# When will I start to canter?



## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

Ok so I have been doing lessons for about 2 months now, and that's 1 hour every week. All those weeks I didn't learn much, I started posting trot on my 2nd lesson and all I have been doing in every lesson is just rising trot and nothing else. I feel that I'm not learning much for what I pay, it's $60. There's a riding school even closer and they pay $35 an hour! My friend goes there and she already started to canter and pop over a few small jumps, they even get to ride their horses bareback back to the stables. I think I should end here and go there next year, I think I'll just finish the last term off.

Well anyway, we did a few exceriszes like sitting trot without stirrups and rising trot with hands on your hips, they did say I was good at that.. But apparently we have to wait ages before we actually get to canter!!? 

When did you start cantering and how do you know when your ready? If I was in the other riding school I would probably be cantering by now..


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## mcfarawayland (Jun 19, 2013)

Honestly, I say don't rush it. It sounds like your school is taking a generally safer route. Everyone has personal opinions about this, but beginning to jump that early is usually never a good idea. Even if the rider stays on and is not popping the horse in the mouth every time, it can develop bad habits for later on. Have you practiced a lot of two point? You really should have that down before jumping. Also, some places will make you have a good sitting trot first so that you can canter sitting, others (like my first place) will just work on posting trot, then cantering in two point.

The first place I went to had me cantering within a few months, and honestly it has led me to have a lot of fear issues. There were a few times I lost a stirrup and very nearly hung on, and two times my horse bolted and I fell off. I can say now that I should not have been cantering that soon. 

Of course, it's really up to you. If you feel like you're doing really well with everything they give you and are truly bored/feeling held back, it's your money so it's worth trying another place out. Some places just like to go slow and get a good, solid base before moving on. I would also recommend talking to your trainer and seeing why she hasn't let you canter. Does she truly think you aren't ready yet, or is it just her personal training method? She may also just not know that you are ready for more.

ETA: It's been over a year since I first starting riding, and I began cantering again after two falls in December for the first time last week. Honestly this was the ONLY time I have ever felt safe while cantering and like I wasn't going to fly off, probably because I am better than I was 9 months ago (more balanced, more secure seat). For me, I wish I could go back in time and wait to canter. When I first started canter, I also could not steer AT ALL and the horse I rode would go over jumps if they were there! Not safe at all, and we also had other young riders cantering at the same time.


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## MaximasMommy (Sep 21, 2013)

I used to think that same thing until my riding coach told me that I would never make any progress unless I took more than one lesson a week. It was so true! 

They are having you do rising trot because it is a good way to build your leg muscles. You need a lot of muscles to stay on the horse and ride. 

If you do the math from what you said, that means that you have ridden a horse a total of 8 hours. It took me a year to canter, and the last six months I was riding 3-5 times a week. 

IMO you totally can switch to another barn and do more "advanced" stuff on their horses, but it will most likely just be the horse going around on auto pilot while it keeps you balanced on its back. Your current barn sounds like they are actually trying to teach you how to ride. Can you work out a deal with your current barn to do work (mucking stalls, feeding, turning out) in exchange for lessons, or riding time on your own? It's a much better feeling to be able to get on a horse and REALLY ride it than just bouncing around on a sleepy old lesson horse.


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## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

I think it's more the people in my group that are stopping me, some people always lean forward whilst posting trot, stirrups at the back of the heel etc.. There isn't any other canter/jumping groups that have spots left, they are all taken up. There's even a girl in my group who should be cantering by now but since there is no spots, she can't. I am not trying to rush Ito the canter, I just feel I am not learning much.


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## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

I already tried asking for lessons in exchange for mucking stalls and that but they said no. This school is really money hungry and were supposed to muck the stalls and feed the horses for nothing, it doesn't bother me but they rely a lot on the riders helping them, I never see them doing anything.


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## MaximasMommy (Sep 21, 2013)

By mucking and feeding for nothing do you mean the actual daily routine of morning/evening grain and daily in depth stall cleaning or just tossing in some hay and picking out the poop before you put your horse back? Cuz' if you are supposed to turn up outside of your lesson time and run the stable, that makes no sense and I would move on. If you are making sure your horse is comfortable before you put it back, that's normal. 

You could always move to your friend's stable and try it out! If nothing else, you would be able to take two lessons a week instead of one and that would help you a lot!


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## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

Well they expect you to come early to muck the stalls and carry heavy bins of hay to the horses, usually doing my back in before I ride. Like I said, I don't kind doing it but there are staff doing nothing, and aren't helping or anything. Some of the kids have to help us.


