STUCK

[CLAUDIA]

I don't know if this is normal or not, but I have seemed to reach a plateau in my improvement and riding ability (or lack thereof). I've had about 15 lessons altogether, and I can't keep my feet in the stirrups, can't keep my heels down or my legs in the right position. I also can't keep my horse moving forward. Things were going rather smoothly at first, but now I'm just a complete mess. My instructor is putting me on a horse with more "motivation", the one she has that is the easiest to handle out of all her school horses. I don't know whether to take up tennis or pay for more lessons, more often. Please help :(

[~alison~*]

Claudia, please do not quit!!!!! I was at that point once, and all you have to do is keep working, stay at it, try your hardest, and if there is something you are not sure of, ask your instructor or someone here. All riders have some times that they seem to drop in their improvement, but it's not going to get any better unless you keep going! Do try to spend more time out around horses!! I truly hope that you do not give up, so keep trying, and GOOD LUCK!!!! ~alison~*

[Tammie]

Claudia,

Have your had any lunge lessons, they really do help. Because the instructor is keeping control of the horse all you have to worry about is your position. The instructor who will also tell you what to do with your legs, hands seat etc. I had a lunge lesson on Friday with a senior instructor and then a normal private lesson on the Saturday to which my instructor stated that my position was much better.

Give it a go

Tammie

[Sarah]

I was just going to recommend what Tammie has said! Lunge lessons are definitely a good way to work on your leg position and balance.

it is very normal to make a lot of progress initially then to reach a plateau with your riding - it happens to everyone, no matter what level they are at. With a bit of perseverance you will get over it and keep on improving.

Good luck, let us know how you get on!

[Heather]

Do you know, the reason that I started posting to this list, was because I was disgusted, horrified, not really amazed because I knew, intrinsically, that it was still going on- when I read the posts on the message board, it was like turning the clock back thirty years to when I first started teaching at sixteen years of age.

You beginners have such a raw deal in general. You are the most important riders of all. Get the foundations right, and it will all progress smoothly from there. Many instructors need to go back to the drawing board, and learn how to teach. Many of them in my experience, coudn't give a 'monkey's' about teaching you anyway.Those that don't are a disgrace to their profession. If you are experiencing these problems, particularly in the UK if you ride at a BHS approved school, report them! Don't be afraid to.I have stood up to the hiercarchy all of my life. They tried to beat me, tried to ruin me by publishing insults in print, because I dared to question and challenge the system. Now, I have lectured and demonstrated on their behalf, and the 'powers that be; sell my book. I have been proven right, so that also proves that the truth will out, as they say, in the end.

'Your Horse' magazine will be doing a major campaign on my Enlightened Equitation methods later this year. Even the country's leading magazine is spearheading a campaign to teach a better way to ride! We will get there in the end!

Heather

[JoeEdwards]

Claudia. May I suggest that instead of spending more money on lessons that you find a horse to loan or share. Go round the local livery yards or look on the notice boards at tack shops.

Getting to know one horse and getting in lots of saddle time sounds like what you need at the moment.

Also try Pat Parelli's methods. The book is cheap, the videos rather expensive but he talks enormous sense. Read Heather's book and try new things out for yourself.

Best of luck and keep posting how you are getting on.

Joe

[KarlR]

Claudia,

I must disagree with Joe here. It sounds to me as if the problem is the instruction, not the horse. Making a long-term, high-expense investment in a horse is not what you need when you are considering whether to give up riding!

At 15 lessons I would expect that you would feel comfortable and fairly balanced on most school horses - if you have tried several and still feel uncomfortable, then look for a new instructor.

If you don't feel happy telling your instructor then do the same as I did - have a few additional lessons with different riding schools first. Once you have had a good lesson, you will be amazed thatyou ever hesitated!

How often do you ride? I find that once per week under instruction plus the occasional hack is fine (with a good instructor). Twice per week can accelerate the progress - my wife goes to two different schools (Wednesday and Sunday) and she commented on how much of an improvement adding the Sunday session made.

For what it's worth, everyone reaches what they feel is a plateau from time to time. Sometimes it's temporary - sometimes it needs better instruction - sometimes you need to get help elsewhere (here, reading books, magazines, etc.).

Please try it for a little longer before giving up. It's worth breaking through this low-spot! :-)

Good Luck

Karl R

[Jo]

Hi Claudia,

I've been riding for 11 weeks - once a week for the first month, twice a week for the second and now I'm up to three times a week! It's vital to have a good teacher and they do seem hard to come by. They need to be more than good horseriders - they have to be good teachers, too. I'm a teacher and have trained teachers and I guess I am always looking at their performance as teachers. Having said that, you must have to hit a plateau - there will be good days and bad days with riding as with everything else! Tiredness could be a problem sometimes - it is for me! I also find my progress sometimes depends on which horse I'm riding and which class I'm in! One class is very relaxed, full of people who just want a bit of fun, one is full of novices - intense but really good for learning basics and the other is full if experienced riders - a steep learning curve! A good instructor will focus on you at your level regardless of what others can do but it has to have an effect on you if you feel you are not doing what everyone else is! I have a friend who is an experienced rider and even she says that she has days when everything falls apart. Hang on in there - and take that lunge lesson if you can. And remember that horses that make you work are actually helping you to learn more than the willing horse that anticipates your every move1

[Bev]

Dear Claudia,
Dont give it all up yet!!
You never know whats going to happen round the next corner, everyone at some stage feels the same way but think THERES MORE IN YOU!!

Also take a deep breath and RELAX.
Horse riding is the one sport where your innermost feelings of elation and depression come through in your performance no matter how hard you try to ignore them. Remember the quickest way to get round this problem is to accept that things dont always go right and try a new method. Learn to live and laugh and love!!!

Be a MAGICIAN! Go for a hack, have a lunge lesson, spend more time watching others ride, help someone else with a horse, go spectating at shows but try a different tack! Pull a new way of learning out of your hat!

Also be steady. To fell great oaks takes many strokes.... start the journey! If horseriding was easy we would have nothing new to learn there would never be that buzz of finding out we can do something we thought we couldnt or that elusive canter/jump.

To be able to enjoy horseriding is the most conducive way of getting on at it and learning to get better.
Please, please stick with it.
A wee tip try to get the book centred riding, I forget who its by but my goodness its very good. It talks about legs dripping like icecream down the sides of the horse to lenghten your legs and uses lots of guided imagery to provoke the most sensational changes in riders posture, leg, arm coordination (its even helped me, great book to read in the bath!) Dont forget riding is 90% all in the mind so get that sorted out first and the rest will follow
BEST OF LUCK BEV!!!