poiuntless lessons

[skittlespony123]

is it bad just to have pointless lessons were you get put on a random horse and don't learn anything.

[Nauset]

Is this a joke?

[RW06]

No lesson is ever pointless. Every horse has something to teach you. Use every opportunity to get on any horse and learn something. I hope this is a joke.

[dags]

a joke, or a spoiled child?

guess it could be one and the same.

[CaliforniaSyndrome]

Seriousley?

[spmoonie]

I think I understand what you mean.....you get put on a random school horse (like a really seasoned push button packer) and jump cross rails when you are jumping 2 ft. 6" on your other horse. (Just an example) Is this what you mean?
Like everyone else said, every horse can teach you something. Try to use the opportunity to improve your skills. Learn to read the horse. Riding different horses, push button or not, teaches you to adjust to the horse and really makes for an incredible rider. Look at the situation positively....the more saddle time the better, whether it was "meaningful" or not

[2 tbs]

Is this something you are looking at doing? As in, do you have your own horse where you work hard for competitions on a regular basis and you are wanting to have a few lessons where you just goof off? Or is this something you feel is happening during your lessons?

If it's the first example then no, it's not bad. It's very good to take a mental break and enjoy yourself when riding. Hit the trails, ride bareback, play games etc. Here's the thing though-these aren't pointless lessons. Even though you aren't trying to learn something in terms of showing etc, you will be learning! The lessons are on a more mature level and not easily grasped in the sense of "I learned to jump 2'6 today or I learned how to counter canter" etc.

If it's the second example then maybe you need to take another look at why you think the lessons are pointless or even sit down and talk with the person teaching you to understand why they are teaching what they are teaching. If you feel the horse you are riding is too easy or you never really work on things you need to improve on then this needs to be addressed. Everyone needs to be on the same page. If your instructor thinks you just want to sit on the back of a pony and bounce along then they may not push you for more. If you want more - say so (politely!). If you feel you've progressed past the level you are currently riding but aren't given an opportunity to do more then maybe you need to look into switching barns?

Of course, I'm assuming this isn't a joke and was just not a well laid out question.

[sanctuary]

I agree. Every horse has something to teach. Sometimes if I get the feeling, or if a student tells me they've had a bad day, I'll put them on an easier horse and let them kinda just hack around for the lesson. This is, of course, primarily for those once a weekers where sometimes "the best thing for the inside of man is the outside of a horse".

Or for example, today I had a student that has been riding with me for several years. On the schoolmaster, she jumps around 2'6". Today I put her on a horse that she rode approx. 2 years ago and got run off with. She's been scared of him since. Even though her riding and her understanding of balancing and "riding" has matured and gotten much better, she didn't believe it. So today, she rode him for the first time in a long time. She had a very nice ride. At first, she wasn't happy riding him, for obvious reasons. But at the end of the ride she thanked me for putting her on him. We didn't do anything fancy. In fact, I mostly let her work it out on her own and was there mostly for support and a few pointers here and there. But it was a mental lesson/confidence boost she needed. Sure, I could've put her on the 2'6" horse, but I wanted her to realize that she has progressed as a rider and could better handle the more difficult horse. Sure, to an outsider, it would've looked like a "poiuntless" lesson, but to her, it meant a lot.

[theoldgreymare]

is it bad just to have pointless lessons were you get put on a random horse and don't learn anything.

A good student will take something away from every lesson, IMO.

[woodhillsmanhattan]

A good student will take something away from every lesson, IMO.

This is very well stated and I think 100% true. And an even better student will take something away from every situation, whether it is meant to be a learning oppurtunity or not.

[CaliforniaSyndrome]

This is very well stated and I think 100% true. And an even better student will take something away from every situation, whether it is meant to be a learning oppurtunity or not.

Kids like that are rare these days, what with everything behing handed to todays child on a silver platter. :lol: No, i'm not totally serious but my goodness I hope i'm totally misunderstanding the OP.

[pony4me]

Life is a journey, and it's even better when done on horseback. Try to analyze why you think a lesson, or exercise is "pointless" and then try to see the merit in it. Most professional trainers put a lot of thought and effort into constructing lessons that help bring the rider along. If you're not feeling the connection, you may wish to ask "what was that all about?" and you'll probably get an honest answer.

[kimball1]

You get back whatever you put into it. If it was pointless, you made it pointless, not the "random horse."

[copper1]

All of your replies are excellent. I want to comment on the OP post. More than likely a young person and in this electronic gadget age of ours, kids communicate so much in text and don't feel the need to write out words, spell correctly, or use punctuation. When they then put up a post we all have to attempt to decipher what is being asked or said and questioning whether the poster is serious or not. It is a shame since I am sure we have all at one time paid no attention since the post was nearly impossible to read or so badly done we dismissed it as a joke and the poster is truly wanting to know something.

