Now I am realizing it won’t be as easy as I thought to replace her. There are so many things to consider when finding a new instructor.
Days after getting a new riding instructor, she told me that she would be moving in a few short months. She was moving to be closer to family, and I completely support that. Family is first. I live in an area that has an abundance of very good instructors and riders. “This will be no problem,” I thought. 5 weeks after working with the instructor that is moving, I am now pretty sad. I enjoy my lessons. What she is having me do is working. What more could you want? Now I am realizing it won’t be as easy as I thought to replace her. There are so many things to consider when finding a new instructor.
Personality/Temperament
Do you like warm and fuzzy? Do you mind cursing? Do you like fun and joking around? Do you mind having someone be brutally honest with you? Honestly, I’ve met some fantastic riders and trainers, but I could never see myself taking lessons from them. Their personalities rubbed me the wrong way. There wasn’t anything necessarily wrong with them. Sometimes certain personalities just don’t get along.
Let me just say that if you leave your lessons crying or feeling completely incompetent all the time, it’s time to move on. Either the instructor is not competent enough to help you, they are verbally abusive, or both. I took one lesson with a gentleman (and I’m sure I caught him on a bad day but still…). I cried the 2 hour drive home. Then debated if I should even be riding for the following week. NO ONE should make you feel like that, and I don’t care how much they have accomplished.
Tip – Talk to the instructor for a few minutes. Watch how they interact with other people.
Teaching Style
Teaching style could probably be grouped with personality and temperament, but there are some differences. Does the instructor really push students to there limits? That teaching style might be great for a confident rider but not for a timid rider. Does the instructor sit in a chair and speak lightly to the rider? Some people might not feel like the instructor is engaged in the lesson enough, or that the instructor is not pushing them enough.
Tips – Ask to sit in on a lesson or two. Take one lesson before committing.
Your Horse
Is the instructor willing to work with your horse? Sometimes instructors do not get along or like certain breeds, types, or personalities of horses. I had an Arabian gelding as my first horse. He was difficult and not gifted with gaits. Some instructors told me to get another horse. Those people weren’t for me. I wasn’t getting another horse, so I needed to get another instructor.
Tip – Ask the instructor what kinds and types of horses they have worked with.
Experience & Education
Does the instructor have the enough experience to be able to help you reach your goals? For example, if you are close to riding Grand Prix and the instructor has not done that yet, they probably do not have enough training and experience for you. You don’t want to switch instructors every year. Think about which instructor is going to be able to help you get where you want for the next 3 years.
Tips – Ask to sit in on a training ride. Look up the instructor’s results or their students’ results.
Goals
What goals does the instructor have? If they are done competing/showing, maybe they have some educational goals. Do your goals align? If you want to show, but the instructor is not interested in showing anymore, you might not be a good match. If they are not showing, are they still willing to come to shows and coach?
Tips – Simply ask the instructor what their goals are or what they plan on doing 6 months from now? You can read more about goals on this page: Riding Goals and Expectations