DD feels like she’s not learning enough

[Standstilling]

DD1 13 has been riding for about a year, but for the last couple of months she feels like she hasn’t progressed. She’s in a class of mostly adults and I’ve noticed she hardly gets any instruction from the teacher (owner of the school). She had a stand-in teacher last night and the energy of the lesson was totally different - loads of instruction, praise etc.

So, what would you do? I could speak to the teacher. I could just move her to another school, but she helps out at the weekend in exchange for a short lesson and that might have to stop if I move her. DD2 also has lessons there but is at a lower level with a young teacher and is progressing fine.

Agh, I am a horsey novice and don’t know what to do for the best.

[Ariela]

Swap schools for a while - for both. Ask for local recommendations.
My daughter learnt at a very low key small friendly local riding school just for fun till she was 7, then we moved her to a more established school for progress. She went from trotting (off lead rein) to cantering and ground poles to jumping 6 inches in the first half hour at the new riding school, and after a year was capable of jumping courses of around 18"-2ft.

However what really progressed her was getting her own pony on loan and joining Pony Club. You can now join Pony Club as a non riding member and learn how to do all the stable management properly, but we paid an instructor to come to us for that.

[Frouby]

Why was the different instructor there? Ask the yard owner of you can book that instructor to come back to teach your dd in a private lesson or ask if there are any plans for her to permanently teach different lessons.

Will be costly but maybe a once a month treat?

[Standstilling]

Ariela This is the local recommended school. There are others if we travel a bit further though. The girls do Pony Club there as well and have learned a lot. You’re right, we should change schools for a bit and see.

Frouby She’s the Yard manager and doesn’t usually teach. I think the owner was off for some reason. Again, you are right - I’ll ask what other lessons she teaches.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

[maxelly]

The quality of instruction between different riding school instructors is so so variable IMO. I did a lot of riding at schools before getting my own and so many teachers, esp with adults and generally competent riders seem happy to just watch you ride, occasionally giving some half-hearted instructions or comments, rather than actively teaching. Or others followed the exact same lesson plan every single time, no variation (often it was of the variety of all trot round together, change the rein, one by one canter to the back of the ride etc which is hardly helpful for a more experienced rider!). Good ones are like gold dust!

As other say, probably my first choice would be to see if there's another group at the same school she can join with a different teacher and/or more kids her own age. You can always dress it up with some excuse about the timing being better if you don't want to upset the yard owner.

Otherwise look into the other school - can they still do PC and helping out at the first school if they have 'main' lessons at another or will that be logistically too difficult?

[Standstilling]

Maxelly Are you psychic?! It turns out there is a class with more children in it AND it’s genuinely a better night for us. So we’re going to give that a go, with the back up option of changing schools if she’s still not happy.

[xmb53]

Yes - is a difierent school with a Pony Club centre an option? At least would be better for age range.

[Standstilling]

There aren’t many Pony Club centres near here.

But even if we end up changing schools I think they could still do PC at this one.