[StockHorseGirl]

I am starting lessons with my new trainer on Wednesday (!!!) and I haven't taken a lesson in a LONG time, and that lesson was from a very poor trainer. What exactly should I tell her and expect for the first time? I would like to start over pretty much from the beginning because my position is really bad now. I am shooting for an Arabian Hunter Pleasure class in June, if that makes a difference. I have a little over 2 years experience of riding horses, both english and western.

The trainer's name is Cathy Zappe, BTW.

[Berlunz]

tell her exactly that. Tell her you want to start over from scratch because you know your seat is wrong. She, if she is a decent trainer, can from there figure out what you need to work on and evaluate you. She will tell you what you need to work on and how to work on it from there.

[horseguy]

If you have been riding for two years and you have not been taking lessons for a “long time”, you do not yet have what is called “your seat”. It takes a minimum of two years with good instruction for a new rider to establish their seat.

What this means is the traditional sense is that there are riding methods, and it takes a person a couple of years to learn one, and in doing so they must adapt it with an instructor’s assistance to their own body type, and ability. At that point the seat becomes “their own”. Some people who struggle with a difficult body type and /or limited athletic ability may spend up to four or five years establishing their seat.

The first thing that an instructor must develop with a new rider is their base or how their lower body balances. This is a process of separating the actions the upper body muscle group from the lower, and developing muscle memory in the lower body muscle group that allows the rider to move and balance to a substantially effective degree with the movement of a horse.

Self taught riders often develop compensating movements and balances with their upper body to overcome shortcomings in their lower body, which must be undone. This is why it is so important to have consistent good instruction when starting out.

Therefore, given you circumstances I think a capable instructor can gain little from what you might say at a first lesson. I am sure a professional instructor with be polite and listen to your comments, but if they are an effective instructor, they will care only to evaluate your riding and see what must be done and what must be undone. After this you can benefit from what they may tell you. Perhaps then you might ask them to be direct and not to be as kind as they may be inclined to be if you wish to progress quickly.

Since you have ridden for two years and have taken lessons for only a part of that time, I think you must have a horse to ride on your own. If your lessons are on a lesson horse other than your regular horse, you might want the instructor to evaluate your horse too because some horses will continuously ruin a new rider’s riding by forcing them to compensate in ineffective ways. Basically at this point, you need information about where you are, where you horse is, and how you affect one another. Then you need drills or homework to do when you are riding unsupervised.

Good luck

[HoofPrints11]

Dont hide anything about your riding from your trainer, trust me it doesn't work out well. Tell her exactly what you said to us, and any fears you have (jumping oxers, a horse bucking etc) so she can help you work through it =) Its also really good to pick up on a trainers pet peeves and rules really early.

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

horseguy, although I agree alot with your post, I have to disagree about the part when you say, "a capable instructor can gain little from what you might say at a first lesson".


I know the second I walk in to meet up with a new student, I always like to hear the history. It helps to understand what the rider preseives is their problem (which isn't always the actual problem) It also helps me to understand what has been done in the past, and what they expect from me. My biggest and most important question of the entire thing it "what is your short and long term goals?" The OP has clearly stated a show in June, so that is a clear short term goal, but what about the long term?

StockHorseGirl, I think you should tell the trainer exactly what you've told us, but also add in your long term goals as well.

[Berlunz]

Originally Posted by Rhythm 'n Blues

horseguy, although I agree alot with your post, I have to disagree about the part when you say, "a capable instructor can gain little from what you might say at a first lesson".


I know the second I walk in to meet up with a new student, I always like to hear the history. It helps to understand what the rider preseives is their problem (which isn't always the actual problem) It also helps me to understand what has been done in the past, and what they expect from me. My biggest and most important question of the entire thing it "what is your short and long term goals?" The OP has clearly stated a show in June, so that is a clear short term goal, but what about the long term?

StockHorseGirl, I think you should tell the trainer exactly what you've told us, but also add in your long term goals as well.

once again I have to agree with Rhythm. ONe of the first questions my instructor asked me was "What are your plans and goals. What do you hope to get out of this and what do you hope to be doing in the future". I had an instructor before who did not ask me any of this. She was not the best instructor for me and was teaching me the wrong things for the direction I wanted to go. She was my first instructor and I didn't know what she was teaching me was wrong . I was lucky enough to get the perfect draw on the second instructor and have been with her for several years now. When I started with her I didn't know what I was doing wrong or right, I just told her what I wanted to do and she was able to tell me what I needed to do and what I was doing wrong

[horseguy]

I began riding when equestrian sport was primarily male and student’s “perceptions” of their riding were considered in light of their knowledge, which at the beginning is marginal at best. Students learned a defined riding method with objective standards, and until they could perform at a certain level within those standards, their thoughts and opinions were considered a distraction. Goals were set for all but the advanced riders.

Now riding has become for many more of a hobby. The contemporary environment is more feminized, and our culture more “empowering” and psychological. Some say less disciplined. As a result, the general instructional environment has become more like Rhythm ‘n Blues describes.

I like the old approach. I think it produced better riders, and because the authority of the instructor included the selection of horses for his students, you saw far fewer mismatched mounts with riders than you see today.

I must say that my adult students often joke, asking me when I am going to put up a sign on the farm drive that says, “NO psychological services offered at this location”. They know I train fox hunters, polo players and eventers, who ride in dangerous sports and I am not interested to much when we ride in a student’s feelings and perceptions.

I understand that there is a mid point between the kind of well marketed indulgent “customer first” environments that thrive today and my old fashion militaristic approach. Some instructors can pull off a median kind of teaching style. God bless them. But nothing succeeds like a high skill level and confidence in one’s ability born of experience, not talk. I think if someone teaches riding it is best if they take full responsibility for every aspect and just teach riding. This means not marketing the warm soft stuff and staying away from psychology, etc. , unless they are trained in that area as well. This is the old way. Call me an anachronism because I am not in the emotional “well being” business, but I think the old way works better. In dangerous equestrian sports, feelings and even thinking can be perilous risks.

[Lindsayanne]

Holy Cr*poly!!!!!!!

What a small world! I've been clinicing with Cathy Z. every couple months for about a year and a half now! My barn brings her up to Missouri every 2 or 3 months for 3 day clinics. I'm riding with her all next weekend.


Cathy is a fantastic instructor and rider, I have really learned a lot from her in even in just short clinics. She's very no nonsense, but at the same time handles green and timid riders very well. I actually have some youtube videos of her instructing me of you want to watch. She's the one with the British (well, south african) accent, not the German accent. http://www.youtube.com/user/CurlyLindsay

She's one of the select few who have ridden Regal through his exhibition of airs above the ground and earned his respect and best performance.

[horseyfrk145]

Wow Lindsay - that's so cool!!!

Just be really open, answer any questions, tell her about your history and goals, and if anything - be humble! Don't make it sound like you know more than you do (I hate when students do that...), and just keep an open mind!

And, the #1 rule of HGS applies of course! (GET PICS!!!!)

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

horseguy, but what if someone ends up with an instructor who they don't at all like their approach?? Should the student not get to sit down with the instructor and discuss this, with the student being able to use the phrase "I feel...."??

I just can't even imagine being able to get instruction from someone who wouldn't even care or want to listen to what I'm saying. Riding is ALL ABOUT FEEL, so you kinda need to listen to what the rider is saying, and find new and interesting ways to get through to the rider to do your best to teach them "what feel is". And to be able to do that, you really need to speak with them, and get an idea of their feelings, and ideas. At least I do!