Frequency of lessons/riding to progress

[Jam1692]

I am learning to re-ride after a major hiatus of 13 years and am really committed to riding regularly in future. To work on both muscle memory and technical skills, how often should I lesson per week as well as practice? I do not own or lease a horse and am currently enrolled in a 2x week lesson schedule for the next month: a 30min. private lesson and a 45 min. semi-private lesson. Will I steadily improve if I am not practicing on my own in addition to these lessons or if I cut down to one lesson after a couple months of intensive 2x week lessons?

My barn offers a 1/2 lease including 2 free rides and a lesson for $325 + 1/2 farrier costs every 6 weeks. Is this something I should strongly consider if I am serious about improving and increasing my confidence? I would also love to get out of the ring on occasion as I improve.
TIA for any tips!

[silver_charm]

I would strongly suggest the half lease. Of course lessoning multiple times is helpful, but I really appreciate having rides without a trainer to work on things myself. Sort of like homework, you see what you understand on your own, and what still needs sorting out. Then you can bring questions to the trainer.

Plus you can plan fun ways to torture yourself if you so choose

[Scribbler]

I resumed riding about a decade ago, after 20 years out of the saddle. I started with weekly lessons, and then moved up to twice weekly. I was making progress, but slowly. One I felt comfortable riding unsupervised, I went to a half lease (3 days a week at a second barn) in addition to my 2 lessons a week at the original barn. Then I went to full lease at the second barn, eventually dropped the lessons at the original barn, and now have a horse full-time under my care.

IME one lesson a week is not going to really have you progress very fast, or even much at all. Your barn half lease sounds like a very good deal, three rides a week including a lesson. If you feel safe to tack up and ride without supervision, I would take that lease.

You can also work on your overall fitness at the gym, which may help a bit.

I had no lessons as a kid. Coming back as an adult via lessons, I learned how dependent you can get on the lesson format and supervision. I think it’s important to start riding on your own as soon as possible, so that you can start thinking through what you are doing, what your horse is doing, and listening to your horse as well, rather than letting the instructor take precedence over your own feelings and intuition.

As far as hacking out, that probably depends on the physical location and culture of the barn you are at. Around here, many lesson barns are “landlocked,” in the middle of a district of working farms, with no trail access, unless they happen to be close to a park or greenway. And many lesson barns or show barns don’t see hacking out as necessary or safe.

For me, it’s absolutely essential, so a big reason I never ended up with a horse at the orignal barn I took lessons at, was that it had no trails access.

[541hunter]

I think it’s really hard to improve on a once a week schedule. I noticed a huge jump in my ability to retain and build upon new skills every week when I went from once a week to twice a week, and another huge jump when I moved from twice a week to half leasing (3 lessons and a hack per week). Now I own and ride 4-5x a week, usually just my own. And of course my barnmates who ride multiple horses 5-6x a week progress even faster!

When I did once a week lessons, I felt like I barely retained the new info from week to week; it was more maintaining old knowledge. And even though I was working out regularly, my riding muscles just didn’t get enough use on that schedule.

[Jam1692]

Thanks so much for your replies. They are very helpful! The barn with the 1/2 lease available has rings, fields, a cross-country field, and miles of trials. But I’m not sure how much freedom I would have if leasing at this stage or any stage and need to clarify that with my trainer. I agree that practicing on my own would be very helpful. I know how to tack up, etc. and would love to practice as much as possible, within reason given the expense!

[fourfillies]

You sound committed and fairly tightly wound. That’s a compliment. Half lease for sure. As we age those muscles need the extra saddle time (or mine sure do).

[lintesia]

Think of it like learning to play a musical instrument. How much progress will you make if the only time to get to play the instrument is at your lessons?

(It took me years of once-weekly lessons and lots of frustration to make the connection. Fortunately my circumstances changed and I was able to go from 1 lesson per week to half-leasing to full-leasing to ownership.)

When I was half-leasing and uncertain about what to do during my hack, I started using the time to simply build on basics in the saddle – one lap posting trot no stirrups, one lap posting trot left stirrup only, one lap posting trot right stirrup only, one lap 2 up 1 down, etc., etc.

[Scribbler]

[QUOTE=Jam1692;8919365]
Thanks so much for your replies. They are very helpful! The barn with the 1/2 lease available has rings, fields, a cross-country field, and miles of trials. But I’m not sure how much freedom I would have if leasing at this stage or any stage and need to clarify that with my trainer. I agree that practicing on my own would be very helpful. I know how to tack up, etc. and would love to practice as much as possible, within reason given the expense![/QUOTE]

If you’ve just been riding in lessons, the stable may not feel comfortable letting you hack out. Maybe you can arrange to hack out with another rider, or even do a “trail riding” lesson where your instructor rides out with you and gives you tips on the trail. If there are self-contained safe trails on the property, and the barn has a culture of people hacking out on them, I expect that they will let you go once they feel confident you won’t get into trouble. Maybe start with doing a short “cool out” ride at the walk after a lesson? I would take the lease at this point, whatever the restrictions, and ask what skills they would want you to display before you (a) school alone in the arena (b) walk out on the trails and © trot/canter on the trails.

