BHS Stage 1 - Back to college for some riding lessons

With the winter looming (and with it the end of the trekking season), I have been wondering what to do about riding this winter as loaning a horse last year didn't work out quite as planned.  I have been thinking about lessons for sometime and most of the riding schools only do private lessons when I am available i.e when the kids are at school.  I was feeling quite envious of my young friend off to college to do horse riding and horse care full time for two years and couldn't resist taking a peek at the college prospectus even though I can't really justify a full time course at my age with two kids I am not likely to find a job with horses that covers the childcare.

I was chuffed to find though that they did one day part-time courses for the British Horse Society (BHS) Stage 1 exam which covers horse care and riding and at £400 for the year it actually compares very competitively with the cost of lessons at a riding school so I rung up to see if I could get on the course. 

Next thing, I knew I had a riding test the following day where I was expected to walk, trot and canter in a schooling ring reasonably competently. having only had a few lessons at a walk with a small amount of trotting but never having managed it around the corners only on the long straight bits.  I didn't even have time to have a few riding lessons first to brush up and didn't know what the leg aids were or what a diagonal was or that you were meant to hold your whip on the inside hand.  Never the less, I gave it a go and when she said my riding was borderline for entry, I started up with the blagging and think I scraped through more on the gift of the gab than my riding skills.  The horse in the test was lovely and very forward although was expecting something slower but think when they said it would be an easy horse they meant safe and compliant rather than slow.  Still at least she was easy to get into a canter, something I was worried about having only ever cantered in large open spaces in a relatively straight line.  Apparently my reins were far too loose and my position not good and my riding lacks discipline, so decided definitely a good idea to get a few lessons in before I start next week to avoid making a complete fool of myself in front of the other students.

My first riding lesson, last week, was harder work than i expected after it was only and hour and I normally ride for four hours but working in the school is a different kettle of fish than a hack in the countryside.  I trotted without reins, and then without stirrups, I had a go at cantering but apparently the reason the horse kept going back to trot was because my position wasn't great.  It was fun but I was absolutely knackered after an hours one to one lesson.  Got two more this week before I start my course and have had to invest in some new kit.  I have been told gloves, body protector and hair net are all compulsory as well as the normal hat jodphurs and boots.  I never normally ride with a body protector but will probably think about wearing it out hacking now I have it as I reckon the chances of a bad fall are probably higher out hacking than in a school.

I think it will be really good for me as when i started riding I just wanted to have fun and didn't like the idea of being told what to do all the time in a lesson but have reached the stage I think my riding is as good as it's gonna get without formal tuition and looking forward to it now and feeling sufficiently confident in being on the horse, I will be able to listen to their instructions rather than panicking about falling off unlike when I had my first lessons last year.

Pure Indulgence - A private riding lesson

Was feeling a bit bored and fed up today, so on the spur of the moment I decided to drive over to the riding school today and see if I could have a lesson.  It was pure indulgence because I am already booked to go trekking on Friday and Saturday morning and one hours lesson on a one to one basis cost more than a two hour trek.  However, it was well worth it.  As those of you who have been following me will know, I am slightly ambivalent about riding lessons.   My previous two riding lessons were not the greatest success.  My experience of learning to horse ride has been primarily pony trekking in the mountains.  The horses are not schooled in the same way and do not require leg aids. It is also a much more relaxed environment, because as long as you are safe, there is not the same concern about technique and perfect position etc.

I am so glad I went though.  A one to one lesson was completely different and although I still felt less confident than I do on the trekking horses I felt like I was making progress.  I found it really hard to concentrate in a group lesson because I was worrying about where the other horses were and there seemed to be a lot more time not doing very much.  The lesson was a nice combination of some work in the ring and time in the paddock.  The horse was a lot harder to get moving than the trekking horses which just follow the lead horse but we were in the ring on our own.  I am still finding trotting around the ring tricky so we concentrated on trotting in a straight line and changing to a walk for the corner and then trotting again.  I struggled a bit to get my horse trotting until I realised the reins were a bit tight.  Wouldn't bother the trekking horses but it made all the difference when I figured it out.  When she was trotting better, so was I.  As the lesson went on, I was definitely more in control, telling her when I wanted to turn rather than her deciding to cut the corner.  My horse was nice and I felt comfortable on her although she is slightly less chunky than the welsh cobs I ride.

After half an hour, we went out and had a walk and a little trot down the lane before going into the paddock for another go at trotting.  I was warned that she could go into a canter so to be careful and steer her up the hill if she did.  I started trotting and she went straight into a canter.  At which point, I couldn't decide whether to go with it and enjoy the ride or slow her down because she hadn't been asked to canter and she was meant to be following my instructions.  My indecision nearly lost me my balance and I forgot to keep my heels down and started to fall forward before recovering my position and bringing her to a stand.  Not the most graceful piece of riding, but it didn't scare me and I managed to regain control without any intervention from the riding instructor which left me feeling positive.  I just need to try and remember my position when I am having to steer the horse and assert my authority with her.  It is so much easier when you are following another horse.  I know you still need to steer around long hanging branches etc. but tend to do that just on the reins which is easier than using your legs and trying to keep the right position and give leg aids.

I am feeling now that if I can't go trekking over the winter that I will definitely have a few lessons if not weekly ones.  But having tried several group lessons I think I would rather pay for a half hour private lesson than a one hour group lesson.