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Should I move barns?

2K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  kelseyannxo 
#1 ·
Hi all,

Just some background before I begin to explain my situation here. I grew up learning to ride Western at the age of 4. Around 13 or 14, I decided to switch to English. I found a barn a few miles down the road from me and learned to ride English there. After about a year, they discontinued lessons and became solely a boarding barn, but they referred me to (literally) their next door neighbor.

I began taking lessons at said barn in 2008. It was a bigger show barn, with much more money, many more students, more horses, and a huge indoor and outdoor ring with a couple of miles of trails. The outdoor ring looked like Heaven to me the first time I laid eyes on it - jumps everywhere. I fell in love with jumping the second I learned how to, and I couldn't wait to continue advancing at a bigger, better place for years to come.

The BO, who is the only trainer there, owns the land with her older parents and her sister. She's in her early forties, and she's always been nothing but nice to me, even to this day.

Fast forward 7 years and I'm still here. In between, I took about a year or two off of riding for college. When I came back about a year ago, it took a very long time to get my muscle and my equitation back, but once it was back, it was 100%. Slowly but surely, we advanced our jumping up to 2'6 and we've been sitting there for quite some time now.

So, here's where I'm questioning things. I've been riding the same horse there for 7 years. I learned almost everything related to English on him. He's a school master, will take you around every which way, with no arguments. He's 19 now, but he does have his bad habits that he's learned over his years of schooling from different riders. He's a beginner - advanced horse. Anyone from a 4 year old to someone my level, which is I guess intermediate, can ride him. He only jumps up to 2'6, because he's getting older and stiffer as the days go on and that's where my trainer wants to keep him.

I've tried out the different horses at my barn, hoping for a change from my old school horse, as I'm ready to advance my height and can't do so on him. Every other horse she owns for lessons is between 20-25 and really can't jump above 2'6, either. They're still good school horses, but not the type you'd take around a 3' course. So I've been sticking with my old schoolmaster, as I know him best.

My other big issue, probably more so than the horses, is...at this point...I feel like I might be wasting money. Why? Well, my trainer. She's a very nice woman, but I don't feel like I receive positive feedback in my lessons. What I mean by that is, I often watch videos on the Internet of people riding, I've seen different trainers at shows, and the big difference is that when I do something right, I don't get the enthusiasm and the positivity other trainers give. Example: "good! That's right! There you go!" How do I know I did something right with my current trainer? Silence. I've learned that the less she talks during a lesson, the better. If she needs me to correct something - i.e "quieter hands, hands forward, heels down," etc, she'll tell me. But if I'm struggling with something and it improves, I won't know it...only by silence. If she doesn't correct me, it means I'm correct. I guess the reason it's bothering me is because I don't really know where I'm at with my equitation, my riding in general, because I just don't get positive feedback. It's not only me, either - it's just how she teaches everyone that rides with her. I guess I'm just looking for someone more enthusiastic towards things that don't come easy to me and things that do. I need more verbal interaction, so I can really know exactly where I stand.

Another reason I feel I'm wasting money is because every lesson is exactly. the. same. Warm up on flat for 15-20, then jump a course 4-5 times. We've been at the same height for about 6 months now. (Obviously this is because I don't have many options as far as more advanced horses go, but I feel like my riding is just not improving in general due to doing the same things every time.) I really don't have much money at all to spend on my hobbies, so I do like to feel that every lesson is worth it.

My hopes of switching barns would be to hopefully find a new trainer that is more interactive with me and in doing so, able to help me advance in my riding. I would hope to find a barn with a different selection of horses that can help me move up, as well. Eventually, I'd like to get out there and try cross country. I know there are some barns around here that offer that type of training.

The good thing about my current barn is that lessons are offered at $40/hour, and that's pretty freaking cheap for around here, and affordable for me. Everywhere goes for about $50-75 an hour. Another thing is, I've been here for so long, that most of me doesn't want to leave the place I know so well, nor my schoolmaster. I do like my trainer as a person and we have a pretty good relationship. But I do know that eventually, I need to ride different horses, or I won't grow much as a rider.

Thoughts? Thank you so much.
 
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#2 ·
Oh no! I forgot to add one thing, but I can't find the edit option on my smart phone at the moment.

I've wanted to lease for quite some time now, but I'm not financially ready to do anything other than an on-property lease, as I can't take on any unpredictable vet bills. I've considered off farm leases quite a bit over the last year or so, and my barn charges $900 a month to any boarder. She doesn't offer rough board to keep the cost down, either. This is her mothers choice, as she still takes care of most of the bills, and she doesn't offer any "deals" such as work for board.

I've thought about leasing my old schoolmaster, but my trainer charges $500 a month for a half lease...(3 days a week) and $800 a month for a full lease. (5 days a week) on top of that, she doesn't allow jumping without a lesson. So I'd be paying $500-$800 a month, on TOP of paying for weekly lessons, to not really advance whatsoever. I totally understand the no jumping without supervision is a safety thing - but it doesn't help my bank account or my riding. I make about $1400 a month, more than half of it goes to my bills, so I'm really working with a budget.