For myself, letting someone lease my horse, I want to see that they have a solid seat and good, correct, reactions to unexpected results before I’d let them out of the ring. Even if I didn’t want them cantering on the trails, I’d want to know that they could sit a canter and do walk/trot/canter transitions calmly and safely because if the horse decided to offer a bit of canter, I wouldn’t want them to panic or fall off.

I would expect that an instructor would have a fairly accurate assessment of these things in a new rider, and while they might seem to you that they were a bit overly cautious, respect it and show you are working with their concerns.

[Jam1692]

I would expect that an instructor would have a fairly accurate assessment of these things in a new rider, and while they might seem to you that they were a bit overly cautious, respect it and show you are working with their concerns.

I agree 100% and would absolutely respect their recommendations. As far as safety is concerned, for both myself and the horse, I would never want to take an unnecessary and foolish risk that could end badly! I may in fact just lesson for the rest of the year and then lease + lesson in 2017 when I feel more confident with the basics. But it will also depend on what the trainer says. There are no end of horses for lease in my area from lesson programs and private boarders who would want me to work with their trainer. I am going to check out all of these options and do my research and slowly wade further in over the next couple of months.

[findeight]

When I started riding again, I found that riding 3 times a week was the magic number. 4 was only marginally better then 3, and harder to fit in around work, but 3 allowed dramatic improvement compared to 2 rides a week. Once a week was relaxing but just recreational, no platform to improve off of.

Suggest 2 lessons and 1 non lesson ride as much as possible. You can alternate between that and 1 lesson and 2 rides from week to week but you got to get on a horse 3 times a week to get enough time in to advance. I was around 43 or so coming off an 8 year break, was pretty good when I stopped. Don’t know if starting as more of a Novice would be different but I kind of doubt it based on what I’ve observed. And I am talking suitable, trained horses in a program, not trying to learn on a time sucking, possibly confidence rattling Greenie.

YMMV, as always.

[BITSA]

After my 25 year hiatus I started back 2x a week, and eventually got to 3x a week. I feel like 3x a week was a “magic number” for me too. Get as much time in the tack as possible.

[Jam1692]

Thanks for your suggestions! As soon as I leave the ring and recoup I start itching to try again and practice. 3x a week would be ideal and doable if leasing works out.

[foursocks]

Absolutely go for the lease. I had a 13 year hiatus, too, and after a couple of months of once a week stuff I knew I needed more. I catch rode for a bit, and then got back into a regular lesson program with a new trainer. Eventually I ended up doing a sort of 100% free lease on a horse there whose owners no longer rode but wanted him in work, so I rode 5-6 days a week. After that I bought my own, and that was even better!

I would also suggest doing some sort of extra fitness work- it will really help. I was fine riding 1-2 horses 5-6 days a week until I hit my 40s, and now I have to run to augment my riding fitness.

[Jam1692]

As I mentioned in the re-riding support thread, I suck. I am so green that I am really only capable of confidently riding steady lesson horses. Put me on a new horse entirely so I can practice what the lesson horses have taught (as in a 1/2 lease situation at another farm) and I struggle to keep my SH1T together and end up with crumbled confidence. SO, I’m either going to have to just take lessons for another 6-12 months before leasing or only 1/2 lease one of the horses I regularly ride in lessons in order to feel confident enough to practice in a ring on my own without a trainer there.

[Wonders12]

[QUOTE=Jam1692;8922648]
SO, I’m either going to have to just take lessons for another 6-12 months before leasing or only 1/2 lease one of the horses I regularly ride in lessons in order to feel confident enough to practice in a ring on my own without a trainer there.[/QUOTE]

Glad to see this since that’s similar to what I was going to suggest.

I think 2 lessons per week is the minimum to see progress. So for your first few months, I would recommend either 2 lessons per week OR the half lease with another thrown in (so 2 lessons + 1-2 practice rides). If you do the two lessons per week, don’t be afraid to step it up to 3 per week when you can. I was able to do that for a short time and really saw myself improve quickly. I think that’s the magic number for real progress.

[Jam1692]

[QUOTE=Wonders12;8922669]
Glad to see this since that’s similar to what I was going to suggest.

I think 2 lessons per week is the minimum to see progress. So for your first few months, I would recommend either 2 lessons per week OR the half lease with another thrown in (so 2 lessons + 1-2 practice rides). If you do the two lessons per week, don’t be afraid to step it up to 3 per week when you can. I was able to do that for a short time and really saw myself improve quickly. I think that’s the magic number for real progress.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your advice. I will have to see what I can swing $ and time wise to move from my current 2 lessons to 3+ lessons and/or rides per week. Or, if I end up not being able to ride more than 2x per week, will have to accept very slow progress. I think the 1/2 lease situation could work as long as the trainer gives me the green light and believes I am ready for unsupervised training rides in the ring, etc.

The most amazing thing about being an adult beginner is how humbling the experience is but also something I think is good for the brain, body, and soul—even at my age!