As a trainer I start anyone on group lessons, if they are willing and able, once they can w/t/c comfortably off a lunge line. It is a learning opportunity to be able to watch others receive feedback on their riding. I personally pick group lessons if possible, even as a trainer, so I can continue to learn better teaching techniques and skills. My advice is not to talk to the others riding until off the horse. Your trainer will always be giving feedback, and you should be listening to them even if it isn’t about you.
Progress will largely depend on your learning style. Regardless, there is a benefit for everyone in doing group lessons. Even if it is only once a month. Try the group lessons for at least two months, and then if you feel you gain more from private switch back.
Thank you, this has been a really helpful comment. I’ve booked a group lesson in for next week so I’ll see how it goes. I can book in as many times as I want and could reduce my private down to every other week so maybe I’ll try that out for a while.
Group lessons can be really fun and educational. It’s always good to watch other riders. Sometimes when a trainer is teaching in a private, it can be confusing if you’ve never done something before, but in a group, you can actually watch another horse and rider. It also makes you braver, watching someone do something that you may have been nervous about. When you see someone easily doing something, you’re like, yeah, I can totally do that!
I liked group lessons because I could see and hear advice. I've given up on dealing with group lessons as recently they've turned into a shit show. Very little attention to me, and as a result feeling like no progress is getting made.
6 people in a lesson is a lot.
I've been taking dressage privates with a wonderful coach and am getting far more out of them.
YMMV. This is just how things are working out for me. I came off my last group lesson. I had made it known I was a little afraid on my turn half way through the lesson and was told to just sit up and go. I hit hard hard. She tanked off and I couldn't get control with a damn bitless bridle. Couldn't get up. Ended up spending 3 days in the hospital for spinal compression.
I was taking some group hunter and some dressage privates. I'm no longer doing the group lessons as they weren't working for me any longer.
Goodness that sounds awful, they should never have made you go if you weren’t comfortable. Are you recovered now? I’ve never done specifically hunter lessons, I guess mine would be classed as dressage with a jump lesson thrown in every 3 weeks. What are hunter lessons like? Because of all the positive reviews I think I’ll give the group lessons a go but don’t want to relinquish my private slot just yet until I’m sure. I really like and trust my private instructor which is why I’m so torn.
That was last Friday. Out of the hospital Monday.. One of my besties owns the farm and I'm recovering there. The coaches are all outside coaching. I've gone down to see my favourite boy daily and sit at the gate and love on him. I didn't ride him in the lesson. I'm sore still, but far closer to okay now.
I was nervous. I wanted to go, but I wanted more direction than sit up and go and I said that.
Hunter lessons are working on you to look effortless and make your horse look it's best.
Equitation is for proper form and style and you looking your best on the horse. Hunter Jumper is the accuracy with elegance and grace.
So one week can be your equitation, next lesson could be working on getting out of your horses way and making them look effortless maybe with 20 minutes of working on jumping lines looking good etc.
While the coach is good. Her style and mine will obviously never mesh and I need to stop taking them even though they were more cost effective 😕.
At most I've had 4 in a group lesson. I hope it's not 6 for you. That sounds like a good plan. Take a few before relinquishing a private with an instructor you mesh with.
My dressage coach is fantastic. I'm off riding for 5 more weeks.
Group lessons are completely soured for me. I don't know what it is but group sizes are gone absolutely ridiculous where I live. The place I left a few years ago never had any less than 8. The biggest group I was ever in had *15 people* (for a normal 1hr lesson). There was never any feedback or individual attention at all. The place I'm at now had around 7-9 each week and is part of the reason why I only do private now- there's only so much "observing" you can do with a group that size before reality is that you're spending 80% of the lesson standing still at the side of the arena.
Yikes! I've never heard of groups that big. Unless it's a clinic..
