My kids have been taking riding lessons for over 5 years now in a
private riding center.  While it was great in the begining, my kids
and I are now getting a little frustrated that they seem to remain at
the same level.  They seem to walk, trot and SOMETIMES cantor.  They
want to cantor more...but most of the lesson seems to be walk and
trotting.  They want to cantor and eventually jump.

The stables they ride at has no formal (written)
training program with benchmarks and progressive goals...so it feels
like every week we are participating in a very expensive trail ride,
just going around in a circle.

So my questions is.  Can someone help me locate a written outline or
training program, which allows for measurment of my kid's sucess every
week.  The training program, should be like a spreadsheet which
documents:

- What each lesson should focus on
- Have a sign off from the intructor that they did work on that task
- Be able to show any new instructor what level, and what has been acomplished
- Should also show everyone what is coming up in future lessons.

As you can see, I;m just looking for accountability and a more
formalized program.  Anybody have any siggestions?

BTW, both my kids ride English.

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Request for Question Clarification by cynthia-ga on 21 Jan 2006 15:07 PST

I was fortunate in my youth to have attended an equestrian boarding
school. I remember very formalized lessons, and I also remember
feeling frustrated by the slowness at which I seemed to progress. All
english riders want to Canter and JUMP! In my experience, as slow as
it seemed to go, I was starting to jump at the end of my second year.
I was 12 years old then, and I had riding lessons 3 times a week and
stable duty EVERY morning, 7 days a week, rain or shine. The lessons
were the reward for caring for the horses. Five years is way too long,
in my opinion, for your kids to be still going on beginner trail rides
--unless your children are VERY young, but having been taking riding
lessons for five years, I doubt that is the case.

In hindsite, while thinking about your question, I have to ask:

What city and state are you in?
What is the name of the school? 
Do they have certified instructors? 
Do they have different levels of classes: beginners, intermediate, and advanced? 
What levels are your kids in?
Have you talked to the school about your concerns?

Check this out:

Finding the Right Instructor
http://www.meredithmanor.com/features/articles/faith/instructor.asp

It sounds to me like there are too many horses/students on each trail
ride, consider that the group as a whole can only do what the least
skilled rider in the group can do. It's dangerous to take an
inexperienced rider on an advanced trail ride. Jumping without the
prerequisite skills can lead to serious injury or death.

With smaller groups, the instructors can select students with similar
skills and raise them to the next level, whereas in a large group,
many students are being held back. Also, riders learn to jump learn in
the ring, not on a trail ride.

No offense, but without formalized lessons, this school is just an
expensive babysitter. I think your kids are ready for a more serious
equestrian school, and if you moved them they would be very happy, as
well as challenged and satisfied by seeing progress on formal charts.

Why not get your kids in a school with lesson plans geared to becoming
certified --so they can participate in horse shows? They have events
for every level, and it's SO MUCH FUN!!!

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Clarification of Question by horsemannj-ga on 22 Jan 2006 07:00 PST

Hello and thank you for your request for clarification.  Below are the
answers to your questions:

Do they have certified instructors? 
YES THE INSTRUCTORS ARE ALL CERTIFIED AND NICE PEOPLE, IT'S THAT I
PERSOANLLY BELIEVE THERE NEEDS TO BE A PLANNED COURSE FOR LEARNING AND
PROGRESSION.

Do they have different levels of classes: beginners, intermediate, and advanced?
YES THEY HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS, HOWEVER THEY HAVE DIFFERENT
INSTRUCTORS....IN OTHER WORDS, TO BE INSTRUCTED BY THE "TOP
INSTRUCTOR" YOU NEED TO BE INVITED AND ALSO PAY A PREMIUM. OTHERWISE
YOU HAVE A HANDFULL OF OTHER INSTRUCTORS WHO ARE MORE "RELAXED" IN
THEIR APPROACH.  I DO SEE THE TOP INSTRUCTOR WORKING ON CANTERING,
JUMPS ETC.  MOSTLY JUMPS.  MY KIDS ARE NOT UP TO HIS LEVEL OF
TEAHCNING BUT I FEEL THEY SHOULD BE DOING MORE THAN WHAT THE HAVE BEEN
WITH THEIR CURRENT AND PAST INSTRUCTORS.
 
What levels are your kids in?
THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE...I DON'T KNOW AS THEY HAVE NO FORMAL
GRADING.  WITH THEIR PAST INSTRUCTORS THEY WERE CANTORING AND ON WAS
EVEN STARTING TO JUMP, NOW WE HAVE ANEW INSTRUCTOR WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE
THEY ARE READY FOR THIS.  WHICH IS WHY I'D LIKE TO SEE A WRITTEN
CHECKLIST WHICH IS SIGNED OFF BY EACH INSTRUCTOR AS TO THEIR LEVEL OF
EXPERTISE AND WHAT HAD BEEN ACOMPLISHED IN THE PAST.  yOU SEE WE
SWITCH INSTRUCTORS EVERY 6 MONTHS DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS AS MY
KIDS DO OTHER SPORTS.

Have you talked to the school about your concerns?
I PLAN TO SPEAK TO THEM, HOWEVER I WANTED TO FIND THIS LEARNING
PLAN/CHECK LIST SO I COULD GO IN WITH SOME FORMAL PROCESS TO BE
DISCUSSED.