speaking to instructors

[maya-m]

Is it reasonable to expect an instructor to define a set of aims for my lessons, short and long-term, to give feedback during and after lessons?

I'm still looking for a good school and instructor, and want to find a place where I can feel a sense of progression, like they have ideas for helping me improve. When I've tried to broach the subject, I get humoured, or feel they think I'm being pushy or impatient.

How can I speak to instructors to get their interest in me?

[Bobbi77]

Well I think, as you are the paying customer you have the right to expect to be given feedback etc. Do you have the same instructor each week? This would make it easier for you to plan with him/her how they expect you to progress within the next few months.

Having said this, I know that at the school where my daughter rides, the instructors are often teaching lessons one after the other, with a 15 min break between if they are lucky. Some instructors make a point of discussing her progress with me, others just give her a pat on the back and go on their way.

I don't know how it is at your school, but I know what you mean, it would be nice to know how they think you are doing etc., as a little praise can be a real confidence-giver.

I don't see how it would be a problem for them to spare two or three minutes at the end of each lesson to discuss anything you feel you need to talk about. I think it should be all part pf the customer service :-)

Bobbi

[kedwards]

I've found that some instructors are very good at setting goals and subgoals, and some less so. In either case, I make no apologies for insisting on a discussion of goals, aims, how I can improve, and what I should be focusing on during my time between lessons. Am I demanding? Yes, probably. That's okay with me.

It can be as simple as "what is the one thing I should be doing this week to improve," or as complicated as suggesting an on-ground lesson (even over coffee) where you can sit down and draw out a clear plan.

[SwiftwindSpirit]

I think it is fair that the instructor gives you feedback during and after lessons. Anyway, you are paying for the lessons and they are there to help you improve, and you need feedback to do this.

I'm not sure about the instructor setting aims for your lessons, unless it is what you would like to achieve. In that case, yes they should set aims because they know what will work best.

I have a great instructor who gives me feedback right after I perform something. She also sets aims but will not force them, like she will want me achieveing something within that lesson, like jumping 2"8 with no troubles etc, but if I can't do it she wont shout, just continue working on it next week. Unfortunately my instructor is moving back to the UK in March! :(

[S_F_S]

Completely fair; otherwise how are you to know what you are trying to achieve, or even how you are going about it will achieve it? (a little muddled... :D)

I always tell the class before the lesson what we are going to work on/towards, then when lined up at the end ask them how they thought it went, what they would like to improve, and tell them all where we are going to move onto next week.

I do the same for experienced adults as I do for my 5 year old leadreins; just differnt context obviously!!

[Wally]

Errr, I think you are entitled to some sort of feedback.

Are you never asked how you feel, where you want to go?

[Torny]

Maya M

When I used to have riding lessons at my local riding school I always asked my instructor how I was doing, What level of riding he thought I was at.
I never had a reply! I would bugg him, but he would urmm and arr and still would not come out with a straight answer. I have had this with pretty much all my instructors!!! So your not alone!

If they are not going to say then their not going to say it.
I often wondered if they actually knew what riding was and how to teach it!

I have (Thank god!) had a few instructors who have told me exactly what they thought, Ia m so happy that they did because then you know where you are with your riding, things you need to work on and how to contine forwards to better riding!

In other words, YES! An instructor should give you feedback about your riding, in fact they should give you feedback on anything you ask about riding! Thats what they are there for, to teach and help the rider to have a better understanding.
Although, sadly it doesn't always happen that way!

Keep looking around for someone, those people are out there! beleive me!

A good instructor will always listen, help you the best they can, and give you feedback whether good or bad. If it is bad, it should be constructive critsism, but always emphesise the good points!

Whoops, written loads. It's just I feel so strongly about this Instructing buisness. :(

[maya-m]

Thank you guys

All this is great moral support. It should have been obvious really.

Interesting Wally, but no, even if they have answered my questions, no-one has asked me what my own aims are. I have told them tho.

I had one instructor, the last one, who was so much better, who asked me precise questions about what I understood by this and that term, or this and that instruction. I'm considering going back to her. But when I got enthusiastic, and started talking about what I wanted to get out of lessons, even she came over all glazed. That's what made me hesitate about going back.

I suppose I like to feel a sense of progression, or simply, that any problems are being approached with imagination. If I'm teaching someone to do something I can do (I'm not a teacher) I try to work out why they can't do something, and find an exercise that overcomes the blockage. I can apply that to speaking french, doing yoga, or drawing. There's always an exercise you can do to work through a problem, surely, not matter what the discipline.

I know there are times with riding, where you feel you are getting worse before you get better and you have to work through it. That's ok, but when, at the same time, I feel that the instructor doesn't have a sense of direction, I wonder why I keep going back for more. That is why I'm being so careful with where I go next, and wondered if people thought I was expecting too much.