[enjoytheride]

I've had "waste of my money" lessons before where staying home would have saved me money and time, I've found out it means that your trainer isn't doing their job and you might need a new one. I once took a WT lesson on a 28yo horse because the trainer said I needed 6 months of trotting before I could canter, but I was already cantering at home on my own horse, in lessons at a different barn, and working at a guided trail ride place. I would understand doing WT on a schoolmaster to learn position but this wasn't anything like that. I've taken grueling dressage lessons on horses where all I did was walk and trot but the position work was difficult. I went around in circles kicking like crazy while the trainer talked on her phone and occasionally yelled out REVERSE! In fact, after the lesson was over the trainer said "next time I'll give you a crop because this horse does not move without one anyway." I'd shown up for this lesson 30 minutes early as usual but this particular horse I had to fetch from a muddy field (chasing it down first) then grooming it for a very long time, then finding the tack in different trunks, etc. I get showing up early to groom my horse but this was excessive.

At a different barn I took a lesson while the trainer was around a corner cleaning stalls, he'd yell out CANTER or TROT over the walls every now and then. I am paying for riding instruction not just a random ride on a horse and since I had my own horse already I could ride him around for FREE and not learn anything either!

As far as the OP, since she has not come back and didn't give any details I'd think this is not the case.

[dags]

All of your replies are excellent. I want to comment on the OP post. More than likely a young person and in this electronic gadget age of ours, kids communicate so much in text and don't feel the need to write out words, spell correctly, or use punctuation. When they then put up a post we all have to attempt to decipher what is being asked or said and questioning whether the poster is serious or not. It is a shame since I am sure we have all at one time paid no attention since the post was nearly impossible to read or so badly done we dismissed it as a joke and the poster is truly wanting to know something.

I agree. But it was far too easy to assume she probably put as much effort into her lesson as she did to her post.

I also see a child that was mad at her trainer when she left the barn and came to vent on COTH. There is no question mark, I see no attempt in those words to really seek resolution. Just here to complain.

OP, I hope you are interested in learning why you feel the lessons are pointless, or why your trainer might have a good reason for what she is doing . . . but we are going to need more information.

[starkissed]

I sort of know what you mean. I get lessons with my board and sometimes I wish instead of 4 group-ish lessons, I would rather just have one really good one on one lesson. The last lesson I had, seriously I felt like it was 20 min. I jumped like 3 xrails and didnt feel like I accomplished anything.
It is my horse though so I kind of know what she should be doing when she is good. Where I am new at the barn and the trainer hasn't really seem my mare when she is in her peak, so we are doing little baby steps. I understand where she is coming from though, so I don't complain about it...yet. haha

[S1969]

I've had "waste of my money" lessons before where staying home would have saved me money and time, I've found out it means that your trainer isn't doing their job and you might need a new one.

Agreed. A good trainer can teach you something important even if you don't even sit on the horse. If you feel your lesson was worthless....it might be true. Don't blame the horse, though, blame the trainer. [This is assuming you really are willing to learn something from every lesson horse, not just the *fun* ones or the fancy ones.]

[CaliforniaSyndrome]

I'll answer your question. Your parent or guardian should be better monitoring your online activity. If this was my child, in addition to the other posts made by the OP I'd yank em off the computer. These are the kids that come on here throwing out names, not knowing what the heck they're complaining about bla bla bla. Go to CR if you want to be a stubborn thick headed kid with their own plans, that's what the truth or dare section is for. I'd like to see this board go in a more mature direction. How about explaining why you feel your lesson was pointless.

Go into your lesson with a truly open mind, and you should leave with a head full of information. Not necessarily words, but newfound techniques.

Also, to those who said "find a new trainer". I think that's a poor piece of advice to someone with this tone.

I have felt like I had "pointless lessons" especially when I was a bratty kid. But the truth is every lesson has gotten me to where I am. It the time in the saddle, and the experience that enabled me to grow. Not just the instruction!

[galwaybay]

hey before any of you criticize the post too harshly, I think I get the picture. OP could be a lesson program person at large lesson barn - either adult or child, or parent of child - does it matter.OP didn't provide scenario - so I'll provide a few. Me - adult re-rider taking lessons 2x per week. Week one - you get Sparkles over there.. okay. So Sparkles the "lesson horse" follow the leader round and round.. hmm I get my "instructions, (by the way when I rode as a kid it was pretty much hop on & go western - i knew little about posting and "leg aids') Instructor shouts out some instructions - prepared for canter departure Huh? I'm in beginner - did instructor bother to tell us what aids to use for this "canter departure" I always just squeeze or kick = canter... Sparklses canters 1/2 around the ring then does fast trot... oops there goes 1/2 canter stride back to power trot.. Hmm this is the rest of the lesson. Next week- better horse.. someone else spends the entire lesson getting yelled at about something because school horse won't budge... the rest of us are trotting around the ring w/o stirrups, instructor forgets about us because too pre-occupied w/ bad school horse and therefore bad rider...