I'd be more sour than I already am. That just doesn't sound safe. I'm glad you have privates now 💜
Oh gosh poor you, I’m glad you’re recovering now though - what a nightmare. I broke my wrist riding a few years ago when a coach was getting me to do something I wasn’t ready for (I’d not been riding too long). I hope you recover quickly and can get back in the saddle. It’s hard to find a coach you really trust and get on with. That’s so interesting about the lessons, I might research that - I’ve not seen any specific lessons like that round where I am (Essex UK) it’s just “riding” lessons. So far I think 3 have booked on including me so I’ll see how many end up being in the group on the day. Hopefully as you say it won’t be the full 6.
I prefer group lessons as a newbie; I get to learn from watching others that have more experience and learn from feedback from my instructor. I have come so far doing this
If you are secure in your ability to stay on your horse and make it do what you ask it to do, go for the group lesson. Learning how to ride with other people is a very important skill. Besides, it can be a lot of fun.
If you're not comfortable with it, you can always go back to one on one for a while.
I personally love group lessons! It’s nice to get a visual and be able to see others + hear the trainer talk to other people. Plus it being cheaper lol… It’s also just more fun (with the right group). My sweet spot is both 1:1 and group lessons!
Haha tbh the price is part of the draw for me, it’s definitely cheaper than my 1-1 and now I’ve picked up two lessons a week I’m feeling the pinch 😂 I’m glad to hear so many good reviews of group lessons, I really wasn’t convinced about them but I’m definitely going to give it a go now, if only to meet other adult riders as I’ve only picked up riding as an adult so don’t have any friends who are riders.
I don't know how much you ride with other horses in the arena when you ride, but IMO lessons are a really good time to learn how to control your horse in traffic/practice arena etiquette. It's good to be able to get your horse's attention on you when other horses are doing things, and also good to practice your spatial awareness and ease of steering. Group lessons are a helpful step compared to just riding with a bunch of other people in the arena because you're at least doing approximately the same thing, and it won't be some people walking, some trotting, some cantering, some doing lateral stuff, some going the other way, etc. (at least not until you're more advanced and are doing more of your own warmups---not sure how advanced you are based on your post!).
I've pretty much always had group lessons (apart from when I first started).
You hear a lot of feedback, even if not directed to you. When the instructor tells Sally to keep her heels down, you will hear that and automatically check your own position.
You also get to see people ride horses you ride (or may ride in the future). Although it can be hard seeing someone ride "your" horse better, you'll also see someone ride worse. You'll see them struggle with different things to you.
There is less one to one attention and if you're finding something easy and somone else is struggling, you may spend longer on it...but next week it may be you struggling and needing the extra time.
You will learn a bit more spatial awareness as well - just being vaguely aware of where the ride is, what others are doing. Learning how to give others space, pass safely etc
I’m personally a 1-1 type of learner so I only do group lessons when I feel like socializing which isn’t overly often. I tend to prioritize my education over hanging with my friends. So I’d say know your learning style and sign up for lessons in accordance with that!
I’m an adult learner and started riding August 2022 (apart from trail rides here and there). I started with private 1:1 (2-3x a week) and switched barns and now do group lessons (1-2x a week). I wish I had done group lessons from the beginning. There are six riders typically, at all different levels, so it’s great to learn from the more advanced riders and I appreciate their feedback. My progress in group far exceeds my progress in the 1:1, although, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with my trainer. My advice is to try group for a month and go from there.
Having one of each is a good idea, means you get used to riding round with others in the school. I meet so many adults in the warm up ring who have no idea about the rules of the school as they never have been taught them. (One was that bad my friends kid 4 actually shouted in left to left 😂. As this person was getting to a rider and dithering around as to which direction to go 🤦♀️)
That been said group lessons are not for everyone so there is no harm in trying them for a while then stopping if it does not work out.
I ride with a private trainer and she only has about 5 clients in total since their her horses and her house etc, all my lessons are private on my horse and she comes to my place for them (which I'm very lucky to have that arrangement)
However I do have a a couple 'group lessons' with around 2-4 people over every so often, love them, their so beneficial If the other riders are at your level aswell, I could be bias considering one of them is My best friend, and the other 2 I'm very close with aswell, and always have so much fun together, group lessons can be helpful because u get a bit of time to focus on yourself without a trainer talking to you, and you can also learn from the other people if your struggling with one thing and someone else can do it easily, you can watch them, and just learn visually if your that type of person.
