Mumsnet Talk

I recently started riding again after a 20 year break (kids, men, work etc).

At the moment I have 1/2 hr private lesson weekly - expensive, but has given me my confidence back. What's the best way to get better?? is it worth going on some sort of course??

I have just started jumping & LOVE it. Any ideas/advice would be much appreciated. I'm in the Dorset area. TIA.

Private lessons are great for 1 to 1 help, but group lessons are also fun and you can learn from watching other people. Hacks also help with your balance and general ability to control the horse in different situations. If you really want to improve your position the best thing is a lunge lesson where you can work without reins and stirrups and concentrate just on yourself. Most RCs offer stable management lessons so that might be something fun to do as well.

If you wanted to you could work towards your BHS exams that involve both ridden, handling and stable management skills.

Once you are back in the swing of things you could look at sharing a horse and getting a bit more experience that way.

There are loads of residential courses where you can stay over for a week or weekend, ride different horses and develop your skills. Depending on where you live you could try the YRC or Talland.

Sorry you did mention where you are!!!! Not sure what there is near Dorset but perhaps someone else will come up with ideas for residential courses.

How much spare time do you have? When I was young free and single I volunteered at a local riding school, mucking out etc for lessons. That worked really quickly, as the school ws pretty fair. I got LOADS of free riding and really good instruction, mostly in groups with their staff lessons.

Dressage competitions: impartial feedback and something to focus on in private lessons beforehand.

great advice - thanks! lunge lessons sound interesting, I think I will give it a go!

Lots and lots of riding without stirrups will do wonders for your balance (it also helped restore my confidence in jumping!). As will riding in the light seat position at the walk, trot and canter. Hacking out or schooling in a field also feels very different to riding in a school, so if your riding school will let you do it, that might be worth it. If you've got the basics back, I'd probably see if there's a group lesson you can join now, it would probably be cheaper and you'd be able to ride for longer I would think. My lessons are £17 for a half hour private and £15 for an hour group lesson (usually 5 or 6 of us riding)

saint those are cheap lessons. Is that in your own horse tho?

No, i dont have a horse I ride the school horses. If I ride with my sister (semi private) we have an hour for £20.

Hi chipping! Well done getting back into riding. All the above are great suggestions and I would add to them: get involved in EE aka enlightenedequitation.com, a great forum for people intent on improving their riding and their horses' lives. Heather Moffett is on hand to help with video instruction, tips etc. Watch videos of great riders, my current favourite is Anja Beran and you can google her name, visit her website, and see her on youtube, just perfect riding and very inspiration to watch. Good luck!

inspirational, even.