Are you getting the picture? Another Scenario... student/client shows up for lesson w/ super popular trainer... trainer is good which makes for popularity... okay let's warm-up... am warming up - trainer takes phone call... yaks on phone.. called ended after 10 minutes... okay let's jump now... over a couple of jumps -someone comes into ring to chat w/ super trainer...uh oh dogs in the way - gotta take care of them... okay over the next gymnastic... while I'm riding trainer is checking e/voicemail, test messages and returning phone call....

What are we paying for...?

Final scenario - nice winter day - whew boy Sparky is a little spry today...lesson is basically trying to get horse to listen, whoa, anything but be out of control...

Just one of them days...

Face it- most of us have had at least one of these types of days...

I think that might be where OP was coming from... perhaps the OP will come back and post a reply of sorts... and why is the word "random" so popular these days... I guess this is just a "random" thread:lol::lol:

[2 tbs]

Also, to those who said "find a new trainer". I think that's a poor piece of advice to someone with this tone.


There could be a dozen reasons the OP posted the original question. I have seen the other posts by the OP and it's clear this is a younger person but the true situation they are in is unclear - lesson program, have their own horse, large group lessons, small private lessons that have been repeating the same exercise a zillion times, etc.

Sometimes finding a new trainer is the answer. No one here said "ditch the one you've got they are wasting your time" but rather "if the scenario is xyz then maybe you need a new trainer". None of us know the real issue here so don't be so quick dismiss the possibility of that being what needs to happen.

Do I think this kid needs to communicate better and learn to spell? Absolutely! Will I judge "tone"? No because the communication skills are lacking and we all know it's nearly impossible to tell tone on a computer screen ;)

[piaffequeen]

No offense to anybody but I had a couple of "pointless" lessons when I decided to go back to Western Pleasure. All we did was walk-jog-lope in circles and maybe if I was lucky I could do a figure 8. No corrections were ever given to me~

No leg yields or changing leads-I was capable of doing it along with the horse I was on~unfortuntately half the time my "trainer" fell asleep during my lesson! Unfortunately I had to buy a set of five lessons and they were the biggest waste of my money and I learned absolutely NOTHING!:mad:

[CaliforniaSyndrome]

No offense to anybody but I had a couple of "pointless" lessons when I decided to go back to Western Pleasure. All we did was walk-jog-lope in circles and maybe if I was lucky I could do a figure 8. No corrections were ever given to me~

No leg yields or changing leads-I was capable of doing it along with the horse I was on~unfortuntately half the time my "trainer" fell asleep during my lesson! Unfortunately I had to buy a set of five lessons and they were the biggest waste of my money and I learned absolutely NOTHING!:mad:

They were pointless because you weren't interested in learning western. That may have been different had you sen very interested in learning. Even though I jump, if I got on my QH reiner and called up the local reining trainer I'm sure I'd learn a thing or two.

[Eventer13]

Really, now, there are so many people who feel they have never had a "pointless" lesson? Not even those times where your horse is just having a "bad day," is unfocused, hormonal, or maybe a little sore or arthritic and you have to scale it way back? And your trainer does a good job helping you out, but in the end, you feel like nothing was accomplished in terms of your riding because horsie just wasn't up to it?

These lessons are (hopefully) rare, but there have been times where, say, my mare came into season and did NOT want to do anything that day (and says "screw you" when you ask her to trot). And it is really frustrating, because sometimes the best thing to do is get off and try again tomorrow. Horses have bad days, too, and you can't always get much out of a lesson when that happens.

[SEP]

It sounds to me like the OP didn't get to ride the horse she wanted in a lesson. I see this alot in lesson programs, they want to ride the easiest or percieved fanciest horse in the program. Instead of learning to ride which ever horse they are assigned for their lesson. Also if the horse doesn't respond right away correctly just because the rider asked, whether correctly or not, they want to ride a different horse. I have noticed this more in the last 5 or 6 years than any other time in my 30 years of teaching. (Maybe I am just old and cranky.)

[CaliforniaSyndrome]

It sounds to me like the OP didn't get to ride the horse she wanted in a lesson. I see this alot in lesson programs, they want to ride the easiest or percieved fanciest horse in the program. Instead of learning to ride which ever horse they are assigned for their lesson. Also if the horse doesn't respond right away correctly just because the rider asked, whether correctly or not, they want to ride a different horse. I have noticed this more in the last 5 or 6 years than any other time in my 30 years of teaching. (Maybe I am just old and cranky.)

LOL this sums up a good part of my week! The best is the "I don't ride ponies" kid.

