Disaster Training Course

[cptrayes]

I've just got back from having paid over £500 for a 3 day residential showjumping course with an ex England International rider. It's the worst money I have ever spent in my life. The man simply could not teach. He was such an expert himself that he just couldn't put himself in the place of anyone who had any difficulty carrying out what he said. He thought that if he instructed us that we had to "see a stride", that it would somehow just happen that we would see a stride. And not only would we all miraculously start seeing the stride, but we would know what to do, and when, to put the stride right if it was wrong. When things kept going wrong for me and getting worse, he gave me no help at all to put it right, he just told me that I was going to hurt myself if I intended to jump in competition this year at the height I had told him I wanted to. He wouldn't listen to me when I tried to tell him that I was already jumping that height at home with perfect ease. He's made me feel demoralised and a failure. If anyone has any kind words to make it feel better, or similar experiences to share, it would help to hear them.

Caroline.

[Fred]

Fingers crosed that a flock of pigeons fly over him while he's not wearing a hat, and then he gets four flat tires on his car during the pouring rain, grr, and maybe he will reflect on what no good he has  done this week.
Hope you soon recover  

[karen thompson]

Hi Caroline

I am of the thinking that there are great riders and great teachers and it is a rarity when you get a good combination of both !!!

A good few years ago, we had a British showjumper ( a very famous one) come to do some clinics,  now for a alot of people here the sheer thought of getting a lesson off this person was amazing and the organiser had said it was aimed at all levels.
The problem was that the organisers idea of levels and the 'famous Person' were completely different.

We were made to feel useless, that our horses were useless and at one point I even over heard him saying to the organiser ' that a certain person would not beliieve the **** he was havig to teach here'.

So you are not alone and  have faith in yourself. I always used to wish him to fall off when ever I saw him jump after that!!!!

Karen
 

[carlos]

Caroline

Don't feel demoralised and of course you aren't a failure - if you are jumping the height that you want to in competitions at home and you are doing fine with it - just stick with that.

I used to jump ponies over 4ft courses and i couldn't see a stride correctly to save my life - i used to count out load 3-2-1 (kept the humour alive) and my pony still used to take off in the 2 stride - a lot of people used to comment on how easy it to see a stride.

I asked a showjumper once "Then why do most of the top showjumpers get it wrong then and blame there horses for it??" and he gave me a great answer "because horses have brains!!!"

You aren't a failure - you are doing what most people wouldn't dare do nowadays just enjoy it - make sure your horse enjoys it and most of all have fun.

Regards Kerry and Carlos

xx

 

[Millie]

Aaarrrgghhhh!!!! Caroline!! People like him should not be allowed to teach, never mind take money for it!!! I know that it is frustrating that you have paid good money for it, but this is one that you will have to put down to experience- but send him a letter telling him what you think of his teaching, and a couple of pics of you jumping that height with ease at home!!

Heather

[sandpiper]

Hi Caroline,  I've had a similar experience (although not as expensive as yours!  :( ) with a classically trained FBHS.

After much deliberation and research I took the plunge and booked a lesson (not cheap) with this person.  My friend came along to video me.  Well all I can say is I have never had a lesson where the instructor says so little!  I was riding in a synthetic dressage saddle and was using polymer stirrups (which I happen to like a lot - my choice!).  He asked why was I using those stirrups, I said because I liked them and they helped prevent me losing them which I am prone to.  He said, 'I hate them!'.  Not that I was asking his opinion on them, but anyway.

I rode round and round with hardly a word uttered from the trainer.  I said my horse had a tendency to hollow into canter transitions and I needed to know what I was doing wrong, he just watched me and said 'well what is wrong with that?'.  He then said he would ride, changed my saddle for his own and rode my horse around for ages, without a word, not saying what he was doing or trying to achieve, in fact I got NO feedback whatsoever!  No doubt this person has great knowledge and experience but is not very well up on actually imparting that knowledge or with people skills.

I like to think I have got my money's worth in a lesson; I like to ask questions and have them answered in a way I can understand (or even just answered!!   ).  I left with so many unanswered questions, even though my horse had behaved very well I didn't feel I had learned a thing.

When I viewed the video later it appeared that most of the time the trainer wasn't even watching me!   :blink:   Needless to say I haven't been back ....

[cptrayes]

Thank you so much everyone. The letter is in the post as I write Heather. Sandpiper your "trainer's" initial's aren't SC are they? If so, you're not alone, he's well known for that where I live. Like your trainer with your saddle and stirrups, my chap looked at my synthetic stirrup leathers and scoffed. (I use them because I once had a perfect looking leather stirrup leather break in the middle when schooling. I nearly had kittens at the thought of what would have happened if it had gone over a huge cross country fence instead, and swapped to synthetic immediately to jump with.) Karen, your chap sounds extremely familiar - when was he a 'star', in the mid seventies by any chance?! Kerry, you're so right, it's whether you and the horse enjoy it that counts, isn't it? Fred you gave me a lovely giggle and that's worth it's weight in gold. I do so hope your wishes come true!

Thanks loads folks.

Caroline

 

[Mandeigh]

I think by the very fact you knew he was not actually teaching you anything, shows how much more advanced YOU are.  If there is something positive to come out of the experience that is that you know exactly how NOT to teach, and you can work on making sure that you learn your stuff so thoroughly and really work on breaking everything down into pieces so that when you are teaching, you feel good about what you are teaching and your students feel that they are getting value.....you know something there is no substitute for experience and especially if you have come up the hard way.

Pity about all that cash though......

 

[sandpiper]

Hi Caroline, no his initials aren't SC, but it worries me that there are at least 2 FBHSs like this teaching out there!!   :blink:  

[Millie]

Hm, Caroline, guessed who you mean re the FBHS!! Shame I thought he was actually a bit more approachable than some, but obviously not!!

One top trainer who I know to be totally genuine in his teaching and enthusiasm is Christopher Bartle. He gives 100% of his knowledge, and really gets results.

Heather

[judyl]

I went on a residential course but rode their horses.  We had 3 hours instruction a day with 2 flatwork and 1 jumping.  Now I admit I'm not the bravest person to ride over fences but the instructor kept telling me to release the reins forward as I approached the jump (I guess so I didn't catch the horse in the mouth - fair enough).  Over the 5 days I was there, everyday jumping was a disaster which never happened when I was at home jumping.  I was always left behind and had to struggle to push my weight forward when the horse was jumping.  By the last day, I thought s*d it and that I would jump how I normally did.

Well, it was a revelation.  The instructor pointed me out to everyone and said how I'd improved and WHY hadn't I been riding like that all the time.  I'd just ridden like I did at home which is to keep a contact and as my horse stretches to jump, I just naturally follow her so I never jump ahead or get left behind.

So the jumping was a bit of a disaster but the flatwork sessions were pretty good.

 

PS    She was a BHSI.

[carlos]

Just changing the thread slightly - sorry

Has anybody had Nick Creaton for a lesson before - i'm thinking of future instructors and wondered if you lot had any views???

Regards Kerry .x

[Millie]

Good lord, Nick Creaton, now there is a name from the past!! He was a friend of my sister-in-law Avril Moffett, and taught her when she was an AI student at Heather Hall RS in Leics!!

Heather

[karen thompson]

Hi the person I was referring to has the initials DB.

Karen

[cptrayes]

Yes, sorry Heather, our mutual SC is absolutely renouned here for standing and watching people work their horses for a whole hour while saying nothing at all! And he was charging £60 an hour in 2002. My showjumping guy was SH from the same period of DB. They obviously learnt their training at the same place! I'm still getting over it, and all your support has helped a lot    :P



C.