Not too happy w/my riding instructor yesterday...

[cosmos mom]

I don't know why you are so worried about jumping when you can jump a 6 foot fence bareback on a stallion

http://praha.planetsg.com/Forum/show...t=48424&page=2

[Just My Style]

[Astraled]

More like 6" with her Proud Arabian Foal Breyer.

Seriously, Alysheba. What is with the lies?

[Tux61096]

Go Mom!

. . .When I was really little, I complained about being made to ride a certain slow poke school pony that nobody could get to go. My mom part-leased him for a summer and I had to ride him nearly every day. By the end of that summer I could get him to canter from a halt, do flying changes, and jump full courses pretty durned nicely. And it wasn't the pony that changed. Difficult horses make us better people.

This is what I used to do to students that whined that they didn't like/want to ride a particular schoolie - they were given that one each lesson until they could ride it well!! But everyone who knows me, knows I'm just mean like that. In the end though, those students always came to appreciate, daresay like, those tough schoolies just as much as I did.

[hitchinmygetalong]

Did the OP say this was a greenie? Or is this a horse that has had one lesson too many???? I "lost" my daughter because an instructor insisted that she ride one particular horse. When I stuck around and when I jumped on this horse, I discovered why she didn't want to take lessons anymore... he was impossible to move beyond a slow walk. He'd obviously been ridden for one lesson too many and wasn't going to listen to anyone.

I wouldn't have refused the crop, but *I* at least can understand your frustration. Doesn't sound like the instructor thought you were up to a more difficult horse, she just might not have had another horse to put you up on

Personally, if your horse was as bad as Joey, I would be talking to the instructor and if he was the one you'd be riding on a regular basis, I would be looking for another horse.

Folks, not all lesson horses are created equal

Let's clarify Baily's status, shall we? Alysheba states in post #1:

I learned today (via phone) from one of the boarders that Baily was the instructors horse and she had leased him for a year to a girl who rarely rode him. She was using my lesson (and several other ppls) to put some miles on him so she could re-lease, or sell him.

Baily is apparently NOT a "lesson horse."

Alysheba, this is the smartest thing you've said so far:

But, maybe you guys are right, maybe I am wrong to be upset about it.

[Milocalwinnings]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I prefer learning to ride on a challenging horse. I rode for 3 months at a walk in the field... on a school master- at the time, I didn't know what the point of that was. I questioned what I was working for. But now that I look back on it, those 3 months were to get my seat down to where I can ride. There is another horse at our barn who I will be getting lessons at who is a 4th level dressage horse. You move your hand and tense up your thigh and that's telling him to do some fancy dressage move. I don't intentionally ask him to do that but it happens.

You don't learn anything by getting on a made horse- the horse will do it for you- just like taking a well trained horse in a show when you don't know what the crap you're doing... and you still win because the horse knows what he's doing and takes care of it himself. You need to get on a challenging horse, and you need to learn how to ride a horse who doesn't do it for you. Figuring it out your self is the best way to learn something.

[Irish Ei's]

Gait...G-A-I-T...Gait

[2hsmommy]

[Irish Ei's]

[BelladonnaLily]

I hasn't learned a damn thing

That, my dear, is obvious.

Priceless.

[BigMick]

From Sidepasser: "go saddle that donkey, you're going to learn to jump crossrails backwards", well honey, I'm a donkey saddling fool cause obviously the instructor has a PLAN...

Sidepasser, you are so funny!

Thanks for the great laugh! We need more of that around here!

[Darkstar]

In regard to dismissing the crop.
My trainer would have a fit. My last lesson the horse refused on me. I didn't reach for the crop, becuase I was unsure of the mare (first time riding her). My trainer made it absolutely clear - that 1) you always carry a crop and 2) that the crop is to be used when needed.

I trust my trainer enough to follow her advice. Please give your trainer the respect she deserves, and next time take her advice and her crop. I'll bet the horse will go better for you.

[Showponymom Aefvue Mid Atlantic Division]

I really hope your instructor or any boarders from that farm post here. It could be quite akward at your next lesson. Bashing someone and their way of teaching is just not acceptable.

Carry on.

[DMK]

Nothing is wrong with a crop, but I felt like if I was going to "feel" the horses legs, shouldnt I be focusing on that? Especially since this was the first time I had ever done it? ... This horse was not trained to respond to lead changes, he wasn't trained to hold a gate! And we were never able to get him to canter, even with the whip.

I can only imagine that in your massive albeit highly misplaced conceit that it never occurred to you that this horse might have had your number? Because honestly, your number is not hard to get. I know you don't get that, but most of us reading your posts have worked out the rank amateur/unwilling to learn aspect of your personality. A simple prey animal is bound to figure it out.

On the other hand your posts have been a marvelous demonstration of the idea that "insanity is defined as repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result"...

[alysheba]

I don't know why you are so worried about jumping when you can jump a 6 foot fence bareback on a stallion

http://praha.planetsg.com/Forum/show...t=48424&page=2

Yeah, and fall on my ass. I think even u could accomplish that.

[Chevalnoir]

Man, have I been wasting my money on the instructor who has been helping me bring along my horse. She's been having me focus on truly getting him in front of the leg. Obviously we should have just skipped that part and gone straight to flying changes - if we had done that a couple of years ago when I first started working with her, then I could probably be competing Grand Prix by now!

I should *not* have to work on fixing whatever problems with my seat are bothering my horse - he should just do the flying changes because he's told, and that's that! After all, I pay his feed bill. How dare he expect me to hold up my end of the partnership before he will work his best!

