lessons

[lorac]

hello everyone, i'm new, to the message board and to riding, have just taken up this great sport 2 months ago, at the grand old age of 42 and ride once a week, and i'm totally hooked,went to a local stables for lessons, but we only go out for hacks, do you guys think this is a sufficent way to learn to ride? i had my first canter last week!! it was great after i opened my eyes!!! but i could'nt get my horse to keep going for very long, would be grateful for any opinions:)

[bexj]

Hi Lorac. Congrats for taking the plunge into the horse world! I'm sure you'll have loads of fun!

Hacking is a great way to ride as you learn to cope with the real life situations - you don't get many plastic bags in a school! BUT it might be an idea to learn the basics of controlling your horse in a lesson environment so at least you can open your eyes and admire the scenery!

Good luck - let us know how you get on!
Bex

[kedwards]

While hacking has it's own challenges, you do risk just having horses following the one in front, if you know what I mean. Plus, your instructor doesn't have the vantage point she would in the ring, so I'd have to wonder how well she can really advise you on things such as position.

Still, there is nothing as fun as riding out. Can you arrange to include a few include a few lessons in the ring, as well?

[lorac]

Thankyou for your advice, i love this site, i thought i was the only one out there with all these problems and worries and i'm not!!!
I do love the hacking out i live in a beautiful part of the country and an hours ride through the forest on a Friday morning is truly wonderful, but i do want to be able to ride properly, and know that i am fully in control of the horse, the lady who takes me out from the yard is great and she constantly checks that i am sitting properly etc, and i ask her a huge amount of questions all the time. but please anymore advice on this subject would be greatly recieved:rolleyes:

[lorac]

bexj, i am going to be looking out for plastic bags next week!!!:eek:

[bexj]

There's nothing worse I've found than a plastic bag, but you can also add to this list dogs, bikes, leaves, squirrels, ghosts, and anything else depending on which way the wind is blowing! Why not take a lesson one week and a hack the next to get the best of both worlds? You're lucky to have beatiful riding country where you are - would be a shame to waste it!

[jUmPingIsLifE]

oh yes... the plastic bag is scary, but not as bad as the invisable monsters! those are the worce, autumn agree's with me. those darn birds that come out of nowhere also;) Autumn has this specail power in which he see's invisable monsters, i of cource fail to see them :(

[snailspace]

I have the opposite problem: I've spent 4 years of lessons in an arena and barely any time out in the real world!!

I agree that both will be beneficial. Hacking out is probably the best way to get you comfortable around the horses, though. Maybe your instructor has started out this way, to make you confident, and then will start some schooling?

[western]

well hacking is a geat way to bond with your horse and it gives you more confidence an relying on pressure . to keep your horse cantering for a long time you can give pressure with both legs when cantering thats what i do my horse was the same way that he would only canter for a bout 5 seconds then he would always go back down to a trot.

[Stephelia]

My beloved RD has lots of issues w/ invisible monsters. And visible ones as well! He is absolutely terrified of the big orange tractor at our barn. We walk past it on the way to the indoor ring, and I have to be very stern with him because he wants to run past it; he does the side step as we get close. Well, this morning, the tractor was gone. I thought "good, no tractor issues".... I was WRONG. RD was a basket case, wondering where the orange monster was, and was it going to jump out at us! He was so jumpy, my ride became too stressful! The tractor was parked behind the building, so I got off him, and walked him to where he could see where the Monster was. After that, he was fine.

It must be tough being so frightened!

Steph