# Good and bad riding instructors. Poll.



## Nature2horses (Feb 24, 2010)

There are a lot of bad riding instructors out there, in fact most of them aren't that great. But there are the awesome and really good ones. Have you experienced either of these, if you have a riding instructor is he/she good or bad? Is your riding instructor calm? Does he/she yell at you? Does he/she hurt your horse?
Here's my story:
It was my first riding instructor. She was the owner, manager, breeder and riding instructor at the breeding and riding school farm. She taught beginner lessons and attempted to teach higher level lessons. The first year, I learned a lot, mainly on my own. The second year I started training horses and I took lessons because that was the only way i was aloud to jump and I was not confident on my horse after an incident. The incident made my horse and me not trust eachother. She made it worse by blaming it on me and making the riding lessons high energy and scary. It was the only place I could ride and jump so I stayed in the lessons. During the third summer is when I quit. My horse was back to "normal" finally and my confidence was building. The lessons were way to easy-we were jumping 2'3 courses and me and my horse were bored out of our minds. I started to just jump alone after that. Every time I asked her a question she would give me a rude reply. All she did in lessons was tell people to do a 20 m circle or go over a jump. She sucked and if your horse was speedy she made you use a pelham. If my horses was fresh and going really fast she told me to yank on his mouth as hard as I could and made me use a kimberwick. She once said "whenever you guys come out to ride it can't be just for fun. Don't do what you enjoy to do, you have to do the training I tell you to do." She'd rank the riders by their level and she ranked her favorite people (who worked for her for free) at the top even though they couldn't even control their own ponies and couldn't do more than a 2' jump. She ranked me at the bottom and said I should do beginner classes. I was the youngest rider in the advanced group and I had come that far in 1/4 the time of all the other riders. So what's your story?


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## thunderhooves (Aug 9, 2009)

hmm....the ones ive met arent bad, well, except pne crazy english lady that was about yoga on a horse and no correct riding at al....but thats a different story,lol.
Anyway, as I was saying, the ones ive met so far arent bad except....hm.... 2...... but then theres a problem of me riding differently. like i had a WP trainer, but i love to barrel race and trail ride, which she never did, so i didnt enjoy it a whole lot there. I did enjoy it some, and train my green Morgan Pony there with the instructor, but it just wasnt my stayle. It doesnt mean she was bad, I just didnt like her style.


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## Mickey4793 (Sep 24, 2009)

Honestly I don't think a riding instructor yelling makes them bad.
I have two instructors, one is the owner of the barn and the other is related to her and they alternate so sometimes I have one and sometimes I have to other and I quite frankly think they're both great and teach me a lot!

I used to be intimidated with my horse riding with the second of the two instructors, cause my horse picks up on the slightest discrepancy of emotion and the second of the instructor raises her voice at me a lot, I use to worry that it would make my horse nervous but actually, it really encourages me to be more stern with my corrections, she's a very nice woman but can raise her voice sometimes during lessons, she does it to emphasize that a correction needs to be made and honestly, it helps me out so much, I really appreciate when she does that. My other instructor is amazing too, they both really help me target problems I need to fix in my riding, so I don't think an instructor with a raised voice and high energy is bad, but that's just me.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I agree, unfortunately there are more not so great instructors out there. Heck, many people who can just sit on horse claims him/herself as an instructor and trainer. :-| Good instructor is a diamond to find and worse a lot to keep! 

I don't care if the instructor is yelling as long as he/she is actually teaching me and my horse and we are making progress. Also when something goes wrong I ALWAYS blame myself and not my horse, instructor doesn't even have to say that. 

With that being said I was fine with pretty much any lesson (up to certain point of course) before I got my own horses. 

After I got them I started to do lots of research on riding, handling, tack, and I became pretty picky. I tried number of instructors and backyard trainers were just a waste of money for me. They didn't teach me or my horse. However the "dressage" instructor recommended to me by my neighbor (who is using her for 15 years) was waste of money as well. Some instructions were completely meaningless (like keep kicking the horse constantly and such) and person doesn't seem to know certain basic things (about severity of bits, for example). She also successfully made me buy bunch of equipment (part from her directly), which was another waste of money. Until I said ENOUGH.

After that I found 2 awesome instructors: one I found published in our local newspaper (can't take lessons with her now, because my horses are off and she only give lessons on own horses), other recommended to me by the person from my local horse organization (she's great, just little too far but I'm still taking lessons on her horses, worse driving IMO). 

So, the bottom line if you don't like the instructor and there are choices around it's better to try a different one until you find the one you like and making progress with.


