Exactly. Someone on the horse section advises someone else to show a horse who's boss as soon as they get on, I'd like to know exactly what they mean and how they would go about it. It's a perfectly reasonable question I think.

It's a forum, I can ask another poster to clarify without getting my head bitten off, at least I thought I could.

Well.... I didn't have a very good ride today.

Started off badly and we were late due to lift problems so I didn't really get a chance to meet Pearl before I was getting on her!
Was OK in the arena but again because we were late we basically just did some walking and trotting round and changing reins, and she kept giving me into trouble because Pearl just kept slowing down.
The Laura was told to pass us and her horse Pumpkin decided to turn and back up so she could kick Pearl! I moved her on in time and she didn't get kicked.

Then she got one of the young instructors to take us out for a little hack in the end, but didn't pass on that we were walking and trotting as I said I didn't feel ready to have a canter yet.

Pearl kept doing little sideways movements and trying to grab reins from me when we were trotting as she wanted to canter! Then she nearly took my leg out on a stone wall as instead of moving over to the left a little when I pulled on the left rein, she just looked left and swung her bum to the right!

Then when we were in the field and were going to have a trot up the hill Laura's Pumpkin decided she was having a gallop instead when she got her to stop she then wouldn't walk on and was backing up to turn and go the way we came!

Oh and on the hill, horrible muddy stone path type thing, kinda like a make shift road you would find in a forest, Pearl was not so easy going down it so we kept getting left behind
She is a real 'plodder' and if you give her a gentle nudge to get a faster paced walk she just goes straight into trot!

To end it all she decided I wasn't walking fast enough to get her back into the stable so I had to keep elbowing her to stop her going off infront.


I've booked my son in for next week but I don't imagine I will get back on until Lightning is back off field rest as I didn't really enjoy today at all and I'm absolutely knackered now. I think I will go back to Lightning as I know her, before I try someone else again.

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Awww, sorry to hear you had a bad time.

You shouldn't really be being taught to pull on the reins, though it is pretty common.

What happened to you here, is you used what would be known as one of the five rein effects. 'The direct rein of opposition.'

When you pulled back on the left rein, it bent your horse's head to the left, blocked the left hind from coming forwards and put the horse's weight to the left. This caused the horse to push her quarters over to the right. The harder you pull back, the more of an effect it would have and the more she would swing her quarters.

If she's a plodder, going slowly downhill and breaking into trot instead of taking longer walk strides, there's a good chance her saddle is a tad too tight and blocking her shoulders. Though there could be other reasons of course, this could be a likely one.

The leading problem you had is something the riding school should sort out, either by teaching you how to deal with a horse that hasn't been taught how to lead properly and/or teaching the horse how to lead properly.

So all in all, it's unlikely any of your problems were your fault, or the horse's fault and hopefully you won't get put off.

Anyone know of a riding school that doesn't have hard mouthed, flattened horses?[/QUOTE]

Yes I go to a really good school the horses do 1 or 2 hours work a day, sometimes nothing. they don't spend their time going a round the school in circles all the time. we have varied lessons, schooling, jumping, hacking and cross country. they have a lot of horses so they can mount you on a suitable horse for your ability. they are not all plods, like all horses they have their likes and dislikes. for instance the one i rode last week loves to canter so you have to be careful not to say the c word until you are ready or he is off like a rocket and they seem to be a happy lot. the instuctors are excellent and have managed to put right all my bad habits that i have(15 years of hacking and no lessons) but the main thing is that they want you to have fun and surely that is what it is all about?.

PS all for £16 an hour

[QUOTE=shula;1061609409

PS all for £16 an hour[/QUOTE]

Wow! I have been looking for a riding school for my OH's youngest, my horse is far too big for her to learn on, I have been getting quotes of £25 for half hour group lesson!!

Thanks
I was using opposite leg as I do when going round the corner in the arena.. I only pulled slightly on the left rein to guide her away from the wall
But she spent much of the mini hack looking left, even when I loosened the reins a bit as I thought maybe I was being a bit tense. Though giving me a horse ''just back into work after having a foal last year'' didn't give me too much confidence!


I am defo having a wee break until Lighning is back in work and then I will just go back to a half hour arena lesson. She plods sometimes (except when its raining) but shifting my bum forward gets her into a walk rather than a plod, and she has taught me how to not let her cut corners as she tries it all the time so I know I am using my legs right as she doesnt do it with me now. She is an easy girl on a hack and doesnt need a cue from me as soon as the instructor asks us if we ready for a trot/canter she is ready to go.

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Where shula?

North east of scotland near elgin