Awful Lesson

[Mivs]

My lesson yesterday went badly right from the start. I got a horse who I haven't ridden except once when I started (11 months back). She is lovely, about 14.8h. When I got on, first of all, the stirrups were either too long or too short. Decided to have them longer. Then we got to the school and I adjusted the strirrups about three times vefore they felt sort of ok ( one feeling shorter than other). The lesson went down hill from there.

I couldn't seem to place my weight in my heels, I was on wrong diagonal in trot, which went badly because, my feet slipped through the stirrups, they were all over the place. Also did canter and I couldn't feel balanced at all thus I gripped with my knees, me feet slipped through the sirrups, and I felt more unbalanced!! Also the horse would only do a few strides of canter and when I didn't use my legs, dropped back down to trot. It was a disaster. I am surprised how I used to stay on the horse before I learnt ( 4 weeks back) to put my weight in my heels!! It was awful and I felt like I was falling off any minute!! I am so annoyed!! But I guess it happens.

Sorry for boring you with my details.

[Daphne]

Your post is certainly not boring. It is part of the learning experience to have a bad lesson. My instructor's boss keeps saying that the number of hours you can get in the saddle the better. So think you had 'X' amount of time on a horse which is even if you can't see it right now is helping you learn how to ride.

Perhaps you weren't feeling yourself or were not well. As a lot of members keep saying we too have our bad days.

With regards to stirrups they should be sort of level, not cramping your knees, they should be roughly level with your ankles and allow you to point your toes upwards to the stirrup bar and allow you to push your heel down naturally.

Good Luck
Daphne.
P.S I bet you are secretly looking forward to your next lesson.

[Mivs]

Thank you Daphne for replying.
I guess when something doesn't go right, it is a chance to go about improving. I do feel better now after reading your reply. And, am I looking forward to my next lesson? Yes!! I always do!! Sad ehh? *smile*
Thanks.

[Showjumper]

Good luck with your next lesson – sometimes nothing goes well, no matter how hard you try! I know this for a fact – I used to have a habit of having bad lessons – I’d mount in a grumpy mood, argue with the instructor, do dreadful flatwork, beg to jump, then fall off and go home. At least you stayed on board – well done!! (BTW – I’m not argumentative before you all get the wrong idea – I just didn’t get on with my instructor! Oh, and I haven’t fallen off once since I got Jake). I hope your next lesson goes smoothly.

[stella]

Hi Mivs

I know what you mean about boots slithering about in the stirrups. I too have been riding about 11 months and of course I'm getting better but it's really off-putting isn't it when you're constantly wiggling with your feet to keep them in the stirrups.
I find there's so much to think about with other things, i.e. if I'm concentrating on one thing such as keeping my heels down then I forget about something else.

Has anyone got a good way of getting me to keep my weight in my heels incidentally?

I also know about good and bad lessons. I had a brilliant one this week with everything coming together but probably next time I'll be all uncoordinated again.

Stella

[Jaz]

It is part of the learning process and you never stop learning!
I have been riding 9 years last week I had the most hideious lesson ever I couldnt event trot a 20m circle properly and my horse kept bolting because he was over excited been in a group lesson (not a usual riding school horse) And hadn't been ridden for a few days. I was in tears and in the end had to get another horse when we moved on to jumping. In the end I felt like a failier and was really wound up for the rest of the day (riding is normaly my therapy) The next day I decided I had to enjoy my self so rode the same horse on a hack out through the country side. The sun was shining and it was great! If you can go on a hack it is a nice break from scooling and everyone needs a break so do the horses. They love a relaxing hack as much as we do!

[horselover]

Mivs- Like everyone keeps saying, bad days happen, and we just need to learn from them and get on. Don't feeel bad about your post- we are all riders here, and we understand probably better than anyone else would.

About your stirrups, have they been rotated lately? B/c the stirrup on the near side gets stretched more than the off b/c off mounting. If they aren't rotated regularly, then one stretches and it is practically impossible to feel like they are vern! Or maybe you instructor can punch half-holes in the leather- punching a hole halfway in between the existing holes. Then it's easier to match them up.

Stella- It takes time to remeber to keep the heels down. When I first started riding, it was laways like, "heels down, heels down, heels down" unitl I thought i would scream!! It then started to comenaturally, and now my wieght drops down the minute I get on, and I probably couldn't stop pushing my heels down if you paid me. Now it feels right to have my heels down, not forced like it used to.

One trick I learned was to stand up stright in the saddle and push all my wieght down into my heels. Then roll your hips forward and slowly sit back down without changing a thing. You may have to do this a couple times throughout the lesson, but it works. I do that now when I start to bring my lower leg forward b/c it helps me to bring it back.

