Lessons or Lease???

After coming back to riding after a BIG break, I have really enjoyed it and have decided that a goal I would like to set for myself is that at the beginning of next year I want to start looking for a horse (to buy).

I told both of my instructors this, and they both said that my riding now is good enough for me to get a horse now, one even said that going out and competing should be a goal for this year. But I don't want to have to get a complete beginners horse and realise that in a year or two that I want a change (i.e. More challenging horse). One of my instructors suggested a lease - the thing is that if I were to do the lease I would have to cut down on my lessons.

I currently take 2 lessons a week (sometimes 3) and if I were to lease I would probably have to drop back to one a fortnight, occasionally one a week. My question is, which will help my riding more, leasing and riding 4-5 times a week without an instructor, or continuing with lessons 2-3 times a week?

Cyber cookies and milk for everyone who bothered reading that essay cheers.

P.s. There is a poll at the top of the page

Few lessons and lease. That way you can get used to riding on your own implementing what you are learning without you instructor present.

I have no idea what a fortnight is.. even after living in England for a decade and some change.. but I suggest lease. You will learn so much with that horse and having a lesson now and then would really bring you farther than 2-3 lessons a week on a horse you can't go out and practice on.

Just my cents.

I think that because your instructors both think you are riding well enough to be showing and owning your own horse that leasing would be the better option, especially because you can still take lessons occasionally... I believe a fortnight is 2 weeks right? In the 8-10 rides you would do in between lessons you would get to practice the things you are learning in lessons and get comfortable riding on your own, etc.

Good luck!

I'd say go for the lease. It will help get you prepared for what it will be like to own a horse, and help you figure out what you want in a horse. Plus you'll get more time in the saddle, just not in lessons. I was riding 7 days a week, but only having a lesson once a week when I won some of my biggest titles with Dallas. I set up a weekly plan with my trainer and I'd ask her questions, but I only had my actually lesson once a week. The more you ride the better you get.

Lease with lesson(s) would be my choice: you can take a lesson and then practice what you learned between the lessons.

Lease but also take one lesson a week as a refresher. What ever you concentrated on in your weekly lesson you can then focus on during the rest of the week leasing.
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Lease and take one lesson a week as a refresher, that would be what I would do!
<3<3

Lease for sure
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Definately lessons and lease. You're lucky you can still afford 1-2 per fortnight doing that, I've had to cut down to one per month :(