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Lessons vs riding time2007-11-24 21:18:21

I am considering leasing a horse. However, if the lease is very expensive, I will have to cut down on the number of lessons I have. At the moment I have 1 lesson a week. I am still a beginner.

My question is, should I lease this horse and ride 3 times a week teaching myself, or should I not lease him and continue weekly lessons?

My trainer said I need to ride more to make my legs stronger.

I just don't want to develop bad habits while riding on my own.

What do you think?

Answers:

Ask the owner of the stables if you can work off the lease fee (that's what I do) and continue your lessons.

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My advice is not to lease or buy a horse untl you have been riding long enough (through ALL the good times and bad) until you truly decide you are commited to a horse. You never know, you could have it for a few months, and something bad happen, or you decide its boring or something, then you are stuck in a position which will most likely be uncomfortable.

For now, just go to a training stable and take weekly lessons until you are either decicated or not. From there you can deicde. And it is most important that you LEARN TO RIDE BY A TRAINED PROFFESIONAL, not yourself, or yes, you will develop bad habits which could be bad for the horse. OH AND BY THE WAY, LEASING A HORSE CAN COST THOUSANDS, because of hooves, and any diseases or sicknesses that may develope. I leased a horse before I bought my own and costed me $2100

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hello.. i will suggest you to take note of the basic technique in riding during your training. then as from what you trainer have said, you need more rides. then is is better for you to lease a horse for at least a week and apply your basics. less lesson more of practice...practice makes perfect.. have some road runs to strengthen your legs.

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I would try to take 2 lessons a week for a while if you can afford it and hold off on the leasing. It is important to develop good habits early on so lessons with a GOOD instructor is priceless. See if you can help out around the barn. I used to do that in exchange for getting an extra ride or even a lesson at the barn where I rode when I was younger. Also one thing people forget in the rush to own or lease a horse is that the experience you get when you get on different lesson horses enables you to learn how to deal with all different types of rides and make you as a rider more versatile.

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I see a lot about leasing on here - not sure what country you are all in, but here we have a loan system which is much better. You only pay the ongoing costs and loan a horse from someone who is, say, going away to university, or who's circumstances have changed and they don't want to sell the horse. If you have something like this, then I would loan a horse for 6 months, or try to get a part share where you pay half the costs and ride half the time, then you could afford a lesson every so often too. I like the idea about trying to get rides for helping on a yard too. I would say that it would be wise to think long and hard about leasing, see if there are any better options around you that will give you the opportunity to ride more without so much financial outlay. You could advertise offering to do yard work in return for regular riding and you may be surprised at what you get offered.