Nothing's for free now a days?

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MissDeMeena

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I've found this great new trainer
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I pay her for lessons, which is the norm i know
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.. the other day she brought one of her young horses to a dressage comp that we were both at, so she gave me a 20 min warm up, which she charged me for, which i guess is fair enough, although i'd have shouted a few words to a pupil of mine for free
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She also anounced the other day that she'd like to become my 'mentor' which i said, great, thankyou very much!! We get on very well and talk the same language!! However she then informs me that she charges for that as well.. mentoring being, chats on the phone to talk about things like fittening work and which events to enter.. do people really have to pay for that?
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If you ask her to help you then i guess you have to expect to pay but if she starts teaching you at a comp without you asking and then charges you thats a bit much. Like you say, she was there anyway.
 
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Sounds a bit steep to me! Is she interested in helping you or the money?

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She very much comes across as interested in helping me.. i forgot to add that because she is so interested in helping me, and we get on so well, she will offer me the first 6 months for free.. so it's not as if i'll be paying for it for now.. but it rather shocked me that she thought anyone would pay for it any of the time!!

I know i'm very out of the times with regards training, in that i've not really had any.. hence asking if this is the norm??

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Blimey, I happily help my clients at competitions, whether they want me to or not.
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Has she got many existing clients or is she trying to build the business up? In the nicest possible way, it sounds as if she's got lots of spare time that ideally she'd like you to pay her for.
 
You are joking….right? IMO that is definitely not the norm. My instructors are always on the end of the phone for any questions I have, and I have never ever been charged.
 
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I know i'm very out of the times with regards training, in that i've not really had any.. hence asking if this is the norm??


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Not that I'm aware of both of my trainers give a lot of help outside lessons which isn't charged for. Then again I may be a bit cut off from reality down here!
 
Depends how long you spend on the phone and how often you have lessons. i.e. if you only have one lesson a month and then want advice for several hours then its unfair not to pay. On the other hand if you are having regular lessons then she should be interested in helping you in between for free. It is a business for her after all but it sounds like you need to make sure youre clear on what youre expected to pay for or you could get stung!
 
my trainer always helps me if we are at the same event and he has time! and never charges me he was lovely at my first event on new girl last year he stayed the rest of the day (he had finished with his)to help me with the sj n xc warm up and watched my rounds!! i would say if she just started helping you then she shouldn't have charged u..
as for the mentoring well i spose if she is doing it free for 6 months thats ok but do u really need/want to pay for this as a service? if u do then fine if not say thanks but no thanks! i always ask my trainers advice when he teaches me and talk about events to do etc and im sure i could ring him if needs be too without being charged!
 
My old instructor (only old rather than current cos we moved away!) used to charge to warm you up at shows, included it with transporting your horse there if she did that, and I think that was fair enough, but I think charging for phone calls is a little steep!! Does she intend to charge by the minute?!
 
Um, if I were you I'd ring Jade/Tamsin/Lucy and ask what they think. They have been involved in things like World Class etc and are probably up to date on this. However, when I was a bright young thing and I had fairly regular lessons from a local BE accredited trainer she seemed to fully expect long phone calls after shows to tell her what went on and what we might do as a result. Sometimes I'd pay for full price lessons, but she also knew we weren't rolling in money and was more than happy to see me at the RC-subsidised lessons she ran (think one lesson alone paid for the RC membership!), and she came to Blenheim to watch just how bad he could be in those situations compared to at home for free. What sort of figure are you talking, on top of what you'll be paying for the training anyway?
 
OMG I'd owe my instructor a fortune if that were the case!
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She travels to competitions to help me work in (and others that she teaches) for free - she also travels to see horses for sale to check them out with you - and she's always a phonecall or text away with advice...

To be honest I think your instructor sounds a bit strange?
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Kate x
PS - Never heard from Mole Valley - would you find out who I need to speak to and I'll call them instead
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Has she got many existing clients or is she trying to build the business up? In the nicest possible way, it sounds as if she's got lots of spare time that ideally she'd like you to pay her for.

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That's the impression i get!! She is new to the area and trying to build a client base up.. she understands i'd be a good advert for her, so offering me loads of help.. Things have improved alot since i've started having help from her, but where i'm from we all do each others favours, no one seems to have to pay for much
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Whats her name? PM me if you'd rather. My friend in Devon had a lady that ended u charging her for really silly things
 
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Has she got many existing clients or is she trying to build the business up? In the nicest possible way, it sounds as if she's got lots of spare time that ideally she'd like you to pay her for.

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That's the impression i get!! She is new to the area and trying to build a client base up.. she understands i'd be a good advert for her, so offering me loads of help.. Things have improved alot since i've started having help from her, but where i'm from we all do each others favours, no one seems to have to pay for much
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Ah, the old-fashioned bartering system......we use that a lot in Lincolnshire. She's from Leics though isn't she, and they're much posher the other side of the A1.
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I think that it is an american thing, and I can see why she does want to charge as it is her time at the end of the day, I have to say I wouldn't pay!
 
Baydale-You've descrirbed the good old Lincolnshire bartering system to the letter!
My trainer is always helping me and putting up with constant phone calls for advice, swapping things for lessons and such like, very old-fashioned but cheap!
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I would be straight with someone like that, value her time and ask questions on your lesson. Tell her straight you cant afford extras. She sounds a little odd to me...
 
I get loads of additional help which I do not pay for. In return I help trainer out with little jobs if needed.

You have a very good support team already I guess you have to decide if you need the extra support or if you are lacking in some way and whether its worth paying.
 
The lady I have lessons with never charges me for helping at shows, if she was there she would always help me warm up. I also phone her up and chat for ages.
 
Ho hum..
I guess i'll get as much as i can out of it while it's 'free' and then inform her that my arms don't quite reach my pockets after that, and lessons is about all i can manage!!
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I had an instructor like that a while ago who was only interested in the money and not helping me. Hence, I changed to another instructor who was fantastic, always there to help me. However, she put her prices up
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and I could not afford her anymore. I now have an instructor who is fab, always helps me warm up at shows if she is there and doesn't charge
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Having been on both sides of the equation, I'd say that's certainly not the norm! I figure phone calls, pep talks, advice giving etc, are part of the deal and certainly the lovely people who have mentored me over the years seem to have felt similarly. To be fair, it usually does work out as a trade, as I've often had clients offer help at shows etc. "in return" although perhaps not spelt out as such.

I really wouldn't say it's an "American thing" either.
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What is more common in North America is for people to pay a flat monthly "training fee" which covers lessons, help at shows, etc. and might even include grooming, trailering etc. HOWEVER that's almost always for boarders (liveries) at show barns and it's usually part of a tiered system where people pay for the services they use.
 
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