To have said this at the riding school?

[TigeToo]

I’ve been doing horse riding lessons for around 6 months now (after on and off lessons when I was younger). I was paired up with a lovely but very sedate cob called Frank. It’s a mission to get Frank to do anything other than a very slow half hearted trot. It was ok at first as I needed a slow steady horse to build my confidence up but now it’s just frustrating. I’m meant to be learning how to canter but I can’t get Frank to canter. The instructor shouts “give him a kick” which I do but he doesn’t give a shit. The instructor will then laugh and call him a lazy bones or something. Occasionally she’ll run up behind him doing a weird noise which might make him canter for 3 steps but then he’ll stop again.
Last week I arrived at the stables and was told “Frank isn’t available so I’ve got Toby out for you, he’s a bit more forward, are you ok with that?”

Well Toby was amazing! Still slow and steady but up for a slow canter when requested. He was perfect!! I had an amazing lesson and finally felt like I was getting somewhere (with lots of cantering!!)

At the end of the lesson I asked if I could have Toby again on my next lesson. She said that was fine and wrote his name next to mine in the booking book.

So imagine my horror when I turn up today and see Frank stood waiting for me. I said “I’m meant to be on Toby today” and she said “oh, sorry he’s not available this week”. So I said “As lovely as Frank is I really want to learn to canter now, is there any other horse available?” And she got pissed off and said “no, I’ve got Frank ready now”.

So I took Frank into the school. Absolutely pointless, walking around so slow that he literally stopped a few times. Managed a slow trot, no chance I was getting anything else out of him.

So when it came to booking next weeks lesson I said “can you put me down for a horse I can learn to canter with” and she said “I can try but Frank is the best horse for you really due to your height, weight and ability” (I’m 5ft 10in, 10.7stone). They have a massive yard full of horses. I have another friend who goes and has said she won’t ride Frank or Toby as they’re too difficult to work with.

I didn’t book at the time but after speaking to friend I rang them just now and asked if I could book in with Blaze, Pepsi or Toby next week. They said “yes, I’ll put them on as well as Frank”. I said “No, not Frank”. She got very defensive and said there were no guarantees that it won’t be Frank if he’s the only one available so I said I won’t bother then.

The lessons are expensive and I feel like the’re taking the piss out of me.

I do think most people who ride horses refer to it as just riding.
Certainly not usual to call it horseback riding in the UK I would say....

I don't though, say I'm going riding if out on my bike., I just say I am going out on my bike.

This is not a great email

I feel sorry for Frank tbh

This, when I first started riding I used to have a horse like a Frank, once I got more confident with my riding I could make any horse canter, I could make any horse ride on the bit, I could make any horse do what I wanted. I don’t think it’s the horse it’s the rider.

A good riding school will ensure their horses are not overworked eg no more than 2 x 30 Min lessons back to back and a limit to how many hours a horse is used over a day. So it's difficult to allocate the horses to meet all clients demands. Not all the horses in the stables will be available for riding school use. Some will be privately owned liveries.

Hacking is outside of a school/arena.

OP YANBU - if you’re not enjoying riding Frank that’s absolutely fine. I’ve ridden for 25 years and don’t enjoy every horse. This is meant to be a hobby for you and you’re paying for the privilege.

Ps I suspect nobody wants to ride Frank so they want him to get some exercise with the least capable riders.

Try crying.....
When I was at College, I had got used to the difficult mare, and always wanted to ride her (we had flat lessons, jumping lessons, also teaching and lunge lessons...). One day I was told that I was riding a big grey called Centurion, who could bend himself in the middle, and you would likely come off over his shoulder. The lesson was being taken by an ex-Army man who had instructed Prince (now King) Charles=, and was not inclined to put up with this panic stricken 30+ woman both semi-blubbering and also gasping for breath. So when I calmed down, and he had established it was not an asthma-attack, he said, OK - you can ride Hill Street.
Undignified, and unintentional. But it did the trick 😊

This is amusing to someone who knows nothing about horses but might like one if I knew it wouldn't do much. I love Frank!. I think he's pissed off with the instructors recommending he gets a good kick and can't be arsed. He knows if he carries on then they lose custom. He's a clever horse.

But I completely agree with you! If you enjoyed Toby then I can't see why you can't book him again.

Is definitely switch schools. There is a difference between learning to canter and learning to canter though if that makes sense.

There is learning what canter feels like, getting used to the motion and getting confident in your balance and used to the relative speed.

The Franks of this world are great for that - because they are not going to do anything unexpected - just canter sedately round.

If you do persevere then maybe Framk on a lunge with the instructor dictating the pace and direction while you can sort yourself out on top.

Then you can learn to ride the canter - ask correctly and ride the pace, be able to do transitions up and down smoothly, turn, circle, do some lateral movements. For this you need a more forward but still safe horse. Toby or similar.

A lot of schools have a kind of unwritten rule that you need to be able to get the beginner horse going nicely in all 3 paces before you move up. Ask them for a very honest appraisal of where you are in your riding journey.

At the very small school where I keep my mare they have a Frank - Goldie. You could "put your dead grandmother on her" - she's a great introduction to riding as she's rock solid. But she won't do a tap more than she has to if she can get away with it.

With me or the instructor on her she'll jump an small course and do a half decent prelim test (slowly).

There is nothing worse than being over horsed - you want to be totally safe for now.

So if I were you I'd change schools and find one where they can give you a clear plan for how you progress.

