Conference noted::equitation

    I have had a number of instructors over the past 15 years.  Earlier on,
    I wasn't that knowledgeable of just how an instructor should perform or
    just what I was looking to accomplish so it has taken that number of 
    years to really know what I personally am looking for in an instructor.
    
    Over the past 4 months or so, I have transitioned through 2 instructors
    and am on my third.  The reason being that you can't really tell what
    traits an instructor has until you've had an opportunity to work with
    them.  The first two instructors I found to be very nice but didn't
    really have those traits I thought that I was looking for, i.e. strong
    willed and really focused on what I was doing right or wrong.  Sometimes,
    just a subtle change in the way the instructor identifies with your
    technique is all that is needed to move you on to bigger and better
    results.
    
    My current instructor is incredible.  In the past month or so I've seen
    a 300% increase in my riding ability.  I feel very strongly that it is
    a combination of attention and verbal communication combined with the
    instructor's knowledge that has come together to make it happen for me. 
    I just cannot believe the changes that have taken place.  Each week is
    more exciting than the last only because we are moving quickly to new
    techniques and experiments and I'm being challenged all along the way.
    
    This is a great topic because I don't think that, unless you've had a
    great amount of experience with instructors, most riders can put a
    finger on what makes one instructor any better than another.  I know
    that I've found a great instructor because I feel she's working for and
    with me with my best interests in mind.
    
    Another thing, having an instructor is a two way street.  Unless you
    are willing to ask questions and provide feedback, an instructor will
    not always understand where you are coming from or what your particular
    needs are, etc.  It can't be a guessing game.  Good communication will
    always result in you finding the riding instructor who is suited best
    to your personality and skills.  Once you begin feeling that you can no
    longer progress with the instruction you have, It's time to start
    looking for another instructor.
    
    DW
                                                                         

    My first instructor was the best I've ever had.  He was direct and
    straightforward.  He yelled a lot, but was never abusive -- just loud
    :-)  He gave me an excellent foundation in dressage, which I wish I
    could build on.  He went on to spend a year at the Spanish Riding
    School and then became a very successful 3-day event coach.
    
    The difficulty I have with current dressage instructors is that, so
    far, all that I've worked with either never got a good foundation or
    strayed way off of it in their rush to get to the top.  And because
    they take short cuts, none of them has made it to the top (yet).
    
    Mary

    My last instructor was the best!!!  I rode with him for 15 years.  He
    yelled, he screamed, was never abusive, and got the absolute best out
    of me and my horse.  I am still close friends with he and his wife and
    would do anything in the world for him.  I stopped riding for 5 years
    due to finance problems and have just started back.  Unfortunately, he
    doesn't have a horse for me to ride, so I very tentatively, found
    someone else.  I was practically raised by my former instructor and was
    extremely cautious about going to someone else.
    
    I went to watch a lesson my current instructor taught.  I was standing
    there watching the lesson and everything he said could have come out of
    my former instructors mouth.  It was the weirdest feeling.  I'm
    learning to become more comfortable with my current instructor and am
    finally beginning to trust him.  He's got a tough act to follow.  I
    talked to him about it, he knows my former instructor, and so now he
    knows where I'm coming from.
    
    Kris

    My sister....I wish she would move back to MA!!!!
    (Or, that I could move to TX....then I would have her
    and her instructor, too! (: )
    
    L-

    My first instructor was okay, I guess, but the schooling horses were
    definatly sour and I don't think I really got anything out of it.  I
    was turned off from the `schooling aspect of riding'.
    
    My current instructor is the best!  She knows how to get the most out
    of me and my horse.  She's real tough on me and will continously push
    me to the limit.  She also knows when to stop pushing.  I have become
    a better rider becasue of her.  She's taught me to be assertive and
    she'll continually put me in situations where I have to think and
    react.  The communication lines are always open, and I always learn a great
    deal from just talking with her.  She'll be a tough act for anyone else
    to follow in my book...... :^)

    I like a lot of feedback, good, bad, whatever.  Yelling and screaming
    are fine, if I don't hear from the instructor I don't feel I'm getting
    my moneys worth. 

    It's nice if there are several different horses to ride, you get to 
    recognize and handle training problems which maybe your own horse
    doesn't have.  Then you can still bring your own in for regular updates
    on how your both progressing.
    
