# Learning to ride?



## horsegirl (7 August 2007)

How long do you think it would take a complete beginner adult to learn to ride and be competent in walk, trot and canter?


----------



## Ali_H (7 August 2007)

I taught my friend to ride... on a very quiet horse mind you to ride in about 6 months.. sshe is now very very confident, and jumping.


----------



## abb123 (7 August 2007)

Depends on how they are being taught. My partner has just started to learn on my mare and is a complete beginner. He is having a half hour private lesson every other week and practices about twice a week. He's been riding now for about a month and has just got the hang of rising trot (in balance) and has started to learn how to move around the school. I would say give him another couple of months and he'll be competant in walk, trot and canter.


----------



## Blizzard (7 August 2007)

I taught my Oh when we got beau, he couldnt ride at all.

He did 1 hour on a Sat and one hour every other Sunday.

I would say after 6 weeks, so probably about 10hrs worth of lessons, he was walk, trotting, cantering and galoping out alone in open spaces.

And he was a very nervous rider.


----------



## SouthWestWhippet (7 August 2007)

Ride and be compentant in walk and trot usually takes about 4 lessons in my experience. It is the step to canter that takes a while and very much depends on fitness, confidence and natural balance. But I think it would take a minimum of 10 to 15 lessons to be able to start thinking about 'controling' a horse in canter and not just sitting up there and praying  
	
	
		
		
	


	





My BF is learning to ride, he mastered the rising trot after 2 lessons and was 'confident' on his own on a safe horse after 4 lessons.  He has cantered a couple of times (once on the lunge, once 'by accident') and is very very wobbly. I think the canter will take him a while.


----------



## nona1 (7 August 2007)

It depends what you call competant really.

Being able to sit on a horse and steer in those paces, a couple of months. Being balanced and in control at all times, with an independent seat and hands, an awful lot longer.


----------



## Shilasdair (7 August 2007)

More than 2 decades and I still haven't got there.
Cars are easier.  Or bikes.   Even walking has its advantages.
S


----------