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## MaximasMommy (Sep 21, 2013)

Yea... that doesn't make any sense... I wouldn't take lessons there...


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I went several years without cantering...unless you count bolts! I'm self-taught, and I had a very spooky horse. I couldn't even guess the number of bolts we did together, but cantering in a controlled manner was a long path for us.

You would be much better off getting a good foundation and learning it right from the start than trying to unlearn bad habits later on, or tormenting your horse with marginal riding just because you don't fall off. The place you are at may or may not be the right place for you, but showing some caution and setting a foundation is a good thing, not a bad one.

Depending on what set of statistics you use, jumping is 10-40 times more dangerous than riding the flat. In the 1990s, the US eventing organization kept track for a while - 88% of injuries came jumping, 11% from handling the horse from the ground, and only 1% from riding on the flats (dressage). As some jumpers have pointed out, you can do a lot to reduce that risk by learning properly. That is true. I would let my daughter take jumping lessons, if she wanted and if there was a place that would insist on laying the foundation before jumping. 

After 6 years of riding and with a horse who is now vastly less spooky, I'd like to take jumping lessons...although I probably won't for some time due to finances. But what you are describing: "_sitting trot without stirrups and rising trot with hands on your hips_" is exactly the sort of thing I would want a school to insist from me before I started jumping. If they didn't, I'd quit because I would not trust their program. Any idiot can get on a horse and try not to fall off while the horse jumps. I actually took some jumping lessons back in 1984 - many years before I got serious about riding - and that describes the 'program'. I don't remember what height I jumped, but I remember the pretty instructor saying she was surprised I hadn't fallen off yet...which may have been her goal - to get me killed before I could have kids! Oh well, didn't work...but this idiot stayed on while the horse jumped and learned nothing about riding or horsemanship.

Do what you think best, but I think a school ought to insist on someone learning to ride decently at a trot before cantering, and decently at a canter before jumping.


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## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

I wouldn't stay at your barn, but thats b/c of the issue with them expecting you to muck stalls before lessons. For $60 I'd be expecting them to do that for their own horses.

As for cantering: I've been riding for about 10 years. Somedays I don't canter *GASP* at all. So why not? There are sooooooo many things that you can learn at the walk/trot and then apply to the canter, by cantering all the time you will wear yourself and the horse out but the trot is easier and more controllable. 

All I can say is that the more you ride and learn, the more you will see there is to learn. Having a goal (cantering) is good but don't let it rule the way you ride.

When I first got my horse and we were working on cantering (she was being a brat b/c she was still testing boundaries) my coach suggested I start working on exercises to move her shoulders over and also emergency stops. When I picked up the canter again it was a much more pleasurable experience -- and I got there by working at the trot so really, you're working on the canter already :wink:


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Pony Paradise said:


> I think it's more the people in my group that are stopping me, some people always lean forward whilst posting trot, stirrups at the back of the heel etc.. There isn't any other canter/jumping groups that have spots left, they are all taken up. There's even a girl in my group who should be cantering by now but since there is no spots, she can't. I am not trying to rush Ito the canter, I just feel I am not learning much.


 When you have to take lessons in a _group_ it will take you 2-3 times longer (or more) to learn. Another rider's lack of abilities will hold you back and the instructor has give those riders a lot more attention, if only to make sure they don't get hurt. Group lessons are not a good idea if you are serious about riding as you will never get the individual attention to detail that you need.

$60 an hour for group and then you have to clean stalls?!? That's an outrageous amount of money for very little in return. Try out the other stable and try to arrange private lessons. I'm not a fan of beginners even attempting to jump-there is something _very wrong_ with that story but it sounds like you will never progress where you are and you are paying way too much money.


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

I certainly agree that you are overpaying for what you are getting, and them expecting you to do their chores is outrageous. Leave the barn NOW.

That said, I'm agreeing with everybody else - you shouldn't leave because you aren't cantering, but for all the other reasons. If you've been taking lessons for two months, with one hour of riding a week, you've only been on the back of a horse for ten hours total, in your whole riding career. Now that may seem like a lot, but when you factor in the massive amounts of hours you take between each lesson, having to review what you did last week before being able to build on it, and how much attention your trainer has to spend on the other individuals in your lesson, you've barely been on the back of a horse at all. 

DON'T rush your riding. It's the best way to get yourself hurt.


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## clumsychelsea (Jul 9, 2014)

I agree with everyone else, leave because of the way they're treating you (also, $60 a lesson and you're doing chores?! Yikes!) and not the feeling that you're not progressing. 

