What's more useful - professional schooling or lessons?

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ghostie

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Talking myself round in circles and would welcome thoughts and opinions.

My new boy is beautifully schooled but I'm quite rusty as I've had a ten year break from ownership and he's been quite a bit more excitable since we moved than he was when I tried him, although it's obviously very early days. We are on full livery so I have no worries about his day to day needs being met as I am confident he receives expert care and there is always someone for me to turn to for help :)

He's currently in isolation and as he was understandably pretty excitable from being stuck in a stable I paid last week to have him professionally schooled one day, and had a private lesson the next day and he then went much better for me. I think until he's off isolation and can burn off some excess energy in the field I will continue to have one lesson a week and have him schooled once a week (riding myself inbetween) to stop him getting too out of hand.

Once he's off isolation I can't decide what would be better for us - to have two 45 minute private lessons a week, or to have one 45 minutes private lesson and have him schooled once. What do you think? I can't afford to have two lessons and have him schooled, so I need to pick one really and can't decide what's best. I'm very aware of my shortcomings so in many ways I feel it is worth having him schooled, but then again the more lessons I have the quicker I will improve. What do you think please? And chocolate brownies if you got this far!
 
I used to have 1 hour schooling a week and then 1 hour lesson a week on my horses, that way as I've always had young quirky horses the pro was doing some schooling and also teaching me what they were doing and teaching me the same riding style that way there was no crossed wires for the horse :D
 
If you are paying the same person, and this is the preferred option, just play it by ear, as long as you are a bit nervous, I would stick with one school and one lesson, when you are feeling confident, move to two lessons per week.
You could lunge him before riding if he is a bit flighty. but it is best to have a lesson on lunging as there is more to it than hanging on for grim death while horsey whizzes round!
 
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I would have two lessons but in one of them have your instructor ride your horse for half of the time. I think that much can be learned from watching your horse being ridden well. Also I do not think someone can adequately teach you unless they have ridden the horse.
 
Thanks guys, it's really useful to hear what other people think. It is cripplingly expensive having more than one lesson a week (£48 per lesson/schooling session off peak) but that's the joy of being in nearly London so I guess I'll have to put up with it until we're more settled :( I did think about trying to find a freelance person to school more cheaply, but not sure how feasible this is, and then I wouldn't be able to have lessons with them as well.

I miss the days of thinking I knew everything ;) The older I get the more aware I am of my shortcomings!
 
Lessons..... I have a lesson every other week for 1 hour also go to local dressage clinics they help me loads with my seat and balance.. Good luck x
 
oohh interesting. I have been wondering the same, although my boy is not overly well schooled. I have been thinking about alternating between schooling session and lesson.

Be interested to see the replies to this!
 
I think two lessons would be better. I have lessons now and it has helped my horse and I hugely. The thing with having someone else ride your horse is that when your horse throws something at you, you haven't had the experience of how to sort it out. Ooops, terribly badly explained, but hope you get the gist!
 
That's a good point SJP1.

The thing is, after he had been ridden by the professional on Friday he was like a different horse on the Saturday when I rode him. I suspect that someone unflappable getting on him and explaining in no uncertain terms that he is required to work sensibly in his new home did him no end of good ;) Also I think she wore him out prettily thoroughly which I think helped too - my temptation has been to take things very slowly with lots of establishing a nice walk, trot etc, which probably isn't helping him burn off his excess energy!

Maybe I will continue to have him schooled for me until he is off isolation and then try two lessons a week and see how it goes. I feel guilty to admit that one reason I like having him schooled is it gives me a day off riding. Because he is only allowed out to be ridden whilst on isolation I am having to ride every single day to get him out and about as he's not used to being stabled this much, and much as I hate to admit it, I would prefer to only have to ride five or six days a week - bad horse mummy! Once he's turned out there will be no need to ride every single day :)
 
I'd go for two lessons and then if you and your instructor feel it would benefit you have them hop on for a few mins. Its much better for you to learn to ride the horse then you will be more confident on your own and you already say he is well schooled so with regular lessons you should be able to maintain this.

