New riding school, new confidence

[LindaAd]

:D

I am so pleased about this! I'd been riding off and on at a couple of schools, neither very near to me, and after the episode with the cob for sale I thought I'd just try the one up the road ...So I booked a one-hour hack, and the horse they gave me was totally perfect - a real chunky weight carrier, but with a lovely long neck and the head of a welsh cob -
and so steady and so responsive that I felt full of confidence. There was only me on the ride, and when the leader asked if I'd like to canter, I said, no ....er um ...well, just a short one. And it was fine, not scarey at all. I really felt as if I'd found out how to ride again.

So I booked a lesson, and they gave me a different horse. They said she was just as nice as the first one, but with go-faster stripes. Ulp. And she was a chestnut mare (Ginny, the horse who scared me is a chestnut mare ...). So there was this long chestnut neck, and these chestnut ears - ulp again. But she was a delight - just as steady and just as responsive as the first one: there were two of us in the lesson, and we did walk, rising trot, sitting trot ... and canter! And finished up with two tiny jumps - my knees were jelly, but I did it.

No photos, of course, but I feel as if I can ride again - it was all so easy, canter transitions and all. Once we struck off on the wrong leg, back to trot, strike off again - no problems. Once there was a muddle because she broke the canter and wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, but it was easy to get organised again.

The instructor? He was pleasant, and very positive, and said all the usual things - thumbs on top, sit up straight, don't forget to breathe - but I think the real instructors were the horses. I'm amazed - just had to share this with you.

Linda

[Sol_Gemma]

thats great :) sounds like you've found the school for you! What happened before?

[Denbenj]

Awwe so happy for you. Theres nothing worse than lost confidence I can second that... but theres nothing better than getting it back!

Well done :D

[Skib]

That is really good. I am so pleased for you. And you are a real example of why it can be a good idea to try a different teacher or horses from time to time.
That teacher you had sounds great too; a teacher knowing when not to say things can be as important as one who constantly barks out orders.
Without a good teacher you can't learn from the horse.

But the most credit goes to you? I now think success learning to ride as an adult involves "teaching ourselves." By re-assessing what we "cant do" at any given moment and finding the good teachers. And horses we like. I havent put it very well because it takes self-disatisfaction first, like you said, nerves or trouble getting back to canter, to make us uncomfortable first. Before we are spurred to take action.

But you set an example to us all.

[Afellpony]

Sounds really good. Glad you enjoyed yourself. Will you be riding there again?

[Trace The Ace]

Good for you for perservering! :)

[Whatanejit]

Oh well done!

What a great find. Fingers crossed it keeps up for you:)

Keep us posted.

xx

Dee

[vince42]

Glad you had such a good time, it sounds like you've found a good yard:) Solid instructors and confident confidence giving horses are a good recipe for success.

@ Skib,

I think you've got it about right re "teaching ourselves". I've had good and bad experiences on different horses, yards and teachers and have always tried to assess what went right and wrong and how to improve things. As a beginner it's terribly difficult to assess whether you are receiving good instruction unless you actively move around yards and instructors - you'll
never know what works for you until you try out different ones.

Probably the most important skill from the instructor matching the horse to pupil and to match the challenge to the lesson. At my current yard I've been given the opportunity to ride 6 or 7 different horses challenging in different ways but nevertheless within my current ability.

It's almost essential to find a yard where there are several horses you can ride at the level you're at especially one you have absolute confidence in, I've had a couple of crunching falls and afterwards it's great to move back into the comfort zone for a while. Also each horse requires using your body in different ways and changing from one to another stops you lapsing into any bad habits - as some horses will let you away with things and others won't.

I find I learn from the horse when it goes right - it's when it goes wrong I need the instructor to make the distinction between rider problem and horse problem; usually of course it's a rider problem:o


Hope you stick with the new place for a while and enjoy the riding again - that's why we go through it all isn't it?:)

[LindaAd]

Thanks for all your encouraging replies.

Gemma, what happened before - about two years ago - was that I had a fall from my daughter's mare and frightened myself.

Skib, I don't think there's anything to take credit for (thanks all the same ..): I didn't do anything that needed great courage or great perserverance, apart from facing the chance that when I rang up they'd tell me I was over their weight limit ...

Afellpony: yes, I'll certainly be riding there again, quite a lot. Although it's far from being perfect; it's fairly scruffy and the outdoor school is stuffed full of jumps so when you try to ride a circle or change the rein you have to weave in between them, and there's no way you could do any other shapes. I'm not sure how good this teacher is either - at the moment he suits me, because, as Skib says, I'm really teaching myself and I just need a few reminders and someone to say Yes you can do it. But the important thing for me at the moment is the chance to ride these horses ...

Linda