First Lesson Done!

[MadamC]

Well, I had my first lesson yesterday. The only soreness I have is basically outter hips, where the legs bend out. The second I got into the saddle (after thinking I never would) I thought 'ack, I gotta get back off', because at that spot, it was saying 'i don't bend that way, help'. ;)

Plus, I'm shorter than the last hole on the stirrups, so the instructor had to cinch it up more somehow. That helped a bunch! Perhaps it was because my legs were just hanging with nothing to have a bit of relief for my boots to rest on?

As for thigh problems, I never had any of that. Maybe that comes after you do something more than a slow walk for 30 mins?

Basically that's what we did (my husband took a lesson too at the same time--semi-private, so half price for him).

A few questions regarding the horse though:

1. Mine is the 'star' dressage horse that the owner uses herself at shows. He is VERY head strong, testing. He would do things like whack me with his head (HARD!) if I was standing beside or in front of him.

2. He had a horrible habit of scratching his knee with his nose, thus completely yanking the reins out of my hands--after a few times I figured out how to grab the ends when he did that. But it was terrifiying for me, first time on a horse, on an English saddle with NOTHING to hold onto and the horse leaning so far forward I could've slid down his neck!

3. He only really seemed to listen to her (the owner).

4. He has a problem with another horse being near and will kick them! So let me remind you, my husband was also on a horse in the covered arena with me and I was terrified whenever that horse got anywhere close that he was going to kick and I'd fall.

The problem I have with all that, is you're supposed to basically be assigned the one horse to use at every lesson. And for a beginner, I don't think that horse is the right one!

The one hubby rode was beautiful, quiet, did everything he was told! And of course, hubby just went the once because he was curious to try it. He doesn't plan on going back, but I guess I'm still stuck with the ornery one.

I'm thinking I should demand a different horse next week. As a beginner, I want what my friend calls a 'push-button horse'. I don't want one I have to try to fight while I'm still trying to learn everything.

I think if I have to use that horse, maybe I should just ask for Western right now. At least I'd have something to hold onto if he kicked or yanked the reins away again.

Oh, in case you're wondering, 2 step stool to get on, and then she had us get off by retracting one leg over the horse (keeping other boot in stirrup), laying tummy on the saddle while you got the second boot out of stirrup, then sliding off onto the ground.

What does everything else think?

Despite all that, I had fun and loved being around the horses! :)

Cindy

[Ipsa]

Congrats on now been a rider :)
I agree you should have a quiet horse to learn on- you shouldn't have to be worrying about your horse kicking others and your husband shouldn't have to worry about been kicked!! Maybe you could get the horse your husband rode seeing as he is quitting! You are paying the money so I am sure they will be accomadating rather than risk losing a potentially regular client.

Sounds like the horse is a bit bossy. If you are standing beside him be very aware of him and the second he starts to swing his head towards you give him a poke with your finger in the soft skin between his nostril and the corner of his mouth. We call this the magic finger and it is amazing how clamly and quietly you can use the magic finger to good effect.
He needs to mind his manners with you as well as his owner.:)

That's great that you are not too sore. You'll probably be a whole lot sorer when you start trotting!

[BackintheSaddle]

You're right, a 30min walk shouldn't leave you too sore. This horse sounds like a bit much for a beginner to be riding. We start all our beginners on a VERY quiet gelding who listens well to the leg, doesn't spook, and is so easy to tack up he often falls asleep. He still has a bit of spunk in him, and easily picks up a canter or a nice smooth trot. This is the kind of horse I'd try to start out on if I were you. Maybe you and the hubby can switch next time.

