Not so great trainers/RIs...

[tasel]

I have heard several people having bad experiences with trainers/RIs... from some that were quite literally useless to some that told their client they weren't good enough for their horses, with the horses never fulfilling their "full potential" with them... and proceeded to "take the horse away from them" - amazingly they seemed to either have a friend that was interested or wanted the said horse for themselves...

What were your worst experience? Has anyone tried "taking your horse away from you"?

I always wondered why these people would try doing this to their clients (who do pay them after all)??? If you do this, you admit you can't teach very well as you are basically saying you can't make the rider any better!!!

 

[eahotson]

There are many very poor/unscrupulous instructors around. It really is buyer beware AND I hate to say it but BHS qualifications, by themselves, mean very little.

 

[JoBo]

Did have one that wouldn’t let me jump over 65cm (I was jumping much bigger on my own) just because she was scared of jumping. Infact I did loads without her knowing, hacking my horse for the first time etc. Funny enough she is no longer our instructor! How stupid is that, being scared to tell your instructor what you were doing when she wasn’t there!

 

[showqa]

Well, I had a very well qualified RI (Talland trained and seriously into her dressage) who - when I suggested that my horse was uncomfortable and maybe the saddle wasn't great that I was in - told me that it was time I made my horse grow up and not make so many excuses for him as he was just being a naughty and lazy 5.5 year old. After a few more weeks of this (me thinking that she was better qualified than I and so I should persist), I'd had enough and over - ruled her only to be told by another RI that he was unlevel and the saddle was wholly inappropriate adn both of these things a half decent RI should have no trouble spotting. I'm now facing having to get the vet in and wondering exactly what damage has been done, not to mention the money that I have spent with this RI before I saw the light.

 

[Gingerwitch]

I am sure some get "kicks" from making you feel wholly inadequate. They need to remember that its obvious that they should know more than us and its obvious that they have influence over us and probably will ride our horses better than we can ever dream of. BUT its their job they are "professionals" and are making their living at it, and if they were not better than us - what would be the point in paying them to teach us?? I had an RI up North, but stopped having lessons when I saw her "whip" and I mean "whip" her own poor horse into submission - the thing was terrifed of her and would wee when she approached the stable. She wanted me to do the same to my girl as she was "anticipating" upward transitions - as my pony was a very highly strung, sensitive type - "you only need to think about thinking about canter" i really could not see the point and did feel brave enough to refuse to comply.

 

[Sol]

I haven't had lessons for a year properly now, except going back to my last instructor for about 3 lessons in september.
When I first had lessons with her, a few years back, it was great, I learned loads and really liked her method of teaching as she was one of very few instructors I've found who /instructed/ and actually explained things rather than just shouting randomly... and then she started picking on me for no apparent reason. I was having group lessons and quickly saw that she'd praise everyone else and not me. I tried to just deal with it because I was the highest level rider in the group and thought well, maybe she just thought I needed pushing more? But it started to get to the point where she'd tell me things that made no sense and when I questioned her she'd just say 'well, if you don't want to listen, don't bother' which I though was totally out of order - I was paying her to teach me after all!

She also almost totally screwed up the horse I had at the time. I'd taken my mare jumping with another instructor who basically said just sit up and wait for the fence and let her pop over it and it worked miracles for us both despite its simplicity. She got much quieter and more relaxed. Took her for a lesson with my normal instructor who started telling me to sit forward and do this and that with my reins and alsorts and we went into a combination and demolished it totally. Horse freaked out and did some very interesting things with its legs, kept herself in one peice somehow though. Got her quiet and just took her over once again my own way and refused to jump again with that instructor :/

Since then I just haven't bothered looking for a new instructor/trainer. really should, but I'm not great with people anyway (I especially can't stand being yelled at for no reason!) and don't know if I can cope with possibly finding yet more bad instructors....

 

[megwan1]

i once got a bollocking off my old instructor as i asked him to teach me and pone rein back as i was doing a le trec soon but he said no!
so me and my friend on the yard did it anyway and then he found out went mad said it was too advanced for me and that i dont need to do etc what a tit lol just so u know i thort it rediculous as i was capable and so was pone of doin it!!!!