Lesson number 6

[storm35]

I am a bit miffed, my last lesson we hacked out on last lesson, it was an experience, but this week we did the exact same thing, RI does not work weekends and the owner was away on hols, so we got a lovely lass who is filling in for these 2 weeks, but she is not a RI, i dont want to sound a huffy sod, but i dont pay £33 per hour for me and my youngest to walk about, i pay to get taught, i mentioned to the lass i wanted to be corrected on my rising trot, but i have to wait until i get my RI, so i never learnt a thing today, apart from when my horse got spooked a little by a rabbit crossing her path, found out my horse is a conmera is that right???? She is about 17yrs old, there was a lovely horse there, i asked what breed he was and she said he was a hafflinger.
Then the same happened today when i went to put her in her stables, she is soo impatient, would not wait, and i had to stand in front of her and hold my arms out and say no, she was still pushing me over, so i pushed her back and she turned her head and never bit me but bared her teeth and wiped her slavours all over me, lol i took my arm back as soon as, am no sure if she was going to bite, and i feel pants that i cant even keep a horse from a school under control, feel like am not gettign anywhere, where the riding comes into it.
Sorry for the rant, i just needed to.

[joosie]

Don't make the mistake of assuming you can't learn anything on a hack. Hacking teaches you to be confident, secure and balanced in the saddle, and many people learn to ride this way rather than by taking lessons. You say on this hack you had to deal with a spook - this is a very important skill, so don't say you didn't learn anything :) A combination of lessons and hacking can be an excellent learning programme.

You however are the paying client and if you want lessons not hacking you should say so, it's your right and your choice. I know at a lot of stables they often do a hack in place of a lesson - but it sounds like in this case it was just a one-off. But if it does happen too often of course you should say something!

Regarding the horse handling - being unable to deal with a pushy horse is not your fault, as a beginner you shouldn't be left unsupervised, and even experienced riders have trouble dealing with bad behaviour on the ground, so it's nothing for you to feel bad about. It's the kind of thing that comes with experience.

[storm35]

Don't make the mistake of assuming you can't learn anything on a hack. Hacking teaches you to be confident, secure and balanced in the saddle, and many people learn to ride this way rather than by taking lessons. You say on this hack you had to deal with a spook - this is a very important skill, so don't say you didn't learn anything :) A combination of lessons and hacking can be an excellent learning programme.

You however are the paying client and if you want lessons not hacking you should say so, it's your right and your choice. I know at a lot of stables they often do a hack in place of a lesson - but it sounds like in this case it was just a one-off. But if it does happen too often of course you should say something!

Regarding the horse handling - being unable to deal with a pushy horse is not your fault, as a beginner you shouldn't be left unsupervised, and even experienced riders have trouble dealing with bad behaviour on the ground, so it's nothing for you to feel bad about. It's the kind of thing that comes with experience.


Thank you Joosie, laat time i hacked i learnt that your horse can drag you under branches and trees and you can get hacked on barbed wire, stung by nettles, this time i learn when a horse is spooked it can jump, so yes i learnt that, i do enjoy hacking out, but also want to learn how to trot, canter, i guess if it does keep happening, yes i think i will say something.

[Julz]

do you know..it's actually easier to learn to rise to the trot while doing so in a straight line, rather than to have to keep remembering about the corner coming up... I taught a woman who refused point blank to take lessons but kept coming every week at the same time to go on a beginners hack... I taught her the rising trot, when to shorten reins, what it does, how to keep the horse going and in momentum, and in the end I also taught her to canter... then I asked her to stop coming at 2pm for the beginners hack and to start coming at 3 for the walk, trot and canter hacks.... she enjoyed it so much better, than half the people who came for lessons stuck in a smelly dusty school... about a year later she decided to take some "proper" lessons, and came on really quickly!

Thsi stand in person probably doesnt want to take over where your RI has left off (maybe she's been told not too) as it's very hard to teach in the same way as someone else. And the last thing anyone wants is for you to become confused.

Enjoy the hacks, learn to relax and take the spooks for what it is.... but also ask the leader for a little instruction, and communication

[Julz]

Thank you Joosie, laat time i hacked i learnt that your horse can drag you under branches and trees and you can get hacked on barbed wire, stung by nettles .

It's up to you to steer the horse away from barbed wire, and low branches... a horse will always give itself enough room so it can get by without scratching itself, if you need more room for your knees, then use your reins (and legs) and steer.


this time i learn when a horse is spooked it can jump, .


but you stayed on??


I also want to learn how to trot, canter, .

It's also easier to learn to canter outdoors in a straight line up a slope....

[~*sugarlump*~]

tbh for £33 i would be abit miffed too, that is alot of money for an hours hack.

tbh some RS ive met have worse manners than some of the privately owned horses ive met. they know how to get out of doing something, and some dont have the consistency of being handled by a rgular handler who can work on some vices.
just act cool and confident and dont be afraid to use your voice to say "NO!"

tbh hacking has given me a better seat than schooling has. i started hacking on a pony that would spook at anything and everything and after awhile your seat does get alot better:)

[JustJas]

I have learnt as much in a school and out hacking... just diferent things.

In a school I learn balance, how a horse moves and to appreciate finer aids. Out hacking I heave learnt to trust my horse and her me and to sit deep and be aware.

Connermaras are lovely ponies!

