# What do you look for in an instructor?



## OnlySamwise (Jun 24, 2008)

What qualities do you look for in an instructor? An instructor who will teach you how to work with horses and ride.


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

One who can read horses and people, who explains theory as well as technique, then rephrases it if I didnt understand, one who knows just how far to push me to cause me to get out of my comfort zone just far enough to learn, but not far enough to cause me to explode or implode! 

Fay


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

One who's kind and helpful. I want an instructor who can read horses and knows them. Someone who can explain things to me AND the horse.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

some one who under stands me and my horse and works with that not tell me this works with other horses ( I am not riding those horses )


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## LoveofOTTB (Dec 7, 2014)

I love my trainer, she has been around horses her entire life, she is very blunt and straight forward about things, and I love her for that! She understands horses, and knows how far to push each and everyone. Her first lessons with people are also to evaluate where the horse and the rider are at. I love that she always asks what I want to do with the horse, so she knows what she needs to teach me as a rider, and the horse as well. She trains a bunch of different ways, and uses different techniques. Also it helps that she is also my Farrier! She is an awesome barefoot farrier! Plus her and her mother train and break colts, they do such an amazing job, all of their horses are trained correctly and so soft and supple!

thats pretty much what I look for in a trainer, I am lucky to have her! Plus she is also a very good friend!


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## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

Years of successful training experience with horses & the ability to communicate their knowledge to people. There are lots of great horseman that are not great instructors or communicators. You need to find someone that can do both.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

When I started, it was enough if they a) had a horse, and b) would let me on the horse at a price I could afford. 

When I was looking for a polo coach (40+ years later), I was pickier. 

I looked at who's riding I liked. Simply - Is how they ride something I aspire to? I also looked at their horses (fit?) and their tack (clean, appropriate to the horse and job?). And price still played into it.


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## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

I looked around a bit and narrowed it down by:
1- proximity to me
2- discipline in which I was looking to learn

Once I found someone that met those two criteria, I made sure they were knowledgeable, a good teacher/coach and most of all-- FRIENDLY. Some people may disagree with me on this one, but friendliness and just-- respectful attitudes-- in the barn goes such a long, long way to me. 

Mainly because you're dealing so many different experience levels, confidence levels and you're doing so around 1,200 pound animals. I wanted a trainer that I felt comfortable asking questions to and learning from. THAT was huge for me, I would not have chosen a rude or abrupt instructor


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Nice buns, not hard to look at......


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## horseNpony (Sep 27, 2013)

Someone who has plenty of riding experience themselves, are patient, calm and willing to explain a process to me several times, then work it through with me until I understand what I'm doing. One who can read horses.


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

OnlySamwise said:


> What qualities do you look for in an instructor? An instructor who will teach you how to work with horses and ride.


Look for someone with a sense of humor.

Steve


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

When I was looking at furthering my riding I wanted someone who knew what they were talking about, someone who had plenty of experience and was tough. 
It was important that we also understood each other and had mutral respect. 

What I found was that top riders do not necessarily make good instructors.

I instructing myself I took no nonsense. I pushed riders hard, I expected them to try for the whole lesson. 
I wanted them to feel that they had learned something, had fun and finished on a good note.

I moved away from where I had worked for a long time - returned on holiday and was asked to teach at Pony Club camp with the juniors. It was so funny, these were children or even grandchildren of ex pupils of mine. 
The adults terrified the children by saying how tough I was. The poor children were shaking before they met me.
After the initial ride - eight children I didn't know a thing about or their ponies, I had things assessed. I could see where problems lay, which ones were nervous, which ones were bolder. The afternoon ride they worked and worked hard. I pushed them further than they had ever been pushed. When we were having tea and cleaning tack, a couple of the older ones were overheard talking about how they had learned more in an hours ride than ever before and how much fun it had been. 

One of the mothers came to me and said how tough I had been teaching her but that I had always been fair - not a bad compliment.

What I have found is that if the instructor has confidence it passes to the riders.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Nice buns, not hard to look at....... Oh and maybe a few riding skills.


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

This answer is likely going to vary between different individuals with different personalities and riding levels. For the purpose of this post, I am going to break this down into two sections: trainer and instructor.

*Instructor*
At the moment I would look for similar qualities Rebelwithacause mentioned and for the most part these traits are all invaluable to me -- I will look for these in all instructors I consider. But, as I get into more the more intermediate/advanced levels, I may start seeking the *methods *Foxhunter used to teach with as well. Ultimately for me, there has to be a good balance of disciplined and understanding.

I have had the end-of-the-spectrum drill sargeant instructor and I can say that it's not for me. At least, it wasn't at the beginning of my riding career and probably won't be for at least a few years. Having ridden and owned some horses that broke down my confidence, I needed and still do need someone to hold my hand for a bit while I take things slow and easy. If I have no qualms about having to slow down and take some extra time on a few aspects, neither should my instructor.

But, my instructor should also understand that when my confidence goes up he/she can take advantage of that positive energy and push me harder -- which if successful with even further boost my confidence. My trainer needs to have the ability to communicate with me, and read me and my horse, to determine when we can both be pushed forward out of our comfort zones without causing breakdowns.

Importantly, if I don't understand a concept then my instructor needs to be able to rephrase and communicate his/her words to me in a different way without getting disgruntled about it. They must understand that different people learn different ways and at different paces. If I do not learn one way or at a certain pace, an instructor should not even dare belittle me or become disrespectfully frustrated.