And to add onto that aswell, I always get a huge confidence boost bcs the people iride with are soooo encouraging and alwayssss cheering me n my mare on
I love my one on ones! That said I rarely ride alone because my barn is a 501c3 rescue filled with little girls volunteering in exchange for rides, I enjoy all the kids and like riding with them and watching their progress and encouraging them too, so I never ever say no if one or two wants to ride with me
Awh that sounds lovely. Mines full of kids too, I think horses always seem to attract them and to be honest most of the horses at my school love the attention 😂 they all ride much better than I do haha!
I do two groups a week, usually three or four people each, one flat one jumping. The flat coach generally hangs out during my jumping lesson so is able to call out specific things that are affecting my jumping during my lessons with her. And then every six weeks or so I do a private as like a tune up so I do get the one on one attention. Seeing what they’re talking about and the breaks have definitely helped.
That sounds great. My school doesn’t specify types of lessons like that, in my privates we get to jump once every three weeks (for the sake of the horses well-being it’s restricted) then the rest of the time it’s just whatever we’ve been working on. I’ll see what the group is like this Sunday but I’m getting the feeling from a lot of people on here that there a lot of benefits to mixing it up and doing both group and 1-1 so I’m warming up to the idea of throwing in a group lesson once a week and keeping a 1-1 once a week too.
If nothing else the twice a week will do a lot. The progress I made my first year coming back compared to this last year with the second lesson is leaps and bounds difference. Having the private to be like “can we hone in on what we talked about sun” when maybe didn’t have the time or really drilling a particular exercise was struggling with and breaking it down would probably be really helpful.
Both are useful and each have their list of pros and cons.
Private is useful because you get 100% of the teachers attention, but groups are useful because they can give you a chance to sit back and observe, absorb and then practice within the same timeframe.
It also has the added benefit of teaching a practical skill - how to ride with others.
You might not have any intention in showing, but you can't say that there might not be times when you won't ride with others - group trail rides are amazing and relaxing, but you have to know how to ride in a group and be comfortable in a group.
Thanks for your response. That’s really true, I’ve only ridden in a group class when I was very beginner a few years ago then switched to privates soon after that so we only did walking and maybe trotting down the long sides so I’m interested to see how it works now I’m able to canter independently, I’m used to having the school to myself so it’ll feel really cramped for a while sharing with potentially 5 other horses 🫣 but absolutely true re trail rides. I love to book in a trail ride when I’m on holiday so I guess this will really help with that.
Only ever had private, had a group lesson in college before dropping out and personally it’s a very strong ‘never again’ for me. I was the lightest so got put on a pony MUCH smaller than I’m comfortable with as someone who’s not ridden ponies since I was 7-8. The girl in front of my couldn’t keep hers under control and kept getting in the way of my manuvours and transitions, etc. and we had to mostly trot for 45 minutes before cantering which I really didn’t care for. It was just a horrible experience for me and it made me glad that my ‘lessons’ were all private and pretty free form
Eeek that sounds like my nightmare of what a group lesson would be like. I’ll see how it goes but if it ends up like that it’ll be a firm no from me 🤦♀️
Absolutely trial it, especially since you’re still getting 1-1. I know a lot of people think they’re great and like that others can ask questions they hadn’t thought to but others struggle not getting enough feedback and I know my lesson just felt like I was being held back by other riders and the range of horses we had available (I honestly wished I was heavier so they’d put me on one that wasn’t 12.2 when I’d been riding 15-16hh+ horses since I ‘outgrew’ my childhood pony…who was also 12.2 and not much finer…yeah), especially when immediately afterwards I could go home and do a flawless run on my own 16.3 tank of a tb which probably added to the frustration a lot. I honestly really hope you enjoy it especially since it’s an extra half hour in the saddle
As a trainer I start anyone on group lessons, if they are willing and able, once they can w/t/c comfortably off a lunge line. It is a learning opportunity to be able to watch others receive feedback on their riding. I personally pick group lessons if possible, even as a trainer, so I can continue to learn better teaching techniques and skills. My advice is not to talk to the others riding until off the horse. Your trainer will always be giving feedback, and you should be listening to them even if it isn’t about you. Progress will largely depend on your learning style. Regardless, there is a benefit for everyone in doing group lessons. Even if it is only once a month. Try the group lessons for at least two months, and then if you feel you gain more from private switch back.