Getting comfortable in walk/trot is so, so important and so many people rush it. I started with a trainer that wanted me to jump and didn't care if I had a solid foundation or not, so I was cantering in my third or fourth lesson. I left that barn after a year or so and when I got my new trainer, she was appalled at the state of my riding. Yeah, I could walk/trot/canter/jump, but I was a _mess_! She started me from the very beginning all over again, hooking me onto a lungeline for walk/trot lessons for ages! She wouldn't let me have the reins until she was confident that I could control every part of my body independently. I rode around on the lungeline using "pretend" reins! I couldn't feel my legs for the first few months I was with her, lol. In the end, it was well worth it and when my walk/trot improved, my cantering and jumping improved tenfold along with it. So much depends on the basics that it's not worth skipping it. 

Just my two cents.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

I don't know where you are, but for less than $60 near me I can get a 45 minute private lesson where the staff has the horse ready for me to get on when I arrive, and I can get off and just leave. 

Looking after your own lesson horse is one thing. I do that in my group lesson. Cleaning the barn, feeding horses, etc., is - IMO - out of line. You're being used as free labor, and at the prices they're charging for a group lesson they should be able to afford to pay people to do that stuff.


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## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

Thankyou everyone for the replies! I have a suggestion. I was looking on gumtree for lessons that come to you on your own horse for only $50 an hour. This means you are paying for pretty much a private lesson on your horse! There's also another plus, once she leaves for the week you can still ride and work on some of the things you need work on, and you won't forget anything and progress faster. What do you guys think?

Btw I know how to tack up and care for a horse as I attended own a horse day and ️Horse riding and caring camps


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## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

Only if you are ready for a horse. Tacking up a horse is like less than 1% of the work involved in owning a horse. And then there is finances...


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## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

I am only doing lessons so I can get a horse, I know the expenses and time it takes! I already have a Shettie I just can't ride her obviously. I was just wondering if anyone thought the lessons were a good thing


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

x10 on you're paying too much.

As for cantering, it really depends on a million things. 

- Your skill - ARE you as good as you feel you are? Your coach may feel otherwise, an experienced rider sees a million things you're not likely even aware of. 

- The horse they have you on - is it really a beginner horse or just the "best one we have for beginners"? If it's the latter, then the horse could simply be too much for a beginner to safely canter so they're stalling you until they're absolutely sure you're not going to be ditched the first time you canter. 

I've seen teen/adult beginners do their first canter at 4-6 lessons (at 45 mins - 1 hour per private beginner lesson), and I've seen some kids who still aren't ready after months and months of riding because they just aren't together enough to do it safely. Basically it constitutes too much of a risk to even have them try no matter how much they may feel they're ready.

But all that said, it sounds like trying another barn might give you a good second opinion if nothing else. Your friends barn where they are letting (beginners?) ride bareback and such sounds like it might be a little too far on the opposite side of the safety fence however. Most lesson barns will only let leasers or boarders ride bareback for insurance reasons, and you can't become a leaser until you're a quite experienced rider at that..again, for insurance reasons. If they're that lax you may want to make sure they even have insurance.


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## Katz1411 (Jul 31, 2014)

I tend to agree with one lesson a week not being enough. I have one lesson a week but I also lease a horse that I ride another 2 or 3 times a week, allowing me to both practice what I learned in my lesson in the arena, just trail ride and work in a different way, or relax and do our own thing. Is there any way you can ride more or pick up another lesson?


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## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

Well the riding school my friend goes to is actually a riding for the disabled so it's pretty safe. Some kids with problems ride their horses for therapy and it's also a non profit organization, the money you pay is only to look after the horses. They also have gorgeous horses like friesians and Clydies that apparently are great to ride. You also get to have bush rides every fortnight and fun holiday programmes. I still probably won't be able to have double lessons a week because my sister also rides and she would want double lessons too making it even more expensive...


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

When I began my first instructor was a bit lax and allowed me to do most anything I wanted. I was cantering and doing small jumps. Even though she was nice, I knew I wasn't ready and it really wasn't what I wanted long term. I switched instructors and slowly learned the basics. Slowly. It was a wise decision as I am understanding one plateau before going to the next. Learning it and earning it.

Relax and enjoy it or you could quickly lose interest.

My best to you


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## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

A few things from a fellow beginner who is also taking lessons:

1) Everyone learns at their own pace. It's like any other sport or craft, there are benchmarks you can go by to make sure you're not falling too far behind, but overall each rider is going to develop at a different speed. This can be because of confidence, overall physical shape and ability, the instructor, etc.