Respect is the biggest thing for me because it ties in with so many other important ideals. If an instructor does not respect me, it will be painfully apparent. I will feel as though they think less of me, it will seem as if I can do no right, I will be degraded for asking questions, and essentially feel as though I cannot talk to my instructor without being bullied.

Not only is this a rude way to treat another human being, but it's even more so a horrible business practice to treat the paying customers that line your pockets with such disdain. I want an instructor who treats their business like a business, and that no matter my riding level or issues I am a valued customer. And this goes for trainers, too.

My current instructor is also my trainer, which is a great combination if you can find someone who works well for you and your horse.

*Trainers*
I find selecting a trainer is quite a bit a different process than picking an instructor, since now my horse is being thrown directly into the mix. Whenever you have someone ride your horse for an extended period of time, you are giving them the responsibility to shape your horse. To teach them, either right or wrong ways, good or bad habits. I find hiring a trainer, for me, is more of a black and white process.

For me, trainers need the following essentials for me to consider them:
1. *Riding experience. *How often have they been in the show ring? How often do they win or lose? What kinds of riding have they done? Do they belong to any organizations? Essentially, are they established in the horse world?
2. *They are an exceptional horseman.* Do they treat the horse with respect? If the horse does not understand a concept, do they try and communicate a different way in a calm manner? Essentially, can they communicate effectively with the horse?
3. *Response time and adaptability.* Elaborating on point two, how quickly can the trainer communicate with the horse? If the horse does not understand a concept, how quickly can the trainer adapt to using a different tool, and how quickly does the horse respond? For me this is important because the quicker the correction, the less likely the horse is to continue testing.
4. *Respect*. The trainer must be respective of the wishes of the owner, and be friendly and polite when communicating issues and progress with the owner. The trainer should not belittle or refuse to answer questions, and should be willing to work with the owner to explain any issues and how to combat them. The trainer maintains a humble attitude.
5. *Has a good reputation.* The trainer should have a fairly positive reception from clients and barns around the area for being a joy to work with and presenting results upon training completion (but the owner should not entirely rely on previous clients' experiences either, as there are sometimes one-off situations that are often exaggerated by disgruntled clients. The owner should use their own judgement).


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I will say that many of the best and toughest trainers (for riders) had long ago stopped competitive riding, one or two didn't even ride anymore - they knew their stuff and some more despite their age.


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

Foxhunter said:


> I will say that many of the best and toughest trainers (for riders) had long ago stopped competitive riding, one or two didn't even ride anymore - they knew their stuff and some more despite their age.


And I think that is totally fine, although I would still like to check and see how often they showed *in their time* as well as their standings!

If this is also the case, I also want to make sure that despite being retired from competition that they are still a part of their communities. It's important to me that the individual keeps learning and is open to new ideas (do they continue to go to clinics, etc?).


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

george the mule said:


> Look for someone with a sense of humor.
> 
> Steve


You would have loved **** Stillwell, a UK instructor. He had a wicked humour!

I was roding a young horse on a course with him. This horse was so laid back it was surprising he stood up. 
When it came to grids and jumping, he was very blasé about it all, he just never really felt the need to try more than once. 
A grid was set up on a large circle, the horses had to do it themselves with the roders just guiding them and keeping a leg on. Bear, the horse, was sloppy and kept knocking the rails. I was told to sit tight and as he went into the first rail so he received a whack from ****. 
Bear was so surprised he shot forward, tripped and went down on his belly, my feet hit the ground either side of him. **** stood there saying "Good one, that'll teach him!" Bear gained his feet and did the rest of the circle perfectly, and was never sloppy again.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

To me, the harshness of the trainer really isn't an issue as some people have mentioned. I can learn equally well from someone who raises their voice as someone who doesn't.

Proximity also isn't the biggest issue, providing I'm not boarding my horse there. I've driven as far as an hour and a half for lessons. That was a lot, but I made it work.

To me, the most important thing is experience. I want someone who has ridden for years, has shown successfully for years, and has had students showing successfully for years. I know that not everyone cares about this, and not everyone is in it to show, but that's what's most important to me.


If you are in the market for a trainer (I'm not sure, just based on the thread xD) I would really suggest going to audit a lesson. By that same token, if you yourself are a trainer, I would definitely allow potential students to audit. I think that's the best way to decide if a trainer is for you.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

Considers the long term well-being and goals of both the horse and rider
Is patient and in control of their emotions (self-disciplined)
Explains things well, not just the how but also the why
Understands anatomy, kinesiology, cognition and physiology and is able to apply that to training
Trains the rider to train the horse
Has experience and knowledge but also continues to further his/her own equine education by actively seeking new knowledge and new experiences
Thinks out of the box and can be creative when necessary
Has a sense of humor
Is not just about cashing a pay check and is available to talk about something if I run into an issue between lessons
Can hold an intelligent conversation even about non-equine subjects
Enjoys horses, children and life!


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

My favorite instructor has:

Experience/qualified: she has 40 years training, instructing, showing experience, with solid results.
A sharp eye: I call her eagle-eye. She sees what I'm doing or not doing, and calls me on it immediately i can hide nothing from her.
Communication: she understands how I think and learn, so she explains things to me in a way I understand well
Work ethic: she has 1 hour to teach me what she can. She doesn't waste my time or money.
Sense of humor: I ride becaue it makes me happy. My lessons are filled with laughter.
Adaptable: she knows the type of riding I do. She makes sure that what she's teaching me will be applicable to what I'm doing.


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