How often should I have lessons to learn as an adult beginner?

[LeilaLei]

Hi
I’m in my late 50s and learning to ride. Along with the odd trail ride (really just for relaxation at tourist places) I have had 10 private 1 hour lessons over a 4 month period (with a short break due to a health issue). Generally once a week. Lessons are English but trail rides are Western. I have had 4 different instructors although one in particular for about 40 percent of the time. I mostly ride a 16hh 13 yr old OTTB gelding.
I can do a rising trot in straight lines a bit but turns can be a bit hit and miss. I’ve just tried some weaving around witches hats and trotting over ground poles. I’m still a bit wobbly especially off the straight lines but can get a good run every so often. My fitness (or lack of) gives an extra challenge but it’s improving from riding and other training.
I’m happy enough with the instruction I get and every instructor has slightly different techniques but all with the same goals of course. I do learn something new every time and the horse I usually ride doesn’t give me a free ride!
However, I feel like my improvements are slowing down. I’m wondering how I can boost things with the pattern of my lessons. Group lessons aren’t available for adults except a small group once a week. I also have to fit it around work and of course there’s the cost.
Should I try to ride more often each week? Try the small group? Do an intense week or two? Do more often with some half hour lessons? Ramp up my strength/fitness training with a personal trainer? More technique training off the horse?
Interested in ideas and insights.

 

[Jessey]

Hi, welcome to NR!

I would maybe look at getting a regular instructor every week, they may all be great but they each spend the first 10 minutes assessing where you have got up to since they last saw you, where having someone regular they will know and know what you need to work on and you will get more bang for your buck!

There's a lot to be said for those trail rides too, hours in the saddle can really help with things like balance as it's about building muscles memory and rider fitness.

You could also try doing some yoga or pilates, they both work on your core which is important to have strong for riding, you might go to a class, but you can also find some you tube videos to do at home so help with saving the pennies for more lessons

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I think saddle time is the thing that makes the most difference, but I agree with @Jessey's comment about instructors - best to have the same one (and different horses, would be my ideal!). Also I'm not sure how comfortable you may be with asking for what you want, but if what you want is to improve your balance at trot, well, ask for that to be your goal for the lesson today!

Also, have you had any lunge lessons? I learnt more about how to sit a horse from riding a young horse on the lunge bareback, really just as additional weight to help build her up. I wasn't giving her any direction, just sitting. I had to balance or else! I'm not suggesting bareback, but lunge lessons really are helpful for the rider to focus on developing an independent seat.

 

[starbucker]

my biggest issue when first getting back into it was not having the muscles, hours in the saddle is the way to go and regularly. I did 1 lesson a week, then 2 and took their cancellations where possible so became 3 ..but I had the cash to burn and had firmly been bitten by the horse bug!. Had to wait for people to drop off to secure the regular slots - I hear pilates are good but never had the motivation personally. Even if I have a week or two off I feel it the next time i get on. Sometimes it will feel like youre not making progress and but its not linear, try identify each lesson what you want to work on e.g You say you struggle with corners so work towards feeling more balanced there eg learning to trot circles and serpentines and ask them to work on it with you. Setting goals is so important for feeling progress and some instructors can be lazy and just give you the 'sit on a horse experience'. Where I am instructors coming and going is quite a common occurrence I had about 5 in the space of a year but you pick up different bits of insight from each one along the way.. Keep going 10 rides is not alot in the grander scheme of things enjoy the journey

 

[Skib]

Welcome to NR. You are not alone here. I learned to ride when I was 61 (after 9/11). It takes time and money but you can spin it out over several years.

My first year of riding, I was taught in a small indoor school where other lessons were also taking place. In my second year and at a different school. I began to do as you do and had a lesson and a hack (a trail ride) each week and I continued with riding this way for years, till Covid lock down.

In the UK much excellent teaching is done with the rider on the lunge. I have spent hours on the lunge., It annoyed me as a beginner but later, at another school, I had more advanced lunge lessons and that was excellent training for balance and safety.

Being on the lunge means that the teacher controls the speed and steering of the horse and the rider learns good balance. Learning on the lunge gets one used to riding in trot round a circle (in both directions) and from that it is a small step to trotting round corners.

I agree that one should have the same teacher, but like you I had several different teachers in my first 3 months of riding. To make matters worse, beginners are often taught by the least experienced teachers.

Should I try to ride more often each week? Try the small group? Do an intense week or two? Do more often with some half hour lessons? Ramp up my strength/fitness training with a personal trainer? More technique training off the horse?