    I think it's tough for an instructor to be great at everything. I used
    to take great training lessons with an instructor who was not great at
    giving feedback on my seat, and so at the same time I was started
    taking some excellent equitation lessons from another instructor who
    was not training the style I wanted to learn.  It worked very well for
    me. 
    
    The place should naturally be safe to work in and the horses properly
    cared for. Finally, I don't like to see an instructor lose their temper
    or get too rough on a horse, it's a BIG turnoff. 

    Sharon

    
    My instructor is great - I've been riding with him for 6 years now.  He
    never loses his temper, but that's not to say he doesn't get the most
    out of me and my horse.  He is patient but firm.
    
    We get along very well and have consistent two-way communication
    throughout the lesson.  I can alway ask a question and he will always
    give feedback.  I really look forward to my lessons!
    
    I live a 90 minute drive from him, but I can still call anytime I need
    anything or have a question.
    
    Only one complaint, and it's something I can live with - sometimes he
    runs a little late or double-books me by mistake.  Usually the other
    person has to re-schedule, because Fred and I have such a long drive.
    

    I've had one really lousy instructor (my first), one screamer that
    didn't really know what she was screaming about and two that
    i can't say enough good about.  I know this doesn't exactly
    rank me up there with 'instructor experience', but i've definitely
    found out what I like in one.
    
    I don't want anybody screaming or yelling at me when I'm on
    a horse.  I don't care if they're not mad and just trying
    to get the best out of me, all that does is scare me and that
    translates into a poor performance.  I just moved to Atlanta
    and the first question out of my mouth in interviewing perspective
    trainers was 'are you a screamer'.  I got several rude answers,
    several 'yes, but only in x, y, and z situations' and one or
    two, 'no i think i can handle training without blowing you
    off the horse'.  
    
    Now, i'm not expecting to show 'a' rated shows or go to the
    olympics.  i am expecting to ride as correctly as i can and get
    the most out of my horse.  also, this hobby costs too much money
    for me to spend even one hour getting yelled at.  
    
    The one place I do have trouble is after I've discovered that the
    trainer and I aren't a good match.  I'm not the most assertive
    person in the world and confrontations can be difficult for me.
    I've finally gotten it through my head that just because I leave
    a trainer doesn't mean that no one else will take my horse (yes,
    I have heard this issued as a threat to someone leaving a trainer).
    Someone will always be there to take your money.  
    
    Just my $.02 worth.....
    
    jan
    
    

    The best instructor is one who doesn't talk down to you,
    and compliments you (which boosts confidence).  I once
    heard an instructor tell a child (when her horse stopped
    on her because it was creating a pile of manure (: )
    "what's the matter?  Get that horse moving....  What do
    you think you are going to do, tell the judge, excuse me,
    judge, but my horse will continue as soon as he is done?"
    (said in the most awful whining tone).  Yes, she was right,
    but there is a nicer way to tell the child that that is not
    acceptable in the ring....
    
    L-

    I guess one thing I'm kind of tired of is school horses.  The plus side
    is that I'm learning to ride *lots* of different types and temperaments.
    The downside is that almost all of the school horses are there because
    they usually have some fatal flaw that makes them almost unsaleable for
    general use.  And if they weren't worked constantly, they'd be real
    pain in the butts.
    
    There is one horse in the stable that is a great jumper, smooth gaits,
    etc., but her fatal flaw is that if you drop a rein, she takes off like
    a bat out of hell, then dumps you against the wall of the arena as hard
    as she can.  I saw it happen, and I was warned to never drop a rein. 
    Now I'm not a beginner anymore, but sometimes you get off balance over
    a jump and you drop something.  
    
    All the horses have these quirks, so it means that 98% of them could
    not be used for trail riding as they are unsafe.  And I had this at
    another place I rode it.
    
    Sometimes I get tired of the feeling that sometimes I'm paying money to
    be experimented on.  The stable doesn't do it deliberately, and they
    are trying to find horses more challenging for the intermediate to
    advanced rider, but why do people think that "intermediate to advanced"
    means that those riders can handle the spoiled, mean, or ill tempered
    animal?  I don't have the nerve for that.  To me, high intermediate
    riding means more advanced and subtle aid usage, bending and
    flexibility, picking up gaits almost instantly, dressage work, etc.
    
