pattern and one size will fit all and to my mind thats not good teaching :(
 
What do I get from my lessons? - Mostly Ridicule and withering looks! I guess that is the outcome of growing up in front of someone.
On a more serious note I love my lessons and can't wait for Tuesdays. He is so good at seeing problems and always has exercises to fix them. H and I are unrecognisable from before we started lessons again. I also really like an instructor who will get on if you are having trouble. I was struggling one day and riding her was a real eye opener for him as she looks nothing like how she feels and so he could change tactics. Without riding her he never would have suggested the change of approach which has been a real lightbulb for us
 
My main instructor is fab - knows when to push, and when to be kind. If I say I don't understand something, he'll show me a different way. He tells me why we're doing a certain exercise, and offers similar ones for us to work on outside of lessons. He's also happy to ride my horse and show me what we're aiming for, without making me feel bad/incompetent.

However, I do enjoy having the odd lesson with someone different, as I think I learn more from having varied approaches. Some, I'll go back to. Others, once was enough.
 
JB, yes, the right instructor makes all the difference. I tried out a few at the end of last year when I returned to riding, and with most, once was definitely enough.

Found an RI who was great to get me started back again, and when after a couple of lessons we had the chat about my long term goals, she was good enough to say "not me, you would be better of with X for flatwork". My lessons with X are on various horses, and focus on reminding me how/teaching me to teach the horse. My position is so much better, I usually finish the lesson tired (still building up fitness) and grinning from ear to ear - and always with homework (even if the homework is as basic as "remember to look where you are going").

Sometimes she pushes me, other times "I like the way you are". I've also seen her teach group lessons with quite disparate ability levels and she is really good at differentiating the work for each rider.

I have improved so much more with her in six months than I did in the five years working in an RS before my break. She won't be the right instructor for everyone, and maybe not always for me. But for now, she is right for me.
 
muddy_grey said:
I also really like an instructor who will get on if you are having trouble. I was struggling one day and riding her was a real eye opener for him as she looks nothing like how she feels and so he could change tactics. Without riding her he never would have suggested the change of approach which has been a real lightbulb for us
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I agree, although there's a fine balance between getting on to feel how the horse is going, and just riding your whole lesson.. I've had some instructors who would ride my horse for 20 minutes out of a 40 minute lesson which is just too much! The lesson is for me not the horse. However I completely agree it's good to get on and have a feel for the horse's way of going.
 
I have an absolutely wonderful instructor. I searched long and hard to find him, and like many other posters, I had kissed too many a frog beforehand. My livery includes 2 lessons per week and I've been riding with him for 7 years now. What I find sets him apart from everyone else is that he really wants his students to be better riders - not just have the horses go better, or the riders look pretty. He will take the time not just to explain HOW to do something, but WHY. He forces you to think, be analytical, and proactive in your riding. He also really looks into the whole health of the horse, and educates all his students on mouth, back, and hoof/leg care and maintenance. He won't just GIVE you the answers to problems, but helps you work through the problems. He's very good at knowing when to push and when to back off, and if you get stuck, he will get on and show you. I was a very timid rider, too nervous to canter a simple 2' vertical and he helped me bring my mare up to the 1.15m jumpers, and now bring along a completely unbroke WB youngster up to (currently) 1.20m. And I couldn't be happier! :)
 
I get confidence, a sense of harmony with my horse and I get better at riding. I have 3 instructors and they are all good in their own ways, I have never had a lesson where I don't feel like I have achieved something with them. I have had a couple of previous instructors that have let me down on that front but you live and learn :)
 
I have witnessed (and had) some completely unhelpful lessons from instructors who, in my opinion shouldn't be training a hamster let alone a horse and rider. I often find they obsess over one particular exercise and seem to use it as a panacea for all problems - yes there are some basic things which can be worked on to improve the overall issue, but drilling one exercise repeatedly for an hour with interjections like "more leg" or "fiddle with the bit" or "take its teeth out and make it stop right after the jump" are really not my idea of quality instruction. That's not to mention the fact that half the time what they're telling you to do is wrong, doesn't make sense or just won't work for your horse.