Thanks to NR, I have some very interesting new recommendations of schools within a 40 mile radius of where I live, and I am armed with a bit more confidence and knowledge when I meet my next instructor! Thanks again.

xx Maya

[DavidH]

Finding a good instructor is difficult!
A lot of instructors teach by the book, ie you do this to make that happen. Just don't ask them why.
Then there are the group who understand horses, people and how the two interact, these are the good ones.
From experience I have found that the best instructors are those that were/are successful horse people first and instructors second. To successfully compete in any discipline on a horse you have to really understand what is going on. If that understanding can then be passed on, you tend to have a good instructor and a happy pupil.
Unfortunately these instructors tend to be expensive and aren't generally found at the local stables.
Common objectives and feedback should not have to be sought, they are imperative. Spending an hour training with the instructor and pupil trying to accomplish different objectives is a receipe for disaster.
Having an instructor give commands continuosly for an hour achieves very little.
A good instructor will state what you are trying to achieve, give advice on the best way to achieve this given the horse rider combination, ask the pupil to give their view on what happened and what caused this 9to check understanding) and then discuss how to improve.
This shouldn't just happen at the start and end of the lesson but continiously throughout it.
Don't lower your expectations to match your instructor - find an instructor that can live up to them.
Good Luck
David

[james]

I have noticed that more recently qualified instructors get us together at the end of the lesson and either tell us collectively what to work on in the future, or individually what we did good or bad.

In private lessons I always get asked what I want to work on (its assumed that there must be something specific, or I would not have booked a private).

I have found that it sometimes helps to warn them in advance what you want to do for a priavte as they can line up a suitable horse.

[LynneAC]

Unfortunately 'we' don't always help ourselves! I'm not suggesting that you or anyone else here is guilty of this BUT I have seen many, many people (adults and children ..... parents of in the latter case) who want to jump a 6' fence before they can do a rising trot! Some don't want to listen to advice, how many have you heard insist on a more forward going horse when they are still very much a beginner? How many people just want to listen to the good things and not accept the constructive criticism? It's a minefield for instructors and I can understand why they can sometimes appear to just humour us!

Recently I have held back from discussing my concerns because I don't want to appear pushy or arrogant but LUCKILY got the opportunity to talk to my instructor in an informal manner and have now got a very good rapport. I DON'T want to hear how wonderful I am, I like to hear positive feedback but I also want to know what I can do to improve!

My only suggestion is to maybe schedule 5 minutes at the end of your lesson to talk to your instructor and let them know that you're serious about learning to ride properly and what your goals are. If they're not amenable to discussing your progression with you then they're probably not the instructor for you.

Good luck :)

L x

[maya-m]

There are some good comments here.

I should do an update at the is point, and say that I've been lucky enough to have found a school (at least one, actually) where the instructors really want to teach you, the horses are really keen, the atmosphere on the yard is postitive, and communication from the instructors is good - they have lots of advice to offer, lots of ideas on how to approach a problem.

You are right LynneAC, you are not going to learn a thing if you are just being humoured. I want to know what I am doing wrong - I often know I'm doing something wrong, even if I don't know exactly what. And in order to progress, I need to have different ways of approaching the problem, different exercises to try and overcome it. To me, that's obvious, that's what teaching is about.

This thread was begun because I hadn't met any instructors that could communicate well, especially outside the lesson - off their script, as it were. When I tried to get more out of them, or asked questions about riding, horses, anything, they'd just glaze over!!

My new instructor talks readily, and a lot, and not ALL hot air, either! You can get answers to your questions. More interestingly, he asks me lots of questions when I'm riding: Why do you think that happened then? He gets me thinking about the horse, and what I'm doing. He wants me to ask him questions.

The lesson for me in all this searching has been that attitudes to teaching and the quality of teaching riding, do vary enormously, and that BHS registration is nothing, in itself, to go by. To anyone else, I'd say, have a lesson in several different places, explain what you are looking for, and see how it measures up. And everyone has bad days, so if other things seem positive about a place, give it another go.

Thanks again to all you clever NR people. xx Maya

[kedwards]

MM, that's great that you've found a good teacher! I'm happy to hear that things are going well.

[Janette]

Hi, I am a teacher, of children though, not horses or adults. I have to tell my children what they are going to be learning at the beginning of each lesson or else how do they know what they are supposed to be learning. Now if we do this with 5-6 year olds, I can't see why this can't be done with adults. And also giving a 'round up' plenary at the end of the lesson, with a 'we'll try this next time' or a review of the main teaching point. Again - works with 5-6 year olds.

[T-bred]

It is not unreasonable at all to expect feedback or to discuss goals with instructors. If I were you I would go up to your instructor and basically just lay it down. Say these are my goals ask them if they have any ideas and if they can help you and then you can also ask them what they think. One thing I have realized about riding schools though is that you learn alot more with your own horse because alot of school horses are very basic but there are some out there that are really nice. I mean riding is just like school you go there to learn you set goals you achieve them and then you learn more.

Anna