    Am I out of line?
    
    Tina 
    

    re .11
    
    If the riding schools are using "school" horses of the kind you
    describe I would strongly question the common sense of the operators.
    Those stable operators value system must be radically different from
    those of the owners of riding schools with whom I am familiar. School
    horses should not have fatal flaws. Above all they are safe, if
    sometimes dull, are very able to stay balanced no matter what position
    the rider is in. While different school horses require different levels
    of riding ability, a good instructor is able to match horses with
    riders based on ability and temperament. A good school horse is worth a
    fortune in the right hands. The economics of the horse business means
    that school horses are not fancy horses but their only major failing is
    that they tend to become dull after dealing with years of different
    riders.
    
    Over my years of riding I have come across many school horses here in
    the U.S and in the U.K. Few I would describe as unsaleable, some I
    would have considered buying if I were looking for a horse. While I was
    learning to ride I was also given the opportunity to ride many
    different horses but I remember only one occasion when I was seriously
    "overmounted" and soon learned the tact and diplomacy necessary to gain
    the cooperation of that particular horse. 
    
    The horse I finally bought would have made a great school horse except
    I bought him first (as a five year old). That was fourteen years ago
    and I still have him.

    RE .12
    
    An Excellent response.  I would agree with you #12.  In fact, the
    Riding center I take lessons from has in fact got the very situation
    that you describe.  The schooling horses are not only of varying levels
    of ability and sensitivity but the instructors do a great job of
    matching the riding skills with the horses.  Also, the horses more
    attuned to the experienced riders are made available for horse shows
    to those same riders.
    
    You are also correct that it is the responsibility of the operators to
    provide horses that are saleable and should not have fatal flaws.  I
    have noticed that some of the horses have temperaments that need a
    skilled rider.  After all, they are like kids and will tend to get away
    with things like a kid would (i.e. bite, balk at a jump, etc.).
    
    A lot depends upon what one considers a flaw.  Another thing, it is
    important to evaluate the stable operator and their facilities before
    committing to a long term riding relationship.  That's not the
    operator's responsibility, it's the potential customer who makes the
    final decision.  That's what tends to drive the inept operator out of
    business.
    
    
    

    WHOA! Back off a minute. You guys are lucky if you've only run into
    school horses that were safe, sane, manageable, saleable and
    well-trained!
    
    When I first returned to riding as an adult, I took lessons from a
    nearby hunter/jumper rider. Her school horses were usually low quality
    horses from the auctions. None of them were mean but none of them were
    good teachers for beginners either! She could ride them and get them to
    perform well which is why she bought them. But, they knew every trick
    in the book and you had to be an experienced rider or an 8-year-old
    with no nerves to get anywhere with those horses.
    
    In the time I rode with her, I was run away with, dumped and/or ignored
    by the horses until my muscles remembered my childhood riding. After a
    year or two, I could manage that lot but they were in no way beginners 
    horses or even intermediate horses. Most of them were unsaleable and left 
    her through auctions. Most likely, they ended up at the slaughterhouse.
    
    The last lot of school horses I rode were at Van Schaik's. He and Sheila
    had a number of horses they used for various riders. They WERE damned
    good teachers(both human and equine). Those were really suitable school
    horses. Which one you rode depended on what you needed to learn. It was
    fantastic. 
    
    John

    I agree with .14.  This place I'm at is very good compared to a place I
    was at before, but still below what I consider good school horses ought
    to be.  I don't mind the "dull" school horse, and a good school horse
    would make a good horse to own.  However, most places, in my probably
    limited experience, don't have those type of horses.  Two places in my
    whole life had great school horses, and while never mean, one could
    find horses there that needed advanced students based on what their
    temperament was like, and what you needed to do.  They had horses that
    regulary qualified students for medal classes, obviously they didn't
    put rank beginners who were learning to keep their balance and still
    heavy on the reins on them.
    
    The only reason I don't go to these two places anymore is that in case
    1, the owner died and the other owner eventually got into her 80's and
    disbanded the farm, the other case is that the lady moved her stable
    far away.
    
