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When you are trying to find a riding instructor, do not go by the word of mouth way. "This instructor is the best!" Why? Who is your source? Here are some ideas and suggestions for you to keep in mind when you are searching for the right instructor. These are step by step suggestions, involving you watching lessons and noticing things that are dangerous. Whether you are a beginner looking to start riding, or you are moving on from another barn and instructor.
Gather a list together of various instructors in your discipline. Call each one and begin an informal phone interview if the instructor has time. If she does not, schedule another time to ask her some questions. Questions that should be asked:
1. What level of riding do you teach?
Be careful if she says all levels. She can not possibly teach all levels of riding. Most professional trainers do not have the time or interest in teaching beginners. And, most beginner to intermediate trainers do not have the ability and knowledge to train professional riders. So really determine what "all levels" is.
2. Do you have school horses? Or do you require your student to have a horse?
If she is a beginner-riding instructor, she should have school horses. You should not be obligated to purchase a horse to learn how to ride.
3. How long have you been instructing riding?
You should work with someone who has taught for over five years.
4. What is your riding history, and riding accomplishments?
You should find someone with a bit of a professional riding history. Someone who has and is showing on a circuit would be good. Even for beginner lessons, you need someone who has put some time into riding and can teach it to you well.
5. How much do you charge per lesson?
6. Do you teach out of your home?
7. Are you insured?
You must ride with an insured company! You should not take the risk of being taught by someone who is not considering this a professional business. Their insurance will cover you for any injury that might occur.
8. Do you teach ground lessons? Do you teach ground lessons first to a beginner?
All riders should have ground lessons. This can include horsemanship, learning how to braid for a show, bandaging, etc. Beginners should have at least one ground lesson, if not two. They should learn how to groom a horse properly, and learn about how to work around a horse safely.
9. Are you a certified instructor? From what company?
Certification is very good. But, get the company name and research it. Make sure your instructor has a decent certification.
Evaluate: phone interviews, set appointments to see the facility, and to watch a riding lesson. So, make sure when you go, she will be teaching a lesson. This will give you ample time to decide if her style of teaching will fit you.
When you are at the facility, notice the overall appearance of the place. Are there things lying around that you could stumble on? Does it look organized? Do the horses look happy, shiny, and well taken care of? Does the place make you feel good or frantic? Meet the owner/instructor, and give yourself time to see how she communicates with you. Does she "look down" on you, like you do not know anything at all? Or, does she seem respectful and happy you decided to come and watch a lesson. If she has time, ask her about whom she is teaching, and what level of riding her student is at. Also, ask her what her student's goals are, if the student is willing to share them.
When the instructor is teaching, you will be able to see if the student understands her. Watch to see if the horse is happy and relaxed. Is the student riding to the level the instructor said she was? Is the student comfortable? This will be you! Make sure you watch everything very closely. Communication is an essential for teaching a lesson well, so watch the instructor to see if she is creative with her speech. Does she demonstrate what she wants to the student? Take some time to look at the arena. If there are jumps in there, are there empty jump cups? These are very dangerous! If a horse spooks and throws you into one, you could slice your body on one very easily. Jumps are acceptable to have in a ring; s long as there is sufficient enough room to make circles around them.
Is the arena completely closed? You must ride only in a closed arena! If a horse gets upset and bolts, he could head out of the open side and to the pasture. You do not want to take the risk of falling on a driveway or anywhere outside of the arena. You do not want to take this risk! Also, are there dogs all around the facility? Do the dogs come in the arena when you teach? This is another dangerous thing, dogs in the arena. Dogs are very unpredictable, even if the owner says he's fine in there. He should not be. He could run in front of a horse, spooking him, making him throw the rider. Also, it is a distraction to the instructor, and you should require her full attention.
If there are dogs all over the facility, and it feels very cluttered, you might not want to ride there. Most facilities will have a leash law or simply not allow dogs on the premises. Do not exclude your cluttered feelings to dogs, if there is anything else that seems like "too much." Some facilities might have geese. If you are bringing your horse over for lessons, geese might not rate too highly on your horse's best friend list. They could cause an accident.
Finally, watch to see that the horses are getting a lot of praise, and the people are wearing helmets. Instructors should be wearing a helmet while teaching, so they may mount your horse at any time and demonstrate. The horses should feel like they are doing well. Especially beginner horses, they seem to get the difficult job. Beginners tend to fall on their backs to hard, and pull on their mouths too often. These horses have great patience, and the instructor should correct any misconduct with the rider immediately. If you decide you like the instructor and her style, set an appointment for a lesson.
When setting lesson appointments, keep in mind you need to groom the horse, tack the horse up, ride, un-tack the horse, and cool it off properly. This takes a lot of time, check with each instructor about how long it will take per lesson. Take many lessons with different instructors, and make your decision from there.
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