Professional schooling?

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chriscross

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Mar 15, 2000
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Can anyone advise me about whether it is a good idea to send a horse to be professionally schooled/ Has anyone done it? Would it be an advantage to me to have the horse schooled as i am only a novice rider? All feedback appreciated.
Can anyone recommend anybody based in Hampshire England.;)
 
It really depends on you!
I thought about having my horse professionally schooled, but being a young horse owner and paying all the expenses myself I thought it would be eaiser for me to school my own horse, and she came out EXCELLENT!
Here are some things to concider:
Cons
*****
*Dealing with baby horses means dealing with baby behavior: Bucking,shying at things that are new to it etc.
*Money! Professional training isn't always cheap
*Time! IT takes a lot of time to train your own horse!

A great reason for training your own horse is that you put a control panel on your horse hence you make your own buttons! If you want your horse to react a certain way to certain things you can train it to respond that way right from a baby!

There are definitly a lot of factors to think of! And if your only a novice rider it maybe best to get additional help!
 
Where in Hampshire are you? There is a very good training centre at Wellington Riding near Heckfield. Would be quite expensive but excellent tuition.

If you are a novice it is always worth having someone who can keep the horse's scholling up to scratch for you.
 
i used to take horses for professional schooling, and it's worth it if you are prepared to be involved and learn from it as well. i have a few horror stories of people with "difficult" horses who they sent to me, and because the problems were created by the rider, as soon as they left the problems came back. also people who had young horses, and expected them to go to me for 6 weeks and come back schoolmasters.
from your point of view, i wouldn't send my horse anywhere where they aren't happy for you to come and visit unannounced, watch their people riding your horse, or don't encourage you to have lessons with the person that's doing the schooling. if you're more the dorset end of hampshire, i can ask at the yard at the weekend - we aren't taking horses for schooling since i stopped working there full time, but the yard owner is bound to know someone. we do livery, though, so if you do get one, i can give you the number if you'd like. it is a busy yard with children, but plenty of adults as well and ideal for novice owners. i've been there for 15 years and wouldn't keep mine anywhere else.
 
If you can afford it I would really recommend professional schooling. I have seen different ponies come from professional schooler and they are superb and win everything. i however got dumped with an ex-riding school pony who had no education and had a fear of jumping. It took 3 years to turn his attitude around so now i have a good pony, but it really tested my patience.
 
if you can afford it DEFINATLY. i know a lot of people like to 'learn together with their horse' but if horses put all their trust in YOU when they are learning new things, and sometimes that trust isn't there so you need to gain it. your pony need you to know what you are doing so he can trust you...if you don't know what you are doing and your horse doesn't understand he will get confused, maybe throw you. so be careful if you can't send your horse to a pro. at least have experianced person to help you :)
 
Thanks

Thanks for all the swift replies and I agree i need to be fully involved to. Both riding schools are too far from Alton and I have no transport straight away so either the horse goes boarding or perhaps they will come to me will contineue to research and check out prices.......
 
Sorry but I have to say I think you would be far better spending your money on good, regular tuition for yourself on your horse. If you are not having any particular problems, learning together is much more beneficial, whats the point in having a highly schooled horse if you don't know how to get him to do it?
If you do decide to send him away, BE VERY CAREFUL and get more than one recommendation, there are good trainers out there but there are also a lot of cowboys.
 
My riding school and particularly my instructor, may be able to help. We're in the New Forest up a bit from Southampton. Although quite a long way from Alton it might be worth it because they are brilliant. If you want further details just let me know!
 
it really depends on what u want and ur horse's level. my horse didn't listen and needed some training. So what i did and still do is take training lessons foucused on only getting my horse to do what i want it to do with a trainer every week. its really a good experince and u learn a lot. it's also affortable. one thing its a slow process. but if ur horse is really green i say go to a prof. schooling. but if u want to do it i get lessons. hope whatever way u do it that the horse turns out nice.
:)
 
My horse was broke but not trained. She spent 3 weeks with a trainer ( all I could afford) and it was money well spent. My trainer worked with her and with me and then with both of us. Now we make a pretty darn good pair. Jasmine had a hard time just walking she wanted to pace all the time the trainer worked magic with her and taught me the correct way to ask her what I wanted from her so there was no confusion. I still take reining lessons and I'm learning leg yeilds but I take my lessons on a school horse and then Jasmine and I work on them at home.
 
I'm afraid I wouldn't be happy sending my horse away to be schooled. You don't know what would be happening while you weren't there and I don't particularly want to alarm you but have heard terrible stories about things that went on to horses at so called professional places.

I would think that having regular lessons with a patient, knowledgeable person who would also ride your horse from time to time would be the best bet. You need to find someone you trust and get on with and who also likes your horse. It would also be a good idea for you to have lessons on a good schoolmaster so your riding comes up to scratch as well. I took on a young horse and had help but I'm afraid I didn't know an awful lot and so didn't have lessons on another horse as well. This is something that I've learned over time and if I did it again, I would follow these guidelines.

Your horse has to learn he/she belongs to you and build up a relationship with you. Take your time and find that special person who will help you both.

Judy
 
All a proffesional is somebody who is paid! Test very thoroughly anybody who is involved with your horse. Check references, check with the BHS, watch them teaching somebody else, drop in at the yard unannounced and generally make them well aware that they are dealing with YOUR horse. Be involved with the process. Yes your novice horse needs to learn properly but the long term partnership needs to be with you and you need to be 110% sure that the horse will be taught with the philosophy that you want. Sorry to lecture but please tread carefully - been there done that and Conn and I have been through hell as a result. Two years later I know have a trusting lovely mare back. Good luck
 
Why don't you do d bit of both? I have lessons ever month and for 30mins Mike rides Tango for me to see how she is doing and how much progress she is making, then I have a lesson for 30 mins. That works really well. Sometimes I have a full hours lesson and sometimes he schools her for me for an hour.

The advantage of having your teacher school your horse in your lessonis that you can see how your horse is being ridden and how the teacher sorts out potential difficulties before they arise.

As you aren't too far from me, if you want Mike Aylmore's details (he was trained by Heather Moffet and is a superb rider and tacher), then PM me and I'll give you his phone no.

bye!
 
The horse I rode hasn't had any schooling and it depending on your horse I don't think it would be a disadvantage not to have it proffessional schooling. I've ridden loads of horses that have all been schooled and none of them compare at all. Maybe we have some kind of rapport but she is the most easiest horse I've very ridden. She's so responsive and she never ever gets grumpy and because of this I can get her to do anything. It wouldn't be for every horse but it's worth considering.
 
I put my youngster at a training and 'bringing on' yard in Charter Alley which is closer than Wellington in between the A339 and the A329 Aldermaston road.

It was full livery only and around £130 per week. I put my youngster their not to bring her on as much to give me confidence that she could go well as she had been bucking me off and things.

She was their for 2 months and improved considerably. We are having some issues now as I am too soft, but it was money well spent and I am more confident with her because I know she can do it. I used to ride her at weekends and they would help me out. If it wasn't so expensive I would have kept her there, but I couldn't afford it.
 
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