I've had a couple of lessons with an eventer recently who's very into biomechanics. From these, I've picked up a number of tips, corrections and ways of improving our performance. I've also felt the difference in how my horse goes during the sessions, and felt how I need to ride him to get there (we can reproduce this feel now when left to our own devices). I don't get "homework" but I do leave with a heightened sense of what we need to work on, how to work on it and how good it's going to be when we've got there.
 
There is an instructor who comes to our yard and teaches a number of people. All of a sudden everyone will be walking over raised poles every day and then a couple oweeks later, all the horses are in a de Gogue (that particular one fille dme with dread if you saw the standard of general riding!) its like she has an idea and everyone does the same thing. I have seen zero progression in most of these riders in a year. Maybe they are unteachable but for what she charges I would expect to see some progression!

We use an amazing trainer but isn't cheap and 1.20 mins away, so we don't go that often but when we do there is always an improvement and they are left with tons of homework. We will go back after a couple of months but be in contact inbetween about how its all going - any issues and he will fit them in straight away.

In saying that, we are going for a lesson with a different trainer tomorrow through the RC, just to see how it goes as it's costing the same as it would to hire somewhere or jump a couple of rounds so we thought we would see how it went.
 
JennBags said:
I rode out with a fellow livery last night & asked him if he was having lessons "oh no, I'm going to wait until I'm going out & about next year, then I'll have some". Why would you not get yourself and your horse to the best position possible before going out competing?
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Some people just enjoy doing their own thing. Obviously I'm not perfect, however I'm confident enough with my ability to ride on a day to day basis without having to have someone tell me the rights from wrongs. If I'm having a particular issue with a new horse then every once in a while I'll have a lesson (mainly just to do something different), but other than that I'm happy just to do my own thing. Money could also be an issue for some people.
 
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My instructor has been teaching me for 13 years and she's brilliant. She teaches everyone from lead rein kids to people out eventing at novice level. I'm now on my second horse with her, and she also used to teach my husband.
For me, the lessons are more her teaching me to teach the horse, if that makes sense. My instructor is very well up on biomechanics so is really good at explaining why we're tackling a specific exercise, and what we're aiming for and how it will help the horse to develop. If either I or the horse struggle with something she will always have a different exercise to help us achieve the same aim.
I always finish my lessons with a smile on my face, and always sweating because I've worked hard.
We went for a cross country lesson at Ely Event Centre last week. She helped break it down in to manageable chunks, and gave me loads of tips on how to ride a course. Horse and I are both beginners at x country. I swear if a horse could smile, mine was at the end of that session!
She doesn't give me specific homework, but there's always lots to think about. I try and have a lesson once a week, even when finances are squeezed.
She also has a good line in dirty jokes and is pretty much unshockable. I feel very lucky I found her, having seen and experienced some other local instructors. She's well worth every penny. She has been known to tell me I "ride like a muppet" on occasion; can't beat a bit of honesty!
 
I'd like to 'name and fame' if possible.
I have had my horse coming up for three years this year, and it's not been an easy ride(no pun intended). She is by no means nasty, mean or anything of the sort, just a typical unschooled young horse. I am by no means a complete novice, but neither am I greatly experienced and I am the first to admit that.
There have been several issues with consistency and moving forwards and listening to me instead of spooking and napping, and for the last two and a half years I have been running in circles not getting anywhere.
I started having lessons just over a month ago with my new and amazing instructor, Amy Kearney. Previous to her, I had a very well known show jumper ride my horse, for just over a month and while she improved, there were no noticeable changes, only she was more tired after lessons!
We have the basis at the moment that Amy warms georgia up, and gets her working correctly, then I hop aboard and ride through the gaits and do some basic lateral moves to feel how she should be feeling.
I have never had such an uplifting experience with riding! Having had lessons for well over 9 years (on and off admittedly) I have never had such a great feeling as with that first lesson just over a month ago!
I really understood what it meant to have the horse between leg and hand and my darling little horse has tried her heart out since! We've worked on bending so when she is being nappy/spooking I simply bend and flex her in the other direction and we get past the object!
I know we aren't world beaters but I honestly can say I have never felt so happy than how I am feeling at the moment! Bring on my 4th lesson in two weeks time!
I would recommend Amy to anyone! I need someone who is firm, has confidence in me and pushes me but is sensitive to my confidence, and she is the perfect mix!
 