[scribbler]

I am a bit miffed, my last lesson we hacked out on last lesson, it was an experience, but this week we did the exact same thing, RI does not work weekends and the owner was away on hols, so we got a lovely lass who is filling in for these 2 weeks, but she is not a RI, i dont want to sound a huffy sod, but i dont pay £33 per hour for me and my youngest to walk about, i pay to get taught, i mentioned to the lass i wanted to be corrected on my rising trot, but i have to wait until i get my RI, so i never learnt a thing today, apart from when my horse got spooked a little by a rabbit crossing her path, found out my horse is a conmera is that right???? She is about 17yrs old, there was a lovely horse there, i asked what breed he was and she said he was a hafflinger.
Then the same happened today when i went to put her in her stables, she is soo impatient, would not wait, and i had to stand in front of her and hold my arms out and say no, she was still pushing me over, so i pushed her back and she turned her head and never bit me but bared her teeth and wiped her slavours all over me, lol i took my arm back as soon as, am no sure if she was going to bite, and i feel pants that i cant even keep a horse from a school under control, feel like am not gettign anywhere, where the riding comes into it.
Sorry for the rant, i just needed to.

Hi by any chance do you go to riding centre there where you live.Dont want to name it..If so what happend to you is not unusual there..this has been going on for many years.I went there to brush up with my riding had been riding for 20 yrs at that point I took my husband also little girl who is disabled.
along first 2 weeks fine third week we got put on dif. horses and instead of going to school first met a little girl on horse she was about 15-16 as went to school with my sisters daughter. Anyway to cut story short she was ment to be the exp. one could not control her own horse was leading my daughter and managed to let go lead rope. Thank the lord my daughter could ride as her pony shot off in other direction.I bombed off to get my daughter thank the lord she was fine.I could have slapped the girl this was the last time I ever went there.Not a great place at all,lots of people have complaind about it...Beter places around

[storm35]

do you know..it's actually easier to learn to rise to the trot while doing so in a straight line, rather than to have to keep remembering about the corner coming up... I taught a woman who refused point blank to take lessons but kept coming every week at the same time to go on a beginners hack... I taught her the rising trot, when to shorten reins, what it does, how to keep the horse going and in momentum, and in the end I also taught her to canter... then I asked her to stop coming at 2pm for the beginners hack and to start coming at 3 for the walk, trot and canter hacks.... she enjoyed it so much better, than half the people who came for lessons stuck in a smelly dusty school... about a year later she decided to take some "proper" lessons, and came on really quickly!

Thsi stand in person probably doesnt want to take over where your RI has left off (maybe she's been told not too) as it's very hard to teach in the same way as someone else. And the last thing anyone wants is for you to become confused.

Enjoy the hacks, learn to relax and take the spooks for what it is.... but also ask the leader for a little instruction, and communication


Thank you, yes i find it easier in a straight line, which happens not very often, i am still stuck on the same lesson as i was on 1st lesson, i shall speak to her when i next see her.

[storm35]

It's up to you to steer the horse away from barbed wire, and low branches... a horse will always give itself enough room so it can get by without scratching itself, if you need more room for your knees, then use your reins (and legs) and steer.

I tried this, steering her to the right to move over a bit from the trees, but she was walking sideways and i asked for help, but apparently this is what she does :o:o



but you stayed on??
Yes she just jerked a little not jumped lol, am sure i would have been off.



It's also easier to learn to canter outdoors in a straight line up a slope....
thank you.

[storm35]

tbh for £33 i would be abit miffed too, that is alot of money for an hours hack.

tbh some RS ive met have worse manners than some of the privately owned horses ive met. they know how to get out of doing something, and some dont have the consistency of being handled by a rgular handler who can work on some vices.
just act cool and confident and dont be afraid to use your voice to say "NO!"

tbh hacking has given me a better seat than schooling has. i started hacking on a pony that would spook at anything and everything and after awhile your seat does get alot better:)

I just feel am not gettin corrected by mistakes that i know i am doing, or if i get stuck, ie liek gettign caught under trees and steering horse away from trees and she walks sideways. The £33 was for me and my 8yr old.

[storm35]

I have learnt as much in a school and out hacking... just diferent things.

In a school I learn balance, how a horse moves and to appreciate finer aids. Out hacking I heave learnt to trust my horse and her me and to sit deep and be aware.

Connermaras are lovely ponies!

Thanks, when we went up there today, we saw a class gettin taken, it was a beginner class a lot of the kids i know and have just started going, they were playing games, trotting, then jumping off and running back holding the lead rope, we have never had anything like that, just walk, trot in the school and 2 hacks, its a hack that you can really trot as its all tiny wee paths, and up tiny wee paths, nowhere to really trot unless you go on the road for 3 mins to cross over.

[storm35]

Hi by any chance do you go to riding centre there where you live.Dont want to name it..If so what happend to you is not unusual there..this has been going on for many years.I went there to brush up with my riding had been riding for 20 yrs at that point I took my husband also little girl who is disabled.
along first 2 weeks fine third week we got put on dif. horses and instead of going to school first met a little girl on horse she was about 15-16 as went to school with my sisters daughter. Anyway to cut story short she was ment to be the exp. one could not control her own horse was leading my daughter and managed to let go lead rope. Thank the lord my daughter could ride as her pony shot off in other direction.I bombed off to get my daughter thank the lord she was fine.I could have slapped the girl this was the last time I ever went there.Not a great place at all,lots of people have complaind about it...Beter places around

Yes its that place, that is awful, i dont think they are veyr organised, when i banged my head off a branch the RI saw it and never said a word to me, so i guess i better start looking elsewhere as on my 6th lesson i feel like i should be trying something different or at least get spoken to when i ask i need help or am i doing this right, how can i sort it, but thats not the case.
I then feel maybe i am hoping for things to happen too fast.