Qualifications, experience etc... important for you when choosing a trainer?

Girlracer

Girlracer

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Another thread got me thinking (and this is in no way aimed at anyone here as I don't really know enough about anyone to judge, I just find it interesting) how important are a trainers experience and/or qualifications to you when you're looking for someone?

For me it is imperative that the person is highly experienced, not so much qualification but I want someone who is proven in their field. For example I've had a few lessons off of Charlotte Agnew, who competes 4* eventing and has a string of competitive event horses. And she's very good. I would never even consider somebody with little experience in the chosen field, as for me well.... I may as well teach myself.... I've helped friends with their horses in the past, but that's as far as it goes I would never charge for it as I don't think i'm worthy.

For me the person doesn't necessarily need to be competing 4* as above, but they need to be an experienced professional with lot's of people to vouch for them before I would consider them.

Am I just fussy or is this the same for everyone?

And for me it seems that in different circles (whether it be eventing, TREC, Showjumping, natural horsemanship etc) it is less frowned upon for someone with little experience to charge for their services.

I mean if people are willing to pay, and you enjoy it then good on them! I just find it a little....odd.
 
I don't care what Qualifications my Instructer has personally. I do prefer a trainer who is very experienced though.
My horses are a bit "different" so someone who has experience with similarly difficult horses is important and someone who uses a similar training technique as me. I have come across many experienced instructors who technique is to haul the head in with draw reins or strong bit and who don't have patience.
 
I don't give 2 hoots about qualifications. I like to be trained by someone with a proven competition record themself, and a string of pupils (for lack of better description) that are out competing successfully.
 
Qualifications mean vey little to me.. I want an instructor who I can work with, ask questions from and feel valued by. I also want to improve and hit my personal objectives.

Current instructor is v v qualified but I stuck with her because she has the ability to help me improve and develop my confidence, not because of her qualifications (although I do see that they have added a lightly new dimension to my training that I've not had before whilst being trained by top pros without qualifications).
 
Agree with nikkimariet.

However, around me there are several very late teens/early twenties girls who are claiming to be international showjumping instructors/riders when in fact they have competed in the odd fox/130 and suddenly think they know enough to charge someone £40 for a 20-30 minute session. So a certain amount of experience would be preferable to me. There are plenty of people competing in Young Rider classes that i would take a lesson from as I have seen their results/horses produced but not those who have decided they will run an equestrian business after getting a few places/qualifications that aren't much different to my own results.
 
Qualifications mean nothing to me.

Experience - yes it's important - but for me their own competition riding experience is useful but not essential - their training experience for me is priority and their ability to communicate and adapt to the rider they are teaching.
 
nikkimariet said:
Good point.

I want someone to want to teach me; I don't want to have to plead and beg for them to allot me an hour of their precious time.
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There are far too many of these around! I currently am looking for a dressage and jumping instructor in Yorks (so if you know of any.....) and my mum suggested someone I went to school with for jumping, I was a bit confused. Yes, she may bring on young horses and be good as a PC instructor, but she has only just competed at a higher level than me, and is an eventer - not normally the people you'd go to for SJ lessons! :)

I am not bothered in the slightest about qualifications, I like someone who competes, so I stand a chance of seeing them out and about at shows, so if needed they can help me if its going wrong, or I can arrange for them to ride instead etc :)
 
I don't neccessarily always look for someone who has a top competition record - although that is normally how people advertise themselves.

I know a couple of instructors who don't even compete, their reccomendations come through word of mouth and through the horses that they have brought on and sold.

But I like a straight talking, honest instructor who knows what they are talking about. I don't want someone to focus on petting and crooning over my good bits. Mention them so I'm aware, and get on with ripping apart and putting back together my bad bits please.

I know a lot of people who pay good money to very highly qualified BHS instructors who will spend 45 minutes chatting about nonsense whilst buttering up the horse and not really getting anywhere. Thats a waste of money to me. I pay my instructors to make me better, not pet my ego. I can do that myself when I feel I have improved :D

I think some qualifications are important for low level teaching - just to signify you have had some sort of safety training and know your basics... so everything is in order when teaching beginners/ kids / party riders. But when you are a serious rider I think an instructor with experience, raport, and continual development is much more important than pieces of paper.
 
Again I'm basically going to repeat everyones response!

Don't really care about the qualifications (well I don't understand what is higher anyway!)

I again don't care if they compete/don't compete but if they have a 'track record' (so to speak) of producing horses/pupils that do/have done well.

I will go on word of mouth alot, but again everyone is different and like's different styles of teaching.

I also like someone who will be straight with me and tell me when it's rubbish and not just try to keep me happy to keep me coming back!
 
competition record and decent number of succeful pupils (as that would suggest they are as good at teaching, as riding) and someone who gives me the time of day......ive *sacked* 2 trainers who just couldnt be bothered to return texts or answer machine messages trying to arrange a lesson as i have better things to do than chase them every single day for 2 weeks :rage:

i tend to actively avoid people with BHS qual unless they have a proven competition record in my sphere (dressage) as i dont agree with much of what they are taught and think its a very out dated systen.

I like to see people ride and teach before i commit to a lesson too.
 
Qualifications don't really bother me.

However their experience and competition record does. Echo above re looking at who else they teach and what they ride like.

