Looking for an instructor

[Pippity]

Sadly, my previous instructor has retired, so I'm looking for a new one. My retired instructor recommended her instructor, but after a few 'bleh' lessons, where she's been passive-aggressively disappointed in me, I don't think we're clicking.

What I need:
- Someone who's happy to work with a very chunky cob, and isn't obsessed with her limitations, but...
- Can deal with the fact that she's coming back into work after a good six months off, and won't try to push us to work beyond vet advice
- Who will accept that, with hock arthritis, I'm not going to be doing endless circles in between our lessons, and that most schooling will be done on hacks
- Aim is to do a bit of low-level dressage and showing, but mostly just to help the horse muscle up and carry herself correctly
- Preferably someone who will come to my yard (Lymm) but will consider travelling to them if it's not too far
- And if they can occasionally remember that my horse is a mare, that would make me feel that they're paying some attention to us. (Petty, I know, but it's EVERY WEEK.)

 

[Red-1]

May not be in the price bracket you are looking in, but my lessons with Tori Peter have been great.

I have seen her working with cobs, which are going great guns!

I arrived for my first lesson in bits as I had rushed there after a torrid day. I was in the mental mood of "Even if I just drive there, lead my horse into the arena, tell the nice new trainer what an awful day I have had and walk out, I will take that as a huge victory."

Tori picked me up from where I was, we had a fab lesson. Every lesson since has been FAB. Some weeks I am emotionally exhausted with other stuff, despite being a high level trainer, she has always met me where I am.

On Wednesday we had a FAB lesson. I wrote a FB status...

"Horses.
Some days you hit the sand, hard. Sometimes it is cold and pours with rain. Some the saddle doesn't fit. Some days the fencing gets broken or the water bucket tipped over in the bed.

Other days - like today - everything comes together! Today we had a fabulous dressage lesson. We did suppling exercises, working with. We had a WOW canter. Then, to finish, I rode through a Medium dressage test. It was fantastic. I'm not saying that there were no blips, but wow, it was fantastic.

Today we did a 4 loop serpentine, at canter, using counter canter (not changing leg) with ease. We did shoulder in to 10m circle, and medium trot. Today Finn and I flew.

Today, everything I asked for - calmly and with reasonable precision, she answered - sweetly and earnestly.

Makes the other days all worthwhile."

I am still sorting stuff out with mum's illness, and have no current desire to compete. I was a bit worried that she would drop me as a client, being as she is a dressage trainer... but no, she is happy to help with MY goals. She is also happy (well, maybe not always happy, but at least accepting) that I am really soft on my horse, and stop to congratulate the horse every time she puts effort in! She actually appreciates that I wish to help my horse rather than force her.

TBH, I don't think it would be wasted money, as Tori is brilliant at the biomechanics. She says the rider is the on-board physio. We spend a lot of time suppling and stretching. I think the cost would pay dividends in having someone that skilled at spotting stiffness and incorrect movement, and being able to subtly correct it without force or fanfare.

She is on FB and in your area.

 

[Pippity]

May not be in the price bracket you are looking in, but my lessons with Tori Peter have been great.

Looks like she's cheaper than the instructor I haven't clicked with! I know you travelled to her, but does she travel? My box is currently off the road (very annoyed with the builders - it's less than six months old and the ramp won't shut) and I'm very much a, "Once I've made the decision, crack on and do it!" sort of person!

 

[Red-1]

Looks like she's cheaper than the instructor I haven't clicked with! I know you travelled to her, but does she travel? My box is currently off the road (very annoyed with the builders - it's less than six months old and the ramp won't shut) and I'm very much a, "Once I've made the decision, crack on and do it!" sort of person!

I don't know, she does answer messages on her FB page messenger.