from reading books, taking lessons, talking to your peers, conducting or participating in clinics, or judging horse shows. Though instruction may take a lesser proportion of your riding time as your expertise improves, when it comes to horses, no one will ever know it all.
Choosing an Instructor
Since an instructor is so important, spend some time shopping for a good one.
Go to horse shows. When you see horses and riders that look like they are performing well, find out who teaches them. (Realize, however, that to a certain point, results can be deceiving.) Often, a long-term instructor/student relationship is based on factors other than simply winning classes.
Consider a potential instructor’s reputation. If he has written articles or books, read them. See if you agree with his methods.
Talk to people and ask for recommendations. Interview instructors. Let them tell you their mission. Let them tell you their philosophy. You should be comfortable with the person who directs your riding.
For many people, money is a major consideration. Don’t be afraid to ask what an instructor’s rates are. Watch as many of a potential instructor’s students as possible to see how those rates translate into learning time.
Get as much information as possible about an instructor you are considering before you make the move. Take a lesson from each potential instructor before committing yourself to any one person. Doing your homework ahead of time will make it easier for you to put your riding career in your instructor’s care.
It is important to ride with someone whose methods you believe in and who you trust. This is much more than a “success” issue. It is a safety issue. You shouldn’t necessarily choose the trainer whose students seem to win the most, but rather the trainer you think can help you the most.
Find someone with whom you can communicate, and who makes you feel confident and totally comfortable. As you start to perfect your riding and begin working toward your goals, you shouldn’t need to worry about your relationship with your trainer. You need to be able to focus completely on your riding needs.
Instructors versus Clinicians
Both regular instruction and clinic attendance can benefit your riding education. Neither is more important than the other. You must determine which is most effective for you.
Riding instructors differ from clinicians in several significant ways. In order to get the most out of the time you spend with each, it helps to understand the basic differences between the two.
15 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE DECIDING ON AN INSTRUCTOR
1 Do I need instruction? (Yes.)
2 What is important to me?
3 Do I want to show? Do I want to event? Do I want to compete at all?
4 Am I a nervous rider, a competent rider, or a confident one? Do I want to put myself on the line, or have a little less pressure on me?
5 How much traveling do I want to do? Do I want to travel to shows? How far am I willing to travel for lessons?
6 Does it matter whether my instructor is male or female?
7 Does it matter whether my instructor rides?
8 Do I want my instructor to be a competitive show rider or a nonshow rider?
9 What experience and background do I want my riding instructor to have?
10 How important is the care and maintenance of the horses to my instructor?
11 How important is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility?
12 Can I communicate with this person?
13 Do I have confidence in this person? Do I trust his judgment?
14 Does this person have the knowledge that I need?
15 Am I going to be satisfied with this person?
The Instructor: With You for the Long Haul
To begin with, your riding instructor is someone you are totally comfortable with. You must have complete faith in your instructor and his program, because a riding instructor is with you for the long term.
The instructor/student relationship has a dictatorial aspect to it (for more information, see p. 236). The instructor has the final say in all aspects of the student’s career (fig. 3.3).
Because of the nature of the sport— because of the safety issues involved, as well as the very real dangers associated with any kind of riding—the instructor has to be completely in charge. Period. The instructor makes all major (and most minor) decisions until very late in a rider’s career.
3.3 The instructor dictates everything from which exercises to practice, to which horse to ride, to which shows you will attend.
The Clinician: Short and Sweet
Your relationship with a clinician is considerably different. Regardless of how well you connect with someone personally or professionally, if he is successful in the business, you can take a clinic or two and learn from him.
You might hate the clinician’s methods or philosophy. You can hate 99 percent of what you did at the clinic. But you can still get something out of it.
A clinic is a one-time thing. You go, you learn, and it’s over. If you don’t like it, don’t do it again. Clinics are for a quick infusion of information gathering, interest sparking, and knowledge acquisition.
At a clinic, whether you get along with the clinician and whether you have a lot of confidence in him becomes less important. Clinics are a way to open yourself to some new ideas and, hopefully, get the creative-learning juices flowing.
Both regular instruction and attending the occasional clinic are important in a rider’s education. They go together. Attending a clinic will probably give you some new information. Then, if you have a riding instructor that you are comfortable and confident with, you can talk to him about the information you have gleaned. A competent instructor will not react out of fear, jealousy, or emotion, but will give an honest response to your questions and your thoughts on the clinic.
10 QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL RIDING INSTRUCTOR
1 What is your main objective with your students?
2 What successes have you had?
3
