Taking lessons from two different instructors at same time?

[LearningtheRopes]

Hello there!

I’m looking for some advice in terms of selecting the right barn/instructor. I’m a relative newbie to horses; I took pleasure-type lessons for 4 years, and then I switched to a dressage instructor for the past 2 years. I’ve enjoyed the dressage instruction and have learned a LOT; my instructor teaches from a classical approach and is very picky about doing things the right (not fast) way.

Ultimately, though, when I started dressage lessons, it was with the intention of learning to jump. I figured I would learn how to ride well on the flat, and then add jumping to my skill set. My instructor has jumped and taught students to jump (hunters and jumpers), but it’s not her area of expertise. Also, our barn has a few horses that are trained to various levels in dressage, but no real training in jumping. My instructor has put a little bit of training on the pony I’m currently riding (I’m a petite adult), but her health prevents her from riding him enough over jumps to make him bombproof for a beginner over fences. We’ve worked on cross rails in two lessons, and the second schooling session ended with the pony majorly over-jumping, which unseated me a bit. He then bucked on landing, which resulted in my flying over his head, landing on MY head with a concussion. Fun trip to the ER… ugh. My worry is that this barn doesn’t have the school ponies/horses to safely teach me the basics!

There is a h/j/eventing barn down the street that is run by a competent rider/trainer/instructor. I’ve taken one lesson with her, and I think she (and her school horses) could take me more safely into the h/j world.

Should I take dressage lessons from my current instructor but take up lessons with the other trainer for jumping? My only concern is that the jumper trainer’s style of riding is a bit different, and I’m not sure how well the two styles will mesh together as I’m learning. For instance, the jumper seems to be a bit “handsy” with her horses (and the way she teaches her students). Also, she doesn’t worry nearly as much as my dressage instructor about hip placement/angle/relaxation. Will my seat develop properly with 2 different types of instruction?

Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide!

[SillyHorse]

Can you ask your dressage instructor to recommend a jumping instructor?

[merrygoround]

There are hunter/jumper instructors out there who have a good basic education. Unfortunately, however, many are in the get to the jumps frame of mind, and were taught that way.

Unless you can find an instructor who has good basics, I would stay with the dressage until it became ingrained, and you are mentally totally confirmed in it. Then when you take lessons from someone else you can slide by some of the bad teaching, and take the good parts. Just hope the horses they teach on haven’t been ruined for good riding.

[phoenixrises]

As someone who’s come from the h/j world to eventing and really delving into dressage, I go with, learn dressage first, you won’t be remiss to have a solid seat and fundamentals THEN when that’s solid, and you understand how a horse should go, start looking for a h/j trainer who uses these ideals in their jumping. Let me tell you learning what a good canter really is makes jumping SO much easier.

It worries me anytime someone says a trainer is handsy. Not sure what you mean but that’s a huge red flag.

[mvp]

Go ride with the most educated trainer you can of either disciplines. If you are new, I’d recommend you not take lessons from two people, particularly in different disciplines.

The problems are that

1. You don’t know enough yet to be able to figure out how dressage and (really good quality) riding over fences fit together.

2. You have to teach your body some differences in riding style and feel for each discipline. It’s hard enough to try to master one, let alone change it up often. If you are a great athlete with exquisite body awareness, you could perhaps do it.

3. Neither of your instructors claims to know the other’s discipline inside out…. so she might not be able to help you translate. And IME, most pros don’t want this obligation. I like it, but lots of folks consider it too much brain work, or it makes them feel that you don’t quite want what they are offering.

4. Frankly, not everyone who becomes a horse trainer is a great teacher or a great explainer of disciplines or systems of riding. Again, I love the latter (but I also spent years in another career) before I started teaching people on their horses.

In practice, this means that a very good hunter jumper trainer will teach you to make a horse as correct, soft and obedient on the flat as will a dressage trainers. The jumping horse will probably feel different in your hand (the emphasis won’t necessarily be his pushing up into a consistent contact all the time), but his body should feel the same-- and “uphill”-- from the shoulders back. Also, you’ll be taught some differences in terms of how you use and feel with your legs and seat in dressage vs. jumping.

But most trainers, IME, won’t have the time, expertise or teaching talent it takes to step back and help you get big overviews of these two disciplines and how they fit together. That takes a lot of time to develop, and most trainers specialize in just one discipline.

The reason, then, to pick the best-educated trainer you can, in either discipline, is that you’ll get the right foundation, particularly in flat work and feeling for making a horse correct, from that person. And that knowledge for you as a rider is invaluable. It is absolutely “transferable” to any other style of riding you do.

Learning badly (or unsafely!) with a pro who knows less even in the discipline you want to end up in…… you won’t discover the gaps in your education for awhile. And it ends up being more expensive to go back and fill in those holes in the end.

Hope this helps with a suggestion and the “why” behind it.

[Schazade84]

Not sure if this is an option in your area but have you looked into riding with an eventing pro? Event riders/trainers have to be well versed in dressage as well as jumping, and so do their school horses. I’ve taken lessons with h/j and “pure” dressage trainers and the styles and principals can be very different. Not bad if your picking out only the good from each, but be prepared to hear a lot of conflicting advice! Working with a single eventing trainer is IMO easier, cheaper and a heck of a lot of fun!

[Cat_Tap]

Back in the day when I taught I stressed basic equitation: purpose of the aids, understanding horses. before letting anyone specialize. Your seat and legs are quite different in dressage than jumping.

If it is jumping you are interested in I would find an instructor that emphasizes flat work for jumping. Once you are comfortable with that position you can start going over some small jumps.

In dressage you sit a lot looser. deeper with your upper body straight, than you would for jumping. In jumping you need a good base for support with more weight in your heels, tighter lower leg and upper body a little in front of the vertical.

[LearningtheRopes]

Thank you, everyone, for the sage advice! The hunter/jumper trainer that I referenced is actually an eventer, but many of her students are currently beginners/intermediates, so they’re more hunters than eventers. Maybe I should give lessons with her a try and trust my gut instinct on what I think of her instruction? There just aren’t many instructors in my area…

[Button]

Just to clarify, are you ultimately wanting to do the jumpers or hunters? I’m asking since both involve going over fences but there are some big differences between them.

[LearningtheRopes]

[QUOTE=Button;8264541]
Just to clarify, are you ultimately wanting to do the jumpers or hunters? I’m asking since both involve going over fences but there are some big differences between them.[/QUOTE]

Ultimately jumpers.