I didn't want to write all this at first but then I realised that those who do read this blog or who might come across it will always be the people I actually do love teaching. The inquisitive types who maybe searched for some horse or riding related issues.
Maybe it's the virus I had but I'm not having the greatest few days. I'm missing my family very much right now without any particular reason other than just feeling under pressure. The pressure that I am actually putting myself under by myself...It's probably rather a pointless post because I am not even sure how to word what my mind is trying to digest right now.
I'm so incredibly fed up with the attitude of many teenage/children clients I have to teach right now. I'm so incredibly useless at teaching them as they are, I see no point in doing what I'm doing and feel like I'm seriously wasting both theirs and my own time.
Perhaps it's wrong to give up on them and maybe it's just a nature of today's youth to want immediate results with least effort. Perhaps. But it's draining me so much I'm feeling like a zombie.
Just to give you an example of what sort of attitude I mean:
Me: Let's ride a little deeper into that corner so your pony stays in better balance...
Rider: Yeahhh but it's boooring, what's the point?
Me: Well, the point is that he will feel stronger and happier to carry you to that jump and the jumps will feel great!
Rider: Yeahhh, but he will cut that next corner anyway...
Me: .....:-/
Just in case it sounds like I'm bad mouthing ALL young riders out there, far from it, I have some super little clients that I adore teaching. However, per every 1 great child/teenager I have 9 that make me want to give up riding school teaching for good!
How school teachers deal with that specific subject disinterest many kids show is beyond me.
It's of course very much of my fault in this as I'm in it out of passion for the sport and for the horses. Anything less, anybody who treat riding a horse like hopping on a bicycle kills the teaching passion in me.
I know what you think, I should be in it to inspire and motivate and encourage that right attitude...and I indeed do that in many many riders I have had over the years.
But right now, to be perfectly honest, I think I ran out of the persuasion strength.
I used to try to kick myself and tell myself to just get on with it but I think I'm getting to a point where that tactic is no longer having much effect.
Good few days coming up with a yard day tomorrow, then Training Day for two lovely riders on Saturday, then grooming for a friend at Tweseldown Pre-Novice event.
11 comments
Wiola - never fear - a fellow instructor is here!
I have VAST experience in teaching kids. They want want want and don't want to do do do. I'll tell you what I do, it might be helpful or not but who knows?!
I tell it to them straight. I tell them they are here to learn. They owe it to the horses they are riding to ride them properly. If they ride like a lump of shit (put into more eloquent terms of course!) then how can they expect their horse to be anything other than the same.
Another thing I do is demonstrate. I will ride the horse and show them how it can benefit them and look how marvellous it can be.
It all else fails, I discipline them!! Yes! If they are all taking the royal mickey then I'll be a meanie right back at them until they ride properly. EG, I had a group lesson when they were all cutting corners so the arena track was like an egg shape. So I put cones in the corners for them to go round. If they knocked them or cut across I took their stirrups away and I encouraged tell tales so other riders "told" on cheating riders. It made the all WANT to be better (while also working on balance and deeper seat handily!)
I know this is lots and I really have faith in you. Keep your chin up. Remind yourself of what is GOOD in your life right NOW. Tomorrow is another day. Look forward to it.
Big smiley from Jodi xxx
Hey Jodi and thanks :)
I think the problem is...I no longer want to MAKE myself come up with things...I don't want to discipline them...Selfish and lazy as it may sound I only want to work with the riders who are in it out of same passion, even if they are just starting out.
I'll be OK, but can't tell you how much I can't wait for the changes around the corner! :)
I fully understand and that is why I too have come out of working at a large commercial centre where clients are just not as enthusiastic or motivated as me! I wish we could sprinkle a bit of our love of horses onto them!
I know your academy is going to be marvellous and when it's up and running I would love to come down and visit and take part - maybe even bring a friend or two too.
Keep your chin and just think how super-duper you are at teaching those that want to learn!
Hi Wiola,
dont be depressed about things like that. Not everybody is going to win the next olympic games, and also not everybody wants to!!
I find lessons with people who have no motivation and the highlight of their lesson is half a round in canter incredibly boring. And the worst thing is that they never change, no matter how much effort you put into these lessons. So I have learnt to accept that. Now I have 2 types of lessons. For the ones without motivation (and that includes spoiled kids) I come up with excercises which not only pass the time, but also teach them at least a little bit and it keeps everybody happy. things like poles and cones in corners and little tasks like 1 big circle, one small circle and then halt or something. and I make them look at each other a lot and commment so they all have to participate.
Oh and it is alsways good to tell them that they have to ride a little bit better so that even if they just go hacking they can control the horse and its safer. or that they stop bouncing and it will be more comfortable for them. no point explaining that the horse will feel better, most of these people dont care.
and then there is the lovely riders who want to learn. and thats the nice lessons of course.
well, just had to comment on that :-)
see you monday
Mariana
Thank you again Jodi and Mariana, I knew I didn't really say it all properly. I'm not really searching for inspiration for exercises etc - and I totally agree with you that making it more interesting might spark some of the riders.
However, I think we should all know what we are simply not good at and what we are a little better at...it's fair enough to push oneself for some time but I've just reached the limit.
I don't mind people who never improve, as long as they try to do things.
Anyway, that's what happens when it's a holiday of sorts and I get spoiled children overload! Two weeks of that kind of teaching and I become a zombie ;)
Ah Mariana, I think that's when I am going wrong - I just can't accept it. There are some other instructors working with me who don't seem to be bothered and even enjoy it!
Right person for the right job is the way to go.
Have fun on Sunday and keep smiling :)
A x
Thanks A., see you next week :) X
I used to be a freelancer myself and well do I remember the black funk of wilful mediocrity!
I used to remind myself that sometimes the problem is that riding school students really don't understand what they're working for if they've never ridden a really good horse. They've never felt a horse really under them, never had a golden moment where they're perfectly balanced, never really felt in control of the horse.
I mean, the amount of work involved in the process of learning to really ride can seem oh-so-endless and pointless if you don't know what you're working toward.
In other words, I tried to pity them, not get pissed off. Not that it always worked mind. I was never very good at adjusting my expectations for people who just wanted to sit on a horse. Although the ones who would moan about the horse not doing what they wanted, yet not put in the effort to correct it were possibly the worst.
Eh I fail at pep talks. Sorry!
I taught kids when I first openned my barn, and had little lesson ponies for them...but I soon discovered while i like teaching kids once and a while, week after week drained the life out of me.
I then decided I only wanted to teach riders old enough to care about the why behind the what, and now only teach girls/women 12 and over.
I found the ponies lovely homes, and enjoy teaching all the students I currently have.
I think when you are first starting out it is easy to allow yourself to be pulled in various ways as you try to pay the bills, but at a certain point, specializing/being picky about who you take on as clients will get your further. There are plenty of other barns happy to teach the little kids!
Karen
I was feeling quite bad for voicing my little experiences with the non-triers but I'm glad to hear some of you from the indystry also felt this way.
Definitely agree that at some point the time comes when we are well and truly ready for a change...
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