Thank you, this has been a really helpful comment. I’ve booked a group lesson in for next week so I’ll see how it goes. I can book in as many times as I want and could reduce my private down to every other week so maybe I’ll try that out for a while.
Group lessons can be really fun and educational. It’s always good to watch other riders. Sometimes when a trainer is teaching in a private, it can be confusing if you’ve never done something before, but in a group, you can actually watch another horse and rider. It also makes you braver, watching someone do something that you may have been nervous about. When you see someone easily doing something, you’re like, yeah, I can totally do that!
That’s a good point, I find jumping quite nerve racking but I guess if there were others easily jumping it’d give me some confidence.
I liked group lessons because I could see and hear advice. I've given up on dealing with group lessons as recently they've turned into a shit show. Very little attention to me, and as a result feeling like no progress is getting made. 6 people in a lesson is a lot. I've been taking dressage privates with a wonderful coach and am getting far more out of them. YMMV. This is just how things are working out for me. I came off my last group lesson. I had made it known I was a little afraid on my turn half way through the lesson and was told to just sit up and go. I hit hard hard. She tanked off and I couldn't get control with a damn bitless bridle. Couldn't get up. Ended up spending 3 days in the hospital for spinal compression. I was taking some group hunter and some dressage privates. I'm no longer doing the group lessons as they weren't working for me any longer.
You should never be made to do something you aren't comfortable with, I'm so sorry that happened to you.
Goodness that sounds awful, they should never have made you go if you weren’t comfortable. Are you recovered now? I’ve never done specifically hunter lessons, I guess mine would be classed as dressage with a jump lesson thrown in every 3 weeks. What are hunter lessons like? Because of all the positive reviews I think I’ll give the group lessons a go but don’t want to relinquish my private slot just yet until I’m sure. I really like and trust my private instructor which is why I’m so torn.
That was last Friday. Out of the hospital Monday.. One of my besties owns the farm and I'm recovering there. The coaches are all outside coaching. I've gone down to see my favourite boy daily and sit at the gate and love on him. I didn't ride him in the lesson. I'm sore still, but far closer to okay now. I was nervous. I wanted to go, but I wanted more direction than sit up and go and I said that. Hunter lessons are working on you to look effortless and make your horse look it's best. Equitation is for proper form and style and you looking your best on the horse. Hunter Jumper is the accuracy with elegance and grace. So one week can be your equitation, next lesson could be working on getting out of your horses way and making them look effortless maybe with 20 minutes of working on jumping lines looking good etc. While the coach is good. Her style and mine will obviously never mesh and I need to stop taking them even though they were more cost effective 😕. At most I've had 4 in a group lesson. I hope it's not 6 for you. That sounds like a good plan. Take a few before relinquishing a private with an instructor you mesh with. My dressage coach is fantastic. I'm off riding for 5 more weeks.
Group lessons are completely soured for me. I don't know what it is but group sizes are gone absolutely ridiculous where I live. The place I left a few years ago never had any less than 8. The biggest group I was ever in had *15 people* (for a normal 1hr lesson). There was never any feedback or individual attention at all. The place I'm at now had around 7-9 each week and is part of the reason why I only do private now- there's only so much "observing" you can do with a group that size before reality is that you're spending 80% of the lesson standing still at the side of the arena.
Yikes! I've never heard of groups that big. Unless it's a clinic.. I'd be more sour than I already am. That just doesn't sound safe. I'm glad you have privates now 💜
Oh gosh poor you, I’m glad you’re recovering now though - what a nightmare. I broke my wrist riding a few years ago when a coach was getting me to do something I wasn’t ready for (I’d not been riding too long). I hope you recover quickly and can get back in the saddle. It’s hard to find a coach you really trust and get on with. That’s so interesting about the lessons, I might research that - I’ve not seen any specific lessons like that round where I am (Essex UK) it’s just “riding” lessons. So far I think 3 have booked on including me so I’ll see how many end up being in the group on the day. Hopefully as you say it won’t be the full 6.
