First private lesson at SNEC (and why I'll never go to group lessons again)

I've ridden quite a bit over the last year, but not had a great deal of instruction, even in lessons. In March 09 I started riding my friend's pony. I had some good times and some bad with him. The worst was one day we were cantering up a field, quite fast, and he tripped. We both went head-first into the ground! A bit later that day, leaving the field, I was closing the gate when he bolted. Luckily I stayed on, but the force pulled my should out. The bugger!

In the winter he lives elsewhere, so to keep riding, and hopefully improve, I decided to start attending group lessons at a school south of Edinburgh. The first week I rode a horse called Rolly. He was pretty lazy walking and kept pulling the reins. No advice was given from the instructor.... she was concentrating on the member of the group who was trotting round at the time...

You see, groups lessons, at least those given at this particular school, work in the following way: somewhere between 4 and 9 people get on horses and walk one behind the other around the arena (this particular arena is standard size and indoors); the horse/rider at the front of the queue trots/canters around the arena until they reach the back of the queue. Then the next person goes. So actually, you spend most of your time walking.

The second and third lessons I rode Levi, he was a bit more active, but I didn't quite understand his rhythm in the trot, and since we spend most of the time walking, that's how things stayed. The fourth, and final lesson, I rode Hero, and he was great! A bit lazy in the walk, but much more responsive at a trot and I totally understood his rhythm.

All-in-all, I'd say it was quite hit-and-miss as to whether I did well, and I don't really feel that I improved a great deal during that time, except for learning to sit a trot (which was really easy on my friend's pony, but I only ever did it by accident for a couple of steps, and never a whole circle). There was no mention of the seat, the right diagonal, changing diagonals during change of rein... in fact there was no change of rein at a trot or canter. Wow!

I was November the last time I rode, and I got myself a book, "Horse and Rider", from Borders before it closed. I've been reading all about the independent seat, cues, etc., and realised that everything I've been taught is crap... except for what my friend taught me... which wasn't much, but it was correct (according to the book).

Anyway, for my birthday I got myself BHS membership. And my wife got me my first private lesson at the Scottish National Equestrian Centre.

At first things were bad. I was sat in reception until about five past three, nobody else around, before I noticed a sign directing to the office. The lesson was meant to start at 3pm, and I'd stuck my head around a few doors, but hadn't found anyone. So I followed the sign and found some people talking in an office... I had to wait to be seen and it was about quarter past before I was introduced to my instructor. So that wasn't a great start. But that's what happens when you turn up at a new place without a clue of how things work there.

Lucy, my instructor, was great. At first the horse I was on kept shaking his head around and she had to ride it out of him. But after a short time both he and I relaxed and we trotted around happily for the next 40 minutes. I've never before trotted for 40 minutes. I learned to use my rising rhythm to control the rhythm of the horse (instead of just trying to match his rhythm), checking and changing diagonal, long and short changes of rein, it was great! The biggest thing for me was the fact that most of the time was spend working, instead of walking. It's so much better value for money in that respect. But more than that: I would never have learned in group lessons what I learned at SNEC yesterday... balance, rhythm and confidence.

I just wish I could remember the horse's name... I think it might begin with P...