settled!

[quietann]

For the summer, I'll be taking lessons with goddessfarmer. I finally just decided that there was no reason I should keep looking for another place where I'd have no idea of the quality ahead of time, when I have a sure thing available. Also, her teaching style will fit nicely with what I have been learning from Tina and Marge, who will likely be my instructors in the fall.

Whew!

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

oh good; i think that will work well for all concerned :)

[goddessfarmer.livejournal.com]

I am so glad that you approve :-)

[quietann.livejournal.com]

And I am expecting... lots and lots of no-hands work on a lunge line, though doing that on Minnie makes me go "eep" a little.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

heh. not that you need my approval, of course, but quietann was one of my students back when, so i'm afraid she's stuck with my concern for the rest of her riding days :)

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Well, it helps justify Minnie's continued presence at J's house. And it's huntseat/dressage, which is where I seem to be heading. And J has been instructing me, really, since the first time I rode Minnie.

[00smittenkitten.livejournal.com]

Have you seen this...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6725107.stm

[harimad.livejournal.com]

I'm envious. Enough to make me look at riding lessons around here, although time is short and I don't know how that'll affect/eat into my running schedule. But every time I ride I think "Why don't I do this more often?"

[harimad.livejournal.com]

PS - what should I be looking for and asking, when I interview stables?

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Well, goddessfarmer would be the first person to ask (you can make a comment above to ask her.)

What I have learned:

-- condition of the horses' tack. Is anything broken, frayed, or look like it's about to break? How clean is it? Keep in mind that school horses usually don't have pretty, expensive tack. Guiness's saddle, for example, has a small hole at the top of one of the knee pads, but it is not a safety issue. Look at reins, girths, buckles, stuff like that

-- condition of the barn in general. Horses are big messy creatures, so there will be manure and dirt around -- but does it look and smell like stalls are cleaned regularly? That said, do not expect anything near a household level of cleanliness and order.

-- comfort with the barn people. Are they ordering folks around? If they want you to tack up the horse, will they stick around to help? Will they answer your questions?

-- comfort on the horse. However, keep in mind that most barns are going to put you on a bombproof, slow horse the first few times. If you're on a horse that you don't like, how do the people respond if you ask for another one for the next lesson?

-- Instructor. It's hard to know ahead of time what you'll like in an instructor, but for me, what works is someone who pushes me just a little, but respects me if I say, "No, I don't want to do that today." And respects me if I say, "I didn't do that very well. Can I try again?"

-- Demographic of barn users is especially important for older riders. Find a barn that doesn't just work with kids (preferably one that works with more adults than kids, but that's hard to find.)

-- What is your goal? If you just want to learn how to ride, a big fancy show barn is probably not the place to go. If I ever have my own horse and am interested in competition, I'd have to switch barns.

-- Most places will probably want to start you with private lessons if you are a real beginner. or semi-private (2 riders). That's a good thing. In my case, once I knew that my riding skills would come back, I found that I prefer group lessons because being under the instructor's constant scrutiny makes me nervous.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

Thanks. For the record I rode quite a bit as a kid (still have hard hat and reasonable facsimile of riding boots), not much as an adult. I have no problems with the idea of falling off. I'd rather avoid private and semi-private lessons because I like having a bit of "unattended" time to work on what we just discussed.

One of my barriers is I don't know what my goal is. Right now it's just an amorphous "ride better." I know I want all the little details I think we skipped in my grade school lessons like how to get horse to switch lead leg, and riding properly over poles on the ground with arms outstretched. Having been a non-competing member of a gymnastics school that generated competitors, I know better than to knowing become cash-cow-for-the-students=that-MATTER again.

[quietann.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

BTW, riding helmet standards have been *vastly* improved since most of us were kids. They are now tested, and certified by ASTM/SEI just like motorcycle helmets. My favorite is the Tipperary Sportage because it's fairly inexpensive and has a favorable replacement policy; they use smushed or broken helmets to learn how to make a better helmet.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

What I thought was unnecessary detail: I bought the hat circa 1992. I have stubbornly kept it for 15 years of moves and not riding, because they're expensive and there's no substitute whatsoever.

One of my local stables specifies real riding boots (I paraphrase) and real riding pants (also paraphrase), even for newbies. Another is unique in the area for charging for the initial analysis session. Do these characteristics indicate anything about their respective stables?

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Ah, so you have a helmet you like!

As for the equipment, when I went for my trial lesson the first time (last fall), I wore black leggings and some tall boots that I thought were a reasonable approximation of riding boots. This place was pretty relaxed about pants -- jeans were OK, though I *hate* riding in jeans -- but I was told that the boots did not have enough stiffness across the top, so if a horse stepped on my foot they'd offer no protection at all. By the next lesson, I'd outfitted myself with Ariat paddock boots -- a nice boot, not the very cheapest but really well-made. Mine cost about $90 and so far have lasted through a lot of riding, mud, winter snow and ice, etc.

I am a bit surprised that a place would require "real" attire for the first ride. Makes me suspect they only want more experienced riders, or they are hoping people will sign up for a few lessons just because they've already spent the money on attire.

Every place around here charges for trial sessions. I view this as a necessary evil; your trial session *does* take time and use of a horse. Around here the charge is anywhere from $25 to $45 for a 30 minute session, with no correlation between price and quality. I did not have a trial session at Windrush, because I was already riding and able to describe my ability using the correct terms. They offered me a choice of lessons and I took the less advanced one, which turned out to be a good decision.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

Good point about the boots. Mine are street boots, no toe protection.

I don't think the place requires "real" attire for the first ride, but it certainly does even for beginner lessons. It stood out because it was the only place that specified attire at all (past regulation helmet) for regular lessons. Hmm, if their choice is to weed out nonserious riders maybe I should give it a try. My first thought was they were being snobbish. What's the advantage of "real" pants?

There's a reason for charging and a reason for not. The reason to, as you say, is it consumes resources. The reason not is to lower the barrier for folk to try. I expect I'll do first rides at several stables, to get a feel for the place.

pants

[quietann.livejournal.com]

I was OK in my cotton leggings, or so I thought until goddessfarmer loaned me a pair of winter riding breeches. These have a deerskin seat and inner thighs, and are lined with Polartec. Of course, they are from a very nice company that does *custom* sizing of breeches, at $200+ a pop, so I did not get my own until I was *sure* that I would stay riding. I have a hard time finding ready-to-wear riding clothes because I am short and heavy; most companies just assume that if a woman rides, she's skinny and tall. One of my lesson-mates who fits that profile got good riding pants for about $50. (No deerskin though.)

I think any pants that are extremely form-fitting and don't ride up your legs will do.