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I have my own child, been an elementary teacher, given riding lessons, trained horses, and been a working student. In this post I’m going to share some things to look for to find a good riding instructor for your child. It can be hard to find the right thing when you don’t know what the right thing is yourself.
A good horseback riding instructor possesses a combination of skills, qualities, and knowledge that contribute to their effectiveness in teaching and guiding students. Here are some key attributes:
1. Expertise in Riding: They should have a strong background. You need to find someone that has a lot of experience. Guess what? Instructors know that you don’t know. They can throw out a bunch of terms and make you feel small. How do you find someone if you don’t know what you are looking at? Ask for someone with horse experience help you find someone. Someone with horseback riding experience will be able weed some unacceptable instructors out.
2. Teaching Ability: Effective instructors can communicate clearly and change their teaching style to suit different students' learning needs. They should be patient, encouraging, and able to break down complex techniques into understandable steps.
3. Safety Focus: Horses can be dangerous. They are large animals. Prioritizing safety is crucial. Instructors must ensure that students understand proper safety protocols, including how to handle and interact with horses, wear appropriate safety gear, and navigate potential risks in the stable and while riding.
4. Good School Horses: A school horse is a horse that can safely give lessons. Their school horses should not be spooking, bucking, or bolting. Sometimes, this does happen. If students are frequently falling of these horses, there is a problem. The biggest red flag that I have seen repeatedly is when an instructor puts students on a green horse (a horse with minimal training). If the instructor won’t ride the school horse, then they should not be putting their students on it.
5. Professionalism: Good instructors maintain professionalism in their interactions with students, parents (if applicable), and other professionals in the equine industry. For some reason professionalism has skipped over the horse industry. There are many horseback riding instructors out there screaming, yelling, cursing, and throwing things.
6. Continual Learning: The best instructors continue to educate themselves, staying updated on new techniques, safety standards, and developments in the equestrian world.
Remember, while certifications (such as from national riding associations) can be a good indicator of a certain level of expertise, hands-on experience, communication skills, and the ability to connect with students are often equally important factors in determining a good riding instructor.
Need help with gear for horseback riding lessons? These are some things I suggested for my students when they were starting.
Helmet - https://amzn.to/3t4Ny9P
Gloves - https://amzn.to/3TjPbuO
Breeches/Pants - https://amzn.to/46KOxd5
Here is a more affordable pair. I have not tried this brand. - https://amzn.to/3t1GdrF
Ankle Boots - https://amzn.to/3GwfhU4 (For safety reasons, you should always ride in a boot that has a heal like these boots).
If you would like more ideas on how to find an instructor that is right for you or your child click here.