So canter on lunge for 3 lessons, canter safe horse 3 lessons, move up to a more forward horse, working on transitions, poles, lateral moves in all 3 paces.

Do you have a goal in mind? A timeline? You should share this and have an instructor who can give you a realistic and honest feedback on how you get there.

Good instructors do take it slower than you might think. It's so important to establish the basics properly before going to the next stage. If like most of us horses are a long term life choice the then getting really established in walk and trot on a forward horse is even more important than cantering. So being able to really ride inside leg to outside rein, to control tempo within the pace, to do effective lateral work all this needs to be established in walk and trot first. Because it will make cantering so much more fun.

Hope that makes sense.

"Once I got more confident" -
Nothing is being done to improve the OP's confidence though.
She just needs someone with a bit more oomph than Frank - and Frank needs to not be used in this way!

Riding difficult horses really does help your riding though. I know it's a cliche but it is one for a reason.

They will however be trying to exercise Frank and you have been earmarked. Have a chat with the manager, I don't think you have to switch schools.

Just phone her and say

I am happy to continue riding lessons with you but only if I have Toby - I won’t come or pay for Frank anymore as it is demoralising for me. So can you book me in for your next lesson on Toby pr another pony please.

if she says she doesn’t know or can’t book it - just say fine - I am happy to book in a regular slot for him but not for Frank.

It is correct. It is common parlance. Don’t be so pedantic.

@Underparmummy
I do not agree that she should be given a difficult horse to learn on - and she is obviously not making progress. There is a happy medium between difficult, won't go and difficult, won't stop. Neither of them are listening, but one is less safe.
I don't think she should be given a horse to ride that is off-putting, and Frank IS, and it is just not fair on him as well. She isn't a teenager at Camp, and is paying £60 an hour!

£60 an hour is livery members off peak hours cost at our local stables. Horses are so ££££!

I do agree she needs to put her foot down. I think she'll get her way.

@TigeToo post over in the tack room topic about roughly where you are and someone may be able to recommend a better school .

I had a similar experience with a Frank. He was a sluggish but safe one, and I actually developed a bit of a soft spot for him. But I wasn't progressing at all really.

Fortunately we have a multitude of riding schools here so I booked in for a private lesson at the Fancy Place and was given the owner's old dressage horse to ride and WOW, what a difference. I learned so much in that 30 minute lesson.

Instead of 'booting' a sturdy, jaded school pony I (began to) learn the actual leg aids. The instructor there (she's amazing) had me doing flying changes by the end of the session. It was amazing!

I continued to ride at both places for a couple of years. Mostly on the old plod, and about once every couple of months at the expensive place. Different horses each time there. And because I was getting a different quality of horse occasionally I was eventually able to get some good hard work out of my 'Frank'.

In the end, I got to a level where I was able to find my own pony share (initially also a Frank-type (though with a short sprinting streak!) which was brilliant, and now I ride TBx competition horses (though I just hack them for exercise)).

OP, I'm going to fence-sit. I think you absolutely would benefit from riding some different horses. But also as your experience grows, you'll be able to do more with Frank too.

The main thing, though, is that you enjoy it. It's such a wonderful hobby!

Good schools put riders on a "schoolmaster" that really knows their job. A horse that will do what the rider wants - if the rider asks in the right way. Then the rider learns the correct aids, and gets used to the horse's moves and gaits. Then they progress to horses that aren't quite so easy, with the confidence that they are asking correctly, and they learn about how good riders teach the horse while they ride.

I feel sorry for the Franks of this horse world. Mentally or physically not up to the job. An easy horse for the instructors to use because they know they won't cause the students any problems. Frank has either been ridden so badly for so long that he's forgotten what the correct aids are and what they mean, or he's never learned them. Ribs sore from constant kicking and I'm sure regularly given a smack to make him "behave". Used and his good nature abused.

"horseback riding" is what Americans call it.

It makes perfect sense- we talk about being "on horseback".

American also use use "riding" more than British people do, think "riding the railroad", "riding on the bus" "she gave me a ride to school" etc so it makes sense that they would tend to add clarification when talking about equestrian activities.

I believe that "riding" is equivalent to "shagging" in Ireland too...

I agree that a good rider would be able to get the Franks of the world going, but I completely disagree with the average riding school ethos that you have to master the Franks to graduate to the better horses. People need to learn to ride on safe, easy horses. That might be Frank while you're mastering walk and maybe trot, but when you're ready to canter you need a safe, easy horse that doesn't take five days at the gym to get into canter!

YANBU, OP. It's your money, you have the right to say you never want to ride Frank again, and if he's the one ready and waiting for you, you won't be having a lesson. (But they really can't promise you a specific horse, for many reasons -- there's a certain aspect of luck of the draw with lessons, although given the number of horses they can surely give you "not Frank").

I agree with you 100%

After six months of lessons I would expect to be learning to canter. As others have said cantering on the lunge would allow you to concentrate on balance and developing a secure seat. I'd look for another school, B.H.S. approved if possible, or see if you can find someone with a friendly cob who might teach you, in return for help with looking after their horse.

Ah Thelwell 😍

The Franks at the riding school where I learned would not "canter sedately around" - they would not stay in canter for a full circuit of the school without constant leg. OP's Frank sounds like that. There were others that would indeed canter sedately around (and some that had to be held back to stop them cantering). Each type is right for learning different things. Frank is not right for learning what OP needs to learn at the moment.