I'm yet to find an instructor that I get that feeling from. I'm just about to start looking for one but I am very apprehensive that I might not get what I want. I quite like the biomechanics of the horse and I know my position needs a lot of work. She's just come back from an extended period of on/off box rest and I've come back from having a baby so we've done a lot ourselves just in walk and I have finally managed to get my hands to stay still and not wiggle my fingers, god the improvement in our contact is amazing! Just started our trot work and she is being a delight but I need to find someone locally now who can pick up from where we are and push us onwards (any recommendations around Cheshire please feel free to PM ;-) )
 
SpringArising said:
Some people just enjoy doing their own thing. Obviously I'm not perfect, however I'm confident enough with my ability to ride on a day to day basis without having to have someone tell me the rights from wrongs. If I'm having a particular issue with a new horse then every once in a while I'll have a lesson (mainly just to do something different), but other than that I'm happy just to do my own thing. Money could also be an issue for some people.
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Surely it depends on what your aims are? If you're a happy-hacker (absolutely nothing wrong with that) then why would you have lessons unless you had a problem? But if you want to get out & compete, then I can't understand why you wouldn't have lessons. This particular livery (and money is not an issue with him) has recently bought a 5yo mare, she's lovely but she is already getting her own way the whole time. If she wants to jog, she will jog - he laughs about it. If she wants to stand and plant her feet, he laughs about it. No problem, as long as she remains a safe ride - but if you want to go out & compete, wouldn't you want to put everything into their education that you can? I don't understand why you would wait until you were out competing before getting lessons.

Mairiwick I hope you find a good instructor. I can recommend finding an eventer - my one is an eventer (like JFTD's) and he breaks down the movement and explains the fundamentals of straightness, of balance, and of movement.
 
JennBags said:
Surely it depends on what your aims are? If you're a happy-hacker (absolutely nothing wrong with that) then why would you have lessons unless you had a problem? But if you want to get out & compete, then I can't understand why you wouldn't have lessons. This particular livery (and money is not an issue with him) has recently bought a 5yo mare, she's lovely but she is already getting her own way the whole time. If she wants to jog, she will jog - he laughs about it. If she wants to stand and plant her feet, he laughs about it. No problem, as long as she remains a safe ride - but if you want to go out & compete, wouldn't you want to put everything into their education that you can? I don't understand why you would wait until you were out competing before getting lessons.
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We-ell, as someone who has competed for years and brought on youngsters without lessons, I can possibly answer that. In my case, I was unwilling to invest in lessons from people who I didn't feel had anything to offer us (finding "good" instructors is a mission sometimes!) and I'd rather have no instruction than poor instruction. This is something I stand by - if my eventer were to disappear off the face of the earth (or more likely, I move away!) I will not rush to replace her with just anyone, even if that means flying solo again.

Also, when competing my old lad (jumping) or F previously, I've always been very much in my comfort zone. I knew what we needed to work on and how to do it. I could work out what I needed to do and self-teach with the use of videos and very harsh self-criticism. It's only now with F competing at level beyond my comfort zone and schooling way beyond anything I've ever ridden before, I can use a bit of help!

That said, if you're having genuine issues, like the chap you mention, I don't see why you wouldn't seek help, or at least learn to sort yourself out!
 
