Should I Change my Therapeutic Horse Riding Stable?

[Dressagegirl29]

My therapeutic horse riding center in Chatsworth, CA is not that good any more; my instructor misses a lot of lessons for some reason. I missed a lesson on Saturday because I was out of town with my mom for a Bat Mitzvah for a family member; I probably won’t have a make-up lesson until the summer.

I am Jewish, but I never did any traditional event when I was 12 or 13 because my horse riding came first; I am now 30. I have to go to my horse riding lesson on Saturday before celebrating a Jewish holiday like Hanukkah, Passover, or Rosh Hashanah, and then I’m too tired to enjoy the holiday.

Is it time to change stables? I am sick of missing lessons or having different instructors every other lessons. It is starting to become more like an Olympic Equestrian Center not a therapeutic horse riding center. Does anyone know of a therapeutic horse riding stable in Los Angeles or Malibu, CA that does horse shows? The stable that I ride at now is Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship Program.

[RPM]

Its website says it is a PATH center, so if you feel you are not getting the sort of experience you expect from a PATH program, talk to your parents or the director.

Its website also indicates it is planning a Special Olympics program; is that what you mean by Olympic Equestrian Center? You don’t sound like you are interested in competing in Special Olympics events.

Not all Jewish holidays fall on Shabbat, but I can understand your not wanting to start off Shabbat with a riding lesson that tires you out for the rest of the day (it’s supposed to be day of rest anyway! ).

I think you need to talk with your dad and maybe the director of the center about your concerns.

[trubandloki]

If you are not happy with the instruction you are getting then it is time to see if you can find a place that better fits your needs. That is true at whatever level you ride at.

[F5Chaser]

I’m not sure if any of the centers in California are close to you, but check out this link from Path Intl. I would sort by premier accredited centers and see if there is one close. Ride On shows to be a premier center so it’s odd that they seem flaky, if it’s one in the same. I volunteer with a premier center in Texas and it’s fantastic so hopefully you can find it’s equal out west.

http://www.pathintl.org/path-intl-centers/find-center

[Dressagegirl29]

Right now, I’m in a lesson with a beginning trot rider; I can’t do dressage or learn to canter with a beginning trot rider. I want to do Para-Dressage. Does anyone know of a dressage stable in Malibu, CA or in the valley that is good with disabled students?

[RPM]

Have you talked with the director and/or your dad about this? I notice that the center where you ride is focusing on Special Olympics, and you want to do para-dressage instead. The center is PATH-certified and has several instructors, so I am surprised that you are unable to find one among them who can teach you what you want. What is their response when you bring these things to their attention? Does your instructor agree with you that you are ready to move past trotting to cantering?

I gather from what you say about the “beginning trot rider” that the center is not teaching dressage from day one. At dressage barns where I have ridden even beginning walk-trot riders are taught dressage from the first. So I am confused by what you are saying.

[Dressagegirl29]

The boy is just learning to trot independently in my lessons without a leader. I also want to do the Special Olympics.

I used to ride at Mill Creek Equestrian Center as well as Ride On when I was in high school which was for abled bodied riders, but they were accommodating to special needs riders. I had to stop riding at Mill Creek because they didn’t allow dogs, and my dad has to take his dog to the stable. I really liked it there.

Is there any dressage stables which allow dogs in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, or Los Angeles and is good for special need riders?

[HiddenAcres]

Sounds like you are feeling a bit frustrated with your current situation. I volunteer at a couple of PATH centers and scheduling is mostly about when people don’t have work or school/can get rides to the barn/instructor availability. You are probably riding Saturday because that’s when you can get a ride to the barn? Or do they not have evening classes during the week? Today we had an independent rider in high school in a group with a little girl who is only six with side walkers. There were two other riders in the group of in between ages. Everyone had fun and rode well, but they would probably rather have been riding with people working on the same skills.

The dog thing with Dad is going to be an issue at most barns. No dogs allowed at any of the barns I go to. Maybe it’s worth making calls/sending emails to see if someone in your area is dog friendly? Keep your PATH center as well. There are lots of good connections to your goals there, and I bet the horses are fantastic. You sound like you are an athlete and this is one of your lifetime sports. Frustration is part of the package for all of us trying to be better riders and horsewomen.

