I was talking to my friend and telling her how I would like to have lessons, but was worried about getting the right sort of teacher – I am in my forties and have ridden most of my life, but since becoming a Mum my priorities have changed and my fears have been magnified by the “what ifs” and the negativity of others relating to my mare. I wanted a teacher that would be sympathetic to my horse’s needs and mine, but at the same time totally honest with me. My friend suggested Amanda who had taught her daughter to jump.
I had a look at her website and saw that she had a varied combination of experiences and qualifications that interested me.
The confidence booster day looked ideal, I liked the idea of the hypnotherapy, as I knew a lot of my concerns could be resolved with some positive thinking and reassurance. The lesson part was something I knew I really needed to do for the sake of myself and my mare and the final overview would be the moment of truth – someone eles’s opinion of my riding and whether my mare was suitable for me.
Prior to booking online, I spoke to Amanda and sent her an email giving her some history about myself and my mare. We also discussed the pros and cons of where to have the day, we agreed it would be a lot less stressful if she came to me.
Even though I was nervous before Amanda turned up, within 5 minutes of us chatting, I felt relaxed – she is very good at asking the right questions, without being judgemental and her understanding and empathy towards me and my previous experiences was reassuring. I was dreading the lesson, as my mare can be flighty and spooky and neither of us are used to schooling. Amanda remained calm and talked me through everything, she never pushed me out of my comfort zone or baffled me with technical terms. Afterwards, we went over the lesson and for me this was the moment of truth. At the end Amanda asked me how I felt, my answer was …relieved! So relieved that I had booked the day, found the right teacher and wasn’t wasting my time with the wrong horse.
I now have a lesson once every 4 weeks with Amanda, she does push me a little more each time, but I know have the confidence to do this, I am much happier knowing I have her support and advice and believe that our partnershp can go from strength to strength.