To answer the above.
I never rode regularly in a group lesson due to my being older. I only once rode in a group lesson durng which several people fell off, including myself. Safety should be the top priority. But riding in a group costs less, teaches you how to handle a horse near other horses and you get to know other riders, which I never did.
I did not do any exercises to get fit to ride, though I bought an exercise ball which remains unused. I walk a lot and have good health for my age but was an academic girl at school and not good at sports. Riding keeps me fit but I never did any exercises to get me fit for riding.
I dont think I have core strength. I learned to ride horses by breathing deep and relaxing. You need to relax so that the horse can move freely forward under you and you are not obstructing it.
I very much wanted to do a one week course but never found the money to go away from home to do it.

My husband always said that what matters is saddle time. He said to me, Spend an hour in the saddle each week for a year and you will learn to ride. He was right and later he himself did the same.

I dont watch riders on lline but I did buy some dvds.

Just keep riding, as and when you can afford it and you will get there in the end. Remember it is a pleasure and a luxury and enjoy it.

 

[Doodle92]

Everyone is right and the best teacher is time in the saddle. Instructors of course are needed but you have to let your body feel how to ride. So I would say go for as many lessons as you can. A group lesson will be cheeper and possibly teach you less than a 1 to 1 but it is all time in the saddle. If you can go for hacks too that is invaluable and teaches a lot too.

Fitness training i don’t think particular helps with riding. A lot is about suppleness and core strength so Pilates might be more useful. I know I couldn’t run very far but I can ride way longer and faster . Riding is not about strength. There is no way I could stop my 650kg horse even if I was super strong

 

[Skib]

I know I couldn’t run very far but I can ride way longer and faster

That is so true and can be a help. I used to tell my RS horse that I expected her to do the work and move her legs. I would just sit on her softly. I didnt want to labour to get her to move.

 

[Doodle92]

I wasn’t meaning it that way @Skib. I was meaning there are different levels of “fit”. I am not running fit. I am however riding fit. There is nothing easy and low energy way to ride robin So the op can work on her fitness and strength (which of course is always good) but it won’t necessarily make her a better rider.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

it won’t necessarily make her a better rider.

Do I sound as if I'm splitting hairs when I say that it will give her the potential to be a better rider if she uses her core strength, etc? I know exactly what you mean. I am quite strong in my core but can't always use the right muscles to lift Sid's back the way I should.

 

[Doodle92]

What I am meaning is not coming across correctly.

 

[LadyStetson]

Part of me says "As many as you can" and the rest of me remembers how every muscle in my entire body was using different 4 letter words to cuss me out, the morning after my first lesson as a child. LOL I would start with once as week and let your body recover in between. See how you feel. Nothing prepares you for riding, but riding, so you're going to use muscles in different ways than you have before. I also suggest yoga in between for mobility and strength.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I’m not a huge fan of lessons unless I have a specific purpose in mind. I don’t enjoy being told where to ride and what to do, I just want to get on and do my own thing. But then I have had my own horses (either loaned or owned) for the last 22 years so have had the privilege of doing this.

I appreciate that you may not be in a position to have your own horse, but there is nothing like riding everyday to find your riding muscles and make progress. If you can’t have your own, ride as much as you possibly can. As others have said, there is no substitute for saddle time.

 

[LeilaLei]

Thank you for all the supportive and helpful responses. I'm in Australia so most of them I didn't see until this morning so it's a nice thing to wake up to as well.

My lessons sometimes involve on the lunge although I find that sometimes his rhythm trotting changes at times which throws me out (although that's another learning opportunity in itself). In saying that I find it good when he's being a bit off or stubborn).

Fitness goals yes are really core, balance and legs. I'm very lop sided in leg strength and core strength has always been a challenge as I had a hernia for a long time. I may look at classes but I'd actually rather spend the money on riding! I'm about to actually do a plan for all this.

About instructors, I need to see which one I'd like to stick with. But it also depends on their availability, a suitable school horse to ride, and my availability. I'm going to do a small group ladies lesson next week (although this is a bit daunting). This is partly a cost thing but I think it would also be a social opportunity as I don't have any friends who ride. I'm told it's mixed abilities so it might be an interesting experience. I'm not really concerned with comparison with other riders - my only comparator is myself.

And yes yes yes to time in the saddle. I may look at the trail rides a bit more regularly. I also do voluntary work once a fortnight for a special needs riding program which involves grooming, tacking up and removing tack, turning out horses and moving them around (no riding). It all adds up to that understanding and confidence.

You've also reminded me that I started this not to reach a specific goal. It was to ride and be around horses. I'm getting that and my riding ability is just one part of the experience.

