bad lesson

[Toppie]

Hi all, I haven't posted since I joined in May and love reading all the threads. It's all so fascinating!
Okay, so I don't have any 'horsey' friends and I'm hoping someone can give me some advice or guidance... I started riding lessons for 1/2 hour each week in July and a few weeks ago I also joined the weekly adult group lesson too and have been loving it. I'm currently mastering my sitting and rising trot and have been doing ok.
I had my usual slot this afternoon and for the first time I left feeling so deflated and unsure. today I rode a different horse, more responsive than the usual gent I ride, but it was like I'd taken 3 steps back. Everything I did was wrong, my arms were all over the place, my legs/feet where too far forward and I could not seem to get things right no matter how hard I tried and I think I also pee'd off my instructor too and it's been bugging me since. I know the problem was me but I have no idea why or how any of you can help tbh... but I guess What I want to know Is it normal to have off days or maybe I'm not quite cut out for riding!?? What to do...

 

[Mary Poppins]

Riding brings such huge highs when it goes well. There is no better feeling than jumping the perfect round, showing off in a dressage test or going for a blast.

However, riding also brings such lows! If you knock all the jumps, come last in dressage and your horse starts napping out hacking, you can feel pretty useless.

Everyone suffers the extreme highs and lows. Try not to dwell too much and look forward to the next time you ride.

 

[Jessey]

I really wouldn't worry too much, a change of horse can be a real challenge as they move differently, are wider/narrower, less/more balanced, all of those things might not fit exactly with the muscle memory you have built riding the other horse initially, and then they are more speedy/slower, need more/less strong aids or perhaps different ones entirely, no two horses are the same and you can feel like you have gone back to square one all over again until it all clicks. The more experienced you get riding different horses the easier it is to switch from one to another, its mostly about practice to be able to get on a new horse and keep things refined

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

If the horse was more responsive than you are used to, then it was probably a combination of being too far forward yourself (because you have been used to urging your horse on) and getting "left behind" his movement when he went quicker than you expected. This is PERFECTLY NORMAL and happens to most people when they ride a new horse, or when their own horse changes his behaviour for some reason. Don't be discouraged! Over time you'll learn whether you are more likely to be too forward or too far back, and you'll be able to adjust your balance and seat accordingly.

 

[Bodshi]

Agree with all the above. Even though I ride my own horse all the time and nothing changes, I still have bad days - days when I know I'm just riding like a t*t. I have no idea why, I used to wonder if it was my hormones, but I'm too old for all that business now

Don't worry, you just have to accept that some days won't go as well as you'd like. Next time it will be better. And don't worry about not being 'cut out for riding' - I bet even Charlotte has bad days!

 

[squidsin]

Totally normal to have off days but it sounds like you've just 'plateaud' to me. That's how riding works - it goes really well for a while, and you achieve loads, and then suddenly you stop achieving and it feels like you're going backwards but actually you've just reached a plateau. You have to keep plugging on, and then you'll suddenly notice your riding starts to improve again. It never ends by the way - you never get to a point where you think, wow, I know everything and I am an Awesome Rider!

 

[Skib]

First ride on a new horse is always different - whether love at first ride, or taking a bit of adjustment.
You are in a different saddle too and if your legs are all over the place you could ask whether this horse is wider? Or whether the stirrups are the right lenght as the hole you need will vary from saddle to saddle and horse to horse.
You do need to move on and ride lots of different horses - And often it is wise to take a step backwards. You may have progressed to a more difficult horse but it doesnt mean riding difficult things for the first few lessons. I hacked a horse today I havent hacked before and we really just went for an idle potter to resume acquaintanceship, tho I know from riding him in the school dressage he is a very whizzy horse.
The problem with learning at the beginning is that after a more tentative lesson, you feel you have got worse, whereas once you have been riding a few years, you and your instructor both know you can ride.

 

[22111999]

Hi all, I haven't posted since I joined in May and love reading all the threads. It's all so fascinating!
Okay, so I don't have any 'horsey' friends and I'm hoping someone can give me some advice or guidance... I started riding lessons for 1/2 hour each week in July and a few weeks ago I also joined the weekly adult group lesson too and have been loving it. I'm currently mastering my sitting and rising trot and have been doing ok.
I had my usual slot this afternoon and for the first time I left feeling so deflated and unsure. today I rode a different horse, more responsive than the usual gent I ride, but it was like I'd taken 3 steps back. Everything I did was wrong, my arms were all over the place, my legs/feet where too far forward and I could not seem to get things right no matter how hard I tried and I think I also pee'd off my instructor too and it's been bugging me since. I know the problem was me but I have no idea why or how any of you can help tbh... but I guess What I want to know Is it normal to have off days or maybe I'm not quite cut out for riding!?? What to do...

