by Brenda Nelson

Created on: December 22, 2009

Horseback riding lessons can be great fun, they can be used to make you a better rider, as therapy, to help you learn how to communicate with your horse, or to help you advance in competition. Knowing what you want and expect out of the riding lessons will help you get the most bang for your buck.

-Picking the Right Lessons/Instructor

If you want to learn how to ride English it does little good to ride at a stable that is predominantly Western. While the instructor might be able to help with basics, the fine tuning will be missing. If you want to be competitive it is important to select a stable that offers schooling shows and opportunities to go to larger shows. These instructors are often referred to as “coaches”.

If you are a beginner, it is important to select a more patient instructor, one who is not rushing you towards higher levels. You may find that the coaches who attend a lot of shows are more devoted to their students who are competitive, and might be frustrated teaching beginners, while others love coaching new people along and teaching new skills.

-The Horse

Some people attend riding lessons with their own horse, while others use lesson  horses provided by the stable.  If you are using a lesson  horse it is important that the horse be a properly schooled one so you are not spending  your lesson correcting, and fighting, the horse rather than actually learning to ride.  As such if you are not a horse owner and are looking at a riding stable that provides lesson horses be sure they have many horses to use so you are not stuck with one that is not suitable to your riding level. 

-How often to Ride

Most lessons are once a week. People who are more passionate, and can afford it, might want to have lessons more frequently, especially if preparing for a show.

-The Lesson Structure

Most stables offer group lessons, semi-private lessons, and private lessons. Of course group lessons are going to be the most affordable but with less individual attention. While this form of lesson may work well for people who ride for therapeutic reasons, they are not very beneficial for people who want to become competitive.

-Communication

Above all it is important to be able to communicate with the instructor. If they tell you to do something and you are not too certain what it is, ask them to explain further. If the instructor is not offering enough feed back as to if you are doing something correctly or not, ask them. At the end of the lesson you should be able to spend a minute or two getting feed back as to what you did right, wrong, and what you need to work on. If you are in horseback riding lessons and find communication with the instructor to be difficult or lacking, switch instructors. Never stay with an instructor who is negative only as this will hurt yourself esteem and may put you off riding altogether.

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