sorry, I meant long term, but it really doesn’t matter now. I am done with asking you all about the biomechanics thing. Do you all have any more barn recs?
You mean you have amnesia? Ok.
Btw I actually know a lot about horse and rider function through the lens of French classical dressage and through the excellent conformation books and videos of Deb Bennett, as well as having a great local coach with an eye for seat and a junior coach with a kinesiology minor now also a human RMT who can fix horses too. We just haven’t applied the biomechanics label to it, we’ve got different jargon over here. And we have the hoof balance and saddle fitting parts of the equation figured out too.
In other words, going off in a tiff because we didn’t praise your own local coach enough is cutting you off from lots of people who actually know all about this exact thing.
And I doubt anyone’s going to give you a recommendation after this thread.
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I don’t think we need to hammer a 14 year old. When we call her out she gets it. Behavior modification takes a while. Yes she’s snotty but I dare anyone to tell me they weren’t snotty at 14. I know I was and my Mom has HIGH expectations of my behavior and still calls me out being damn near 40.
OP have your parents call the barns your interested in and get recommendations from your current trainer.
Also on this forum be you. Don’t exaggerate, don’t get pissy over answers you don’t want to hear and more importantly don’t take anything personal. I can promise you I’ve pissed off half the posters on this thread but they still help. You have to understand you are on a forum that has included Olympic riders, UL riders, people who you (and I) dream of being. Be honest here and you will get free advice from people you never dreamed of.
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Thanks @Denali6298. I was trying to be me , but that didn’t get me anywhere. It only got me hammered by the rest of this forum. I try not to take anything personal, but it is hard when you are putting your trainers name out there and people just ignore it or say that my trainer doesn’t know anything.
@Scribbler . I don’t care about you all not praising my trainer because I never asked you to. All I wanted you all to do is stop hammering me about being interested in Biomechanics. And I am sure that people will give me recs, because they aren’t all rude like you are acting. And good for you if you know a lot about this exact thing, maybe, you could have shared it with us earlier. But frankly, I don’t want your personal advice now. And if you comment on any other forum giving me personal advice, just know that I won’t be listening.
Look your a beginner and honestly how long you’ve been riding doesn’t mean squat. Just say your a beginner and are now just starting to jump. We’ve all been there. Scribbler can’t imagine people progressing with once a week lessons but that is a thing, especially if the student is athletic. Leave out the years. Just say what you are working on.
This forum is a wonderful resource. Just realize you may be talking to very accomplished people and the majority of users are over the age of 35
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Calm down! Scribbler knows a lot. And we don’t care who your trainer is unless they are a shyster. Here’s what you have to know, not every trainer works for every rider. I look at the persons credentials but that doesn’t mean they will work for me. I have had countless experiences where a lower level trainer explains the same concept in a way that I get it.
Perhaps all of this can be solved very simply - where does your current trainer recommend you should go for lessons? After all, if you are looking for a near duplicate of their training methods, she would be the best equipped to tell you where to find that in your area. Why not start there, then ask here on CoTH about the place/trainer she recommends?
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I thought you were going to call some barns. Or have your parents do it. Or maybe wait until your shoulder heals. At this point, I want to check out Senator Bell and I don’t even live in the area.
As an educator who works with a diverse population, I have to say that memory issues - short or long term - usually don’t make people confuse four years with 7 months. Sometimes people do forget how long they’ve been doing something, usually something they’ve either been doing a very long time (is it 15 years or 20?) or a quite short time - could be 5 minutes but feels like an hour. And in those cases people usually report that they aren’t sure or can’t remember. It’s much more common for that kind of confusion to happen in response to questioning than when an individual decides to spontaneously self-report - like by starting a discussion on a message board - which people generally do about things they have been thinking about a lot - an activity that tends to enhance memory even for individuals with memory problems. And I wouldn’t describe anyone with significant memory issues as responsible. It’s not that they’re deliberately careless, it’s that being responsible requires people to remember obligations, rules, and routines and carry them out on a consistent and reliable basis, which requires a decent memory. You get these weird “years and years oops I mean months no wait my mom says years” things when people think that putting up a front will make other people impressed. Kind of like how you’re implying here (perhaps without meaning to) that you would rather people think you have a significant neurological problem than that you’re beginner rider.