Honestly, I know it's easy to dwell, but just relax and try and move on. I've been having lessons for years and still make mistakes and have the odd bad habit- noone's perfect! Just try and correct your mistakes next time, but make sure you also try and think about the things you did right too ☺

 

[Toppie]

Thank you for your comments, sometimes the smallest thing feels like a mountain when your learning something new! I've put it down to a bad day on my part and continued. I even did my first canter today, although my gent spooked with the thunder and lightening and I fell off but I got back on and finished my lesson and I'm pleased as punch and a little bit stiff lol

Thanks again for taking the time

 

[Cortrasna]

Not sure if this will help. but I have been riding now for well over 60 years......when I was young I knew I could ride well and ride anything pretty much that was put before me.....when I had my children I still knew I could ride and sit most melt downs, but my fear of injuring myself and leaving my children without a mother to care and love them stole a huge amount of my gung ho confidence.

Fast forward to my 40's, children pretty much getting close to independence and my former dare devil feelings returned, albeit it to a lesser degree

My 50's were plain sailing, I could still do all I wanted without much thought, low level competing and haring like a mad thing across the countryside and safe in the knowledge that my untimely demise would not seriously disrupt my children's life (now young adults.)

Late 50s to early 60s it started to go pear shaped somewhat. Just physically not quite the woman I was, balance still pretty good but nothing like it was...overly aware of my physical limitations and this had the knock on effect of really making my riding confidence quite wobbly to say the least.

What I am trying to say to you is - if you have ridden for one year or sixty, those moments still feel like mountains to all of us. The difference is, some of us clamber back on and give it our best shot if our heart and soul is still dedicated to riding in some way, somehow. A few just hang their stirrups up and say 'this isn't for me'....if you are loving that feeling of when it all goes right, then don't hang your stirrups up, keeping giving it your best shot.

 

[Little-red]

Thank you for your comments, sometimes the smallest thing feels like a mountain when your learning something new! I've put it down to a bad day on my part and continued. I even did my first canter today, although my gent spooked with the thunder and lightening and I fell off but I got back on and finished my lesson and I'm pleased as punch and a little bit stiff lol

Thanks again for taking the time

Well done most of all for getting back on and finishing the lesson - yes safety checks before doing so are of importance but i am an absolute believer in getting your bum back in that saddle as soon as you can! Took me 10 years to get back into one and ive been kicking myself ever since starting again last year for ever letting go of riding.

Im back at riding school now and still have wobbly days when i look like ive never so much as seen a horse let alone jumped one around a course in the school the week before - it happens to all of us. My personal moment that seems to crop up to challenge me is suddenly not being able to ask for canter correctly. I work and work on it, maybe get a stride if im lucky, go home feeling frustrated and then the next week simply sit, squeeze, ask and off we go into canter like nothing happend. Its just what happens with riding!

Keep your chin up and carry on doing your best, you sound like you have the right attitude for learning to ride it will all come with time x

 

[YorkshireLass]

Hi all, I haven't posted since I joined in May and love reading all the threads. It's all so fascinating!
Okay, so I don't have any 'horsey' friends and I'm hoping someone can give me some advice or guidance... I started riding lessons for 1/2 hour each week in July and a few weeks ago I also joined the weekly adult group lesson too and have been loving it. I'm currently mastering my sitting and rising trot and have been doing ok.
I had my usual slot this afternoon and for the first time I left feeling so deflated and unsure. today I rode a different horse, more responsive than the usual gent I ride, but it was like I'd taken 3 steps back. Everything I did was wrong, my arms were all over the place, my legs/feet where too far forward and I could not seem to get things right no matter how hard I tried and I think I also pee'd off my instructor too and it's been bugging me since. I know the problem was me but I have no idea why or how any of you can help tbh... but I guess What I want to know Is it normal to have off days or maybe I'm not quite cut out for riding!?? What to do...

I had the same when I changed to new horses too! It can be hard because every horse is different and they all have their own personalities. Try not to worry, though - it will really help you in the long run to be able to get on different horses - they do it at my school because it varies things and makes you a stronger rider in the long run. I have a weekly lesson and sometimes have a hard time with one horse in particular - but don't be put off, try and ride differently next time. Remember horses can feel what you think! So you may have been feeling nervous when getting on board the new chap and it disconcerted him a bit, therefore your aids weren't their best and he didn't know what you were asking. It happens - nobody ever has perfect lessons all the time! I look at a new horse as a new experience - and I will get a nice canter out of that awkward one!!