Is there a local riding club you could join? they are often a good way of getting cheaper lessons and to meet some new horsey friends.
 
Thanks Dafthoss - sadly we're a bit isolated as not in horsey country (outskirts of London) and I don't have any transport. Hopefully as I make friends with other liveries I might find people to share box hire with which would be good. I could join a group lesson on my boy which would be cheaper, but I'm not a massive fan of group lessons as I don't feel I learn much from them as I need proper nagging!
 
Somebody else may have suggested this , but why dont you have two lessons one week and then one lesson/one schooling the next. Best of both world and you should FEEL the improvement and also your trainer can too on the day she/he rides horse.
 
I'd say both lessons with your instructor willing to get on and show you how to do it.

Al has weekly lessons (last as long as needed to achieve the day's goals!) on Reg and often her instructor will get on to see if Reg is saying no because he doesn't understand, no because he doesn't know or no because he doesn't fancy it! It works really well and she's getting on him fewer and fewer times- I can't remember the last time she had to get on.
 
I'd say continue as you are and see how things go when the horse gets to go out in the herd and settles down. Eventually you should be ok having lessons alone on him - you said in your initial post that he was well schooled anyway..

I think those lessons sound incredibly expensive!!
 
Dunno, Al pays £30 for her lessons and we're in a rural area where things are cheap in comparison (Norfolk is a fairly cheap place to live I think, in the scheme of things!).
 
Hi there,

I agree with the people saying do both. After lots of good advice on here, a few weeks ago I started having weekly lessons and getting a friend to ride once a week as well. And the difference (in both of us!) is huge :) I'm not sure that it would have been such a difference if I'd not had someone else schooling him too - I get on the day after and like you I can totally tell he's had a workout as he shoots off my leg, which is a really welcome change from the pony club kicks he used to require :o

It seems like a lot of money to spend (although not as much as you're paying - crikey!) but I'd rather do this for a few months, get the results and then perhaps move to having a lesson every fortnight. Otherwise, you might not see such an instant change - for me it's worth every penny and I'm almost beginning to enjoy working him in the school (I say almost - wouldn't want to get too carried away there!)

Good luck with everything :)

Diddy. x
 
sjp1 said:
I think two lessons would be better. I have lessons now and it has helped my horse and I hugely. The thing with having someone else ride your horse is that when your horse throws something at you, you haven't had the experience of how to sort it out. Ooops, terribly badly explained, but hope you get the gist!
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The disadvantage is when they throw the rider off you will be told your horse is too wild,!
 
I have somebody event my boy, so she schools him once a week. I ride the other 4/5 days. I think having a pro ride, does help, I can feel the difference, but as I want to ride and compete my boy too, the only way to learn is to get on!
In my predicement I have him pro schooled once a week and I have a lesson once a week (although I am lucky in that the YO is a DR list 3 judge and frequently shouts at me as she's passing:D)
 
Personally, for now I'd go with one of each - that way at least once a week your horse is being told in no uncertain terms the way he should be going, and what is unacceptable. Plus, I always feel it is good for horses to be ridden by other people, just in case, heaven forbid of course, the horse needs to be sold or loaned out, and then you know it will listen to, and understand, other's commands.
Then, when you get more established and confident, you can go to 2 lessons a week. I wish I could afford that many! Once a month if I'm lucky :-(
 
A horse schooled by a good pro 'may' end up too good for the owner/rider (I mean this in the nicest way!!). A good pro, for example, may have the horse far more forward that the rider is totally comfortable with and as we read here, confidence is a fragile thing. Far better to have lessons and develop together at your own pace. As you say he has a good grounding and is well schooled (presume he is not a GP dressage horse), there is loads to build on and then you can do what you want as a real partnership,
 
I would go for the 2 lessons a week in the main and then have him schooled once every few weeks.

I have 1 flat and 1 jumping lesson a week but my RI does school him occassionally. And in the beginning she jumped him every couple of weeks to help get him jumping well. This helped enormously.

I like having a RI that really knows what my horse is like to ride, it really helps in my lessons.
 
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