S
StartingAgain
Guest
Hello, I'm new here, though I've been lurking forever, 
and relatively new to riding. I rode in college but then real life got in the way and my friend talked me into preparing for a horseback riding holiday in France next year.
I just wanted to talk with some horse people because, well things are not going exactly well. We are taking 30 minute lessons with a dressage instructor who is really good and very manic about a good seat which we appreciate. The horses are good natured but a little peculiar - mine wants to go off tearing one day, and then he's pokey the next. So one day, I can't get him to stop or slow down and the next day its hard to keep him going. And some days he does a little of both.
I have a feeling I picked up a lot of bad habits from riding before. The first place I rode when I was 18 taught hunter-seat, I wasn't comfortable with it and left after a few months but apparently I still have the old hunter seat of seating forward and not back. It really causes a problem when I try to stop or slow down and my horse is cold and just wants to go. We're riding in an outdoor ring.
As I said, our teacher is really picky about seating and position; however, I have found that if I can get the horse to obey me (slow down, stop, etc.) one time, even if I am doing it the wrong way, I can do it a second time the right way. So I practice the exercises when she's busy teaching my friend and then when her attention is turned again to me, we can do it. However, if she sees me out of position, we stop, she gives a lecture, and we go again usually at a walk but then it takes me awhile to get the feel back and do what she says when I go into the trot.
On the other hand, I get the feeling that she sometimes speeds up the lesson to account for my friend who is progressing faster than I am. She has us do some really good exercises, like alternating a walk and a trot between each letter. But today she stopped that exercise after a turn around the ring and had us do circles. I was so used to trying to slow him down on the previous exercise that it was tough for both of us to get a decent trot when we went into the circle and he kept dying on me. Finally when she was dealing with my friend I tried the circle again, he died on me and I gave him a good kick and just held my leg on him. The next time she turned her attention to me we did it perfectly.
It sounds crazy but I don't think I have a good enough seat to practice both types of exercises in one 30 minute lesson and would wish we could stick to one or two things so I could get a lot of repetition. I seem to need a lot of repetition of doing the same thing to learn it well. What makes it more challenging is that there are other riders in the ring, some taking lessons and some boarder who are riding their own horses. So at any one moment, one horse may be cantering while two are walking, and all going in different directions and here I am trying to get a steady trot and practice on my seat while weaving in and out around them. And since they're all better than I am, I am feeling a bit self-conscious.
I've thought of asking my friend for us to do individual lessons from now on. I know she's ready to canter and I don't feel I'm ready. On the other hand, I do get a good deal of practice working things out myself when my teacher is focused on her.
But I don't want to hold her back and I really appreciate this teacher's attention to detail and determination to get the seat right rather than just rush us into canters and jumps. I can get an earlier lesson when there are not so many students in the ring and am thinking that that may be the way to go with an individual lesson. I read some posts here suggesting lengthening the lesson to an hour but this teacher won't give you an hour lesson until you canter.
Right now I'm feeling like a klutz and I'm feeling that I'm holding my friend back. I don't mind taking things slow and learning them well but I do feel more nervous with my friend and all the great riders in the ring.
What do you suggest?
Wow, this was a long post! I didn't mean to make it this long!
and relatively new to riding. I rode in college but then real life got in the way and my friend talked me into preparing for a horseback riding holiday in France next year. I just wanted to talk with some horse people because, well things are not going exactly well. We are taking 30 minute lessons with a dressage instructor who is really good and very manic about a good seat which we appreciate. The horses are good natured but a little peculiar - mine wants to go off tearing one day, and then he's pokey the next. So one day, I can't get him to stop or slow down and the next day its hard to keep him going. And some days he does a little of both.
I have a feeling I picked up a lot of bad habits from riding before. The first place I rode when I was 18 taught hunter-seat, I wasn't comfortable with it and left after a few months but apparently I still have the old hunter seat of seating forward and not back. It really causes a problem when I try to stop or slow down and my horse is cold and just wants to go. We're riding in an outdoor ring.
As I said, our teacher is really picky about seating and position; however, I have found that if I can get the horse to obey me (slow down, stop, etc.) one time, even if I am doing it the wrong way, I can do it a second time the right way. So I practice the exercises when she's busy teaching my friend and then when her attention is turned again to me, we can do it. However, if she sees me out of position, we stop, she gives a lecture, and we go again usually at a walk but then it takes me awhile to get the feel back and do what she says when I go into the trot.
On the other hand, I get the feeling that she sometimes speeds up the lesson to account for my friend who is progressing faster than I am. She has us do some really good exercises, like alternating a walk and a trot between each letter. But today she stopped that exercise after a turn around the ring and had us do circles. I was so used to trying to slow him down on the previous exercise that it was tough for both of us to get a decent trot when we went into the circle and he kept dying on me. Finally when she was dealing with my friend I tried the circle again, he died on me and I gave him a good kick and just held my leg on him. The next time she turned her attention to me we did it perfectly.
It sounds crazy but I don't think I have a good enough seat to practice both types of exercises in one 30 minute lesson and would wish we could stick to one or two things so I could get a lot of repetition. I seem to need a lot of repetition of doing the same thing to learn it well. What makes it more challenging is that there are other riders in the ring, some taking lessons and some boarder who are riding their own horses. So at any one moment, one horse may be cantering while two are walking, and all going in different directions and here I am trying to get a steady trot and practice on my seat while weaving in and out around them. And since they're all better than I am, I am feeling a bit self-conscious.
I've thought of asking my friend for us to do individual lessons from now on. I know she's ready to canter and I don't feel I'm ready. On the other hand, I do get a good deal of practice working things out myself when my teacher is focused on her.
But I don't want to hold her back and I really appreciate this teacher's attention to detail and determination to get the seat right rather than just rush us into canters and jumps. I can get an earlier lesson when there are not so many students in the ring and am thinking that that may be the way to go with an individual lesson. I read some posts here suggesting lengthening the lesson to an hour but this teacher won't give you an hour lesson until you canter.
Right now I'm feeling like a klutz and I'm feeling that I'm holding my friend back. I don't mind taking things slow and learning them well but I do feel more nervous with my friend and all the great riders in the ring.
What do you suggest?
Wow, this was a long post! I didn't mean to make it this long!
