Formal instruction vs hours in the saddle

[TallyHo1980]

I used to ride as a teenager then gave up for about 10 years before starting again last year. I have a pony on share, he is great for my confidence, a lovely old cob who has taught many people to ride over the years.

My pony is great to hack which is a massive bonus for me, and will happily pop over small jumps (I have no ambitions to jump high so that is fine with me!). However, he is so lazy in the school it is impossible to get more than half way round the school in canter. He is also 17 years old and hasn't really ever done dressage so I doubt I am suddenly going to change that as a novice rider.

Do you think I will progress as a rider just by clocking up hours in the saddle out hacking on this pony, or do I really need formal instruction to progress?

Do you think it would be worth paying for lessons on this pony, bearing in mind it's laziness and lack of school work in the past?

I am not sure how much my riding is progressing. I considered getting another horse to share that is better in the school, but mine is so safe to hack I am reluctant to give him up. I cannot afford two!

I also can't really afford lessons at a riding school as well as the share.

Not sure what to do?

I should add that I did have proper riding lessons as a teenager, but that was in the 1990s and I think techniques have moved on a bit now!

I guess you need to ask yourself what you actually want to do? Do you want to do dressage, jumping etc or are you happy hacking?

I have no ambitions to compete, am happy to be a happy hacker but would like to be able to school and do some low level dressage. And a few small jumps. I suppose on the whole I just want to feel like there is some improvement in my general riding, ie getting a better seat, better position, more effective aids, rather than having specific goals.

I guess one or two riding lesson on riding school horse won't break bank and check that you haven't picked up some bad habits. Sounds like this 17 cob is ideal at the minute and good shares can be hard to find.
I do know the feeling ' I could compete if I wanted to'.

OP if your goal is to progress as a rider, and do some low level dressage and jumping, then I think you have a few things to think about. The most successful situation for you would be a horse who is capable of doing a prelim/novice level test, and willingly jumps small jumps safely and competently; supported and mentored by a good instructor who understands both you and the horse, and your goals. Unfortunately, I don't think that this horse will help you get there. You are right to think that it will be really, really difficult to change this horse's way of going at his age - a friend did manage to change her (at the time) 10 yr old horse's way of going, but it took 2-3 years and weekly lessons.

As for the instruction vs hours in the saddle question, its not a matter of either/or; a rider will progress best with both - regular lessons, and then time in the saddle without the instructor to practice and consolidate what they have learned in a lesson. And in essence, this will probably be your dilemma - do you want to improve as a rider, or are you happy to just hack and jump a little, but stay at fairly much the same level.

Hope this helps.

I agree with the above but it might be worth trying a lesson on your current share before giving up. You might be surprised what a good trainer can get you to do!

Have lessons on your current loan horse.

An old horsewoman once said to me that a competant rider can hold a fizzy horse but a good rider can get a tune out of a slower/lazy one!

A good instructer will start with the absolute basics. A friend of mine (who is an AI) has been having dressage lessons for 6 weeks. The only pace they have concentrated on is walk lol. They have done some faster work but only to get the horse and rider warmed up for the real work which was walking properly in 3 ways.

His school work may be difficult for him if he hasn't done much because of lack of balance and suppleness, not because he is lazy. It would be like asking you to do a yoga class and get every move bang on in without being shown or taught properly.