Am I being pushed too quickly?

L

Louisa

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Jun 30, 2004
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Hi,
I've been riding for about eighteen months having weekly group lessons.

In a recent lesson, my instructor took us into the jumping field to jump a course of about eight very small jumps. The problem is that we had only had two jumpin lessons before this in the indoor school over one jump only! I felt completely out of my depth at this but thought "oh well, give it a go"

Unfortunately my turn didn't last very long :rolleyes: The horse I was riding hadn't been turned out for a few days, unlike usual, and it was very hot and the flies were bothering him. This is the only explanation I can think of for a normally lazy horse turning into a twisting bucking bronco! Anyway the inevitable happened and I came off, apparently somersaulting on my way to the ground :eek: I got back on but didn't do any more jumping but to be honest it has knocked my confidence a bit, is this usually what happens when you learn to jump? (The course of jumps I mean not the falling off!)

To be honest for a couple of reasons I have been considering changing riding schools (one of them being told repeatedly to "Catch him in the back of the teeth" when he won't come back to walk after trotting :mad: )

Thanks for any thoughts
 
Catch him in the back of the teeth!! :mad:

All riding schools are different I've been to one or two that sound much the same. I was lucky enough to find a lovely place where each horse was treated as an individual and the instructor would never use such language they cared. Have a word with your instructor if she suggests you go over jumps again and depending on her reaction it may not hurt to look around. Good luck
 
I know! Don't worry, I didn't and I never would treat any animal like that but it puts me off that my money is going to people who encourage people to behave this way with the school horses.

Thanks, I may have a word with her.
 
Aside from what happened and how much you've jumped before, if YOU feel you are being pushed, then you are. I've been in lessons for a year now (more geared towards dressage) and I've told my trainer that I never want to jump. Trotting over trot poles is as close as I'll ever get!! Ha ha!

Bottom line - you shouldn't ever do something you feel you aren't ready for. I'm not saying to never progress but to only progress when you feel you are ready...and that may not coincide with your trainer's thoughts on it.

I've only done walk, trot, and canter....I've actually cantered for about 8 months now but I'VE decided that I'm not ready for canter and that I have much to learn at just walk and trot. So, I've decided to regress and polish up at the slower gaits. I've even thought about asking for a lunge line lesson!!
 
Never mind are you being pushed, ask yourself the question what I am I being taught.

There is a big gap between being taught to ride and learning to kick and "catch him in the back of the teeth"

This sort of story makes me M A D :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
tell your instructer if you want to do the jumps or not i chose my time when i wanted to begin my jumping lessonsand i made sure i got to chose how many jumps and how high they were. Do not be pushed in to what you don't want to do because that can easily knock your confidence!
 
Sometimes it can be useful to be pushed a bit by an instructor as I, for one, would probably never leave my comfort zone otherwise ;)
But to go from two lessons where you tried a single jump, to a third lesson jumping a course is a bit too much of a leap in ability in my opinion.
Most schools would build you up more slowly, to ensure you had the confidence and ability needed at each stage in order to progress to the next stage.
So you might, for example, have several lessons becoming balanced and secure in the forward seat, then progress to polework, gradually adding a small crosspole at the end, then perhaps to two or three small crosspoles or tiny uprights in a row, before trying a mini "course".
It sounds as though this school has rushed the lessons, and put you in a potentially dangerous situation in the process. This shows they are perhaps not very good at assessing pupils or structuring lessons well.
If this is the case, you might find you get more value for your money each lesson if you went elsewhere. From what you've said, I think I would move! :)
 
Thanks everyone for your replies.

I do want to learn to jump, and to be honest I think if we hadn't have had the very first jumping lesson I would have put it off forever! I just felt that it was a huge jump (no joke intended!) to go from this to jumping a course but I didn't know if this is what usually happened.

As eml has said, it does make me worry about what I am being taught. Although I would never intentionally hurt any horse, and I certainly wouldn't catch him in the back of the teeth or boot him to go, but I don't want to be being taught something that will damage the horse.

Most of the school horses are deadened to the leg and very few actually seem to be enjoying their work.

After the whole episode with the jumping and the way the horses seem to be treated I think I might look elsewhere.

I have no problem with being pushed in my lessons, but there is a limit beyond which I don't feel safe! Thanks Est, I agree with you!
 
Sack the instructor! My first response to your situation is find another school. You are not being taught; rather being supervised riding. Get the 'Where to Ride' book for the BHS and find a school that has qualified instructors, from Intermediate BHSII and above. A BHSAI or BHSPT is not supposed to teach unsupervised.

Jumping takes time and practise in a safe environment. Obviously some people progress faster. I would not teach jumping until the rider can walk, trot and canter with some degree of control and security. Trotting poles in Jumping position with shortened stirrups is a must. It teaches you to follow the horses head and developes the balance required for jumping. Many instructors yell at there class to get their bottoms off the saddle, but until you are jumping big fences, folding forward at the hips, till your shoulders, knees and toes are in a straight line, lifts the weight off you bottom sufficiently to ensure the horses comfort and your safety. Remember that your back must be flat, no bend in the waist.
 
I know it must be hard falling off like that. AWWWW.
I have to say though, asking u to jump a course after only two lessons. I've done it before. As long as it's a course of the jumps you are used too (ex: crossrails) and not jumps you've never attempted before (ex: 2 footers) However, if you feel uncomfortable being asked to do this early at all, talk to ure instructor. After all, you are the customer. If you want to lay off jumping courses for the time-being and stick with the bascis until your confident enough to do more jumps at a time, then it's your descision only.
 
I don't like the way some riding school treat horses! Horses is riding schools are usually completely different to normal owned horses! :mad: Some horses are compltetly ruined! Like a pony I know was so kind and gentle and perfect for any beginner and now because of people pulling out of him he has started to bit and kick other horses! I got up on him 1 year ago and he was perfect did everything I asked! A week ago I decided to go back to the riding stables and have a group lesson for old times sake! I asked to be on darkie, the pony, they looked at me as if I was mad, I ignored it and when I when to get him out of the stable him was so mean he tried to kick me like 5 times! A dramatic change from the pony I knew and loved! A year ago he used to follow me around and when I wasn't allowed to buy him I cried for 3 days! Now he is being a cheeky brat and doesn' have any respect for any beginner rider!:( It was such a shame of a beautiful pony who had a heart of gold!
 
Hi Louisa

I work in Leicester during the week aand ride at a school I really like. I was lucky and it was recommended by a colleague who keeps her horse on livery there.

I spent a bit of time trying a few different schools in Leics and have found this one. Please PM me and I will let you know what I have found - for what its worth - about the riding schools I have tried, and the others I have talked to people about, as well as the one I am currently using.

I would be interested to find out which riding school you went to which taught you that about catching the teeth!! So I can avoid it.

Is there anyone else out there in Leicester / Leicestershire?

Anne
 
It sounds like you are wise to be looking at other schools.

No, jumping courses of 8 fences after only having had a couple of lessons jumping singles is not standard practice. Just as in training horses, in the training of us (the riders) progress is much quicker in the long run if steps aren't skipped along the way.
 
The first riding school I ever attended was in (1962) and the instructor (Jean) thought nothing of belittling beginners and nervous riders in front of the whole class. I wasn't particularly brave and got most of her sharp tongue and sarcasm.Didn't tell my parents as they might've stopped me riding there and there was no other 'good stable' around. This place in London had the cheek to have a uniform which consisted of red jacket, beige jods and black hat. God! They were pretentious.
 
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