2) It sounds like you're not happy where you are, so that right there is enough reason to change instructors. I would encourage you to change if you feel like you're not growing as a rider, not because person X gets to do thing Y before you. That's just my opinion, so feel free to toss it if you want! 

3) Last thing, and this is again my own opinion, but I feel like barn work within a lesson is just as valuable... if not MORE important than the actual lesson. My trainer doesn't require me to muck out the stalls or feed, but I do it anyways because the end goal is to own my own horse. Well, owning my own horse does me no good if all I can do hop on IF a saddle is already on the horse. That's not realistic, no one is going to come to my house and saddle up for me haha.

Feeding correctly, proper grooming, keeping a clean barn, how to safely enter a stall with a horse, learning how to trailer, where to dispose of the manure, learning how to tell one bit from another, how to put a halter on correctly or catch a horse in the field, which reign to use, how to care for and clean a saddle is a part of my lesson experience as whole. I would insist on learning these things, too--- whichever barn or instructor you decide to go with! Especially if you're like me and would like to wake up on Saturdays with a cup of coffee and then head out to _your_ own barn with _your_ own horses


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

I completely agree with Rebel. You should WANT to do these things if you do insist on owning a horse. Of course, there're a difference between wanting to do something and being forced to, and no barn should force their kids to do something, especially when you're paying that much per lesson. I see both sides of it.


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## WolfsongStorm (Feb 14, 2014)

I just wrote about two paragraphs about the place I went to and the pros and cons and accidentally closed out. Short version: I found a barn that offered private lessons for either $25 for an hour English, or $30 for Western. $60 and chores sounds outrageous to me. My instructor would have me do grooming, tacking, leading, and some lunging before we started. Then we did some walking and jogging after I mounted, on and off the lunge line. There was a four lesson minimum, but if you didn't like it, you were only in for four lessons. For four hours of lessons, I learned a lot, even though we didn't lope because I was not ready at all. I think that working with the horse before the lesson is really important so you know what to expect. I'm sure you know there's a lot to learn before cantering, like seat, hand position, building leg strength, etc. I would definitely recommend moving. You should be helping with horse care, but not doing all the work. At my barn they're starting winter lessons this year to keep the therapy horses in shape. It's $25 for a private lesson, once a week, 45ish minutes of actual riding time, plus grooming. I can't even afford that! Your money is best spent somewhere you like, that teaches you safely and progressively.


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## Pony Paradise (Sep 16, 2014)

Don't get me wrong- I don't mind doing the chores and that but the owners could lend a helping hand, especially with my sister, poor thing had to carry a huge heavy bin of feed and no one came to help but my mum. They could also have better equipment to use when mucking out, I hate using those mini handle scoop things, I love using the long handle, makes life easier but obviously they don't have them. 

I also just got booked into their holiday programmes, the gymkhana and another own a horse day and some jumping. They said I had to do atleast one for a better reputation with the school, ehh. Even though it's expensive I'm still going to try it, could be fun.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

Pony Paradise said:


> I love using the long handle, makes life easier but obviously they don't have them.


Why would they care if the equipment is inferior if the labor is free? 

It's only when you have to start paying wages to someone for their work that you start caring about whether it's being done productively. 

In any case, I don't think anyone is suggesting that there's necessarily anything wrong with doing stuff like tacking your horse, cleaning up his stall, etc. My point in posting wasn't to say "you shouldn't have to do this" but to say you should be getting more for your money. For more than what I would pay for a private lesson and a high level of service, you are getting a group lesson and providing a LOT of free labor.


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## BarrelRacerHeart (Oct 13, 2013)

Chasin Ponies said:


> When you have to take lessons in a _group_ it will take you 2-3 times longer (or more) to learn. Another rider's lack of abilities will hold you back and the instructor has give those riders a lot more attention, if only to make sure they don't get hurt. Group lessons are not a good idea if you are serious about riding as you will never get the individual attention to detail that you need.


That isn't always true. My trainer has riders of all levels in her groups. I learned to canter in a group lesson, while my trainer was working with someone else that was jumping in the same lesson. I don't feel I've ever been held back in a group lesson. I've learned from the more experienced, and I feel I've gotten better at being aware of my surroundings, because I have to watch where the other riders are and what they're doing. It all depends on the trainer and how they do things.


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## BarrelRacerHeart (Oct 13, 2013)

I probably would switch barns, like others have said, solely because of the price and the fact that they expect you to muck stalls.

I pay $30 for my hour long group lessons. I tack up, care for the horse before and after, etc. I also go for the whole day and help my trainer with mucking, buckets, feeding, etc. but she occasionally buys pizza, she gets me croissants in the morning, and on the days that I come when I don't have my lesson she lets me tack up my favorite lesson horse and go for a ride.