[Skib]

He has a problem with another horse being near and will kick them! So let me remind you, my husband was also on a horse in the covered arena with me and I was terrified whenever that horse got anywhere close that he was going to kick and I'd fall.
You must talk to the teacher about this. Because this happened to me too and I did not know enough to question it.
At my very first riding lesson my horse darted sideways to bite the other horse, pulling the lunge out of my teacher's hand. I didnt complain. I went on learning to ride with that same horse who was known to be bad tempered near other horses.
I payed for a private lesson but there were always two lessons going on at the same time in the covered school. Like you, every time I passed the other horse, I was terrified my grumpy one would nip at it (which was blamed on me) or unseat a child on the lunge. But when the other student was better than me, I still had to move out of their way, as they had priority to canter on the track.
My learning to ride was a nightmare. And I hope you can do better. If you can afford private lessons, make sure it is possible for you to be taught on your own. You will find that makes so much difference. If not, could you learn in a group where beginners will all be led round to start with and later on everyone in the class will have an equal chance to progress?
Thanks to this list, I eventually moved to another school where I am taught on my own and the teacher takes responsibility for me, the horse, our safety and everything else. That's how it ought to be. But when I started learning to ride I did not know that.

[Peace]

Numbers 1 and 2 are no fun, I know, as one of my first lesson horses was the same. But that horse did teach me how to assert my rights to my space on the ground, and I also learned how to urge the horse forward to correct the yanking-the-reins-out-of-one's-hand problem. :)

Number 3's not a bad thing, really. When you're a beginner, it's sometimes nice that a person on the ground can tell your horse what to do and it will comply. As long as you can trust the person, of course.;)

Number 4 would be a deal-breaker for me, though.:( I wouldn't want to ride a kicker, and I sure wouldn't want to be on another horse in the vicinity of the kicker.:eek: Flying hooves really creep me out.

What about asking for private lessons on the nice horse your husband rode?

[ajhainey]

To be devils advocate...

Scratching his leg, being bolshy on the ground with the tentative, listening to the instructor rather than the novice on his back and you being warned he might kick (did he actually do so, with intent, at any point?) sound fairly normal to me...It was only your first lesson after all, and horses quickly pick up on any kind of tentativeness in their rider...If he just walked round happily with you for 30mins and didn't try to charge off or change pace then he's not that headstrong...Many horses seem scary at the start (my first horse lesson was on one that coughed - rather like the scratching this is disconcerting but not actually harmful - but it terrified me at the time) and if you are used to the western saddle english ones do seem rather insecure but neither of these problems are really related to the particular horse.

I'm not saying he is suitable (After all you were there not me!) but I remember how I used to think almost all the horses at my stables were unsuitable - every one had a 'fault' of some kind (too fast, too slow, too stubborn, trips, coughs, naps, I could go on) once you get a bit more experience you realise they are not unsuitable at all - its important to experience different types and styles of horses, and what seems out of control/terrifying is often no such thing if you assert yourself a little...some of the horses I used to swear were completely uncontrollable I now consider little angels.

All that said you have to be comfortable with the horse you ride, and some schools really do place begginners on seriously unsuitable mounts - but I would start by asking the instructor why she picked him for you, not by getting it set in your head that you absolutely have to change horses and that hes completely unsuitable - give the instructor a chance to explain first! Maybe he's great for teaching beginners one to one as he actually listens and does as asked - so you learn the right aids, not just kick kick kick and pull pull pull. Maybe hes steady as a rock when there are problems...maybe, maybe, maybe...we can't possibly tell from here, the only person who can explain is your instructor...

Good Luck with the next lesson!

aj xx

[MI Horsey]

glad your lesson went ok .
you wont start hurting till your instructor starts to make you trot , then the pain begins ;) , honestly it wont last too long though .
other than the kicking ,it all sound pretty normal to me.
as for him wacking you with his head , he will if you let him ,so don't .I also think you should ask for the horse your husband was riding next time .
Now ,this is only what i heard , its supposed to be harder to convert to english once you ridden western.but not so hard the other way around . it's only what i've heard and it may not be true at all .only thing i can tell ya is that since i started again i was riding western because that barn only does western ,and i'm now taking hunt seat classes and i can tell you that the western did not help me one bit there , i cantered (sorry lope) fine and everything was nice and comfy but now i have to relearn my balance and it's been hard (but worth it ) i rode hunt seat as a teen but wow it's not as easy this time around .