Do you think lessond should involve....?

Question

learning how to....

groom

clean tack

clean stalls

feed horses?

I think so many places just have like ten horses out already tacked up and all the people do is ride.

People don't know how to do anything else but that.

I go to a great place where I take private lessons and you learn much more then just how to ride and I went away to camp and all we did was ride. I know it was just camp but there are lots of places where lessons are only about riding.

Answer 1

private lessons? theyre focused on riding mostly.

but in my lessons we get to bridle our own horse, bring them down the rink. then brush them off and groom them, then tack up ourselfs and get on.

cleaning stalls and feeding horses are taught at the summer camp program.

Answer 2

Well at the stable that I ride at you can ask for lessons involoving any of these things. They will even teach you how to bandage your horse, tack them up and all of that kinid of stuff.

Answer 3

I completely agree. Horses aren't just about riding, and it's great to involve students in all aspects of horse care. However, when it comes to lessons, most stables run hour-long sessions; if grooming, tacking up, and other activities were factored in, riding time would be quite limited in most cases. Many students attend lessons purely to ride. But at many stables, if you talk to the owner/manager, it's usually possible to help out with the horses during the week or over the weekend. Many places love the extra help. =]

Answer 4

I think all lessons should include having the student arrive early so they can groom and tack up their horse, and untack/groom at the end of the lesson as well.  Most places I know of do this.  It is not part of the paid for lesson time, but students are told to arrive early to do these things.  If the student didn't allow enough time and isn't ready at the start of the lesson, then the lesson still ends at the regular time.

I don't really think tack cleaning, stall cleaning and feeding should be part of the normal lessons.  They of course should be taught, but maybe as the student is a working student, or decides to hang around the barn more, or if the barn offers a special lesson on those things, or uses it as a substitute for a riding lesson on a day with bad weather.

I learned all those things early on since I lived next door to the farm and was always there.  I once worked for a very high level dressage trainer, and we'd have to have the clients' horses all tacked up and ready to go when they pulled up in their luxury cars, then when they were done, they'd just hand the horse back off to us.  There were two owners who liked to do things themselves.  There were also several owners who we never even saw, they just paid super high board/training fees for this trainer to work their horses.

Answer 5

Great ideas....yes, absolutely.  Those lessons are what make a true horseman of you.   People learn nothing by just arriving at a stable, climbing on board and going for lessons.....yet, how many people do just this and nothing else.

No doubt they'd pass out cold if they had to pick up a stall.

Many kids I worked with...lessons..wanted not just to ride but to find out about everything...feeding, picking up stalls, how to care for a sick horse, when to call the vet...they're the ones who are now so successful in the show pen.   They are horsemen.

Answer 6

I think that lesson students need to know just as much about barn management and horse care as they do about riding, since many riders eventually own or lease a horse. I knew a Grand Prix dressage rider from Sweden who was an excellent rider, but he didn't know squat about horse care. He couldn't clean a stall properly, he didn't groom, he didn't know how to identify different kinds of hay and how to implement a feed plan for each horse. There was a lot he was clueless on. If you have enough money, this is often not a problem because they just pay someone to do everything for them- clean, groom, tack up and sometimes warm up their horse so all they do is get on and ride, and then hand the horse over to a groom when they are finished. However, most of us do not have millions of dollars to waste, so it is important for every rider and horse owner to have an advanced knowledge of horse care including saddle fitting, medications, the pros and cons of different hays/feeds/supplements, and basic veterinary skills- how to spot an illness and identify it and the potential cause. THey should also be familiar with the farrier or blacksmith and understand shoeing, corrective shoeing, and good angles vs. bad and corrective angles. This may sound like a lot, but this is the basics people.  In lessons, this should also be coupled with excellent, classically correct instruction, regardless of the discipline. There are way too many instructors out there who don't know c**p about horses and correct riding.

Answer 7

I think it should be offered as an option.  Some people might not really want to learn that stuff, they might just be interested in the riding aspect and never plan to own or lease a horse they will be responsible for.  Others may be planning to move up to ownership and could find the additional information useful.  I think when people sign up for lessons, they should be given the option to do riding-only or full horsemanship lessons.

Answer 8

Unfortunately many parents who pay for riding lessons see it as free help if their children are asked to groom or maintain tack, stalls, etc. and they do have a point to consider.  If, for example, you pay $50.00 for an hour of riding instruction, that is what you should get.  I know instructors who ask students to arrive a half hour early and leave a half hour late so they may groom, tack up, remove tack and groom again.

But they run small private operations and can afford to do that. the parents see it as good for their kids when it doesn't take away from what is being paid for.  The riding "mills" as I call them have lessons back-to-back and are too busy for that kind of thing.

Consider yourself lucky to be affiliated with a stable where you have the opportunity to learn more than just riding...it gets more and more rare.

Answer 9

I think if u are gona want a horse u will need to know how to do every thing  not just ride...

Answer 10

Well, you are paying for "riding" lessons, not equine care & feeding classes.