Anyways, to the original question, when I first started riding all I did was posting trot. All I wanted to do was canter, jump, and be like all the more experienced people (haha, this was 5 months ago ). I worked on posting the trot lesson after lesson, and then I did some circles while posting. Then one day during my lesson my trainer asked me if I'd like to canter. I was so happy - but then I was a little nervous, because I thought I'd fall off. I didn't, though. 

I'm happy I had to wait to canter for mainly two reasons. The biggest one is that when I started to canter I was pretty good at doing the posting trot. Now I can focus on sitting the canter, looking nice, improving in that and all that jazz without adding on working on posting the trot. The other reason is that when I watch my old lesson videos I can see how bad I was at posting. I got a lot better with posting after all those lessons of just trotting. Like others have said, there might be a reason you're not cantering yet. Now, I'm not saying you're bad, but maybe she wants you to be more stable, have a better leg, or whatever before you canter. I think you'll be grateful for that in the end. Or, on the other hand, maybe you are ready to canter and you are being held back. We have no way to know. If you really feel like you should be cantering, then I'd talk to your instructor and see why you aren't cantering yet.


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## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

My students dont canter until they can do rising trot no stirrups, two point, half halt and ride patterns with transitions. I also have them starting to understand theconcept of roundness and how to ask for it. I find this routine makes learning to ride a canter a breeze.

As for the barn you are at, $60 for group lessons and expected to do chores is insane.


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

Big Rebel believer. In addition to my Saturday lesson I stay just over three hours to muck, clean tack, clean rings, groom, sweep etc. I come back on Sunday and essentially repeat what I did before (never ending). I feel like it's a gift just to be around the horses.
I have to say that I enjoy it almost as much as the lesson. It just gives you a complete experience. Easily the best part of my week.
I'm often asked why I do it for free, but if I got paid it would feel like a job and I think the enjoyment would go out of it. I do notice that my lesson time is usually extended.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

Here is a number one rule - don't rush it!!!
trust me - evne if you think that doing the same thing over and over again is sooo borringggggg, it really does help your riding performance and it helps your horse. I didn't start loping until my second year working with horses - one, I was terrified. Two - I wasn't ready because 1- I was too afraid to trot and 2- I just plain wasn't ready.

When I say that I wasn't ready - it was entirely because I was scared to. But because I needed more practice and training. 
When i did start loping - I ahrdly loped. because, let me tell you, because I still needed to work on simple things at a walk and trot.
Loping is fun, it really is. But don't rush your work or progress. Take your time and trust your trainer.
When your trainer thinks you are ready then you will begin to lope. But isntead - just take your time.

 *Keep
Calm*
and
*Trust Your Trainer!!*


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Count me amongst those who do a lot of extras at our barn, not out of necessity or requirement, but out of enjoyment and the fact that we know they are appreciated. 

But if I was paying $60 per lesson and *required* to do chores on top of that, I'd have been gone long before we ever decided to do chores out of enjoyment or bigger jobs while "just being helpful". The latter came as we grew attached to the farm (& the owners, they're awesome!), and we knew our efforts were appreciated. We never worked _expecting_ any bonuses or special treatment, although you'll typically find that if you work hard enough you sometimes get little extras here and there, as others have mentioned. :wink:


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I think that you are definitely paying too much, for a group lesson, the going rate for a standard group lesson with an average instructor is usually $25-$40. 

If you are going to get your own horses, well it's going to end up a lot more expensive that $60 a week. 

Beyond that, I would not be looking for a prospective independent instructor on Gumtree. Talk to the local pony clubs and riding clubs, tack stores etc and get one through word of mouth. As you're still a beginner I would look for one who is registered and with a qualification.


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## EquestrianGirlJor (Apr 23, 2020)

I understand the prices. If they usually cost $50+ it’s because there is lots of sand in the area.(This isn’t always true but it is in my personal experience I live in Florida) 
But back to the important part greatnesses takes time. Would you rather spend a few more weeks or months building your strength or getting straight into cantering and jumping and risk learning a bad habit and having to start from the basics?


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

*MODERATORS NOTE:*

This thread is from 2014...from quite some time ago.
Posters who were active and made comment then may not be active members now.
Prices are also not current and regardless are location specific to the location and facility you ride at.


It is strongly recommended if you have a issue pertinent about your own training that a new thread is started so your issue is seen and comments made to help you..


Safe riding to all our members! :cowboy:


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Oops! Didn't realize this was a vampire thread.


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