Trainers and others who want to share their opinion..?

Question

how would you/do you feel if your student were to suggest something.. out of the blue.

like, suggesting that they start jumping more/raise the height.. whatever..

i ask because i came to my trainer looking for jump lessons, and then ended up buying a "rescue case" i've worked for a YEAR getting our trust together and getting him the muscles, and then he went lame and couldn't be worked for nearly 3 months (in the same time i wasn't riding at all, so i lost my fitness and muscles)... i then brought him back into work (again) and wasn't taking lessons so i started some jumping own my own, and WE GET IT! we can jump and not die! (an absolute first since we were a (hot) mess before..) but my trainer still has us doing exercises to help us get trust/not rush like we used to (poles and whatnot)

i understand that these are basics and are VERY important, but i've been doing them for 6 months and gosh darn it i wanna learn how to jump!

Answer 1

As long as you are polite about how you ask (complement the trainer by saying how much you feel you have improved during their lessons) they should give you some opportunity.

As a trainer, I will tell you that there is a delicate balance between teaching someone enough new things to keep them motivated, improving, etc... and keeping them safe, making sure they are building a solid foundation that they can fall back on in case of trouble.  Some students are harder to "read" than others, and sometimes it is nice when they say they are ready for more.

However, I will also say that all teachers where once students, and they know what you would like.  Perhaps there is something that they see, that you don't... and that is what is causing them to keep pushing the basics.

Remember to compliment first... And if they say no, you can ask what they would like you to improve on, but certainly don't argue.

Answer 2

Well, you sound like you know what you're doing. If your trainer isn't jumping you, ask her why. Just something subtle like, "Hey, when do you think we can start going over some jumps?". If she has reservations about it, it could be something you overlooked.

At the same time, you're paying for the lessons, and you're paying for jumping lessons, so ask her when you'll get to start jumping. It's that simple. I don't think she'll get offended by it, it's an honest question.

Answer 3

the other opinions here are good ones, and certainly I know that one bad lesson over fences might not effect you, but could really effect your horse.  So if you ask, and get the flat no, and you get a reasonable explanation for that, then suggest that you take a jumping lesson on one of her more experienced jumping horses.  This would actually give you a chance to get back into jumping (or learn it) without the risk of ruining your horse.  

And kudos to you for taking on this horse and doing so well with him!

While I totally agree that too many students get ahead of themselves and want to skip basics, I also believe that it's really important to sometimes stretch yourself and get some feeling of where you're headed, so to speak.

Answer 4

I take into consideration the wants of my students, but I also understand that you can't buy the tires before you buy the car. Meaning that most get way ahead of themselves before they are in fact ready, and I know if I let them take on something they aren't ready for it will in fact shatter their confidence that already took so long to build and set back their training.

If you feel you are ready to jump. Talk about it with your instructor. It may be that you are ready, BUT your instructor doesn't think your mount is ready.

Remember that your instructor wants you to be safe and wants to give you the best out of your horse. If your instructor doesn't think that you and your mount are quite ready to take the next step, don't pout or get upset, there may very well be a good reason behind it.

Answer 5

I defintly went through this last fall.

I had a trainer that put me on a horse that can't even stand still. I wanted to jump so I went to horse camps to jump.

I learned at camp and told my trainer. She was not happy with this. She had me do a jump or two and my horse never jumped before. She said everything was awful.  I left her.

But now I very open with my trainer and can ask for anything.

You came to her for jumping. Tell her that. You should get what you buy for.

Answer 6

i understand where your coming from but i also see the trainers side of it.  i've been training pro now for a couple years and i've had students come to me and tell me that they want to go up to a level that i personally didn't feel comfortable with them going to.  but if you sit down with your trainer and devise a plan that you both agee on you may be in a better situation, cuz you'll still have your trainer on your side and you'll be getting what you want out of it.  remember a trainer is there to help you (in most cases) and if you feel your ready for the next step just say something about it.  just tell him/her that you feel ready to start going over fences and that you would like their help with posture and that sort of thing