Anyways, the lease prices there are a bit of a ripoff in my humble opinion. I see a full lease offers around at other barns for no more than $200-$400 a month, which is more in my price range, and since off leasing and boarding said horse at my current barn is not an option; it looks like if I DO want to lease, I have to switch barns no matter what.
 
#4 ·
That's a tough one. It doesn't sound like you're in a bad situation so to speak, just that you've outgrown it. Since you don't own anything or lease anything, you're just taking lessons, you aren't really in a bind. It's never bad to have your basics ironed out either.

I would look around and talk to other people that take lessons in your area, there's bound to be someone at your level or the next level up that you can get lessons with.

Good luck!
 
#5 ·
I agree with AlmostTexan, It certainly doesn't hurt to look into other options. As much as the facility and people where you are may be nice, if you want to improve your riding it may be time to move on. There is definitely a benefit to riding under different instructors and riding different types of horses.
 
#7 ·
I would look at other options, if it were me. I would not be happy if every lesson was the same, I wouldn't feel as if I had been making much progress if we kept doing the same old routine and it never changed. I think natisha has a good idea, I did something like that many years ago when I was thinking of moving my horse to another stable... I took a few lessons at another barn, it turned out I liked it, so I moved over to the new barn. I did tell my former barn owner that I wanted to explore new things, and I was happy with their barn, but just wanted to get out and experience more, it worked out well for me. In the end though, this has to be your decision, do what your gut feeling tells you to do, good luck, let us know how it goes!
 
#9 ·
Obviously each barn is different but the place I learned to ride was very show jumping focussed with a quite successful show jumper as owner and head instructor. They also taught many lessons from lead line kids to adults, trail rides. I found that even with the heavy show jumping focus none of the school horses were used for high jumps. Probably only 2 or may 2'6.

The barn had a range of competitive show jumpers but they were all privately owned horses. If you wanted a lesson with the head instructor you had to bring your own horse.

Jumping is risky and it takes a toll on a horse. The private owned horse is fine but the school horse jumping 3 feet+ regularly would break down.

In my time riding I've never seen a riding that would routinely use their own horses for jumping 3ft and up. By the time people approach that height they usually buy their own horse, at least around here.

Surely there must be places around but I'm not sure how many.

By all means go elsewhere but you might run into similar limitations. At which point I would either look at getting a horse or diversifying a bit. Some dressage lessons might teach you a lot and improve your riding.
 
#10 ·
It seems to me that if you're questioning things now, it's only going to get worse from here. Her horses aren't going to get younger and unless she's willing to put something back into her lesson program, it's not likely to improve. So, if I were you, I'd be looking for one of two things: A new barn and/or a horse of my own.

Even with a younger horse, you may not receive much additional instruction from this instructor. She sounds like she's at the limit of what she can teach you and now you're just paying for her to supervise your ride for an hour. That's not really learning, it's practicing, and you can practice more often with your own horse. If you can't afford a horse, it's probably time to look around and see what other barns have to offer.
 
#11 ·
I was shocked when you said you had been riding 7 years and still jumping 2 1/2 feet. Then, the other posters explained about breaking down school horses and limiting the height of the jumps, and that makes sense. You have to jump what they allow you to jump in your lessons.

I grew up in a time when the LOWEST jumps in any horseshow class was 3 feet. After 7 years of riding, I was jumping 4 feet because that was what was expected back in those long ago days.

I think the current show classes, with baby green divisions and green divisions are marvelous. But it makes me sad that they still have you jumping that height after 7 years of riding. It just seems to me there has got to be some way you can have more experiences than that. You deserve it.
 
#12 ·
Thank you all very much for the advice. I think it'll be worth it to look around and check out my options. Moving up past 2'6 isn't as big of a concern as improving my equitation/riding in general is. I feel I can't do that with my trainer, as I mentioned the whole "no positive feedback" thing. If I had to stay at 2'3-2'6 but was able to benefit from my lessons, I'd be just fine with that! All I'm really looking for at this point is something new and enjoyable, and a positive trainer to help me learn more. Like I said, we have a great relationship, but the learning part has come to a halt. Like one poster mentioned, it is just "practicing" now.

It broke my heart to see you guys saying I should look into my own horse, because man, I want nothing more. I'd benefit in so many ways. But financially, I just can't, and it is the pits, believe me. Luckily, I can still afford my lessons. (Barely, I really don't make that much for a 21 year old as it is, lol!) I'm thinking when I'm out of college I'll be able to afford it, but that won't be for at least 2 or 3 more years. That's why I'm looking into leasing, but still haven't found the perfect match, price and horse wise.
 
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