 

[carthorse]

A small group lesson may be really helpful, yes you'll get less instruction but that gives you time to play around with what you've been told and feel the effect of it without having to take in more instructions - I find that useful. And as you rightly say there's the social side too, which can also make you relax more and go with the flow, trying too hard can actually stop you achieving what you want as it means you listen less to the horse and your body. Enjoy! And keep up the trail rides for the same reason, plus the charity work which allows you to spend time being around horses and getting a better understanding of them.

 

[Skib]

I dont think I am fit by your standards. Though for my age, I am fit. But I have lots of help on the yard and ride a very amenable mare. Today she was in a vile mood so I was pretty vile myself, getting a grip of her.

. I'm very lop sided in leg strength

I believe most people are. It is like being left of right handed. Even Pippa Funnel the event rider said that she needed to adjust.

My right leg is stronger than my left and it is a bit wider too when I measure for long boots.
For me the importance of having an individual teacher who knew about physical conformation was that she taught me on the lunge how to adjust my weight and balance, particularly on the left rein which was my problem direction.
I still think of that when I canter round a left bend out hacking. Because I am crooked she taught me to distance my right shoulder from my left knee. I think what happens over the years of riding is that one's body absorbs this information. One no longer needs to think about it. One just canters.

These days there are many exercises and pilates courses for riders on line, but it used not to be so.

After a hospital op when I was convalescent in about 2008, there was much publicity for wi fit as used by Helen Mirren. Wi fit has many balance exercises, using a balance board and I did them while recovering.
And then resumed riding.

 

[LeilaLei]

After a hospital op when I was convalescent in about 2008, there was much publicity for wi fit as used by Helen Mirren. Wi fit has many balance exercises, using a balance board and I did them while recovering.

I have a Ring Fit which I think is the successor to this. But I also have a balance disc that I use to do all my squats. It's tricky!

 

[PePo]

If I was learning to ride again I think my ideal would be to try to do a mix of mechanical horse, private or group lessons and hacking if I could but there is a cost implication! It sounds like you are progressing really well and being very sensible about it

Picking up on the fitness discussion, I do think fitness is a key part of riding and will make riding easier.

When I talk about strength, it's not about physically being strong enough to haul a horse into a shape and keep them there or ever stop them running away but about having the strength in your body to maintain a position where you can help the horse so not hindering him or her but also working on the maimtaining the range of movement in your ribcage, pelvis and hips to not block the movement of the horse. And all of that does take strength and endurance of muscles.

I do think before riders work on building the strength and endurance of the riding muscles you really want to make sure you are aligned and know which muscles to use. There are some really excellent online rider programmes such Ridercise, Aligned Rider Academy, Riders Pilates Club and more that will help you learn which muscles you need to switch on for riding and which you might need to dial down a bit.

There's no point building strength in the wrong muscles and if you do other sports or activities, it can be contradictory. I personally cycle which essentially uses for power the muscle set we need to lengthen when riding so need to do a lot of work to help counter this.

For me horse riders should ideally have a fairly good basic level of cardio fitness. When I'm trotting along for 10km, it doesn't really matter how well lengthened, strengthened and tuned in my riding muscles might be, if I'm getting out of breath easily I'm going to tire more quickly and lose my ability to maintain my position and make it harder work for the horse.

In an ideal world I'd suggest a mix of cardio and then targeted stretching & strength work (with isometric exercises).

I think most people would benefit from mechanical horse work as it can be tricky to move what you learn on the mat to a horse and this bridges the gap well.

 

[Jessey]

There's no point building strength in the wrong muscles and if you do other sports or activities, it can be contradictory. I personally cycle which essentially uses for power the muscle set we need to lengthen when riding so need to do a lot of work to help counter this.

This is so true, I was told to cycle more to reverse the effects that riding from so young had on my hips/legs (they're a bit twisted)

 

[LeilaLei]

Thank you - so much helpful information here. I went to a group lesson today and found a good trail riding place. Feeling quite positive today : )

There's no point building strength in the wrong muscles and if you do other sports or activities, it can be contradictory. I personally cycle which essentially uses for power the muscle set we need to lengthen when riding so need to do a lot of work to help counter this.

Do you mean that cycling is bad for riding?

 

[PePo]

Do you mean that cycling is bad for riding?

Not necessarily! It depends on the individual rider. For Jessey, cycling was recommended but for me as I have naturally tight hip flexors and under active glutes which running and cycling can encourage, I have to be careful that whatever strength work I do, counteracts that as being riding fit is my primary aim. I like being fit but not enough to drag myself onto a mat or a treadmill at 5am otherwise

So my off horse exercise programme is based on knowing I need to work on lengthening the tight muscles first before looking to build strength.

Every sport or activity will have their drawbacks on a body, so none are 'bad' as such as I honestly believe a fit rider will always have an advantage.