Have you noticed how much harder you work when you have an instructor?

When I ride at home, yes I work hard and practise everything my instructor told me to. However when I am at lessons, man oh man, I am sweating, it's running into my eyes, and the front of my shirt is soaked. I try to ride like this at home, but no one is pushing me so I suppose I relax more. Yesterday's lesson I rode with my husband, I noticed he was sweating too, front of his shirt was wet. Our instructor is super in tune with her students, she knows where every muscle of ours & the horses are at any given moment. She even had me & the horse working our butts off at the walk, regular walk, extended walk & collected walk. I am definitely getting my money's worth. This instructor is best one I've had, EVER! No wonder it took 5 years to finally get on with her. Let's hear more about good instructors from everyone!

Yes, I can relate! I think I'm pushing myself on my own, but within the first 10 minutes of a lesson, my legs are burning, I'm breathing hard, and thinking there's no way I can survive another lap around the arena. Definitely not how I feel 10 minutes into riding on my own!

It raises an interesting question- how can you reproduce that intense direct instructor feedback when you're on your own? I think I'm monitoring myself by picking a point in the arena to do my own mental checks (heels down, elbows bent, transition, bend, change direction, etc.) but it's just not the same.

It is great that you have someone who can push you though, I know how much I appreciate that too!

Play their voice over a loudspeaker

I notice the same effect with group versus private lessons. When it's only one person, you can't get away with anything, and you never get a break. It's a workout!

My instructor is GREAT! I am still learning the complicated stuff with keeping the horse straight, making real circles (instead of lopsided circles), etc. I find that there is about 1,000% more stuff that goes on in lessons than I can actually take in at one time, so I try to focus on one or two things she tells me...and then I work on that stuff when I'm cooling the horse off or warming it up.

One thing my trainer does is that she periodically makes a video, and e-mails it to me. That REALLY brings some of this stuff home! I mean, I hear her tell me 1,000 times to do something-or-other, but when I watch the video and see what I've done right before she tells me this thing (again!) I get SO much of a better understanding of what I need to change!

The lessons really keep me focused. (These are private lessons, by the way. For one, I think I'm the only adult novice rider at this barn, for two, I really want that directed feedback. Really, I do not get away with ANYTHING.)

This instructor has it all worked out when I ride with my husband. When she is giving him instruction, she makes me work on something else & vice versa. Amount of sweat produced is equal to when I take a private lesson, I love it! Funny thing is, my horse sweats the same amount at lessons & at home. I do notice he tries to hide when he figures out he is going in the trailer to a lesson. Like I can't figure out he's in the barn.

I have to thank my current trainer for where I am at with my horses (and myself). She's very encouraging and helped us to progress and change so much!

Yes, lesson is usually tough: I'm all wet even when I ride in winter. But every time it gives me something new to work on at home (so we are usually wet while riding at home too ).

Oh man, I've had a few instructors since I first started riding. My first instructor is a great lady who I still keep connected with. She was great for beginners but once I got older I realized I really needed a push and a one-on-one connection.

A trainer I had at serious showing facility made me ride and steer the horse without stirrups for like 20-30 minutes every lesson I've had. Man did I go home and not walk for days! Unfortunately my high school is three stories high, doesn't help much, hehe! Those were private lessons and man did I get a workout!

My most recent trainer from last winter wouldn't let me get away with anything! If I was trotting with my feet dropped from the stirrups, I would try to rest my thighs for a couple seconds while she briefly looked away. But boy she could be tough on me! She also did record me riding a few times and that really helped me understand things that I'm not exactly doing correctly and it really helped me to correct my seat (which was my main problem).

But when I start this lease at this farm I found I won't have an instructor or trainer, so I'm all on my own this time around! Sorry to blabber. I could go on for hours about this kind of stuff

Hey we turned horseback riding into a guy thing see video Extreme Mountian Riding