Are there less instructors around?

[canteron]

Following on from the grooms post - there seem to be fewer instructors around?
There used to be a choice of several really good instructors around - all with different strengths.
Now they have either got family commitments, travel less, work less hours or have just given up, and there don’t seem to be as many ‘career’ instructors coming through?
It can’t be money or lack of demand, maybe the career path to develop them isn’t there anymore with less riding schools around?

 

[YorkshireLady]

I think there maybe less generalist instructors around....and more a leaning to specialists in certain horse sports.

 

[Sealine]

I was having this conversation with a friend recently. Unfortunately the instructor she has used for many years passed away last year. Her new instructor has family commitments and only works specific days/hours which don't really work for my friend. Another instructor moved away from the area in lockdown last year and comes back two days a week to teach. Another two only do show jumping and/or XC and not flatwork and also have family commitments and only work specific days/hours. All of these instructors have taught at pony club and are well respected locally. I've not seen any new instructors coming through but I am a bit out of the loop these days.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

There seems to be a lot around here for every specialism or more generic. Plenty of clinics and training opportunities too.

 

[AandK]

Same as above for me, lots of choice round where I live. Lots of clinics etc as well.

 

[dorsetladette]

A couple of major players around us have had babies within about 6 weeks of each other. They have been out of the game for a few months now. The local riding clubs have started using other 'names' for their clinics.

I think its hard to find a 'general' riding instructor these days, they seem to specialise in a chosen area which I can understand, but at lower levels it would be easier/better to have a broad spectrum trainer/instructor. I suppose they are all striving to charge more for their time hence them specialising.

 

[teddypops]

There is no shortage where I am.

 

[Snowfilly]

My mum stopped teaching because she always enjoyed doing mixed low level / nervous / novice riders and the costs of CPD, insurance and petrol kept going up but people won’t pay the money for basic instruction. She could get decent money for teaching clinics and the like but that wasn’t what she enjoyed doing and it was easier to just retire than keep pushing it.

 

[Annagain]

I'm involved with my riding club and we struggle for jumping instructors particularly. Everybody in our area seems to be dressage orientated. For jumpng, we have one good one for weekly lessons and one who travels to us once a month whereas we have a choice of 5 or 6 for flat work. We also struggle for those who can manage group well - they all seem to like one to one and if there are more people they tend to focus on one person while the others do their own thing and move around from one to the next. The instructor who travels to us is absolutely brilliant at managing a group and always has everybody on the move and doing something. It's a real skill that so few have these days.

 

[Ossy2]

Lots of choice around me if you want to be told everything is “perfect” “lovely”. Trying to find someone that can actually teach is the tricky part.

 

[Gloi]

Lots around here but finding one with the specialist knowledge of the things I need in my area is more difficult...well impossible

 

[teapot]

Given the number of jobs in centres available anyone with any sense is rushing to take up the employed positions. I know one rs offering £30 an hour freelance... Don't rule out taking your own horse to a decent centre is they offer it!


Loads of coaches available near me but then I probably personally know 20 odd, and if they couldn't do x, they'd know someone who would either specialist or general

 

[Rowreach]

My mum stopped teaching because she always enjoyed doing mixed low level / nervous / novice riders and the costs of CPD, insurance and petrol kept going up but people won’t pay the money for basic instruction. She could get decent money for teaching clinics and the like but that wasn’t what she enjoyed doing and it was easier to just retire than keep pushing it.

Me too. BHS Ireland hold all their CPD days, first aid training and demos in certain "favourite" venues, which are a 200 mile/4 hour round trip for me and a lot of other people. I was having to pay for the training days, pay someone to do my yard while I was away for the day (or two), pay for diesel, and lose out on earnings, and it simply wasn't financially viable to do all that and pay to be on the Register just so I could teach a few private lessons and a bit of PC and RC stuff.

I really do miss it though and I have thought about refreshing my qualifications by going the Horse Sport Ireland route, but I think maybe I'm too old and jaded to bother now

 

[MuddyMonster]

I really struggled to find someone good locally that could teach around me working full time (I work some flexi-time too so not even super strict on times).

But quite a few didn't want to work before 9am, after 6pm, at weekends or travel to me. Good on them for being able to do that but it made finding someone that fitted with the style of teaching from my main instructor (who I love but books up in advance so can't see as often as I'd like) quite hard!

 

[Snowfilly]

Me too. BHS Ireland hold all their CPD days, first aid training and demos in certain "favourite" venues, which are a 200 mile/4 hour round trip for me and a lot of other people. I was having to pay for the training days, pay someone to do my yard while I was away for the day (or two), pay for diesel, and lose out on earnings, and it simply wasn't financially viable to do all that and pay to be on the Register just so I could teach a few private lessons and a bit of PC and RC stuff.

I really do miss it though and I have thought about refreshing my qualifications by going the Horse Sport Ireland route, but I think maybe I'm too old and jaded to bother now

We’re in Cornwall and same thing with the CPD, nothing in county so it was an all day trip to Devon at least if not Somerset which Mum couldn’t justify paying for and just do a bit of teaching. I know her first aid was a 4.5 hour round trip, and again, she lost a day’s work on what should have been a half day course.

I wanted to do some low level qualifications for coaching as I coach a few other sports and I couldn’t afford to even start; the FA, British Hockey, British Netball and the Athletics lot practically throw you at the coaching courses if you’re interested! It was so easy to start off in all of those but equine is impossible unless you’re rich and able to travel a lot.

 

[LEC]

[/QUOTE] I wanted to do some low level qualifications for coaching as I coach a few other sports and I couldn’t afford to even start; the FA, British Hockey, British Netball and the Athletics lot practically throw you at the coaching courses if you’re interested! It was so easy to start off in all of those but equine is impossible unless you’re rich and able to travel a lot.[/QUOTE]

You are comparing apples and pears though. Much easier with team sports as club established which then have the funding to put people towards qualifications. There is also a lot more lottery funding to aid in it. I did actually do my UKCC2 through lottery funding so now have a riding qualification for a very low sum of money. Rugby, I picked up refereeing qualifications for free as the club was allocated space by the RFU who has a lot more money to spend on delivery of coaching. Its one of the big issues with a fragmented sport that we have around 10 different bodies which sit under the umbrella of the BEF. If we did what France did and make the whole of equestrian sit together there would be a lot more money.

 

[teapot]

If we did what France did and make the whole of equestrian sit together there would be a lot more money.

That would mean they'd have to talk to each other though...

 

[LEC]

That would mean they'd have to talk to each other though...

The whole thing is so backwards and annoys me a lot. It also makes equestrian more complicated.

As for the less instructors thing - there are tonnes round here for all levels. Lots specialise in the whole PC/inexperienced riders thing.

 

[Cob Life]

I struggled to find anyone who taught more than the basics or children only

 

[Squeak]

There seems to be a lot around here for every specialism or more generic. Plenty of clinics and training opportunities too.

It seems to be the same around here too. I haven't been in the area long so I may change my mind but so far there seem to be a lot.

 

[rara007]

Overflowing with them here

 

[maya2008]

In some areas at least, lower level independent instructors had to find another job through lockdown. I suspect many never made it back into equine work. Same for some of the grooms as in the other thread I suspect. They now have secure, better paid jobs indoors with sensible hours. Why go back?

 

[southerncomfort]

Overflowing with them here

Here too.

We have 4 RC's and a PC branch in our area plus a few elite riders based here so, as well as all the local instructors, we get tons of visiting big name instructors.

I don't compete so I'm not bothered about big name instructors. My own instructor is fairly local and rides for elite SJ and event riders herself.

We are very spoilt really!