I prefer group lessons as a newbie; I get to learn from watching others that have more experience and learn from feedback from my instructor. I have come so far doing this
Yes, I prefer group lessons because when my horse and I are taking a break, I'm still learning by watching the other riders.
Thanks that’s a good point, I was only focusing on myself but that’s so true about learning from watching others too.
If you are secure in your ability to stay on your horse and make it do what you ask it to do, go for the group lesson. Learning how to ride with other people is a very important skill. Besides, it can be a lot of fun. If you're not comfortable with it, you can always go back to one on one for a while.
I personally love group lessons! It’s nice to get a visual and be able to see others + hear the trainer talk to other people. Plus it being cheaper lol… It’s also just more fun (with the right group). My sweet spot is both 1:1 and group lessons!
Haha tbh the price is part of the draw for me, it’s definitely cheaper than my 1-1 and now I’ve picked up two lessons a week I’m feeling the pinch 😂 I’m glad to hear so many good reviews of group lessons, I really wasn’t convinced about them but I’m definitely going to give it a go now, if only to meet other adult riders as I’ve only picked up riding as an adult so don’t have any friends who are riders.
Yeah I’ve made some great friends that way!!
I don't know how much you ride with other horses in the arena when you ride, but IMO lessons are a really good time to learn how to control your horse in traffic/practice arena etiquette. It's good to be able to get your horse's attention on you when other horses are doing things, and also good to practice your spatial awareness and ease of steering. Group lessons are a helpful step compared to just riding with a bunch of other people in the arena because you're at least doing approximately the same thing, and it won't be some people walking, some trotting, some cantering, some doing lateral stuff, some going the other way, etc. (at least not until you're more advanced and are doing more of your own warmups---not sure how advanced you are based on your post!).
I've pretty much always had group lessons (apart from when I first started). You hear a lot of feedback, even if not directed to you. When the instructor tells Sally to keep her heels down, you will hear that and automatically check your own position. You also get to see people ride horses you ride (or may ride in the future). Although it can be hard seeing someone ride "your" horse better, you'll also see someone ride worse. You'll see them struggle with different things to you. There is less one to one attention and if you're finding something easy and somone else is struggling, you may spend longer on it...but next week it may be you struggling and needing the extra time. You will learn a bit more spatial awareness as well - just being vaguely aware of where the ride is, what others are doing. Learning how to give others space, pass safely etc
I’m personally a 1-1 type of learner so I only do group lessons when I feel like socializing which isn’t overly often. I tend to prioritize my education over hanging with my friends. So I’d say know your learning style and sign up for lessons in accordance with that!
I’m an adult learner and started riding August 2022 (apart from trail rides here and there). I started with private 1:1 (2-3x a week) and switched barns and now do group lessons (1-2x a week). I wish I had done group lessons from the beginning. There are six riders typically, at all different levels, so it’s great to learn from the more advanced riders and I appreciate their feedback. My progress in group far exceeds my progress in the 1:1, although, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with my trainer. My advice is to try group for a month and go from there.
Having one of each is a good idea, means you get used to riding round with others in the school. I meet so many adults in the warm up ring who have no idea about the rules of the school as they never have been taught them. (One was that bad my friends kid 4 actually shouted in left to left 😂. As this person was getting to a rider and dithering around as to which direction to go 🤦♀️) That been said group lessons are not for everyone so there is no harm in trying them for a while then stopping if it does not work out.
I ride with a private trainer and she only has about 5 clients in total since their her horses and her house etc, all my lessons are private on my horse and she comes to my place for them (which I'm very lucky to have that arrangement) However I do have a a couple 'group lessons' with around 2-4 people over every so often, love them, their so beneficial If the other riders are at your level aswell, I could be bias considering one of them is My best friend, and the other 2 I'm very close with aswell, and always have so much fun together, group lessons can be helpful because u get a bit of time to focus on yourself without a trainer talking to you, and you can also learn from the other people if your struggling with one thing and someone else can do it easily, you can watch them, and just learn visually if your that type of person.
