Is it me or is the riding school rubbish

[EnlightenedOwl]

Getting back into riding after a long break went on a couple of pony treks, walked, trotted, all good decided to go to riding school for some lessons.
The pony I was given was hopeless totally dead to the leg, had to kick, push, use a stick
Same pony again this week and she asked if I wanted to canter. This was after it tried to scrape me off against the gate by the way.
The bloody thing wouldn't canter. She said you have to really kick. But by kicking I just couldn't sit at all and she said oh you're pulling on the reins all the time but that was because I felt so unbalanced by kick kick kick.. But it wouldn't go. She said oh he's not used to cantering in the arena as he normally has beginners on him.
I need the horse to respond to the aids so I can learn!

[CocktailQueen]

The riding school will have various standards of horses, but what you describe is common for riding school ponies I've ridden - hard mouths, have to kick, don't respond to aids. Can you ask for a better horse? Or are there other riding schools close to you?

[sleeplessinthesouth]

I found this when I returned to riding. I was paying £££££ for lessons on dead to the leg horses and sharing the school with several other riders and wasn't getting anything out of it.

So I found a horse share. I pay £70 per month to have my horse every Saturday, I can do as I please - long hack or schooling. He is kept at a yard with great facilities, most of the time I can get the school completely to myself, there is an instructor on site if I want a lesson. It is much better value than I was getting from the riding school.

If your riding / horse care knowledge is good enough, maybe keep your eyes open for a suitable share.

[FlockOfTwats]

Stop pulling on the reins then.... you cant expect the horse to know youre only pulling on the reins because youre unbalanced???

None of the horses are like this at mine though, but its a very small school and only has four horses for adults. 2 beginnger horses, one who you could stick a beginner on safely but you will get a lazy plod around so better to have the slightly more experienced on him to get the best, and one for more advanced riders.

My riding instructor keeps the beginner horses schooled herself to keep them nice and balanced and responsive. The other two arent really in danger of developing the same habits as those ridden by beginners.

[mrslaughan]

I think if you can't sit and balance, and kick to get the canter, without pulling on the reins, then it is not the horses fault - sorry, but it is probably looking after you as it can feel you are not balanced....better that than it takes off and you come off.

I would suggest rather than being focused on cantering, you need to focus on developing your seat, and independent hands......I personally think the best way to do this is on the lunge, and without stirrups

[RinkyTinkTen]

Hmm, I understand your predicament you can't learn to sit quietly and give the aid to canter properly if you are so busy kicking. The horse finds it hard if you're pulling on the reins as you're giving mixed messages. If the instructor is telling you to kick, kick, kick, the pony is unlikely to give a shit I imagine. It's unproductive and tbh, not fair on the pony or on you.

You could ask for a neck strap to help take the pressure off the pony's mouth holster you get your balance or I would either find another better riding school, or do as a pp said and find a share with someone who knows you're a beginner and willing to learn but also has good facilities and an on site instructor.

[Brices]

The aid for canter is not a kick. Buy a long schooling whip. From the moment you first get on mean business. From very first walk on if the horse does not respond to gentle squeeze give a very "almost over the top" whip response by the side of your heel, without taking hands off rein. This will almost certainly startle and surprise your mount, so be ready. Your now off walking stroke near withers "good boy/girl". Aim is dominance but fair, your not the average rider. Again maintain stance when asking for walk to trot gentle squeeze, no response short hard whip again by leg. So that horse almost surprised - what is going on.

Basically your re-schooling, but to be honest "kick harder" sounds rubbish to me. If I was with you I'd get on and do the above. Then you'd get back on we'd go on the lunge and I'd get the lungeing whip, so that you could experience canter with me delivering the aids on the ground.
Not been in a riding school for very long time, but it sounds poor to me.

[Brices]

As well I would add, despite the amount of contact you deem necessary (via reins/ bit) a schooled animal would not be "confused" and think you can't mean go forward more.
This is my first venture into The Tack Room, no idea I was so opinionated on this subject!

[Brices]

I'm here again!
The last thing I would advise is go without stirrups. This from my experience encourages griping with the knees. Without stirrups can demonstrate an independent seat but not develop. You want the opposite, open up the knees away from saddle, open up thighs, turn toes out away from horse, heel down. So that a long line of your entire leg is always in contact with the horse, deliver the leg aid by heel down pushing contact against horse, opening up the seat. This is why this kicking business is so detrimental!

[Booboostoo]

I think you need some lessons on the lunge to find your balance again. On the lunge you are not responsible for the reins so you can hold onto a balance strap until you feel more in balance and you should certainly ride without stirrups it's the only way to develop a decent position, but it may not be safe to do so on your own until you are sufficiently balanced.

[EssexMummy123]

hhmm i'm a novice and i've been to five riding schools in the past 5 years and had one share, i can honestly say that the better schooled horses have been a pleasure to ride but the first place i tried had the beginners cob that you describe and i would have to put so much effort in to getting it to canter I'd feel abusive - i went somewhere else and found a nice bunch of people to ride with and horses that were better schooled and far more willing.

At the end of your day your paying good money for these lessons and if your not happy then why not shop around, try all of your local RS and possibly shares until you find the best match for you.

[EnlightenedOwl]

Hi
booked in with another riding school. I am not a beginner just a lapsed rider and "back in the day" rode at most of the local shows on my share horse. Not bigging myself up but just pointing out I am not a complete beginner either! New riding school gave me a pony which was kind and responsive to the leg and we popped into canter no problem. Also did some cantering without stirrups to get me sitting deeper and using leg effectively.Much better experience all round.
The pony I was on last week at the other place was completely sour. Leaving the yard he walked on very nicely but the minute turned to go into the arena was a different animal clearly fed up with the job.

[FlockOfTwats]

If you can't canter without pulling the reins (On any horse) through being unbalanced then you are a novice - Nothing wrong with that - You can also be a novice in practise even if in theory you should be more experienced (Like me, ive neglected my english riding, and now to look at me ride, i'm a novice in practise, even though i do know how to do things, and i can explain to other people how to do things, i've just neglected my own so im struggling to put it into practise, do you get me?!)

The new place sounds much better though, i do think your riding instructor previously was more at fault than you for yelling kick kick kick, not productive.

I also think some horses do genuinely go sour - The better riding schools, in my experience, tend to have a time limit on how long they keep them, and will get them doing other things while theyre there to keep them from going sour.

[NigellasDealer]

sounds like you need to go on the lunge if you are using your reins for balance.
some riding school horses get like this but I guarantee that if an experienced rider got on they would go like shit off a shovel

[EnlightenedOwl]

I can ride without hanging onto the reins in fact on my lesson at new school instructor said I have soft hands and pony working in a nice outline, but the pony at the other school was impossible and I don't want my knee smashed against the gate which is a dangerous trick "oh he does that" was the response!

[Brices]

LOL "oh he does that" what an attitude!
So blasé, end of day safety issue.
Glad your sorted out. Funny coming back to something you question your gut instincts because it's been a while, but you were right all along

[EnlightenedOwl]

so another lesson at new school and again all went swimmingly Pony was not especially forward going but was able to push him into and keep a canter. Just can't understand what went so badly wrong the other week but I don't think it was my riding.

[todayisnottheday]

Even a balanced rider struggles to continually boot a horse whilst sitting in the saddle in trot so I don't think it was you either. Sadly some riding schools do allow horses to become sour which is sad for everyone, especially the horse!

A true kick along is great for a super safe hack out but really not ideal for early lessons! It's great that you're now at a place that works for you, you'll be off looking at horses for yourself in no time