Yes, I get that JFTD, but don't forget, you're experienced and knowledgeable, so can work through most issues of bringing on young horses. The real problem is that he doesn't realise letting her get away with it could be a problem :(
 
As I have no natural talent and very little confidence, but I do have a desire to do things as well as I can, I have found good trainers to be the absolute cornerstone of everything I do. Thankfully I have the intelligence to know who trains well and who doesn't. It isn't rocket science, if you come away from a lesson feeling crushed and useless, don't go there again. if you feel pretty useless in a lesson but come away understanding what you need to build on, then it's worth continuing, if you have a lesson where you feel challenged but find you meet that challenge, than chances are you have a really good trainer. however, sometimes you just have to give a trainer a chance and I think you also need to be prepared, on occasions to be honest with a trainer, it's a 2 way partnership and you have to be prepared to play your part. i also believe it's important for your trainer to be prepared to sit on your horse to feel what you are feeling. I had a really rubbish lesson this week with a very respected trainer, eventually I said i'd lost it, trainer immediately said they would ride horse. Yes, 10 minutes later horse was going beautifully but trainer also said, didn't think the horse was being such an arse until they sat on it. We can build on that but if they hadn't ridden the horse I would have been reluctant to go back.
 
I posted a few weeks ago about how finding the right trainer has totally changed my outlook on jumping. I used to hate it. My old horse ruined my confidence. I bought this one as a schoolmaster but despite dozens of lessons with dozens of trainers not one of them go to the bottom of how to get him to engage his bum and improve his canter so that the jumping itself just came naturally. I'd had people telling me to ignore his head in the air, others telling me to pull his head in which he hates. Chris got on him in my second lesson after watching me still struggle to follow his instructions. He instantly had Monty looking like a 4* horse no exaggeration. Suppose that's why he managed to win a 4* on a catch ride. Told him his job was to teach me to ride like that and he has (obviously not as good but working on it!) He doesn't give me specific homework, I just go away and work on the stuff we've done together. He doesn't shout that much at me when we jump but he knows the right things to say at just the right time and is quick to praise when I do it well but equally won't say it was good when it wasn't. Have been to so many instructors before that were happy if we just made it over the jump. I'm a perfectionist so that really doesn't suit me. He also knows just the right exercises to help us improve and now has us jumping 1m20 courses which I'd never have dreamed was possible. Had first XC lesson with him couple of weeks ago whilst suffering from a confidence crisis and he got immediately to the bottom of it, sorted it and had us flying again. Having watched him school at home and seen his dressage results plus listened to Carl Hester rave about him at Badminton I also intend to have flatwork lessons with him but haven't pinned him down yet. The only downside of training with a top eventer is they're always off competing! He is lovely and offered to warm me up at Badminton - just wish I'd found him years ago!
My current dressage trainer is a list 2 judge as well as riding at top level. We've been having lessons since last year and she haa really upper our game. Having the judge's viewpoint is really useful and she is good at picking up on all the little points to pick up those extra marks.
 
JennBags said:
Yes, I get that JFTD, but don't forget, you're experienced and knowledgeable, so can work through most issues of bringing on young horses. The real problem is that he doesn't realise letting her get away with it could be a problem :(
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HAHA! Thanks! Not sure you could've called me that when I got F, but I am fairly good at teaching myself, which does seem to be something a lot of people struggle with. I'm absolutely not justifying it in a case like that - it sounds like he really needs some guidance :( Just trying to explain why some people find themselves competing but not having lessons. But I'm fairly unusual as I seem to have more trouble than most with instructors (I'd say I'm just way more honest!).
 
I've had instructors that as I've been driving to the lesson I'm thinking I'm not looking forward to this. It is awkward when you want to 'drop' an Instructor, luckily I haven't had the need to for a while.

With Nick he pushes me out of my comfort zone (2ft 6 is my comfort zone) but I know that I can phone him at any time and he'll help - and believe me he has. He expects 100% in the lesson and I try to give that.

With my flat instructor, Ginny, she'll say she's been thinking about what she wants us to achieve in this lesson and that's what we work on unless I've lost something along the way then she'll adapt. I like the fact that's she thought about the individual pupil and doesn't just have a 'routine' lesson structure.

They both give me things to work on between lessons and I always try to where possible. I would have lessons every week if I could afford it and had lots of horses as I think J would get a bit pee'd off lol.

I expect a lesson with good constructive critisism - not rudeness BUT in return I expect ME to work on it between lessons.

It seems that in my neck of the woods we are very lucky to have some brilliant instructors and if Nick and Ginny decided to 'sack' me (please no) there's several more to choose from.
 
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