Lesson yesterday at new RS

[fuglyjowls]

I had a lesson yesterday at a new RS - I've been having lessons for about 2 months after a 3 year break from riding and I'm very happy with my current RS but the one I went to yesterday is nearer to my work and a bit cheaper so I thought I'd give it a go because if I like it I might be able to stretch to a lesson and a hack each week.

Anyway - my lesson was on an ex BSJA horse who was lovely but huge:eek:
Once I got him moving off my leg (after the first 5 minutes of struggling - partly me but partly the RI said he'd done a lot of work and wasn't too happy about another lesson:( ) things went well. It was just an assessment lesson so we just did a bit of walk, trot, canter, transitions, circles, a couple of 3 loop serpentines etc and he was going really nicely for me most of the time.

(This is the bit where I say BUT) - BUT when cantering a 20 metre circle I found it really hard to get him to turn on the circle - he was going really wide and at one point took off in a completely different direction and jumped over a heap of poles which were lying around. Now this is not a problem I've ever had before so I don't know what I was doing wrong - the RI said I wasn't looking far enough ahead on the circle but I've always been taught to look a quarter of the circle ahead (if you see what I mean) she said I should be looking at least half way ahead (e.g if starting the circle on the long side on the right rein I should be looking 90 degrees to my right directly at the other side. I'm confused because this means you're not looking round a circle at all but to your right:confused: :confused:

She also said that when going large round the school I should be looking two corners ahead (e.g. coming round the corner from the long side onto the short side I should be looking at the corner in the opposite side of the school). I've never been taught to look that far ahead before and I just can't get my head round it - has anyone any advice on this?

Don't know whether I'll be going back there yet as I also found her way of speaking REALLY irritating (petty I know:D ) but just wondered if anyone had any comments.

[cvb]

well - jumping-wise you are normally looking further ahead. Plus it may be that this horse needed more turn in the rider to get him to listen and looking that much further ahead created the right turn in you ?

I think I am somewhere between the two - probably 120 degrees round a circle rather than 90 or 180. You wouldn't want *too* much twist in the rider !

In terms of short ends of schools, you do need to be looking to the *next* move after the one you are currently on. So if you are looking at the first short corner as you ride into it, you will probably not get a smooth line. But as I ride into the first short corner I will be looking beyond my exit from there and into the next corner - but not *beyond* the second corner - again that would be a much much rider-turn in my view.

[chaz_the_star]

Glad it was good fun! I don't really know anything about looking around, I've never really been taught that, but on the canter circle, it sounds like you didn't have him on your outside rein. One of my old ponies was like this, and if you didn't ride her into that shoulder, espec on canter circles, she'd just run out the side.

[Sol_Gemma]

i had a lesson a few weeks ago at a school in devon near where my boyfriend lives. Its a nice place and the people are friendly but the horse was so unresponsive. He had a lesson before mine so i think he might have been a bit tired. I think thats the problem with alot of school horses they do have alot of work to do and alot of different riders so although they are quite calm and safe theyre not always the easiest to ride :D
If your not happy with this place prob best to stick with your current school

[dressagelover]

hi the instructor was right very well schooled horses are trained to be very responsive of position looking that little bit further around actually means you sit up straighter example on right rein doing a 20m circle from b looking at e will mean you turn your head to the right making you lean more to the right helping the horse round also if the horse is going to the left when doing a right circle your left hand was probably too far forward and not close enough to the horses neck being an ex bsja he is taught to be upright in all transitions and if you drop or losen the outside rein in a movement the horse will drop his shoulder and have an exit which he took i hope this makes sense you will learn alot from very well schooled horses but you have to be happy at the end of the lesson so if you are happy with your old school i would stay there good luck with it all

[fuglyjowls]

thanks guys for all your answers - I've been away for a couple of weeks and I'm now trying to catch up (at work at on NR - 20 pages of new posts to look at:eek: - should be working not looking at NR but you know how it is;) )

I've taken on board what you've said and I think I'm going to try having lessons at both places if I can to see what happens. Will keep posting more questions no doubt:rolleyes: