A riding instructors point of view

[Lisa Peterson]

Well this is my first time stating my opinion on the internet. I was reading all the horror stories on riding instructors and thought this would be a chance to express my thoughts on the subject. Being a riding instructor myself but also remembering being a student I've learned that to teach someone you need to make it fun. You need to find out ahead of time what your client/student is wanting to get out of his/her lesson. Do they want to show or just ride the trails? This helps me determine how serious this person is. I'm not going to teach a person who just wants to ride the trails the same way I would teach a person who plans to go into the show arena, and vise versa. If I were to do that the person trail bound would be fustrated and the person showing would be bored out of his/her mind.

I love to teach. I have 13 students now and want more. I have 2 students showing and my #1 rule is to have fun and smile when they are in that arena. The same goes for my other students. My riding lesson program and horse ownership program is designed to help people learn to ride, buy a horse, and take care of their horse.

To all riding instructors. Just try to remember when you were a student. Try to remember the things you liked and disliked. Use that information to better your teaching. Your students will excellerate and your business will grow.

[Piaffe]

Well said.

I think this sentiment goes for everything - everyone was in the 'learning stage' once and should be sympathetic and helpful to those who are just starting out, nervous, want to learn more etc.

I used to be a driving instructor (cars!) and the number of people who came to me from other schools complaining that their instructor shouted at them, didnt teach anything new, treated them as though they were stupid etc. I used to teach a lot of nervous people and it is surprising that with just a little bit of patience and understanding how quickly these people come on.

After all, people paying to be taught something do not want to waste their money - their aim is to LEARN and ENJOY. otherwise it is just money down the drain and a whole lot of misery.

You can get more pleasure from teaching someone in a kind way (same as with schooling your horse) than you can being impatient and shouting. Pupils also learn better and quicker this way.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

he wants to show but his attention span is SOOOOO short!!! i wan't to go faster when can i jump...why do we have to walk first...why can't i canter....lol....in between the lesson i will do something fun like set up a cource of ground poles and let him steer around the cource and one in a while i will take him (on a lead because he isn't the most experianced right now) on a small trail ride. i love him so much though after he is done he will ask if i can show him something....he always wants to help ou to :) usually i plane something fun at the end of the lessons with the 'less serious typs' and tend to play around with them more :) i love teaching its the greatest because of school though i only have 4-5kids...its fun though:)

[heland]

I wish I had you as my instructor!!

You either find instructor's are too nasty and it's just a job or too nice...by that I mean you are kept at the same level for a long time and never seem to budge. A lot of people are happy with this but it is very frustrating if you are eager to learn and move on.

Your plan of teaching sounds great, I wish there were more like you:)

[Mehitabel]

you have to remember that your instuctor's prime concern is your safety. i've been an instructor for several years, and a lot of people don't realise how long it takes to consolidate something you've learned.
having said that, of course your instructor should make lessons challenging and interesting, even if the pupils aren't ready to "move up a gear" . things like riding a dressage test, quadrille work, or pole work can all help to improve you faster, so it's always worth suggesting these things.
talk to your instructor if you feel you aren't progressing, if they're any good, they'll be able to explain exactly what you're ready to do, and what you need to work on.

[myEllie]

I think that the instructor also has to understand that people have different personalities and require different teaching styles. I'm very stubborn and strong willed and not really afraid of doing anything. Everybody has their own little problems that they need to be reminded about. For me, I tend to lean forward slightly when I post. It only happens at the beginning of a lesson when I am more concerned about getting my horse worked down than what I look like, but I don't want it to happen at all. Sometimes my instructor needs to yell at me to not f'in lean forwards. Now I know some people that if you yelled at them they would burst into tear, which I actually think is quite funny, but it works for me.

[Wally]

I too instruct, it HAS to be fun, it must be a mix of entertainment and learning. At some stage in the proceedings everyone should find themselves either laughing or with a silly grin.

Safety should never be compromised so you need to be firm when controlling a group lesson, but shouting won't get a rider/horse combination to do something, it's more likely to cause tension which the horse picks up on and then everything turns to manure.

The only time I shout is when an urgent message needs to be conveyed a long way quickly..then everyone jumps!!:D ;)

I have seen some instructors who really have no enthusiasm, no zest for what they do, and it shows in the quality of lesson and their attitude. Perhaps this is the problem, the Instructor gets a minor teaching cert. then is not inspired to take things farther and learn more to keep things fresh and exciting. They get stuck in the "trot to the rear of the ride" rut!

[Katie_85]

I am glad to get to see the point of view of some instructors. As instructors, what can we as pupils do to make your jobs easier? :)

[galadriel]

My main concern, as an instructor, is that my students DO what I tell them. I hear a lot of "but X instructor once told me this," or "but X instructor says to do it THIS way" or "That's hard, I want to do it this way instead."

It's not that I oppose other points of view, and I am certainly willing to discuss alternative techniques. However, for the students' safety, I want them to ALWAYs be in the habit of performing instructions as requested, THEN asking questions about alternative techniques. (Asking questions to clarify what's wanted, of course, is acceptable at any time.)

I recall as a student that when asked to do something I'd done before, I'd frequently get resentful. I'd feel that my instructor was asking me to re-learn something she should know that I already knew. Yet, if she was asking me to do it, I probably wasn't doing it right! Or else we just hadn't ever discssed it, and she didn't KNOW that I knew it. There was no reason for me to be upset with her. And besides, repetition and practice are good things!

Another thing very helpful is knowing a student's goals--for each lsson, and long term. As Lisa Peterson said, goals make a big difference in what you teach :) And if all you want to do one lsson is walk around, letting your instructor know is helpful ;) If you've built up confidence to try to move to a higher level, that's another thing your instructor would want to know. Etc.

I have a couple of students right now that crack me up--all they want to do is balancing exercises! They think they're the most fun thing. I stil ask them each lesson if they're ready to move on to something else, but don't push! if they're not readyyet.

[Lisa Peterson]

Originally posted by Katie_85
I am glad to get to see the point of view of some instructors. As instructors, what can we as pupils do to make your jobs easier? :)

What a great question by Katie 85. I don't think I've ever had a student ask me that. My reply would be simply this. Treat your instructor as you would treat anyone else working for the public or as you would like to be treated. By this I mean be to your lesson on time ready to ride and if you can't make it or your going to be late, then just call. If you have a question, don't hesitate to ask. Even if you think it's dumb or irrelevant. The way I see it there is never a dumb question or too many questions. The only way you are going to learn is by asking. If your instructor gets upset or seems fustrated with having to answer your questions, then my advise is to find another instructor. I don't care if you are the backyard trail rider or an olympic competitor, your instructor should always be there to answer your questions. I have 13 students now and 5 on a waiting list but I give each and every one of my students the respect that they give me. As for making our jobs easier, well if you enjoy being an instructor as much as I do then there isn't any reason for it to be easier. It's not a job to me.