Can you ever be a really great rider through only having RS lessons?

[Bertie]

I share I was looking into didn't work out and I've gone back to my RS, which isn't the best in the world but far from the worst and they are working on the faults they have :)

But my question is can I have become a really good riding rider by only riding in group lessons once or twice a week with the odd private when I can fit it in :confused: :confused: :confused:

Some people are happy hacking, with a little bit of schooling but for me I want to be good on the flat, be able to neogiate a small course of jumps and handle myself in avruety of situations - is this ever really achievable or will I always be just OK??

[jacxXx]

it depends, i became a good rider from riding schools, but then i worked their and rode the dificult horses for free, i guess they tought me more than the instructers in the long run!
personaly i think if you have access to a horse you can ride by your self you can experiment with your riding with out worrieing about looking a fool, but, i'd say never give up lessons, you'll never be the best you can be, but you can still be good just being at a riding school, but having a horse you can just go cuddle beats everything :)

[ajhainey]

What you say you want is probably achievable i think, assuming the school has a good progression of horses for you to try. I think getting good enough for the odd local comp etc is more than possible, I've seen people do so. But I wouldn't class that as a really good rider, just competent.

I wouldn't say being what I think of as a really good rider is achievable only in group lessons at a school unless you start very young? I think you need time alone, to experiment, develop a natural seat and just chill out with horses and lots and lots and lots of time in the saddle - none of which is compatible with doing just a 1 hour lesson once a week (only 50 hours a year probably, or the equivalent of 10 full days riding)

Happily for me I'm only aiming at 'doesn't strike the fear of god into ride leaders and instructors (and horses)' :p so my once a week lesson, once a week hack, holidays 3 times a year regime seems to be working just fine....

aj xx
edited to add: Thats not to say you have to own your own to be good - but yuo would have to be doing lots more than 1 group lesson a week, i.e working at a yard, or helping out with exercising, helping work in the young horses etc etc. Certainly you can get good riding 'riding school horses'. When they first arrive (and in some cases always!) they by no means all match the safe and steady stereotype! After all at most yards at leadt some will BE privately owned...

[NuttyMare]

I can't really comment as I have private lessons once a week :p buuut I get to ride a variety of horses under instruction that help me to be able to ride different types of horses, rather than slacking and having to ride one type if that makes sense.

[chev]

I would say it'll take you a lot longer to get to where you want to be.

The problem with group lessons is that you never really get the opportunity to work on you, and the horse, with no distractions, even repeating something over and over if you need to.

I have lessons at a riding school; but they're private lessons, just me and one very very good instructor. She freelances and does one day a week at the school. The only real difference between the lessons I have there and the lessons I'd have at home is that I get to ride the school horses and they have better facilities than I do.

It also depends on the horses you have access to. I'm lucky in that I get to ride some fairly talented horses from a 14.2ish ex-JA up to a 15.3 dressage mare - not all schools will have horses that can really teach much beyond the basics.

[Kate F.]

All depends on what you mean by "great" or "really good"! :D In my book "great" is reserved for the top in the world - people with that extra something - they instinctively just seem to grow out of the horse and be part of it. Great riders are not necessarily great competitors - but they have something that most of us can never aspire to and are a dream to watch! "Really good" in my book would be people who are successful and effective in their field, but don't have that "je ne said quoi" to make them "great".

However, what you describe sounds like about BHS Stage 2 - or what they call "Reiternadel" in Austria. This should be perfectly attainable on reasonably good school horses. As Chev said, it might take a bit longer - but you will also have the benefit of having ridden lots of different horses through the whole process, so you may end up a better "all-rounder" at this level than someone who just concentrated on getting to this level with one horse.

I'd say, if that's your goal, go for it. When you've reached this, or even before, maybe the right horse for you will present itself - but don't be put off your goal if it doesn't. I firmly believe that horses often come to find us when the time is right!

Good luck!

kate

[Bertie]

Thanks Kate and all those who replied, I'll never probably be "great" but I would like to really good, unfortunately I seem to have palteaued in terms of the riding school horses available, on occassions I'm the schools crash test dummies with new horses which have only been ridden previously by YO or staff which at times can be scary.

I would ideally like to be able to compete at high unaffiliated level in a variety of disciplines from SJ to XC to Dressage and equitation - high hopes I know ;) :D but you've got tyo have goals.

Group lessons as well are my only option at the moment as pribates are only available in the day and as I work full time this limits the amount of times I can go.

I agree with your comments about group lessons - working on specifics can be really difficult and frustrating at times :)

Fingers crossed I'll get there eventually :)

[Pink's lady]

UNfortunatly you can only be as good as the RS you ride at. If they don't have the horses or the instructors, you can't get past a certain level.

It would definitly be worth looking around for really good riding schools. They are usually expensive but yuo could get a lesson there occasioanlly and them practise at your normal school.

But as others have said, the only way you will ever really learn is by getting a chance to just mess around yourself and gain experience. That's really hard to do if you don't have your own horse.

Have you told your school about your ambitions? They might be able to help (if they're nice). Some places let regular helpers take the school horses to compettions etc. It rewards the helpers and keeps the horses fresh and interested.

[teapot]

just saw this and thought i would reply.

I think you can gain a lot from riding at just a riding school but it does really depend on what horses you have to ride. Where I am, im lucky enough to be able to ride not just the typical riding school ponies who can all be worked on from behind to start working towards an outline to the other end of the scale : an ex-advanced eventer, a medium dressage horse and a horse competing in pre-novice BE (just a couple of examples).

If you feel you're not progressing but would like too, I would suggest trying to move stables if you have got a bigger one in your area.

have you looked on the bhs webbie for ideas