I have never had lessons, but I agree with Debi.  A person should ask to be a helper so they can learn all aspects of caring for a horse.

Answer 11

i i paid 30 bucks for 45 mins of riding or less all we did was grooming tacking ride un tack and hand the horse off to the next rider most of the time it was less than 45 mins of riding...people were always late... i think they should tech you ever thing you need to know on how to own a horse

Answer 12

Yes, I do think that they should include what you mentioned. I'm teaching a few people to ride since I'm off for the summer, and I tell them to always come half an hour before their lesson to groom and tack their horse. After the lesson, I get them to clean the tack off and if needed, hose the horse off. I wouldn't teach them how to feed horses, except for maybe putting a flake of hay out for the horse. I think that my horse's diet would just confuse the rider.

As for the stables that focus on riding lessons in particular, they can't really do much more stable management because it's very time consuming and can only be done at certain times of the day. You can't very well ask your riders to be out at the barn for 5:30 AM to show them how to feed your horse breakfast and to muck out the stall.

Other than that, yes, riders should learn that horses is much much more than riding.

Answer 13

Generally that's called stable management and a lot of places do that but only at certain times of the year.

The problem is that it is very staff intensive - for safety reasons and insurance concerns. 10 people plus 1 instructor in an arena is one thing but you can't really get 10 people plus an instructor in a stall. Also it would be extremely time consuming and, unfortunately, not cost-effective.

The local schools that I know do "own a pony " days where they do teach stable management etc as well as riding but these are only run during school holidays.

Also you have to bear in mind that some people actually don't want to know any of that - they want to ride and then go home. That's their choice ( and their loss if you ask me) but at the end of the day a riding school is a business and if it doesn't make money it has to close then everybody loses.

Edit>Anyone who really did want to know should ask to become a helper - they will then learn these things as a matter of course.

Answer 14

I agree

Answer 15

At my barn, everyone has to catch, groom, tack, obviously ride, untack, groom and turn out their own horses. New riders get help, but they eventually have to know how.

There are a couple riders at my barn that are involved with feeding, but that is something my riding instructor doesn't let many people do just because the only horses that get grain need it, and all of them get supplements.

I do agree that riders should know this kind of thing, but my instructor said she cares more for the health of her horses then the knowledge of her students...lol.

Answer 16

Hi,

I agree people who get lessons should have to learn how to groom, clean tack, saddle, clean stalls, and feed the horses to get the real horse experience!

Thats great if trainers start making their pupils start doing all of the above before they learn how to ride.

Hope I helped!

I used to give lessons to a couple little girls and we would assist them in tacking up but they had hired guys to clean their barn and stalls.

I think that their mom cleaned their tack.

But the fact is that if you want to go anywhere with horses you must know how to do the above!  Think if a girl who knew only how to ride got her own horse she would not be able to do anything but ride it! YIKES!

Riding is one part of the equation and caring for a horse properly is the other part of that equation.

Answer 17

OF COURSE you should never be just a good rider, its all about being a good horseman

Answer 18

I agree with you! At my place where I take lessons, we learn to groom, put on the tack, clean the stalls and ride. But I'm sure we will eventually learn how to feed the horses and clean the tack too. You've got to get the whole horse experience.

I agree with you, though. If people want to learn how to ride, they should learn how to take care of the horse as well. Not just how to ride the horse, but also how to care for them. For my summer camp, we did pretty much the same thing as I usually do when it's my private lessons, only there were a couple other girls.

Answer 19

At the summer camp at my barn, we learn to feed (grain and pellets), give hay, catch horses, groom, tack up, tighten girths/adjust stirrups/mount, ride, dismount/put up stirrups/loosen girth, untack and put out. We also learn to braid, bathe, clean stalls, clean tack, put together/take apart tack, parts of saddle and bridle and basic horse anatomy. For basic lessons, all is required is to catch your horse, groom it, tack it up, tighten the girth, adjust your stirrups, mount, dismount, run up stirrups, loosen girth, bring back in the barn, untack, groom and put out. Usually the first lesson of the night is filled with the more experienced riders so they help with the second lesson which is filled with beginners.

Now there is a select few that know how to make up the feed. Those are the people that do the chores in return for money off board/free rides. My friend and I used to do chores, so we know how to mix the feed/clean stalls/do water/bring in horses from fields that are tricky. But doing that is not what is normally taught.

So yes, i think 3 out of those 4 things should be taught (depending on the situation) because it teaches you to rely on people to do your dirty work, which doesn't fly in the real world.

I hope this answered your question. :)

Answer 20

I do agree.  I've been riding my whole life, with those ideals in mind, and still no horse...(and I'm not like 10 or anything)  but I mean I saw so many people, ride for 2 months "LOOK I GOT A HORSE AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT!"  My friend is that way, she was so excited to get it, now I'm lucky enough to see her our there 2x a year...its so depressing.  I hate it.   But I mean kids are spoiled, and instructors will do almost anything to make a quick buck and get in as many lessons as possible.