Do I need a horse riding lessons or can i teach my self?

Question

Hi

I took 2 riding lessons, the second one wasn't nice the horse was uncooperative, he wouldn't walk when I ask it to he would walk back to the gate and I think he wanted to buck me off, the instructor tried to take control of the situation but i saw him at one stage move away from the horse scared, the only good thing I came out with from that lesson is that I didn't fall yes I did chicken out and ask to change horse but didnt fall.

NOW the question: given the above why would I need horse riding lessons when I am the one who is riding and not the instructor specialy that the instructor him self got scared and failed to take control of the situation and its down to the rider to deal with the situation, can I not buy a beginner horse and ride him and learn from experience?

What would horse riding lessons teach me than a horse that I can buy and ride my self?

Another question I have in mind about this subject is when you read the words intermediate/advanced rider what do such riders have or know that a basic rider dosent?

Thank You

Answer 1

Um. That riding instructor doesn't represent all riding instructors.



That person sounds pathetic. Ditch that one and find a REAL riding instructor.



You can learn to ride on your own, BUT only if you also read books and watch dvds ...to find out how to ride CORRECTLY...yet that will only take you so far.



It's not about sitting on the horse, pulling on the reins and kicking.



It's about balance, learning how to use your seat, legs and hands correctly to not cause the horse any discomfort and to learn to work together with him.



You got 2 lessons from an idiot. That doesn't add up to anything. Find a real instructor who has real lesson horses that can teach you how to ride.



When you have someone WATCHING you....able to tell you when your seat position is wrong, when you're not holding the reins correctly, when you are using too much leg or not sitting up straight or.... that helps A LOT.



People who really want to learn to ride take lessons for a reason. Yes, it's easier to have someone there coaching you in what you're doing right, and wrong....



Also...it's not just about riding....it's also about learning horsemanship.....what does it mean to be a horse....the prey instinct in the horse....how horses react properly and why they act with unwanted behavior.



The horse that you rode clearly wasn't a good lesson horse because he didn't have patience to deal with you. He was basically telling you that you don't know what you're doing, so he can't listen to you....and he'll try to fight the rein pressure and go where he feels safe...to the barn, to his buddies. This is exactly what can happen when you don't take lessons and just go buy your own horse and don't know what you're doing..... Some horses will be forgiving and easy going, some won't.



Lease a horse and take lessons from a real instructor.



Intermediate riders have an independent seat. They are more confident when things don't go just perfect, they know what to do, because they understand the horse better and because they know how to use their seat, legs and hands correctly and not cause problems to escalate.



Advanced riders can ride anything from a horse that's never been ridden before (unbroke) to a horse in a certain discipline...with confidence. They may compete in higher level stuff.



A basic rider just knows how to be balanced and maneuver with the reins, but if trouble starts (the horse wants to go back to the gate or to the barn), the basic rider might panic or fight the horse and cause more problems....a basic rider can ride a well broke horse that's forgiving, but may have a lot of trouble riding the horse that isn't so broke. It's really a beginner rider. not a basic rider.



Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Answer 2

Yes, you would need lessons - once a week is fine. The reason being, however good you are you need lessons because otherwise bad, and even dangerous habits can occur in both rider and horse and if you are an absolute beginner the only way to learn proper control of the horse is through having lessons and riding different horses with different abilities and temperaments.



Horses are very quick to pick up on a rider's weaknesses and fears and will take full advantage of the situation - like, for example the horse refusing to go forward or where you want to, ie not to the gate. He probably was not frightened of the instructor and certainly did not want to buck you off as you say. He was just out to get his own way. You have a long way to go to being even a basic rider and I would not advise buying a horse and learning on that. It would be dangerous and you would end up being unhappy and more importantly, so would the horse. An unhappy horse is a sick horse and he will get frustrated and bored and sore from being kicked, poked, prodded and having no clear instructions. If I was a horse seller I would never sell to the likes of a beginner.

Answer 3

Teaching Horse Riding

Answer 4

Please continue with lessons, just look for an instructor that can handle and control their horses! EVERYONE, even the more experienced horse people, still have more to learn. We are constantly learning and improving.



That lesson horse you were riding was testing you! You needed to make him move forward and give him a reason to respect you for his leader. He totally won with that little threat of maybe bucking. Most horses that are broke are just faking and they won't even try hard to actually buck. I'm not saying that's every situation or horse but it is true for most lazy horses.



If two lessons are all you've had then you are not ready to learn on your own. It's after you can handle and ride a horse at the walk, trot and canter. When you can slow them down and stop them well. When you have a secure seat and feel confident with your riding abilities. And when you can ride different horses, taking charge of them and having them respect your aids. This is roughly what an intermediate rider is. You will know when you are at intermediate level, you will have a good feeling about your capabilities with horses. Another big part of being experienced with horses is how to read horse behavior. You will be much more prepared for alot of situations when you know what to expect. Look for natural horsemanship books, or any kind of training book. Parelli, Clinton Anderson, Chris Cox, John Lyons.

