Trouble controlling horse on road

[Debi]

This has been bothering me since yesterday. I went on a trail ride with my instructor and 3 other students - this was my choice for the lesson that day. We were doing fine until we were on the side of the road with cars on either side and on one side a greenhouse with flapping tarps and on the other side a llama farm with the whole herd rushing to the fence to look at us (it was rather eerie). My friend was on Lancaster, a very young, green horse who became very nervous and agitated at the tarps (and eventually bucked her off - but she neatly landed on her feet holding the reins). Lancaster's nervousness then made Amber, my horse, very nervous too and she walked onto the road. I was using a lot of leg and rein too to get her off the road as there was now a line of cars behind us, afraid to pass. My instructor just stayed up ahead and kept yelling back at me to get off the road, which was what I was trying to do! My horse was doing the back up , whirl, thing and I was afraid to do something to her that would cause her to move into traffic. Eventually we turned around and went the longer route off the road. My instructor kept syaing next time use more leg (I was using a lot!) and mentioning how we were now behind schedule b.c we had to take the longer route because of me. Well I felt terrible. This was a lesson! Her shouting at me to get off the road wasn't very helpful. The whole incident just undermined my confidence. I wasn't scared or nervous at the time which is good for me. I just wanted some feedback on it. I just feel like I am taking lessons to learn to ride better. I work hard at my riding and being yelled at like that wasn't very conducive to helping me achieve the immediate objective of getting the horse off the road or the larger objective of improving my confidence and my riding ability.

[KarlR]

It sounds to me like you already know this, but just so that you are clear...this was your instructors fault from start to finish.

It is always the instructors responsibility to make sure that the ride is safe at all times, that the horses are either unflappable or ridden by very experienced riders, particularly where traffic is concerned. As far as hacks are concerned they should check a route out before taking a troupe of students along it in order to check for problems - a llama farm and a flapping greenhouse should raise alarm bells for even the most short sighted instructor. The later deviation from the route was due to the instructor making the wrong decision in the frst place.

Taking any green horse out in such a circumstance requires an excellent rider and in the first instance a lead from a bombproof horse.

Whilst the instructor was correct to be at the front, simply shouting at you to kick the horse on just increases tension and risk of inury. At the very least I would have expected clear, calm instructions to be given to you (sit up; pull outside rein; kick with outside leg; etc), with compliments when you finally got the horse back under control - ideally (depending on circumstances) she should have ridden back and ridden side-by-side with you to calm the horse too.

It sounds to me like this instructor is either ludicrously inexperienced, or is being careless to the point of negligence. I personally would have no hesitation in making the strongest complaint to the school in question and if the feedback wasn't sympathetic and apologetic I would leave.

Traffic is dangerous and needs handling in such a way that increases horse and rider confidence without compromising safety of either. Like any riding problems this could, properly handled, have been an wonderful opportunity to give you both more confidence, but became quite the opposite. Very sad.

[Outrider]

Karl is absoulutely right! It is the instructor's responsibility to ensure that the proper horse is chosen for the proper lesson. If these horses were not used to traffic, they should not have been let out on the road. Period! It is not the student's fault at all. If an instructor is going to take horses onto a busy roadway, they had been get them traffic trained. If not, they have no business being there. Happy Trails!

[Debi]

Thanks so much for your feedback. I did at one point ask the instructor to come back and ride next to me since that might have helped. When she didn't do that another student, who is a very good rider, came but her horse reared up which scared my horse more. Later my instructor told me I needed to sit up straight when I was using my leg. Although I thought I was doing that, it's very possible I wasn't so that's what she should have yelled at me - simply repeating "Get off the road" didn't really help at all.

I do think she makes odd choices of which horses to take - the horse she was on is scared of Lancaster bc Lancaster attacked her in the pasture when he first arrived. The instructor can handle her but I was on that scared horse last time riding behind Lancaster (that was his first hack) and no one told me that this horse was scared of Lancaster so I couldn't figure out why I was having such a hard time controlling her. Finally someone mentioned it and I moved her away from Lancaster and she was fine.

I have my riding safari coming up in Botswana at the end of the month and I was having second thoughts based on the road incident so it was nice to hear that perhaps it was the situtation and not just my riding.

[KarlR]

I strongly suspect that you will have no such problems on your holiday, but if you are still nervous mention it to them so they don't give you anything too flighty.

Even the most confident rider takes a little while to recover from an incident like this, but I'm sure that you will have a wonderful time.

Don't forget to tell us how you got on!

[lamprellsarah]

sorry to hear about your bad ride, don't let it get you down it was the instructors fault, don't let it upset any other rides you intend to do.
i have been on many holiday rides and i have to say all of them have been very pleasent ones, the first time you go they give you a real plodder or just a bombproof one, then next time you go they match one up to your riding experience but they never over horse you, hope you have fun!!!
if you get to go on a beach ride, take it they are the best!!
Good luck

[Bebe]

Boy can I relate to this one, been there done that and am not interested in getting the t-shirt!!!!

As everyone else has said, this was your instructors fault plain and simple. Lessons are not the time to get young horses used to the dangers of road riding, nor are they for riders who are less than 100% confident doing it.

People usually yell when they have run out of advice/ideas or have lost their cool. Sounds like your instructor did both, neither of which were appropriate for the situation. I doubt that it did anything for the horses confidence, never mind yours.

If I was you I'd avoid riding out with this instructor again.

Amanda