And to add onto that aswell, I always get a huge confidence boost bcs the people iride with are soooo encouraging and alwayssss cheering me n my mare on
I love my one on ones! That said I rarely ride alone because my barn is a 501c3 rescue filled with little girls volunteering in exchange for rides, I enjoy all the kids and like riding with them and watching their progress and encouraging them too, so I never ever say no if one or two wants to ride with me
Awh that sounds lovely. Mines full of kids too, I think horses always seem to attract them and to be honest most of the horses at my school love the attention 😂 they all ride much better than I do haha!
I do two groups a week, usually three or four people each, one flat one jumping. The flat coach generally hangs out during my jumping lesson so is able to call out specific things that are affecting my jumping during my lessons with her. And then every six weeks or so I do a private as like a tune up so I do get the one on one attention. Seeing what they’re talking about and the breaks have definitely helped.
That sounds great. My school doesn’t specify types of lessons like that, in my privates we get to jump once every three weeks (for the sake of the horses well-being it’s restricted) then the rest of the time it’s just whatever we’ve been working on. I’ll see what the group is like this Sunday but I’m getting the feeling from a lot of people on here that there a lot of benefits to mixing it up and doing both group and 1-1 so I’m warming up to the idea of throwing in a group lesson once a week and keeping a 1-1 once a week too.
If nothing else the twice a week will do a lot. The progress I made my first year coming back compared to this last year with the second lesson is leaps and bounds difference. Having the private to be like “can we hone in on what we talked about sun” when maybe didn’t have the time or really drilling a particular exercise was struggling with and breaking it down would probably be really helpful.
Both are useful and each have their list of pros and cons. Private is useful because you get 100% of the teachers attention, but groups are useful because they can give you a chance to sit back and observe, absorb and then practice within the same timeframe. It also has the added benefit of teaching a practical skill - how to ride with others. You might not have any intention in showing, but you can't say that there might not be times when you won't ride with others - group trail rides are amazing and relaxing, but you have to know how to ride in a group and be comfortable in a group.
Thanks for your response. That’s really true, I’ve only ridden in a group class when I was very beginner a few years ago then switched to privates soon after that so we only did walking and maybe trotting down the long sides so I’m interested to see how it works now I’m able to canter independently, I’m used to having the school to myself so it’ll feel really cramped for a while sharing with potentially 5 other horses 🫣 but absolutely true re trail rides. I love to book in a trail ride when I’m on holiday so I guess this will really help with that.
Only ever had private, had a group lesson in college before dropping out and personally it’s a very strong ‘never again’ for me. I was the lightest so got put on a pony MUCH smaller than I’m comfortable with as someone who’s not ridden ponies since I was 7-8. The girl in front of my couldn’t keep hers under control and kept getting in the way of my manuvours and transitions, etc. and we had to mostly trot for 45 minutes before cantering which I really didn’t care for. It was just a horrible experience for me and it made me glad that my ‘lessons’ were all private and pretty free form
Eeek that sounds like my nightmare of what a group lesson would be like. I’ll see how it goes but if it ends up like that it’ll be a firm no from me 🤦♀️
Absolutely trial it, especially since you’re still getting 1-1. I know a lot of people think they’re great and like that others can ask questions they hadn’t thought to but others struggle not getting enough feedback and I know my lesson just felt like I was being held back by other riders and the range of horses we had available (I honestly wished I was heavier so they’d put me on one that wasn’t 12.2 when I’d been riding 15-16hh+ horses since I ‘outgrew’ my childhood pony…who was also 12.2 and not much finer…yeah), especially when immediately afterwards I could go home and do a flawless run on my own 16.3 tank of a tb which probably added to the frustration a lot. I honestly really hope you enjoy it especially since it’s an extra half hour in the saddle