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## elrohwen (Jan 19, 2009)

I rode for 10 years under a fantastic instructor. She really took me as far as I could go riding school horses (can't jump that high on them, of course). She gave me a great foundation. I do not like yellers, and she was great for me. She could sound excited and raise her voice to me to work harder, but there was never any yelling.

I'd had a few other instructors, but only for short times. The most recent was very nice, and knew what he was doing, but I didn't feel like he instructed enough, if you know what I mean. After taking a break for a few years I felt like I had lost a lot of my ability. Instead of giving me the right instruction to get me back on track, I felt like he let me figure it out for myself. Maybe if I had my own horse it wouldn't've been so bad, but switching horses every week was tough especially without someone to tell me how my position was. I had to stop seeing him for other reasons, but when I can ride again I think I might look for someone else. I'd rather someone tell me too much at once than too little - I'm not a beginner anymore where I can only focus on one thing.

All in all, I've never had a horrible trainer - just people who were more or less perfect for my learning style I guess.


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## ptvintage (Feb 12, 2010)

I have been through a lot of riding instructors, both really good, and really bad. 

The worst was a woman who did a "I teach everything" barn. I had done a riding camp with her one summer, and I like it, so I started taking regular lessons with her, and joined 4-H with her as the leader.

She was sooooo awful. She has a horrible personality. I know now that she purposely held people back so they would advance super slowly, therefore milking as much money from them as possible. She had obvious favorites, three girls who "taught" lessons for her, and they got the nicest horses, and they were the only ones allowed to actually ride. She wouldn't even let me canter because she felt I hadn't mastered the trot, even though I'd been riding for at least 5 years by this point. All the lessons consisted of was me trotting on the rail for an hour, while she sometimes told me something I should correct, and it was mainly "close your fingers". (still working on that one though, even after a broken finger )

She was also a horrible horse trainer. Every horse a client brought in seemed to leave with more problems than when she started with it. 

I'm surprised I stuck with her so long... but I enjoyed the 4-H program, even with her leering and bossing around everyone (GET ME A DRINK, I NEED A HOT DOG, etc.). I was there less than a year though! No idea how she's still in business though.

The best instructor I had was a woman who I was a working student for. I actually saw her riding her amazing stallion at the barn I was at at the time. I asked around about her, and eventually approached her about working for her, and she agreed. She didn't actually have a lessons program, she ran a warmblood breeding barn, had incredible horses, and was a nice woman. She explained everything very fully in calm tones, and we had clear goals every time we had a lesson.

I don't like the instructors that scream at you. I had one for many years, and although she was rarely screaming at me since I was one of her favorites, she was very condescending to students, and didn't explain things, but yet would get angry and insult the student when they didn't understand something. 

If a barn is interested in getting and keeping clients, I think it is important for an instructor to have people skills. The teacher should try to gauge what kind of personality the student has, and base their method of teaching off that. I think it is very similar to how if a student in school has a creative and fun teacher, they learn better. I think this is especially true if the instructor plans to deal with a lot of beginner riders. I'm sure as a rider progresses to advance levels, they would put up with harsher teachers, because they are more interested in learning the skill than getting along. At that point it could be "get with the program, or get out"


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## ptvintage (Feb 12, 2010)

kitten_Val said:


> I agree, unfortunately there are more not so great instructors out there. Heck, many people who can just sit on horse claims him/herself as an instructor and trainer. :-| Good instructor is a diamond to find and worse a lot to keep!


Definitely agree with that. I boarded my horse at my friends house for a while, and she gave lessons in her backyard, and she really did not know enough to be teaching people or training horses, or doing her backyard breeding program. :roll:


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## Mercedes (Jun 29, 2009)

It doesn't matter what profession you discuss, it's the same for all of them. Most will be average at best, a few will be really bad, and a few will be great.

The other thing is, no matter how 'awful' the instructor, you can still learn, even if it's what not to do. And those bad experiences shape us as much, if not more than those good experiences.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

There are far more bad students than bad instructors.


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## thunderhooves (Aug 9, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> There are far more bad students than bad instructors.


i HIGHLY disagree. There are only bad RIDERS that become better once they learn properly. if they still are bad, then they wern't taught properly.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

You don't think that there are riders that have a bad attitude and blame the trainer, the horse, the saddle or the phase of the moon. If you don't belive that you haven't read very many threads on the forum.


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## thunderhooves (Aug 9, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> You don't think that there are riders that have a bad attitude and blame the trainer, the horse, the saddle or the phase of the moon. If you don't belive that you haven't read very many threads on the forum.


are you kidding? Gah it's 11 at night here and my eyes hurt and I'm going through tons of threads, reading and commenting. 
There are plenty of people that do what you just said, but I don't consider them "riders". I call them "complainers/wanna-be riders on horseback". 