I have had a couple 'recommended' to me over the years by people, whose riding abilities quite frankly I wouldn't aspire to and I thought 'right, I definitely won't want them teaching me then if that's the sort of rider they produce'

I think often if you are a good, experienced, knowledgeable, patient and sympathetic instructor with a good competition record the recommendations will come in bucket loads.
 
I am qualified, I hold ny bhs senior coach certificate.I also train and compete my own horses.
Although I am qualified I do believe there are many ai's that are useless and must have been lucky on the day! One thing you must bear in mind, although a bhsai qualification is better than nothing it is important to take on board that this means they are an 'assistant instructor ' so you can't expect them to be all that experienced. My best lessons have been with bhs qualified competion riders - best of both worlds!
 
I have had lessons with numerous 4* eventers as well as PSG dressage riders and I can honestly say that riding experience is no guarantee of how well they can teach or impart information. Some are simply gifted in a way that they don't really understand how they do something.
Some of them (sorry but it tends to be the dressage riders - but perhaps that's a reflection of my ability) were so disinterested that they would answer calls and text during lessons which may be ok in an emergency but at the price some of them charge...
Which also leads me on to access - during the winter it is easier to get access to the top eventers (which can be useful to check progress, get a refresher etc) but during the season they are far too busy to be able to give regular lessons.
So in my opinion the best trainer is one with sufficient experience but who does not have masses of horses to compete, is looking for an opportunity to work with you over a long period and who is a natural coach/teacher.
For what it is worth I think my wife has been the best jump instructor ever over the years - despite giving up jumping herself years ago. She has been to enough competitions and been in enough collecting rings to know what looks right and what doesn't. Every time I jump a horse she is there watching and will soon tell me what I'm doing wrong.
 
I want to be respected! Sure, the assumption is that whomever is training me is far superior to me in their ability and knowledge, but I don't need to be made to feel stupid and inadequate. I've had this experience, and it almost crushed me I can tell you (and I'm not some pathetic wimp either). But being screamed at (and I MEAN screamed), made an example of in the company of other riders, called lazy and stupid is NOT good teaching, no matter how well that teacher may ride themselves.
 
showqa said:
I want to be respected! Sure, the assumption is that whomever is training me is far superior to me in their ability and knowledge, but I don't need to be made to feel stupid and inadequate. I've had this experience, and it almost crushed me I can tell you (and I'm not some pathetic wimp either). But being screamed at (and I MEAN screamed), made an example of in the company of other riders, called lazy and stupid is NOT good teaching, no matter how well that teacher may ride themselves.
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I totally agree with you! (And, I do think this is where qualifications do actually help, in that the qualified trainer/instructor has actually been tested on their teaching technique as well as their knowledge).

I personally want the person I'm paying (lots of money to) to give me 100% of his/her attention and NOT talk on their phone, text or chat to others during my lesson.
 
Although I don't actively seek out highly qualified instructors, I don't think it has been coincidental that many of the best people I have been taught by are qualified to FBHS or BHSI level. I actually do have some amount of faith in the BHS system and I do think that the cream does tend to rise to the top as you go through the levels. It is a thorough all-round grounding in equestrianism, and I would much prefer to be taught by someone with excellent breadth of knowledge, than someone who specializes in one niche competition area.

As stated by many people, plenty of the best competition riders aren't necessarily good communicators when it comes to teaching. I want someone enthusiastic, interested, knowledgeable and good at expressing what they mean. These are good trainers qualities, not necessarily riders qualities.

I have also had the worst experiences with dressage trainers rather than SJ/Event types, as there are very few who have real experience with sharp TB horses who can not be ridden in the same way as their horses. I am generalizing, of course!

I am a qualified BHSAI instructor myself. I have the qualification as I have always done a little bit of riding school teaching in periods of time when I have needed extra work. It is a good benchmark for teaching at riding school level, but I certainly wouldn't dream of trying to charge £30 an hour to someone with it!
 
Experience AND enthusiasm!

Nothing worse than paying for a lesson with a qualified and experienced person if you don't feel enthused and motivated at the end of the lesson. My jumping and dressage instructors are very different but work very well with me and my horse in both disciplines.
I would much rather spend time watching and/or having lessons with different people until I find the right person for me and my horse, than just chose someone because of record on paper :)
 
Word of mouth and someone who is good at 'teaching'.

I've had bad trainers in the past who a) were qualified b) had a good competition record and/or c) had pupils out and about doing well. Bad = either bad for me or just downright bad.

Current trainer is a BHSI, has competed at GP dressage and has jumped around the Badminton xc course although not competed there. He also has pupils out and about successfully at GP dressage. He's not a fashionable trainer but I thoroughly trust and respect him. He turns up when he says he will and on time. He teaches me so that I learn, not just so that I can ride the figures he tells me to and put my hands and legs where he tells me to and when. However, even if you took away the qualifications and track record, I'd still go to him.

And if we all stop training iwth people who haven't competed at GP/ don't have their BHSI, how will the trainers of tomorrow get there?
 
My number one priority is being able to teach. Secondly experience. There is no point being a world champion if you cannot get across to an average rider how their methods work.

Teaching does evolve and its something which practice really helps. I was going to say I always would choose qualified for insurance and first aid purposes and that they have invested in teaching as a skill but I realised I have regular SJ lessons with a Sjer who does not have any Qs!
 
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