Trainer won't let me jump!

faye · 03-17-2012, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kayty

There is NOTHING more infuriating as a coach, than a student that can't deal with being given instruction on something they don't want to do. Sorry sweet heart, but that's what riding is about unless you are happy to plod trails all day.
I have been chased with lunge whips, screamed at, called useless many many times, been worked until I've passed out, made to get off my horse and spend the whole lessons doing fitness exercises because my core wasn't good enough... need I say more?
You don't go to lessons, to have sunshine and rainbows pushed up your backside by someone who is a worse rider than you. You go to lessons, and pay good money, to have someone pick apart your riding and fix what you are doing wrong.
Sure, I want to go to a lesson and ride piaffe, passage and pirouettes - because they're 'fun'... but I can't do that, until my horse has got the basics down 110%. And if I find that process boring, then, I am definitely in the wrong sport and should probably take up knitting. Riding horses is hard - there is nothing easy about it at all. If you want to get anywhere, you HAVE to work hard and you might not like some of the journey, but that is where the true horse people get split from the rest of the crowd.

Obviously, if this coach is not wanting to get you jumping just yet, there is a reason for it. Now I suggest that you discard the holier than thou act, swallow your pride, and listen to what this coach has to say. You may well be surprised and find that your riding improves out of sight.

Well said. I had a lesson today, I wanted to get Reeco cantering. My coach says Reeco is not ready for it yet and we spent the entire lesson in trot (for an hour) working on getting his hind leg further under him, getting him to bend correctly on the right rein (he is bending perfectly well on the left but goes crooked on the right rather then bend properly) and working on my position (got told it was crap, and actualy I agree).
Lessons are HARD work and you don't always get to do what you want. After my lesson you could litteraly wring out my Tshirt, I was bright red in the face and my right leg is so tired that my scyatica is sending shooting pains down my right leg. But we achieved something today and my pony is far better for it and I am a far better rider for it.

My instructor is a far far better rider that I will ever be, she is classicly trained and spent many years at the Spanish riding school learning from the best of the best. Her experiance shows with every word that comes out of her mouth and that is why I pay her silly amounts of money to totaly exhaust me and to leave me in physical pain!

Tasia · 03-17-2012, 03:16 PM

My coach (first lesson tmr) will not let you canter until you can hold your two point at trot for ATLEAST 10 mins, then she might consider cantering, never mind jumping. The women she learned from would have her students learn two point before they learned rising trot. It differs from trainer to trainer, all of their students win.

Equinegirl12 · 03-17-2012, 06:00 PM

She is better than me but she pulls it off as just being a no it all. She is kind of smug. She talks about me like I am a horse. Like the other day she said that she could boss me around and that if I were a horse she would be all over me. Its really annoying, also yesterday I was about to lease my lesson horse and when we got there she surprised us by saying that we had to pay her another 100 dollars before I could get Jake. Also on my second lesson I asked her opinion on getting my own horse she plainly said "Don't you would kill it" I have been riding for 7 or 8 years!

bsms · 03-17-2012, 06:04 PM

You can hire anyone you want. Speaking from the perspective of a 53 year old man, I find I get my best value by hiring someone who doesn't flatter me...

hflmusicislife · 03-17-2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Equinegirl12

she is better than me but she pulls it off as just being a no it all. She is kind of smug. She talks about me like I am a horse. Like the other day she said that she could boss me around and that if I were a horse she would be all over me. Its really annoying, also yesterday I was about to lease my lesson horse and when we got there she surprised us by saying that we had to pay her another 100 dollars before I could get Jake. Also on my second lesson I asked her opinion on getting my own horse she plainly said "Don't you would kill it" I have been riding for 7 or 8 years!

Are you sure she is a good trainer? Sounds like she is only out to make a buck, not actually teach you anything.

Equinegirl12 · 03-17-2012, 06:28 PM

I agree hfmusicislife. She is history of me.

neonpony · 03-17-2012, 06:34 PM

Not all trainers are good trainers, so maybe she isn't a good one. It's work to find a good one. But a lot of the good ones aren't very nice either - they're there to teach you something, not to tell you 'great job!' at the end. If she's really not the trainer for you, that's fine, but make sure you're not leaving just because you're being overly sensitive

Kayty · 03-17-2012, 07:08 PM

How old is this trainer? She sounds like a kid with a big head. Even though I do agree with her about holding off on the jumping, other aspects are a little cringeworthy. Does she have any qualifications behind her?

tlkng1 · 03-17-2012, 07:17 PM

My barn does something very similar. No matter the level of the class and their current jumpng ability, each instructor will devote a good month going back to flatwork and even jumping basics and I mean to the point of doing simple two-point over trot poles. Yes, it is boring, but, it gets riders to restrenghen their position that may have gotten loose due to overconfidence. All the students know the routine and actually enjoy the break :) as we get into more dressage movements and theory behind using dressage as a pre-cursor to jumping.

I have recently opted out of the jumping side of things and am now concentrating solely on dressage but going back to flatwork on occasion isn't necesarily a bad thing.

tlkng1 · 03-17-2012, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tasia

My coach (first lesson tmr) will not let you canter until you can hold your two point at trot for ATLEAST 10 mins, then she might consider cantering, never mind jumping. The women she learned from would have her students learn two point before they learned rising trot. It differs from trainer to trainer, all of their students win.

I had a trainer like that...all the lessons started with a two point trot for 15 mins. That was 20 years ago and I have to admit I have never had that same leg strength again :)

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