On a similar note:

There are two kinds of "bad" riders.
There's "bad" as in what you said"blaming people, not caring,etc"
Then there is "bad" as in inexperienced, like we all once were until we learned about horses and how to ride them.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Kevinshorses original statement was bad STUDENTS not bad RIDERS. You have changed his comment. I agree with him, there are many students who believe they already know it all and if an instructor tells them differently the instructor is automatically deemed as no good. Then there are the oversensitive students. The instructor raises their voice a little or tells the to change what they're doing, and poor whinging little student goes home and cries thinking the instructor is mean and nasty.

So yep, I totally agree with kevinshorses statement.

I've had my fair share of different instructors. Plenty of instructors who taught me the basic pony club level stuff, enough to get me by as what I used to think was good riding. So not true. I moved to my current coach and she changed most of what I did. I have now been with her for almost 10 years. I also like to go to as many clinics as possible to get different views on my riding and horse.

I believe every instructor has their positive points. It just depends on what the student wants to learn. Some aim to be competitive and correct, others just want to stay on, stop go and turn and have fun.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Mercedes said:


> The other thing is, no matter how 'awful' the instructor, *you can still learn, even if it's what not to do.* And those bad experiences shape us as much, if not more than those good experiences.


First private lessons instructor I used taught me to post on the WRONG leg (the inside). Took FOREVER to re-learn that.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

kevinshorses said:


> There are far more bad students than bad instructors.


Sorry, Kevin, I disagree. Of course some people are pain in butt to start with (the personality thing), but I've seen much more people tolerant with bad instructors. And I don't remember anyone to be mad about really good instructors. 

It also depends on what you mean by "bad". I'm not positive I'm "bad", but I'm annoying. :lol: I ask questions all the time, often not so easy to answer and sometime dumb I'm sure. And YES, I do blame the instructor if I learn nothing from the lessons (I NEVER blame the horse though), because I always try hard to learn. When I work with the good instructor though I blame myself for being a bad rider because I do understand the instructions but just can't do it right away sometime (need practice). I'm positive lots of students feel the same.


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## EquestrianHollywood (Aug 13, 2009)

Umm, I have a great instructor in my opinion! She is the calmest person I know and can answer any question, plus shes been through every possible riding accident. She acts as both an instructor and a friend, and is the best person to have on your side in any situation. Shes done every dicipline, and was raised on dressage so she's helping me there. The most diciplinary action I've ever experienced her do with us is throw dirt at the horse, which just gets their attention back. Nothing violent in anyway, shape or form. She's the best instructor I could ever ask for.


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## sgh2898 (Jun 10, 2013)

I have been through many trainers, mostly bad lol. Now, I'm at a barn with 3 trainers, and I only like one of them. He loves me on my horse, and he works with me. He doesnt like me working with the other trainers and he doesnt like them working my horse because he says they stress my horse out (which they do).

Every now and then he isnt there, and I have to go with one of the other two. When I ride with my fav trainer Max, I do amazing. I feel flawless. I can jump 3'6 cantering with a frame. I feel in control, I feel comfortable, I feel in sync. Thats one day. The next day, Max is gone and I have to ride with Cathy and Juliet. I do pretty much the same things, but i can't get him to canter, framing is next to impossible, he is stressed out, we are unbalanced. I look like such an inexperienced rider riding a horse that is to advanced for me, and thats probably what they think! I hate it so much and don't know why I just cant ride well with them. And to make it all worse, when i first started with max, I had come from Juliet and Cathy. WE had to pretty much start all over so that I can be where I am today. he told me some of the things they had told me dont work with all horses, especially mine. Whenever I ride with them they are like vulchers trying to change me back. After rides with them I just get so stressed out with what they think about me, and why I jusy cant ride well with them. 

Does anyone else have this too??


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I have had many instructors, I wouldn't say any of them were bad, maybe not as effective or helpful as I would like. My coach/instructor now, had her for 3 years is the best by far, the rest don't even compare. She doesn't ride either, and has had many students win everything they chose to compete in, or people just looking to control their horses better, to little ones just learning to ride. You have to bring your own horse, she hasn't any, just an arena and she is booked right up.


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## jeweliadodge (Nov 26, 2013)

My coach is the owner of the farm. He never teaches lessons except my private ones where he sits there and directs from a chair. For the last year we have been doing the same boring w/t and not only has my riding gotten worse but its become extremely boring. He tells me to shorten my stirrups which throws me off balance and to lean forward at the trot posting which I've had 3 other coaches tell me not to. 
I rode alone yesterday and have never had a better ride with a horse in my life. Our stirrups were longer than normal and I was much more balanced riding normally the way I used to before moving my horse to this god awful money scamming place.

Opinions?


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