Man, I'm glad I figured that out. I had resigned myself to having to work hard to try to become a better rider. Now I realize all I have to do is sign the cheques and tell my instructor what I wish to do next - much simpler.

I think we'll work on pirouettes tomorrow, they look so pretty.

[JackieBlue]

(sigh)

Ok, I'm not going to keep trying to defend myself, but if at the end of my lesson last week my instructor says "Ok, next week we are going to start working on lead changes"

Then the lesson comes and she puts me on a horse that hasnt been ridden in months, and I believe doesnt even KNOW lead changes. She didn't tell me before the lesson that this horse hadn't been ridden in months.... How is this ok?

I paid her to reschool her horse on basic riding commands. You wouldn't be upset about that? Isn't that kind of like paying for spanish lessons and the teacher teaches you french?

That was NOT a schooling horse. If I wanted to teach basic commands to a pasture sour horse, there are a dozen at my boarding stable I could ride for free. She was USING me to get her horse into selling shape, and apparently a lot of other students of hers feel the same way. And there are some hard core riders that she instructs- not princesses. And no I didn't learn anything new at that lesson. Not anything I haven't done 100 times on retraining basic commands to my rescued OTTB's.

Maybe I did not explain it correctly, maybe I did whine to much (I am pretty upset at the news I learned) but I'm telling you, what she did was not to benefit my riding skills.

And for whoever made the "financially free at 29 comment, why don't you take a look at my business plan and figure out what kind of effort and balls it takes to build my business to that level-THAN try and talk shit. If it were that EASY than wouldn't EVERYONE be at that financial level? I am proud of my accomplishments, cuz I went thru the trenches to get there. Instead of ripping on me, why don't you PM me and I can show you how to do it to.

If you can't get a horse to move forward off your leg, you aren't ready for lead changes, where you'll need to ask a horse to move forward, to move over, to bend and then change the bend, to bring its inside hind leg actively forward.... Maybe your trainer was just trying to make this point. I've ridden with some very big name trainers and was fortunate as a junior to have received some private training with Frank Chapot. I showed up for my first lesson with what I thought was perfect turnout - shining horse, gleaming tack, boots that you could see your reflection in, spotless britches... But apparently I was missing 2 major articles and boy did I ever hear about it! A crop and spurs. I said something smart in my defense, to the effect that I didn't need either on my horse. "And what if something unexpected should come up and you need a little something more?", he asked as he gestured towards a stout liverpool in the center of the ring. "Uuuuhhh..." and a shrug was about all I came up with. He followed up with a lengthy lecture about how failing to bring your "toolbox" makes you an ineffective handyman and how a lack of the proper equipment can cause you to miss invaluable, sometimes irreplacable training opportunities while riding. Sometimes allowing something to happen during a ride b/c you'll "bring that bat or wear those spurs next time" just isn't good enough, if you're serious about training. I have to admit that, all though I have the utmost respect for that man and for the many other highly renowned trainers I've had the pleasure of learning from who share his spurs and a crop requirement, I've never adopted the habit of riding every horse with spurs. I do, however, always carry a crop of some kind, whether it be a small bat, a flat leather clapper (great for making an alarming sound without the sting of a real smack), a Dressage whip - my choice depends on the mount and the task at hand. Schooling lateral movements? Dressage whip. Reschooling a stopper? Aluminum baseball bat... Haha, that was just a joke, but I'll bet it made some of you wonder!
Anyway, your refusal to carry a crop shows that you don't understand the purpose of one. Do you think that causing your trainer to chase the horse with a lunge whip was somehow kinder to the horse than a tap behind your leg would have been? I have a very hard time envisioning you retraining any horse, let alone a TB off the track. OTTB's are often times lead change naturals, but honestly, if you can't get a horse to move forward....

[BelladonnaLily]

Oh my goodness I just read the story, um I mean thread, about the 13yo untamed girl riding the wild paint stallion (after all, she was his ONLY friend) and jumping 6 foot. Then someone mentioned "Black Stallion syndrome:. Good grief, I just spit Diet Lipton Green tea on my keyboard and monitor. Thats going to be sticky as hell.



BTW, my 9 year old daughter can carry a crop AND ride at the same time! Amazing that seems to be such a struggle for an accomplished rider like you! My daughter is just a little short stirrup rider! And my 12yo daughter can carry a crop AND is TEACHING her mare to do lead changes (albeit with the support of her trainer) right now! My children must be exceptional riders! I'm so excited! Where's George Morris...I'm SURE he'll want to start training my kids! :grin:

[Renn/aissance]

Maybe she put you on this horse because she wanted you to learn how to use your leg, because you need your leg aid for a flying change.

Maybe she put you on this horse to teach you to regulate your aids, because you need to time your aids carefully with your horse's stride to achieve a flying change.

Maybe she put you on this horse to teach you the importance of the artificial aids in reschooling a spoiled horse or teaching a green one, because don't you train OTTBs who may not always want to go forward when asked?

Maybe she put you on this horse to have a good laugh.

Who the hell knows? She's your trainer; you pay her for her opinion. If you didn't respect it, you wouldn't be paying for it. I assume that since you respect her, she knows more than you do. Since she knows more than you do, why not listen?

I brought iced tea; can someone pass the popcorn, please and thanks?

[horse_poor]

Schooling lateral movements? Dressage whip. Reschooling a stopper? Aluminum baseball bat... Haha, that was just a joke, but I'll bet it made some of you wonder!

I much prefer the giant fat whiffle ball bats in bright colors...kind of a bitch to hold on to, but what the hell...