[Dressagegirl29]

My dad is obsessive over his dog; he won’t leave the dog at his house unless my mom asks him to. I think the stable should not have dogs unless it is a service dog or the BO’s dog; it is not a dog park. My dad won’t let me move on because of his dog, and he says that my mom is babying me when he’s the problem. I want to try a different stable like Topline Equestrian Center in Topanga, CA; I also want to take the Access Service Van to go to my riding lessons. My dad thinks getting up early like at 5 or 6AM for a lesson at 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning on Saturday is good for me because he gets up at 4AM every day; I get sick easy. I need to get some sleep on the weekend. How do you get my dad to wake up and realize what’s good for him isn’t the best for me?

[caper]

Is you mom in the picture? I think you need to sit down with both parents and discuss your goals. At our house I am the one that facilitated my kid’s horse fix. I took him to lessons and volunteered there as well. When they were not challenging him I stepped up told them they were holding him back. He then rode with able bodied riders. Then when we boarded his own horse there he finally got private lessons with the director. When his horse came home for the summer I brought him alone even further and he got to experience success in the showring as well. From there he went on to train on some schoolmaster type horses and learned to ride advanced dressage. Then it was off to University. Good luck in your riding.

[Dressagegirl29]

My dad doesn’t listen, and my mom won’t get over my grandparents’ death that happened two and three years ago. She got angry when she last took me to Ride On, and I couldn’t get on the horse because she was making me nervous. Would getting my own horse and a service dog help me? I have disability that causes tight muscles in legs, sores on arms and legs, sometimes panic attacks, and slight Autism. I’m sick of being held back in my lessons, and I want to learn how to canter. The only time that I could canter was at a dude ranch in Bridgeport, CA with my mom four or five years ago because I was able to have fun on the horse; I was also riding with people the same level as me. The service dog would help me with taking the Access Van and when walking, so my mom isn’t afraid of me getting attacked on the van or on the street. I will be able to get to horse riding lessons, karate lessons, and piano lessons by myself without my mom or dad. I really need figure it out how to have fun and be more independent to get my bossy dad to leave me alone, soon. He also slapped me in the right arm during bowling a few months ago on a Friday because I was having trouble with sliders that I was having for lunch; it would have been avoided if I had just asked for a plate instead of a basket or ordered what I wanted. He also got mad at me because he said I was yelling which I wasn’t a few weeks ago on a Saturday at a restaurant for lunch. I have trouble monitoring my voice because I sometimes don’t realize that I am talking too loud. Last Saturday morning before my riding lesson, he got mad at me for spilling orange juice because I tripped over a rug; he blamed my mom for not letting me pour my own juice which I do a lot more at my mom’s house than at his house. I think that a service dog and my own horse would help me a lot. What kind of horse and dog would be good for me?

[SWDC]

Dear Dressagegirl29: It may be that a service dog and your own horse would be wonderful for you, but it would help to know if you would have the support you would need to take care of them. Are your parents supportive? I obviously don’t know you but it sounds like both of your parents have directed anger at you. Do you have anyone else who you can talk to or who is your advocate? You seem to have some family dynamics that are not supportive, so perhaps you can seek counseling on both family matters as well as to learn about any opportunities to be more independent of your parents. It sounds like animals are a positive place for you to focus your energies. Your instructor would probably have the best insight as to what type of horse would be the right match for you, and a reputable service dog trainer would probably be the right person to consult about matching your needs with the right dog.

[Dressagegirl29]

Everything is fine, now.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Thanks for the update!
I am a handicapped rider too. Life can get frustrating! I’m glad it worked out for you.

[Dressagegirl29]

I think I need to try a new barn that focus on Dressage which is what I want do.

Last year at Ride On, I accidentally tripped when I dismounted; my instructor made me get back on and dismount a couple times when the lesson was over. After that, I didn’t even want to get on the horse for a month because I felt like I was punished for just tripping; accidents shouldn’t be punished for.This year, a horse died at a show in May because they didn’t get a vet out. I have to ride a horse that is blind in one eye, sometimes; he spooked a few months, ago when I riding him. A couple months ago, my stirrup came off of my saddle when I was riding a lazy horse. I feel like that I’m going to get hurt, there. Are these things normal?

Ride On also believes my dad’s lies about my mom which are not true; I want to be at a barn that doesn’t buy my dad’s lies. I also want to feel safe at the barn, so I can learn to canter. I have my own Dressage saddle, so I can take it with me.