[ReSomething]

Even if it is a horrible ride there is always something to learn. Sometimes what you learn is that this is not the place to ride, other times you learn how to give yet a different sort of horse a good ride. There is nothing like getting a cue right for a horse that is stubborn or picky, and having many methods of using aids available from having ridden lots of different horses and learning what makes them respond.

[billiebob]

The most "pointless" lessons I've ever had happened when the instructor (and my boss at the time) sat in the middle of the arena talking on his cellphone or listening to the radio while sitting in his car. This is the same instructor who would tell us to get into two point at a trot and then forget about us for 15-20 minutes at a time. Made me glad that as an employee of the barn I didn't have to pay for lessons. Also, since I wasn't a paying customer I never got first pick of the horses. I always ended up with the not-so-fancy ones or the crackpots.

However, my two point (thanks to the 20 mnute sessions) is pretty darn good! So I definitely learned things in the "pointless" lessons. Plus, because I didn't ride the super push button ones my riding progressed much more. Then I got to ride the more advanced ones that were pushbutton....if you knew where the buttons were and just how far you could push them! :):):):):)

[WorthTheWait95]

I've had a pointless lesson or two but only one I can think of was due to a horse or trainer. The other small handful of lessons I walked away from feeling like I learned nothing were usually due to my own attitude. For whatever reason I was in a weird mood those days and just couldn't get myself to focus or do what I needed to do. Most of the time my trainer and I would just call a spade a spade, do something easy and quick then call it a day. Just wasn't in a 'learning' place I guess.

The one lesson I had that was 'pointless' from the $$ point of view was with a very BNT who basically used my lesson as a time slot to school his young horse. He spent the whole time working on the young horses lateral movements while I trotted around and jumped random things he pointed to on my horse with zero feedback. It MIGHT have been worth it had been able to stop and watch him school the horse but I couldn't. That one kind of annoyed me.

[galwaybay]

It sounds to me like the OP didn't get to ride the horse she wanted in a lesson. I see this alot in lesson programs, they want to ride the easiest or percieved fanciest horse in the program. Instead of learning to ride which ever horse they are assigned for their lesson. Also if the horse doesn't respond right away correctly just because the rider asked, whether correctly or not, they want to ride a different horse. I have noticed this more in the last 5 or 6 years than any other time in my 30 years of teaching. (Maybe I am just old and cranky.)

I guess many of you have not had the pleasure of teaching or riding at a lesson mill... A couple of years ago I was helping set up for a horse show at a pretty well known stable which has a huge lesson program.. it was time to "canter" all of the kids were cantering except this one on a horse that decided he was done for the day. The instructor spent the next 20 minutes berating this child... "why are you letting him get so close to the fence you know he'll rub his bridle off" (hm that's safe); everyone else is cantering what is your problem.. make him go (kid is teeny and doesn't have the "leg" to make stubborn bad horse go - this is a low level class" Child is in tears now... The instructor did absolutely nothing to try to improve the situation - the only thing she did was continue to yell, berate and humiliate the kid. I have no idea who this kid was but it was an awful experience to witness = the only thing that child took from that lesson was to be publicly humiliated for 45 minutes...and possibly the desire to quit riding

[SEP]

I should have said equines:winkgrin:. I have a few of the I don't ride ponies kids and the dads that want them on a bigger horse. Even though both these kids are less than 5 ft tall and 80 pounds soaking wet. I just love it when the parent that has never ridden can mount their child better on my horses than I can. Never mind that they won't even try to half lease a equine for their child, but I should provide AA show quality horses for their darlings to take the every other week lesson on (they cancel half of the time). OK rant over I'm sorry. I just get tired of lesson horses being put down by people, if it weren't for the lesson horse alot of people would never get to experience the fun of being around horses.

[galwaybay]

I should have said equines:winkgrin:. I have a few of the I don't ride ponies kids and the dads that want them on a bigger horse. Even though both these kids are less than 5 ft tall and 80 pounds soaking wet. I just love it when the parent that has never ridden can mount their child better on my horses than I can. Never mind that they won't even try to half lease a equine for their child, but I should provide AA show quality horses for their darlings to take the every other week lesson on (they cancel half of the time). OK rant over I'm sorry. I just get tired of lesson horses being put down by people, if it weren't for the lesson horse alot of people would never get to experience the fun of being around horses.

God bless the lesson horse - I don't mean to rant or criticize lesson horses - most of them are saints.. but even saints have a limit... :lol:

[MoonWitch]

Here, here to the sainted lesson horse!

I feel blessed by having to ride the "problem/rank/stubborn etc" horse/pony - it made me the ridder I am today. When I was a small moonwitch, my instructor put me on every rank pony/horse there was. Sure, I went home in tears some days, but now I look back and appreciate everything they taught me.

For those who prefer the completely made over ones that don't flinch - insert your quarter here.