cantering, crops, bucks and depression

[Destin]

Hi guys

I've been having having private lessons for about 2 months after a couple of months of poor tuition at another school.

I' having big trouble getting the horse I ride to canter. Today I was on this feisty four year old who'd been inside for two days and led me and my teacher a right song and dance until he'd had a chance to trot around for a bit. After he'd calmed down we were working on transition to trot and then up to canter, but would he go? NO HE WOULDN'T!

My teacher said he was just being stubborn and gave me a crop. Now this made me a bit uneasy because the last two people who'd had the audacity to touch him with a whip had been bucked for their pains!

But nothing ventured nothing gained and I gave it a go. I made sure he'd seen me holding the crop before we started and when he still wouldn't pick it up gave him a mild tap. Yes, he bucked but not severely and no, I didn't fall off BUT HE STILL WOULDN'T CANTER!

I'm getting depressed about this.I have cantered on this and other horses before and my teacher says I'm doing well but I'm starting to doubt myself. Is it me? Is it the horse? Or is it both of us? Should I be firmer with the crop or leave it alone all together?

Waddya think?

[Heather]

God help us! If your previous school offered poor tuition, I dread to think of what it was like! This one believe me, can be little better. A four year old is just a baby, and should not under ANY circumstances be used in a riding school situation. He is not being difficult, just plainly doesn't know what is being asked of him. As for being kept in without exercise for two days and then being asked to work,it is sheer cruelty.

If someone wallops him with a whip, when he doesn't understand what is being asked of him, he is not being audacious, just telling you in the only way that he can that he doesn't know what you want. If you are a novice rider and unable yet to stay completely balanced, never mind give a precise and clear aid, it will make things even worse.

It is not REMOTELY your fault but that of your instructor, who should not be placing you or any other pupil on such a young and uneducated horse. If the rider is out of balance and bouncing about trying to get canter, it is decidedly painful for him. Unlike a dog, he can't yelp or cry out, so has to use his only defense, that of resistance or evasion. I would like to take that whip to your instructor.


Heather

[Heather]

Sorry Destin,

When I said in that last sentence, that if the 'rider is bouncing about trying to get canter, it is decidedly painful for him', I didn't make it clear, that I meant the horse, not the rider.


Heather

[David]

Destin,
Everything Heather says in her letter is fact,get out of that riding school fast before there is an accident. I have been teaching for many years and take it from me you should NOT be on a four year old. As heather says he/she does not know what you are asking. Take care, enjoy your riding but please move somewhere else for your own safety.

[Allie]

While I agree with almost all of what Heather said, and this horse is not appropriate for you, I would like to point out that there are 4 year olds out there that are very well trained and understand perfectly what you are asking them. I know this because I've got one of them. Not all horses are ready for serious work at age four, but there are many who are ready both physically and mentally.

Allie

[Heather]

I am sure Allie, that your four year old is very well trained, and I would not be much of a trainer if any four year old that is started by me here in my yard would not be better trained than most of the ten year olds or older than you would find in any riding school. That does not however mean that I would use such a young, easily ruined animal to teach students on, other than ones who are coming to me for advanced training having already trained extensively with me before.

In such a young animal, the training is not suffivisntly ong established that the horse will put up with the confusing signals that any novice however well intentioned will inevitably be giving the horse. It is all part of the learning process, and everyone has to go through it.

This is why all of my novices students start their ridng on a simulator, and progress very quickly to older, wiser, selected schoolmasters, who will teach them, and whose schooling level is maintained by myself and staff inbetween courses.

That is how all schols should operate, but sadly this is rarely the case. It is always the horse who suffers the most, and the student who is not at fault, who ends up poorer and not a lot wiser after dozens of lessons.

HEather

[Rachel R]

Hi Destin,

I haven't got much to add here, except to agree with the others. It is not you, please don't feel that it is. The simple answer is that this horse simply did not understand your request. Sounds to me that you need a new instructor I'm afraid. Unfortunately finding a good instructor is pot luck, especially if you are unsure of what is good or not. Please don't give up. There are some very, very good instructors out there. I notice from your profile that you are in the Swansea area, perhaps if anyone knows that area they could recomend an instructor? Just a thought,

Rachel

[Destin]

Thanks everybody for your input.

I think that in the process of writing the original post and a follow up one to Heather, I'd reached my own conclusion about the standard of tuition I was being given. I was already unhappy at the rough treatment being meeted out to the horse I was riding. At that point I was very close to giving up riding altogether because, if it was necessary to be rough to a horse like that ( and my post didn't give all the details ) then I wouldn't want to ride at all.

Fortunately I've been reassured that such treatment is NOT the way it should be. I'm looking into various alternatives this weekend. Thanks again everybody.

[CLAUDIA]

Good luck searching for a better place to learn to ride. I really hope you find one, because when in a proper setting riding is wonderful for our minds and bodies (I think so, anyway :)).

Knowing that I probably won't be living in this area forever, however nice it would be, I'm beginning to feel uneasy about trying to find a new place to ride when the time comes. It doesn't seem like it's all that often that we're able to find responsible facilities. My instructor (or some other qualified rider) schools the school horses which I thought was strange until I read Heather's message. I thought training like they were doing is only for the show horses, but I guess it makes sense that the school horses need to be continually trained as well. Now I see why my instructor hardly has time to relax--I can only imagine.

Anyway....GOOD LUCK!!!! :)

[fran]

Hi Destin - I second Claudia's post. Really hope you find a decent place to ride because when you do, you'll have a fabulous time (and some low times too, but the good times do make up for it). Sounds like you are exactly the kind of person who should be riding, knowing as you did that something wrong was going on. As Heather says in her book, if you think it's cruel, it IS.
very best of luck, and let us know what happens next...