If I had had the quality of training that is now available to me when I was young, I would ride so very much better. So after multiple decades, I feel like I have lessons to catch up!
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100% agree.
I really only show if a horse needs a resume to build or maintain its value. The joy for me is getting access to all the cool stuff we can do together - I donāt need to do it in front of a judge.
Would much rather spend the money on clinics.
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Well, I did enjoy showing when I was jumping, because I often ran our associationās shows, and spent days setting and resetting courses. It was nice to have someone else set a course for ME once in a while!!
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I very much agree with this ā¦
In fall 2019 I moved to a new barn and then Corona hit and nearly every equestrian activity was stopped. It was very lonesome and horrible.
at the state-stud across the street a new trainer just started. Nobody knew her and she had no students because it was not allowed to trailer your horses to lessonsā¦. so she came to my barn to give me lessonsā¦. She had no students and I had literally no chance to train with another trainerā¦.
I took a lot of lessons because she was available and I was bored to death because of Coronaā¦. Everybody was making fun of me for wasting my money because I am an elderly adult.
But at this point, I can say these numerous lessons were amazing for myself and my horse. Both of us are in better shape now then ever.
today I rode Piaffe Passage transitions and it worked only because the trainer helped me with itā¦. I was able to do Piaffe and also to do Passage in the past but combining them is another level for meā¦.
Thatās the beauty about Dressage, there is always something you can improveā¦. And itās so much more fun with a good trainer!!!
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Me too. I cadged rides on friends ponies and did rentals when allowed. Ok there was one 6 week session group lesson when I was about 11 where the low rent dude string guy put ten kids on dude horses and chased us around the arena with a long whip so we could try out trot and canter. No instruction.
When I got my horse at 14 I went out trail riding with my friends and after a month of riding every day I no longer needed to hold onto the saddle horn. Then I took bad advice from the girl up the street and taught horse to race. Then I needed to retrain horse to whoa, so I started buying this series of training books at the tack store. After I taught her to whoa we went on to slide, spin, roll back, lead changes, etc.
I basically stopped riding during college. There wasnāt an obvious way past bad muddy backyard boarding and creepy sociopath barn owners. I went back to lessons in my 40s. I could still sit a big spook.
I was so lucky I wasnāt in the local showbarn as a teen. The BO head trainer went to jail for a very long time while I was in college, heād apparently been a sexual predator since forever. I had no idea.
Iām still very much DIY but I love having access to good trainers.
If I had had access to some quality lessons as a teen, it would have been fantastic.
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Sometimes I think that, but then I think that as a know-it-all teenager, I probably wouldnāt have absorbed half of what I absorb from a lesson now in my 40ās.
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Also instruction for kids in all other sports was terrible when I was a teen, it really put me off being around adults. I suppose Iām imagining miraculously finding an instructor that treated me like an adult but that wasnāt going to happen.
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I take lessons because it helps me not put ālifeā in front of the activity I love. Iāve struggled with this my whole life. If Iāve scheduled āme timeā with my trainer, I canāt flake. If I schedule āme timeā with only myself it seems I have a harder time not letting work, home chores, and life get in the way. This sounds lame, but itās honest.
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If I felt the need to justify āWhy are you still taking lessonsā, Iād simply say, āBecause I want to be better than I am todayā. End of story 
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iām taking dressage lessons because i do not know how to do it. Been riding for 60ish years (since i was 7) and have had horses more than half that time. i can ride, but i want to learn more. I want to learn the language of classical dressage and learn how to speak that with a horse. Also, as i age, iām less and less inclined to ride-the-range here alone. So i though something done in a close environment might be a good next step in my horse-life.
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Have you thought about a shoulder trainer to help with looking up?
You canāt train a horse without eyes on the ground at some point.
Iām starting my first baby and I have a trainer to help me with her so Iām not doing it by myself. I would never do that. My baby will also go to a trainer after I officially start her myself. I would like to send my baby to a friend who does professional working equitation when my filly is about ten since I think my kid would do well with some basic training in that discipline, I love working equitation, and my filly has a big brain. I have a few other trainers I wouldnāt mind sending my filly to. The trainers specialize in other discipline or have other perspectives on dressage.
Iāve worked with other horses myself under other trainers, but I personally donāt feel my education will ever be complete. Iām also not a professional, and while my filly is really good (my barn manager can easily handle her and my vet has complimented my fillyās manners), I donāt want there to be any holes. Itās also nice for my trainer to correct my errors so that I can correct my kid.
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