What is the silliest thing your riding instructor has ever had you do? Or said to you?
We know that riding instructors sometimes have to do some funny things or say some funny words to get a point across to their students.
In one of my answers recently, I talked about my riding instructor who had me get on all fours, she straddled me and 'rode' me and that's how she taught me the aids for shoulder in. In worked very well, but it sure felt silly at the time.
The silliest thing I ever heard an instructor say was Karen O'Connor telling a student "I don't want you to look like you are shoving a donkey up a ladder." I really don't have any idea what that means, but it sure is funny, and it seemed to be what the student needed to hear.
So, if you are a student, what is the silliest thing your instructor has ever had you do or said to you and did it work?
If you are an instructor, what is the craziest thing you ever had to do to get a point across to a student?
This should be fun.
2010-12-03T11:57:36Z
EDIT - ShowGirl - Your story reminded me of a rider that I met at a Karen O'Connor clinic. As Karen was ending the lesson, she said "Tomorrow is cross country, so everyone needs to have a breastplate." One woman looked down at her chest and said "But I don't have a breastplate."
Dazed and Confused2010-12-02T22:53:39Z
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Oh my god, my riding instructor rode me too. Hahaha. And she made me trade places and had me ride HER.... LOL. It was supposed to teach center of balance or something but all it did for me is make me feel hella awkward. I was like 15 though... Couldn't imagine being a male adult and my instructor riding me. lol. Hmmm.... What else. OH.... One time we were on a group trail ride, including her husband. We were way out in the woods, at least an hour away from any rest stops in the late fall, when there was pretty much no vegetation or leaves on the trees. Well, I had to pee really bad. And she told me I'd have to squat... So I said I'd hold it until we got somewhere. She stopped the entire group and literally made me dismount to go potty. She said she didn't want me to have to hold it that long. And no matter how much I begged, she was too stubborn to let me back on without going. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if her husband wasn't there because then it'd be all girls. But he was..... Haha... And I went waaaay deep into the woods, trying to get far enough away that they wouldn't be able to see anything. And I stayed behind a stump. Anyway, that was pretty embarrassing/"silly".
I think another thing that made me feel uncomfortable is my male instructor when I was much younger rode dobule with me to try to better my position. That was awful lol. I never wanted to be so close to anyone like that while riding ever LOL
My most recent instructor made us do some parelli exercises. That was silly. lol.
as far as craziest thing (even though I'm not an instructor), I can tell you something crazy mine did. I was in lessons with a girl who just wouldn't listen for a really long time, and this lesson the instructor just cracked. They were arguing back and forth and it was very awkward to even be in the arena because the air was so stiff. Then my instructor just burst into tears and left the arena.... And everyone gathered in the middle because we didn't know what to do. And the girl who pissed her off started talking bad about her. And then we found out that she was just standing around the corner the whole time, and she whipped around the corner and started chewing the girl out, and gave her all these barn chores... Then the girl was crying, but she sure shaped up after that.... hehe
Hi, Im a Certified Riding Instructor, a Trainer for 25 years, And a rider of 35 years. That is VERY unsafe, NO you are not being Grumpy, I have never allowed children to Even Trot the First day on a Horse, The child could get hurt very bad, as well as the horse.. Children need to Gradually Make their way up to a Trot, and YES once they master the Trot they go to a Lope....
Haha Greg, my instructor rode me a few weeks ago as well! I think the strangest thing my instructor ever said to me is 'I'm not here to teach you how to ride, I'm here to show you how the horse is trained to be ridden, the rest is up to you'. It does make sense in a way but it sounded ridiculous when she said it! I don't work as an instructor but I do teach my little sister to ride. A while ago she was getting to big for the pony she rode but didn't want to move onto something bigger as she loved him. To get the point across I hopped on her back and made her try walk around with me on her, even though I'm taller and heavier! She had a lot of trouble doing it and it definetely helped her see sense.
My instructor is my stepdad lol but the craziest thing he's had me do is ---ok there are 2 things 1.) He made me teach my barrel horse how to chase me. It was crazy. I got ran over, he ran away and it was plain confusing, but eventually we got it down. 2.)He made me teach my BARREL horse how to stop when i fell off. GUESS WHAT THAT MEANT!? i was sooo lucky and i got to pretend there was a little leprauchan trying to kick me while i was on Gabe. I fell at speeds of 10-15- even 20 mph. I was bruised and in bad moods for weeks. But Bill, my stepdad, also taught me an even more valuable lesson--- HOW TO LAND.
Our riding instructor said to put your stirups high then put feet on top of them . we cantered like that and several instructors congratulations for being a good twerker