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| Me trying to remain in control when B tugs the reins! |
Anyways, I needed some perspective on the slow-going of being an adult beginner. Sometimes it feels like, in these two years, I've made very little progress, partly because I've been off an on and also, I thought, because I'm not a "natural" like kids that start young get to be. So, to put it in perspective, I did a little investigative journalism to see if I was progressing so slowly after all.
The teenagers at my barn tell me they rode for about six years before competing seriously in the hunters. One jumper told me that was the same for her, and she did four years of hunters before showing in jumpers. That was after weekly lessons, a couple weeks of riding camp in the summer, and then later a weekly lesson coupled with a team lesson and practice ride (basically, going up to riding 3 times a week or more when they started doing hunters). So, six years of weekly lessons plus a week or two of summer camp annually is around 350 lessons! (And don't worry, I'm not going to calculate what that means cost-wise. None of us need that in their lives.
I guess my point is that, even for the youngsters who, I admit, I get more than a little jealous of, it takes time in the saddle to get to where they are now. I think it also seems more slow-going as an adult beginner because our instructors know we are able to focus on good technique and forming good habits rather than getting bored to easily and needing to move on to jumping when our trot isn't quite there. And when you consider what they say about 10,000 hours required to be an expert - which I by no means expect to ever be as an equestrian - I'm pretty happy with the prospect of 350 hours in the saddle to looking like I know how to get through a course.
oh for sure! as adults, we not only have the limitations of finances, physical, mental/psychological, time... for me, i have to commit a minimum 4 hours at a time, just for going up for a single 1 hour lesson/ride. the 'show team' at the stable has to ride a minimum of 3 times a week. there are a few who ride 5 or more... depends on what they want. but it's definitely all about saddle time. i do find that it helps me to journal each lesson on my blog and to go in with making every single second i am up there, to be part of my training/lesson. from warm up to grooming... :)
ReplyDeleteAmen to that! It takes me an hour to get to the barn and I never know where the time goes after the lesson. But I was lucky last week to have time to help prepare for a show (that I wasn't even going to) and learned how to clean a bridle! Tiny win!
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ReplyDeletei forgot to add, check out this timeline for long term equestrian development... http://www.equinecanada.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=115&Itemid=278&lang=en
ReplyDeleteLOL. i'm way past the possibility of living out my olympic dreams, unless i win the lotto, stop working and ride daily instead. :P
Thanks for the resource...it is interesting how even if I am on fundamentals, I can still handle more complex directions (sort of...)
Deletethat's the canadian version and i don't think you live in canada so it might not apply per se... but i don't think it's going to be too far off. i totally understand when my coach says "drop your left seat"... but being able to like do it? yeah... that's a different story.
DeleteI am on year four of riding and my progress has been quite slow despite weekly private lessons and riding twice a week pretty consistently up until recently (now riding once a week due to financial reasons). I only started jumping in January, and am just now "getting" collection here and there. It also took me about two years to really know how to canter well so... yeah, it is a wait and see thing. I did focus on dressage early on though, so that is one reason as it takes so long to get the rudiments. My first two years were messy, awkward and often pushed me out of my comfort
ReplyDeletezone. Now I feel pretty confident in most situations and am starting to develop my own riding style and relationship with the horse I ride. Hopefully it just improves from here! Good luck in your journey!