Should your instructor be an accomplished rider?

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Parkranger

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Seems like an odd question but I've had instructors in the past before who've never got on my horse to understand what work needs to be done and also don't compete etc.

Not saying that's a bad thing but I had my first lesson with an eventer last night - it was amazing!

Can't get an inside bend on my boy and thought it was due to him being blind in one eye - I think he's always paranoid he'll hit the wall int he school.

By the end of the lesson he was in a consistent outline (never done so before) and more important wasn't tense at all.

Just wondered what people thought - is it luck of the draw or does a competition rider have more 'knowledge' of what buttons to press through riding so many different horses?
 
yes, i much prefer an instructor to be able to get on and feel what the horse is doing (because they can be very deceptive.) i'd rather they didn't, i'd rather be shown and told, so i can do it myself, but sometimes i think it's really necessary and i want an instructor who can jump on and show the horse and me, or find out what's really happening and maybe why a certain thing isn't working.
glad to hear you found someone really good!
 
What a good question. I have regular lessons from two diferent instructors. One of them events and is a very good friend of mine, has no qualifications as such, but is a very good rider herself and often jumps on to my lad when I am struggling.
Other instructor has never sat on him, he is very well qualified, respected in his field (dressage), but despite this I feel I get more from the non qualified instructor because she is a rider and as such has the know how to fix things because she has sat on so many horses and there for has come ocross most problems at some point.
 
I don't neccessarily think so, obviously the better ones will be those with more experiance but just an extra pair of eyes on the ground I find really helpful. This might be because I rarely have lessons, so I'm happy with anything!
The best lesson we ever had was with a high level dressage rider who got on when I couldn't get him in an outline in trot, neither could she but by the end of the lesson we managed it. I learnt a lot from that lesson and I think it was because she was able to get on and really understand what was going on with us.
Not a very conclusive reply I'm afriad!
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my YO won team gold as an eventer yonks ago (literally
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) but in the british junior team, but her mum was the best trainer in ireland and was chef d'quip for the british team... she is the best instructor ever and is highly respected and trains all her horses herself.
however, the instructor who gives me a sj lesson occassionaly is FEI trained yet i dont think he has ever sat on the horse! yet he is the trainerfor our pony club for the sj training and for sjai. his teams have won every level of the championship showjumping (iveagh) and the open numerous times!
but i think both are great so i kinda sit on the fence on this debate... i like a instructor that can get onto the horse and feel what you feel but i also like an expert eye on the ground...

hope u understood that!
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Thing is there's only one instructor who's actually made me understand what I should 'feel' when my horse is working in a proper outline and not a 'pretty' outline.....really clicked for me yesterday and he was amazing!
 
The lady that I have jumping lessons with never gets on my horse, but she is a very succesful rider and makes a big difference to the way I ride.

My dressage trainer used to get on, and it was fabulous getting on after as I knew what I should be aiming for.

I used to have lessons from Dr Woodward and she never left her car as she was disabled
 
Ok another question then. I would expect a dressage trainer to get on and have a feel of what needs doing whereas once that is established I wouldn't expect it with a jumping trainer.....
 
But.... It's different how a horse will go on the flat to jumping, also probably not going to be the same trainer. But (again
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) it depends on the horse. Mine is very experienced and set in her ways, and she isn't really going to change, so its more about getting me to ride her. Whereas if you had a youngster I could see the benefit of someone better than me getting on.
 
I think it helps, especially if you are hitting stale mate. If an instructor gets on & shows you the horse can do it, I think it helps motivate you. After my daughters instructor rode Mo, she appreciated how hard Tamara had to work. Not as easy as she first thought.
 
My instructor is well known in this area as a dressage rider and judge and I would love her to get on Nelly to show me what she could do when worked properly. I don't think this will ever happen though as her own horses are 17hh warmbloods and mine is a 13.3hh stumpy legged pony and, as she is 5' 10", her feet would be dragging on the floor were she to attempt it. Maybe I should look for a shorter instructor?
 
I think for a dressage trainer it is important to get on and help the horse understand and let the rider feel that it is possible. This way you understand what the horse feels and reacts like and then you can give the rider a help get that feel.
It is important that you get on to acheive this not to demoralise the rider so i dont do it all the time especially if its a similar problem that i have sat on before. Then its a matter of getting the rider to set parameters and goals and stick to it.
As for being a tall trainer on ponies, sorry i sit on my young riders ponies. They often need the most help to put these smart little thing in their 'box'!!! and as young riders simply do not have the tools to get them to do it first off.[ i am 6ft by the way with long legs so there is no excuse]!!!!
 
my flat instructor is not a high level dresage but he def. knows what he's talking about and doing, and my horse goes 200% better for him! my jump instructor is no longer ridinng but in her day was very very good so I don't mind her not getting on!
 
I have never dared ask her to get on because I thought she would refuse. Maybe I should ask her then and see what she says? My old instructor used to get on my mare for me but she was a hand bigger than my current pony. I am an adult by the way but I need a small pony because I have back problems and can't lift my leg very high to get on as silly as that sounds.
 
I think they probably should be. There's a lot to be said for being shown a thing sometimes. It doesn't work the other way round - I had an instructor who was a very accomplished rider but a piss poor instructor!
 
An insructor nees to have felt something before they teach it. And preferably felt it several times over pn a wide range of horses!!
 
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