    My experience has been more like .14 - I was put on a horse to canter
    and it turned into a bucking bronco because the instructor said I
    bounced (so it's my fault) when I started to canter.  What she didn't
    know was that a woman from my husband's group at DEC went up their the
    next night - had only been on a horse twice in her life, asked the
    horse to trot and it threw her off - she bounced too.  She will no
    longer go near horses, and I didn't continue with the instructor. 
    That's the extremem example, but more common that consistently great
    or even good horses at these stables.
    
    I just get tired of instructors that have ill schooled horses and tell
    you that it is your fault when they do something wrong.  I'm willing to
    take some of the blame some of the time (cutting corners, that sort of
    stuff), but being scrapped off a wall on purpose, being kicked, bit,
    bucked and thrown makes me mad.  To be fair to the place I'm at, one of
    the horses started bucking during a lesson whenever it was asked to
    canter, and the instructor got right on and straightened that problem
    out, but not till it had dumped a beginner.
    
    

My experience was unusual in that, I did not realize , over time, how my
instructors teaching style was negatively affecting my riding. One day I was at
a show, standing by the rail when I heard another ringside observer say "Take
a look at all of *so-amd-so"'s students. They all look terrified and they're 
so TIGHT!, none of them know how to soften".

Well, I was not riding that day, and obviously these people had seen my 
instructor's students ride before, but I did stop and look. This person was
absolutely right. We all ride like nervous wrecks. 

My instructor was a yeller/screamer and sometimes insulter. I used to say to 
myself "hey, I am not paying her to tell me that I am doing it right", but I
found myself thinking that I was totally incompetent, and gee, I better not 
try anything without my instructor present. But somehow, even as a nervous wreck
we were doing well enough at the shows so that I thought that I needed her.

Well things started to fall apart, we stopped making progress and I started to
feel that we were taking *major* steps in the WRONG direction. I tried to 
work out a plan with her, some areas that we could work on to recover, but
she just seemed to be resentful of my wish to *participate* in my own training.

The hollering got worse, I dreaded my lessons, after 25 years in the saddle I
thought I was just stupid and now I was going backwards. I had ridden with this
person for 7 years, so I knew it couldn't be her. So I quit, no more lessons.
I didn't even want to ride at first but, I have these two darlings in my yard
that are expensive lawn ornaments.

It took about 3 months but, I got back to work in the ring, no instructor, took
alot of those good tips that I had POUNDED into my brain for the last 7 years 
and *wow* I could ride. Not only that but I started showing again and, hey, 
surprise, we did just as well without the screaming meany at ring side. In fact,
we did *better* than we had been doing.

Now that I have my confidence back, I am ready for an instructor again. I guess 
I had given up all control of my progress and direction to someone else. I gave
myself a chance to see what I was capable of. I am shopping for an instructor 
too, only this time I won't hand over the reins :-) And he/she won't be 
a screamer.

I wish I had figured it out a few years earlier...

The moral of the story is: Don't be afraid of change...not doing so may hurt you
		           in ways you don't realize. Riding is work, but it 
			   should keep it's joy too :-)


	I didn't mean for this to be so long winded....Phew....

    .10
    
    I can believe your BHS instructor was like that - I have found several
    especially those who have come to North America - who think they are
    god's gift.  I could almost include myself , especially, when I just
    got off the boat.  
    
    Having been through that mill and the one up here - I can
    occasionally understand it - I don't condone it - there is no excuse
    for bullying, patronizing etc behaviour.   
    
    Everything was different.  They way horses were fed,
    medicated, stabled and attitudes to riding in general.  Riding itself
    was similar - but there were enough differences to make me wonder where
    I had landed!
    
    Having said that - we have one up here who is a delight to work with.
                       
    
    I have changed - I hope !
    
    My best instructor unfortunately died a couple of years ago.  I really
    miss his teaching and outlook.  He was of the old school - Hungarian
    who fled in '56.  I'll never forget before he left to take up another
    teaching post abroad - he was going to Guatemala.  He wore half glasses
    and smoked cigarettes, when asked WHY was he going THERE.  He waved his
    arms and said "To teach riding and ... shoot communists on Sundays"
    
    Linda
    

    
    
    	Where are these wonderful intructors..??
    
    	Ma, VT, Cal, ????  What is the name of the stables..