Hope this helps.

[Edited by horselover on 5th Mar 2001 at 08:26 PM]

[Meghan]

I had my bad lesson last week. I have been struggling with getting the rythm of the posting trot. I was getting it off and on. My instructor thought I might have a better time with the 4 year old friesian. She doesn't have as much action as many friesians, but it is smooth and a nice even rythm.

Unfortunately, this green horse loves to go for her owner but not everybody else. In order for her to trot, my instructor had to wave a lunge whip. Then we would sort of lurch into the trot. I would fall forward, and the horse would stop. Either I was exaggerating this in my mind, or my instructor was not seeing the lurch part. She could see I was falling forward, but she didn't say anything about the sudden change of pace. I could tell she was dispaoointed, and I think that is what I felt the worst about. It wasn't a bad lesson really, but I felt bad that I did worse when she was expecting me to improve.

With my regular lesson horse, she has a choppier trot, but it was easier for me because her transition is smoother. So I have a chance to get the trot without falling forward.

I know that my instructor was planning to have my trot without stirrups tomorrow. That was before my last lesson, so I hope we can do it with stirrups this lesson.

It's weird, but my best posting was last August during my second ride in the past 12 years. And that was on the choppiest trot ever. Somehow that choppy trot is easier for me to catch. I probably come too far out of the saddle, but it felt pretty good.

You'll know how I do after tomorrow's lesson :)

[kwaters]

Hello all,
Just thought I would let you know that my lessons have been less than perfect lately too, but I reckon that everyone has those days. I also think that after about 3-4 weeks of having good progressive lessons, you are bound to have a bad one to even things out! (Or is that just my experience?)

I just found out that my instructor can teach me some of the Monty Roberts techniques, which is nice to know in case I get to the Riding Centre and don't feel like riding after all. Which will be very unusual! But some days after a hard days work, I don't feel like a full-on lesson, so I often opt for a bush ride or something easier on my brain!

Anyway, don't get down about a bad lesson - they happen! - and I'm sure you will find you improve. Have a great week!

Kelli

[Meghan]

So far, I have been happy with my lessons. Most are good. A few exceptional, and last week's was the toughest. But this week, my lesson was one of the really good ones. Overall, they average out to be very good.

I think in a strange way, a bad lesson here and there helps make the others seem even better.

In my lesson last week, I rode a green horse who was uncooperative and would lurch into the trot. This week, I was back on my 31 year old lesson horse. I have always respected her as a wonderful teacher, but I felt even better about her today. Even though she showed me more attitude than normal (when you think you know something, she will challenge you), I still found her to be wonderful. She may have a choppier trot than the green horse, but she has a wonderful smooth transition from walk to trot, so she really helps me out. I took that for granted before.

When I come back after a hard lesson and have a better lesson, I feel better. Also, after a tough lesson, it doesn't seem like it could get worse, so it HAS to better :)

[olympicprincess]

we instructors don't "enjoy" it when a student has a bad lesson, well at least most of us. We want everyone to succeed.

On the Heels Down problem:
not everyone has the same amount of flexibility in their ankles. Think "weigh the calves down". That will get you legs lower & you more balanced in the saddle. Don't forget "heels down", but don't fret if yours aren't as flexible as other riders.

[Meghan]

Any advice for somebody who has their heels down naturally at the walk, but can't seem to keep them down at the trot at all?

Even when I am trying, I can't seem to keep the heels down while I trot. But my instructor says they are instantly back down at the walk, and I am not even thinking about it.

[stella]

I've just had a really good lesson and found out that I sit quite lopsided which is the major reason for my left foot slithering about in the stirrup. Apparently my right leg wraps round the horse nicely but my left one just kinda hangs there because I'm sitting wonkily and slipping off to the right.

Anyway my instructor got me to really concentrate on my left leg and putting my weight down into it and we did some work without stirrups. It helped a lot.

Stella

[Dizzy]

I had a tendancy to sit crooked, my instructor gave me a check list to go through. When you mount, after all your adjustments, firstly stand up in your stirrups so that you can feel your weight is even on each foot, then sit down in the saddle. Sit up straight and relaxed, then look at the position of your hips and shoulders and compare them to your horses shoulders and if you're crooked you can see and correct yourself. I found (and still find) this was one of the best bits of advise I have ever been given. When I was always doubting my position I became tense and couldn't correct myself, but now I find every now and then I glance down at myself and horse and make the odd little adjustment.

Another thing she teaches is that at first don't worry too much about achieving 'heels down', make sure that your foot sits securely in the stirrup across the ball of your foot, so that you are not constantly seeking the stirrup, which will make you tense in the leg. As your riding improves your weight will fall naturally into your heels.

Hope this helps

Lesley