A weekly lesson sounds good, if you want to get more serious later on go ahead and take two, if you like. And everyone progresses at a different rate, but you should be above basic in maybe, ( I'm guessing ) six months to a year. But don't worry about what level you are, enjoy your time with horses and soak up all the knowledge you can about them and riding.

Good luck and have fun!!!

Answer 5

The simple answer is: no reputable horse owner/dealer will sell you a horse if you don't know what you're doing



If you don't feel that you received good instruction in your first lesson, find another trainer. Also keep in mind that you were not able to get the horse to do what you want; all horses are adept at taking advantage of their rider at some point, and you need to know how to work through those issues. An intermediate rider would be able to get most trained horses to go when and where they want.



Owning a horse is much more than riding. You need to know the basics about horse health, nutrition, conditioning, etc. Do you know how to give a horse wormer? Tell if it's lame? Take its temperature? When it needs new shoes? Or just even stay on at walk, trot and canter?



Get a competent trainer. Take some lessons, then maybe lease a horse, before buying.

Answer 6

I believe you can buy your own horse and learn from experience when:

-you can tack up and groom on your own

-you can muck stalls

-you know the basics of horse first aid and health

-you know about feeding horses and proper nutrition

-you know basic hoof care



-you can walk, trot, and canter with total confidence

-you can circle, sepintine, and do figure eights at every gait

-you have an ok seat and can work without stirrups

-you are in complete control and can ride semi-difficult horses



I don't care if you buy a beginner's horse you need to learn to ride. An instructor will teach you confidence, control, care, and posture. You NEED to master that before you can buy your own horse. The instructor you mentioned doesn't sound good. But you NEED to find an instructor. I ride twice a week and that's perfect for my busy life but I get plenty of riding in. "basic rider" is pretty broad, If you can work for ride you'll get a lot more out of your lessons. Try once or twice a week. That's the best for beginners-intermediates then you can get your own horse or lease or ride almost every day. It's not by time rather your intermediate it's by riding skills, control, and confidence. It depends on the instructor, rider, and horses.

Answer 7

You need a LOT of lessons before you could even think about trotting without an instructor. A horse is not cooperative - you just didn't know what you were doing. Your instructor may have been moving away because he/she wanted you to go on your own for a minute. A horse wouldn't think about bucking you off - he'd most likely just do it. The first horse I rode gave me a fricken nosebleed slamming his head/neck back in my face because I was yanking on his mouth. A lot of people may see that as a bad horse, but that was my fault. Second horse I rode bucked me off and broke my hand, haha. Horse riding lessons teach you to RIDE - getting on a horse when you've no clue what you're doing? That's a disaster waiting to happen. What would you do if he bolted and ran straight for a busy road? If he freaked out at something and began spooking, twisting and bucking trying to get you off? Horse riding is a dangerous sport even when you know what you're doing.

Answer 8

I agree with everyone here that said keep taking lessons and don't go off on your own.

I just want to add that just because a trainer moves away from the horse, that doesn't mean he's scared. He probably saw something you didn't and is being cautious. He's not going to get head trauma just to take the reins from a beginner. Just saying.



Also, it's obvious you're a beginner because no intermediate or advanced rider would say any of that. You contradicted yourself when you said you were scared on the horse but then you don't need lessons. Umm.....

Answer 9

You do need lessons to be able to ride properly. You seriously damage yourself and the horse by not riding properly. Maybe go to a different stables if you feel this wasn't good enough. You are paying- so you should feel happy and confident every time you get off the horse. I wouldn't advise you buy your own horse- as there is much more to owning a horse than simply riding one. You must know how to take care of it when it's ill and what to do in emergencies. I strongly advise against buying you own. Lessons would teach you how to handle a horse and treat it correctly. You must understand that riding- even with the best of horses- is a dangerous sport. Surely they must have had you sign something to know that you understood that?

Answer 10

You want to know what the difference is between a beginner, an intermediate, and an advanced rider? I can tell you that.



The beginner says: My horse was uncooperative. He would not listen to me. He wouldn't walk when I asked. He would walk back to the gate even though I didn't want him to. He's must be a bad horse.



The intermediate riders says: My horse was somewhat difficult, and my skills were not always up to the challenge. When he was stubborn, I had to work hard to earn his respect. When he would not walk, I first made sure that I was not doing something wrong, and then I learned how to use a crop to make him listen to my leg. When he tried to go to the gate, I learned how to use my seat and legs as well as my reins to take total control of my horse's body so I could steer him wherever I want.