You’re learning how to canter. That’s an exciting time. We’ve all been there, except possibly a few people who are still learning how to trot. Regardless of how long they have been riding, people who are learning to canter are beginners. It’s fun and exciting to be a beginner. Own it. As you learn, you’re going to learn about how much you have yet to learn. You’re going to be a beginner for a long time. That’s not embarrassing. It’s the place everyone starts. You don’t have to be ashamed of anything you are, only of the things you pretend to be but aren’t.
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and let this be an example to you, young Padawan - I strenuously disagree with Scribbler on that point. I think people make way more progress riding once a week than they do by not riding at all. But I don’t waste my time telling Scribbler that (usually, I just broke my streak) because Scribbler gives really awesome advice and knows a lot that I can learn from, so I just ignore our minor disagreement and read their posts carefully to see if there’s anything in them that I should think about today. Including the possibility that I would progress faster if I rode more. Which I would. Scribbler is totally right about that.
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Well scribbler is correct when she says it’s hard for adults who didn’t have any instruction as kids. She’s incorrect when people learned as kids and as adults are getting back into it. Muscle memory is a glorious thing.
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OP, I strongly suggest that you sit down with your parents and discuss not just your options for future riding opportunities, but your online presence and your participation in online forums. As someone else suggested, perhaps it is prudent to discuss your posts with your parents prior to publishing them. Are they aware you are posting here?
I know it isn’t probably what a 14 year old wants to hear - but until you have a bit more mastery of impulse control, it may be the best way forward for you.
I agree with all the great advice you’ve been given. One thing to add… As for the showing requirement in the barn you are seeking, in my experience, showing at rated shows typically requires a lease or purchase. But I think you’re getting way ahead of yourself - you are still very green. Schooling shows are where many - if not most - of us started, and they are FAR cheaper. Rated shows can come later, when your experience and budget allow. I did plenty of schooling shows on lesson horses and on the first horse I owned before I stepped up to the big shows on better horses. And I changed trainers/programs and horses in order to do that. Even with years of lessons and schooling shows and a few years of horse ownership, rated shows were a whole other ballgame. Give yourself time.
But first, sit down with your parents and set reasonable expectations. Good luck.
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Thanks guys. My parents are aware. When I said rated shows I meant shows that are recognized, not just phony shows. I am perfectly fine with schooling shows. A far as progressing in weekly lessons, I am progressing quite fast, mostly because I am really athletic( I am a competitive swimmer year round.) I will have my parents call and email all of the barns that I am interested in. The first one that responds is gonna be the one that I pay the most attention to. I will go to all of them and if I like the facility and the instructors seem nice and the horses well cared for then I will take 3 or 4 lessons there. I will NOT go with a facility unless I connect with the trainer. Believe it or not, I am a pretty shy person in public and won’t speak up about a problem unless I trust the authoritative figure ie. the trainer.
Does this plan sound good to you all? It has been my go to but I just want to double check.
That sounds like a good plan.
Yes, but I wouldn’t put too much stock into the first one who gets back to you, necessarily. Go visit, watch lessons, and take lessons… see what clicks and take it from there. Keep an open mind, as has oft been repeated here.
And don’t knock “phony” shows - your trainer, if competent, will guide you to whatever show is appropriate. One of my favorite memories from when I was a beginner was a costume class at a schooling show at the barn. I was a California Raisin and was riding my favorite school horse, Scout. He was a saint to put up with that, and it was a blast. Although it was at a well-known and highly regarded barn that then and now has AA trainers working out of it, I sincerely doubt it was recognized. No matter, I had fun and learned a lot.
Actually I think I said I couldn’t imagine how people make progress on once a week lessons but I see it happen so I know it’s possible!
ok. I will go to whatever show my trainer wants to put me in. And, yes, I know to not put too much attention into whoever calls first, I am just saying that they will be the ones that I go to first .
That makes sense - it’s easiest to get in touch with people who return your calls.
obviously.
