wanting to start lessons again but don't know where to go!

[EmmaRotherham]

Hi guys!

Been a while since I've been on here!

I'm sharing Jenny still (16.1hh ID mare), mostly hacking at the moment as the field is too wet to ride in most of the time. Roll on summer!

I'm wanting to do a bit more though, and as there isn't a school at Jen's yard it makes doing things like jumping or cantering a bit tricky. Plus I'm still really nevrvous when it comes to jumping, espescially outside of a small enclosed area.

So I thought about having lessons again, but this time somewhere in the Sheffield/ Rotherham area. I'm looking to do an hour's group lesson, probably once a fortnight due to student funds. But I'm not sure where would be a good place for me to go!

Anyone know anywhere that might be good for me? I've looked at the list of riding schools but don't know where's good/bad/indifferent

[shirley]

Perhaps the only way to go is to try and see. Perhaps start with the nearest and most accessable to you and start there. Also phone around and see what sort of classes they do, when they do them etc and see what suits you. You may decide you want a combined lesson, flat and jumping, adults only during the week night. Or would you do a lesson at weekend with perhaps a combined age group of adults and children. Is there any possiblity of getting a local instructor to come to you and give you a lesson on your loan horse?
Good luck though.

[soulburyrider]

Just to add to what Shirley has said go to a school and watch a lesson taking place that way you can see what the instructors are like and the way that they teach weather it be a beginners class or a more advanced class.
The Instructor should be giving both praise, encouragement and advice not just shouting sit up ! heels down! every ten minutes.
In the past I've had some instructors who probably wouldn't have noticed if the horse did a somersalt whilst I was on board. It is your money and you want good instruction so don't be afraid to say could I change instructors or go to another school if you don't strike off a good rapport with your first one.

I now have an excellent instructor who has brought my confidence back from zilch and we have become really good friends.

Good Luck

[Yann]

Snowdon Farm near Coal Aston is pretty good , but like most places that are might be difficult to get booked into at peak times. Probably easier if you can get during the day in the week.

Not sure what's available in Rotherham though if you want something closer to home, might be worth asking in Rotherham Saddlery for example, they'll be pretty well connected and might be able to give you some recommendations:)

[JOJOBA]

I can reccomend our yard but if you got in it would most likely be half and hour rather than an hour. Worth finding out though. It's Smeltings Farm.
It's good though - lovely horses, nice facilities and good instruction. Plus you could come and say hello to my two boys!
www.equestrian-training.co.uk

xxx

[JOJOBA]

The Instructor should be giving both praise, encouragement and advice not just shouting sit up ! heels down! every ten minutes.

That made me laugh! A typical lesson with my favourite instructor (she's left now :() would NOT go like that!
She truly missed her calling in boot camp, training recruits.
Expect more along the lines of:
"USE YOUR LEGS! I have never seen anyone so WET as you! RIDE HIM! It's not his b****y fault you're useless!!! DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!!!!!!!"
:p
Her best ever moment was at camp, when we were in the field and heard her screaming from the yard to my friend, who had to run through three fields up to the yard to find out what was wrong. Turned out she had left three pieces of straw unswept outside her stable. :D

I miss her - she was great.

xxx

[wonderpony]

I can second a vote for Smeltings Farm, having taken a dozen lessons there as an adult returner. The quality of instruction was excellent as were the horse - had me cantering and leg yielding and all!
It is, however, much easier to get a slot on weekdays ... I had to stop when fulltime work intervened again. I did private one-to-one lessons, but would have tried to progress to a small group if I'd been able to stay.
Snowdon Farm also has an excellent reputation but I have no first-hand experience.

[Yann]

I would also have recommended Smeltings as I've heard (and seen) nothing but good things about it, however a) it's not so easy to get to from Rotherham and b) it's even harder to get booked in than Snowdon Farm as far as I can tell:D

[JOJOBA]

Depends how good you are - they assess you and try and fit you into a lesson. The better you are the easier it is to get in - the waiting list for beginners ran into years. Harry J on here though was on the waiting list for a month or two then got in for private lessons after coming and riding Hec. One of my teachers has just gotten in for privates too so looks like they're ok time-wise.
Id reccomend giving them a ring, esp if you can already ride.
xxx

[*HaRRY-J*]

I think I must have been very lucky!

At the moment I have a private half hour on a weekday (with time off when I have teaching practice), but I've been told that there is a group lesson on a weekend that I can slot into when I start full time work in September :)

[QuarterHorseMac]

I also looking for lessons :D I've seemed to have slipped away from this site as school started, but hopefully my mom will let me get lessons