how many of you have had a lesson with a top instructor and whom?

Most trainers are happy to teach anyone willing to learn.
I've been lucky to have the opportunity to have occaisional lessons with some fantastic people but I still find my sister (BHSII) and my regular trainer the most important part of my riding development.
 
I'm starting work exp with william fox- pitt on friday and have been told to bring my riding gear so even if the man himself isn't there being shouted at by one of his grooms wil do for me!!
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I used to train with Ernest Dillon years ago when I showjumped, also trained with Brian Lear.

I worked for Bar Hammond for 2 years and rode her GP dressage horses, also had a couple of lessons with Bill Noble before he moved to NZ and have had several lessons with Markus Bauer on Axel.
 
It was quite a few years a go now but I have had lessons from Stephen Clarke (He was awsome) and Rodney Powell who was slightly scary.
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I have had as good if not better lessons from none international riders.
 
I've had jumping lessons with Chris Bartle and found him excellent. Was when I was getting back into jumping after a short break and I did think 'oh god am I good enough to have lessons with him' but he never made me feel that way.

Any instructor worth his/her salt should be able to teach any level and make a difference.
 
Ive had a lesson with Mark Phillips and Pippa Funnell and I enjoyed them very much.... both jumping lessons and they didnt treat me like a numpty... in fact I got put on the advanced Pippa one by mistake and still didnt make a chump out of myself!!!
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My daughter and Marius had a couple of jumping training sessions with Stephen Hadley a few years ago. I cannot say, hand on heart, that they were the most useful lessons she had. As someone said, everyone was asked to do the same thing, and there was very little personal input. And it was expensive.
 
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My daughter and Marius had a couple of jumping training sessions with Stephen Hadley a few years ago.

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Was that at Dryad? I did one there with him, mind you must have been about 8 years ago now!
 
Last year I plucked up the courage to call up Paul Crago for some sj lessons, some "friends" made helpful comments like "he's an international showjumper, he did the derby this year, he won't want to teach you" Honestly I was absolutely terrified when I arrived at his yard with my 14hh Welsh X, but it was the best thing I've ever done, he's tough when he needs to be, but always praises when we do well, & he will teach anyone who really wants to learn. It doesn't matter to him if you want to jump 1' or 5', Kizzy & me have gone from spooking badly over poles & really little fences to jumping round a 90cm course at his house, defo couldn't compete at that height yet, but there's a little voice in the back of my mind telling me that maybe we could. You go for it, if my experience is anything to go by, it will be so worth it. Oh, & she was so well behaved when I jumped her in the ring last night too, no napping, oh joy, never thought that would happen either!!
 
I had a lesson with David Broome at my old jumping yard, he was amazing but sadly somebody decided to turn my horse out in the morning (after no t/o all year) and he lost all his energy galloping around. I don't think David Broome has since met a lazier horse than mine.
 
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As title really? follows on from my previous post about schooling. The thought of booking a lesson with a top instructor fills me with dread and would they just think "whose that silly girl who can't ride" surely?
Do you have to be a certain standard to have a lesson or can anyone do it?

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Exactly the reason why I wouldn't entertain booking a lesson with someone at the top of their game.

For me, I know that a "run of the mill" instructor is more than capable of teaching me because I have so much more to learn.
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Mark Todd (who hated my client's horse but was nice enough not to say it out loud), Lucinda Green (who terrified me but in a good way), Tim Grubb (whom I terrified but at least warned in advance!), George Morris (who was MUCH nicer than his press) and a couple of people most of you would not know by name, including two trainers who sent horses to the Olympics but don't compete at that level themselves and a top producer of stallion prospect in Germany.

My personal experience with top class trainers (however one defines the term - not always the most successful competition rider by a long shot) has always been they are, on the whole, more open and secure in their knowledge than people further down the ladder. A gross generalisation, to be sure, but most of them think they have valid ideas to share and are happy for an appreciative - and paying - audience. If you're keen, listen well and are polite most of them are happy to help.

If the trainer has set standards - and some do if only because they know their own limitations - they should let you know at the outset. I can't see anyone worth talking to being rude, they will simply say, "I'm sorry I only teach above X competition level." Fair enough. But not everyone feels that way and some top trainers actually like to teach people lower down the experience ladder because they honestly believe good education early on makes everything easier on horse and rider.

Which doesn't mean every trainer works for everyone. Sometimes all I've learned is never to go back!:) And it certainly does not mean good riders are automatically good trainers - quite the opposite much of the time, as they are two different skills and some really talented riders have an imperfect understanding of what they actually do, not to mention that they can sometimes get away with some odd practices the rest of us can't. Some people are genius teachers right from the get go, some get better with age, understanding (of horses and people) and experience - best is a combination of both.
 
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