Getting the most out of your lessons
Getting The Most Out of Your Lessons
By Maribeth Dunlap
May 2006 (Revised April 2017)
As dressage riders, many of us spend a great deal of time, energy and money trying to learn dressage. At times it can feel like a daunting task to learn the skills needed to ultimately dance with our horse. Time and time again we head for the barn in cold weather, hot weather, rainy season, mud season, fly season, you name it, to work towards personal goals of some degree of dressage grandeur. Most of us, if you’re a normal struggling dressage rider, look to the aid of an instructor or clinician of some sort. Most of us spend hours riding in front of our instructors, listening and taking in the information that is given to us. We then take this information home with us, and if you’re a good student, you spend many hours practicing trying to improve.
So how can you get the most out of your lessons?
Well, first and foremost, is to show up for your lesson on time. In fact, be a couple minutes early and spend that time walking your horse and preparing mentally for your lesson. That means to leave all of your normal life’s distractions behind. Get focused and ready to listen. A simple technique is to listen to some favorite music in your car on the way to your lesson. Think about the last lesson and what you worked on with your instructor. I recommend keeping a Riding Journal in which you list just a couple key points that you worked on in your last lesson. Keep it simple and positive. Review your journal periodically so that the ideas will remain fresh in your mind. Write down any questions that you might have and want to discuss with your instructor at your next lesson.
Dressage can be very challenging and it is very important to maintain a positive and enthusiastic attitude. It is amazing what can be accomplished if you begin with a positive attitude. Enthusiasm is contagious and will make the lesson fun and productive. It opens your mind to new ideas and information and sets you up for a successful lesson.
With our hectic schedules it can sometimes be difficult to remember every detail. But it is so important to go to your lesson prepared and with all your tools. Is your tack properly adjusted and girth tightened before the lesson has started? Taking the time to make these adjustments during your lesson only takes away valuable time from your lesson. If you normally ride with whip and spurs, make sure that you have these things with you. You want to be certain that you have all your aids and tools at your disposal to make the most of your lesson. Remember that time equals money spent while taking a lesson so make the most out of every second.
It is also very important to be on the same page as your instructor. It is necessary to have a positive relationship and a clear understanding of your instructor’s philosophy. If you don’t want to “go” where your instructor thinks you should “go” then you either need to have a serious discussion with him or her or find a new instructor. You need to be able to trust your instructor and feel comfortable with the information being given. On the other hand, don’t
allow your instructor to talk you into doing something that you’re really not comfortable doing. Discuss any serious concerns with your instructor that you may have especially if it concerns a fear of performing a particular task or a concern about the welfare of you or your horse.
One of the most frustrating things for an instructor is a student who does not follow simple instructions during a lesson. It can seem as though the student is working on his own and oblivious to the instruction and ideas being given. If your instructor asks you to work along the wall doing simple transitions, don’t leave the wall and perform complicated figures or movements. There is most often a good reason why the instructor is having you perform certain exercises. He or she usually has a bigger picture in mind so try to keep an open mind and trust your instructor and follow his or her directions and instructions.
A very important thing to remember is that taking a lesson is not a performance. It is not a time to try to impress others with your abilities and your skill. Although it is always nice to feel good about every ride, if things go wrong, the lesson is the best place for this to happen. It is in front of your instructor that you want your weak spots to be shown so that he or she is able to help you. By allowing your self-esteem to be dependent upon your performance, you severely limit your ability to learn. And, unfortunately, with this attitude you will most likely feel frustrated much of the time. So learn to humble yourself, leave your ego at home, and open yourself up to listening and learning.
A good instructor can help point the way but it is ultimately up to us to find and follow our path. We spend far too much time, energy and money in this dressage journey not to make the most of our lessons. So buckle up and listen and make the most of the information that is given. You bet I do. I savor every tidbit given; I plug it in and try it on to see if it fits. I make adjustments and ask questions and eventually make it my own. I love and appreciate my lessons and I make the most out of every one. The information can be thought of as a gift, passed down from one generation to another. After all, this has been the tradition of dressage over the centuries. And it is one to be appreciated and highly regarded.
Photo: Maribeth riding Jedulon with Sabine Schutt-Kery
This article was written by Maribeth Dunlap May 2006 (Revised April 2017) – All Rights Reserved Used With Permission.
