Changing riding schools, does this sound like the right decision?

[OhMyArsingGodInABox]

I've been learning to ride since January at a local stables.

They are a friendly bunch and I like them all a lot but here are my issues.

I have a different teacher every week. Often the same three but in the last five weeks, five different teachers. Because of this I feel all over the place, they all teach in a different way, some weeks I feel like I've learned loads and then the next week it's back to square one. Even down to some teachers telling me to kick for a canter and others telling me to put my outside leg back.

I ride two different horses, both have bucked massively recently and I was thrown over the handlebars last week. the week before that the horse went into a gallop to catch up with the other horse in the lesson. I'm really feeling the fear and have said so but was back on the same galloping horse this week and spent the whole time holding him back because I was terrified her was going to bolt off again.

I'm paying £30 a week for a half an hour group lesson. Other local schools charge under this for an hour in a group.

Dd has been riding at the same school for nearly three years and is still doing walk trot canter the same as me. If that's all I'm doing in three years I'll be bored rigid and £1000s out if pocket. I don't expect to be show jumping within a year or anything but I'm still doing the same things I was doing at the start, with not much improvement.

Anyway, this is probably all a bit long winded, but do these things sound like a good enough reason to change? I've spoken to another local school and they have said they will give me the same teacher (the owner) every week, they have an indoor school and they charge less than I'm paying now for twice the lesson time.

I'm going for a trial tomorrow but I wanted to find out from some people in the know what I should look for and what I should expect.

Thanks so much for any help.

[Fleecydressinggown]

I think you need consistency in your lessons. Riding school horses are on the whole pretty sour but I wouldn't put up with something that bucked or bolted. They can be quite dead to the leg, and can need a big pony club kick to get them moving forward, but on a more responsive horse this wouldn't be necessary (or advisable). You tend to learn less in a group lesson than a private IMO, mainly because you are always waiting for your 'go' when you get to the front of the file. See what you think at the trial lesson at the other place and make your judgement then.

[OhMyArsingGodInABox]

Thank you.

I've had both group and private lessons at this school and while some have been fab, others have been a waste of money IMO with the instructor having no idea what I've already learned and just going through the motions.

I'm quite excited for tomorrow but feel bad about letting the other school down, which is probably a bit silly as I am a paying customer. But they'll lose me, my sister and my dd if this works out.

[Hobnobissupersweet]

They sound pretty dire tbh, and your dad's progress does seem slow. My friends dcs who ride at riding schools would all expect to be jumping at least low heights within a year. My DS has only been riding 8 months, admittedly on his own pony but is now competing at odes and sj at 75 cm so three years of weekly lessons to be only w, t and canter seems dire. Hope the new school was good fun.

[FlockOfTwats]

The riding instructor thing would definitely make me move. IMO long term lessons you need to build up a relationship with your instructor and theyneed to know your strengths and weaknesses to get the best out of it.

The bucking etc... Any horse can do that so it wouldn't necessarily put me off. If the horse were well known for it then it may be different.

£30 for half an hour group though? Sod that! I pay £17 for half hour private. That alone would mean i wouldn't go in the first place.

I'd also expect more progression with DD. My 5 year old rides her loan pony a few times a month (She's only with me on weekends) and has been riding since april this year. She's deaf aswelland is walking, trotting (Will do either rising or sitting), cantering and yesterday i took her over a couple of small jumps.

[OhMyArsingGodInABox]

Thank you. I dropped the ball a bit with dd as dh usually takes her while I'm at work but I watched her lesson the other day and was pretty shocked, it was like watching a first lesson tbh. Three years of paid lessons just to be bouncing around like that is ridiculous.

It was half an hour of w/t/c and she was unable to get the pony into canter herself. There seemed to be no real instruction.

The new school offers a two hour slot for children with an hours group lesson and an hours pony care which is much better. And only twice as much as we're paying for her half an hour group lesson, so 4x the value.

[OhMyArsingGodInABox]

Oh my goodness that was so much more fun.

The instructor spotted straight away that I was a bag if nerves and is going to work on making it fun while teaching me properly. And no kicking! Lovely horse who moved and stopped when I asked without any need for pony club kicks or whacks with the crop. Such a different experience.

[EnlightenedOwl]

well it sounds like its made all the difference! Well done! It certainly was the right one for me tp change stables. I've just realised you say the other place charged £30 for half an hour group lesson that's ridiculous as I mentioned I pay £24 for a full hour! Good luck with your lessons sounds perfect!