The advanced rider says: Some horses are challenging for me, but those are the horses who teach me the most and I welcome the opportunity to learn from them. When I feel my horse thinking about wanting to buck, I know how to put him to work so that his mind and body are engaged. Not only does my horse walk when I ask, but I can ask him to go from walk to canter and back to walk without a step of trot in between. I can pick up true canter or counter canter just from using my seat. My aids are so subtle and precise that that are nearly invisible. I control both my horse's forward motion and his lateral motion. I can send him sideways with a shift of my weight, or keep him straight as an arrow. When I have trouble getting my horse to do what I ask, I know how to use various exercises to fix the problem and reinforce my aids. If I cannot seem to make my aids understood to the horse, I know to seek help from my instructor. And I know from experience that 99% of the time, the problem lies with me, not the horse.



So go out and get your perfect pushbutton schoolmaster horse, and life will be good for a while. But the truth is that every time you ride a horse, you are training it, for better or for worse. So, pretty soon your perfectly trained horse will start developing bad habits, which it will have learned from you due to your own inexperience. That said, I totally agree that you are no worse off bumbling around on your own than you would be paying for an incompetent instructor. So either find an instructor who is competent, or plan to ruin a lot of nice horses before you finally figure out how to ride (and I hope you have a fat wallet if you plan to go that route).

Answer 11

Everyone has an opinion this is mine and i dont care if i get thumbs down. It would be nice to have lessons but i didn't get many. i rode alone most of the time and i taught myself. I may not sit fancy and stiff on a horse but i can ride well and even ended up exercising racehorses. Lessons can only help but nothing will beat the hands on experience you will gain from having/riding your own horse.

Answer 12

Just so you know, i could very easily go off on you for saying that.

anyways, you really need to take lessons. maybe not with that trainer if he is "scared" of the horse. maybe fine a barn with really good lesson horses that try to guess what you are asking.



You will NOT be ready to own a horse for AT LEAST a year. preferably more like 3 or 4 years. you need to take lessons even if it is with a bad trainer.

i am fairly sure, being your first time riding, they would not put you on a horse that would "buck you off"

you really need to have faith in your instructor, or else you will never learn anything because of your attitude. if you buy a horse "to learn from the experience" i guarantee you and/or the horse will end up getting seriously hurt.

I really am sorry i ended up going off, but people buying horses before they are ready really annoy me.

Answer 13

I think about 10 horseback riding lessons would be very beneficial. It would teach you balance,safety and about the nature of the horse. You should search for a good instructor. The differerence between an intermediate/advanced rider is experience.

Answer 14

Learn Train Your Horse Easy!

Answer 15

You NEED lessons. If you find that lessons just are not for you then i guess if you want to teach yourself its not impossible. But you would need to read up on EVERY LITTLE THING! And make sure to look up the same thing in different source's to get differeopinionsons. But personally i think you should take lessons. There are a lot of good trainers out there. Good luck

Answer 16

Stick with the instructor route please and you will be glad you did. Research stables better in your area. Apparently that instructor you had had no credentials in training. Look for one that has been certified by the following: USDF, FEI, the is one that has riding instructors in the title. Also look at who trained them. The instructor I am hoping to have train me for competitive dressage was trained by a member of the 1992 US Equestrian team that went to Spain. It was her credentials that made me want to learn from her badly. The terms you are asking about relate to saddle experience and nothing more. One lesson a week is fine. Who knows some day you may want to teach others and they may look at your credentials and wonder about taking from you because you are self trained. Training pedigrees are a wonderful thing to have.

Answer 17

You absolutely need lessons.

Just get a different instructor.



But seriously, you will never improve or get to any level beyond beginner without learning form someone who actually knows what they are doing.

If you try to learn on your own, you will end up in a very dangerous situation, and will make many very dangerous mistakes.

Answer 18

Umm..that is not the horses fault you could not control the horse sry you were not in control he was and you let him do it plus the constructor was horrible i would stick to riding lessons if i were you because if you teach yourself you may teach yourself the wrong technique and you could get hurt in the process.

Answer 19

You don't NEED lessons, I didn't have them until I started dressage this year and I'd been riding for 15 years before hand. My instructor had nothing negative to say about my riding either. I just had my cousin there for a couple years with the do's, don't's and some how to's, but mostly I learned from watching other people ride.

My friends 7 year old daughter started riding last year and is out competing this year. Never had a lesson because every time we've tried to give her one she has a screaming tantrum and gets off her pony. She learned by watching her older sisters ride. She can tack up by herself and can feed and rug and load her pony onto a float, all with no lessons. Of course we're always there to watch her and make sure she's safe.

In my opinion, so long as you have someone there to watch just in case something should happen, I see nothing wrong with you getting a school master to learn from. They will teach you so much more than an hour with an instructor once a week.

Just make sure you know how to look after one properly. Buy books on caring for horses and read them til you know them back to back. Make sure your horse is kept with someone that knows what they're doing should something happen to the horse.

Answer 20

YES, you do need lessons!



That trainer clearly doens't know what they're doing however, so go find a decent trainer who knows what they're doing, then take lessons from them.

Answer 21

ive givin myself riding lessons its pretty easy you moer the reins the opposite way you want to go and when you want to stop say woah and when he stops pet him and give him a treat its not that hard but dont go riding in the road go into a circular pen or something