Thoughts on trainers/lessons

C

Countrychic

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 January 2011
Messages
656
Visit site
Recently I've been thinking about how different trainers affect my riding and my relationship with my horse and would be interested to get other peoples thoughts.

To give a very brief summary of my recent experiences, my first trainer didn't really get hung up on details at all, very much keep travelling, don't do too much and let the horse do the jumping. I quite liked this but began to feel that we weren't progressing and we would be stuck jumping lower end BS forever. I also felt like my horse was becoming quite unruly. I'm a bit of a faff with my horses, always fiddling with physio, saddle fit, different bits, bridles etc and he really wasn't bothered with that side so I felt like when I would ask for opinions on bits etc he was quite dismissive.

I then changed and the new trainer totally changed how the horse went to a much more german style and we moved up the classes. It started to unravel a bit because I've always ridden very forward horses in the past so I became obsessed about seeing a deep stride and keeping the horse round all the time. The horse became more unhappy and started to stop. when we've played about with her at home trying to build confidence we feel she actually prefers the longer stride when there's a choice. She's quite French in her style.
I feel we have now really lost confidence in each other but when I broke it down it's not surprising, I've totally changed how I ride twice in the space of just over a year. I had a similar problem years ago but it didn't bother the horse so wasn't such a problem. I used a qualified well respected trainer who said she wanted me in a light slightly forward seat, I had lots of lessons and always was told to ride like this. I went to a clinic held by a pro and got b****cked for "riding up it's bloody neck". He told me to imagine my ponytail on it's tail and I'd be getting close.


I'm now questioning how much should a trainer leave your individual style? If you look at the pro's they all differ hugely ( I'm not saying I'm anything like that good but they have started somewhere. For example would Roger yves bost and his horses benefit if someone changed his style?)

Have you ever been given 2 vastly different styles from different trainers and how did it impact upon you and your horse?

Have you ever stopped getting lessons for a while even though it's not going well to try and improve yourself?

What makes you change trainers?

Has a trainer ever caused a disconnect between you and your horse?

I know every trainer will be different and you have to find the right fit but I'm finding myself dreading lessons rather that looking forward to them because I feel I don't know what I'm doing anymore but at the same time it's going badly so I should really be having lessons.
 
Countrychic said:
I know every trainer will be different and you have to find the right fit but I'm finding myself dreading lessons rather that looking forward to them because I feel I don't know what I'm doing anymore but at the same time it's going badly so I should really be having lessons.
Click to expand...

I really don't get this big hype about having trainers. I have never bothered. I would rather just go out and have fun than get hung up on someone's critique of my riding style or my horses way of going. Whilst I know sometimes trainers can be useful, and maybe the performance of my horse and myself would be better with weekly lesson but its such a huge and unecessary expense.

I'd rather spend the money going out for the day. I see everything in life in terms of 'value for money' and firmly believe that lessons are not. :)

I had a very much one off lesson not so long ago and worked out that the money it had cost me equated to over a £1.10 a minute by the time I had taken off the useless chit chat that you have with your instructor. £35 can get me to a show in diesel, one clear round, and two jumping classes, a small lunch and a couple of coffees. Or it can me 35 minutes of going round in circles or doing grid work that I've done a hundred times myself. The only real part of it I enjoyed was that I actually had some support. Most people get theirs free but no one ever offers to help me, or rarely. So I'm always doing stuff on my own. But at the end of the day this makes me feel proud and gives me a sense of satisfaction that I don't have to lean on people to do or get what I want. Last night a very good friend offered to help me with schooling. I'm hopeful she will do what she has promised but she's offered before and forgotten. But I couldn't have been more chuffed that she'd offered to help me, sometimes I am crying out for advice or help! But not to the extent that I have to pay for it.

I'm going to dressage this weekend. So far I've not ridden my test (although I've done it before). I've had four schooling sessions of 25 mins in the last month which haven't gone particuarly well so I am ill prepared. But i wanted to 'get away' this weekend so I decided at the last minute to do a dressage test. At teh end of the day it will either work or it won't. I'd say seven out of ten times we normally get placed in unaffilated Novice and Elementary classes without the need for lessons, so I think why bother. That's not me being big headed, as nothing could be further from the truth, in truth I think I am quite a bad rider, mainly due to my weight and pain in my back that makes me ride tense, but that's for me to deal with, not for the likes of flashy trainers to line their pockets with my money.

Maybe I am wrong, but hey, if it works for me then I say why not? :)

It got insinuated the other day that my horse was not a 'proper dressage horse' but I care neither for the person or the remark so I am not really that bothered! ha ha.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Interesting thread, I will be watching to see what other people say! I would agree that having different trainers can cause confusion sometimes, they all have their own methods and place emphasis on different things. I have certainly found that when I've had advice from several different people, its often left me confused! I'm now sticking with one trainer who I will be having lessons with every 2-3 weeks because I want to improve and I know that I have problems that are partly down to riding alone too much. I get on well with her and the things she says make sense to me. That hasn't been the case with everyone I've had lessons with and I have often gone away not knowing how to apply what they have told me.

Everyone can benefit from having an extra pair of eyes on the ground as problems can often be down to silly things that you can't see yourself so I think I would disagree that having a trainer is a waste of time, unless you are happy with the level that you are at (which is completely fine) and don't feel that you need help.
 
I would say a very quick goodbye to any trainer that came and told me to ride my horse in "this" style or "that" style.

I would welcome a trainer that came and said, let's see what your horse is like for 10 minutes, ride as you normally do and I'll just assess. Then has a good chat about goals, history etc and formulates a plan based on the individual horse.
 
I just want to say that I really rate the second trainer but the whole german thing has really thrown me and the horse is very upset. The only way we can think of to get around it is to drop her down to tiny classes and ride her like I used to.
 
I think a key thing with showjumping is that there is much less of a classically accepted and taught style. I appreciate that there are different styles in dressage but most subscribe to the 'ear shoulder hip heel' line and working to a contact etc. The movements in dressage are pre determined wheras with jumping, if you go from one side of the fences to the other, leave them up and go fastest it doesn't matter how you go about it! (Within reason!). Watching the accumulator at Great Yorkshire last night there were so many different styles and approaches on display.

For me, the key to a good trainer is someone who can adapt to different horses where it is needed. They may need to change your individual style to suit the horse - but if it is working and it suits the discipline/level you are at/aiming for then it is as well to leave it be to a certain extent. This may be different when someone is working towards exams for example and need a base style which they can then adapt to different horses.

I have been in situations where I have been taught different things by different coaches. I also find it immensly frustrating and I had to make decisions to help me progress. Sometimes this involved picking and choosing which elements of each lesson I took forward, sometimes it involved a decision where I removed myself from one trainer for a time or more permanently. For me it has been different as I have rarely had 1 horse to concentrate on.

I have gone without lessons at times, though this has been more through financial necessity than anything else. Perhaps a little time to gether your own thoughts and return to enjoying your riding may be of benefit to you?

Change of trainers for me has been a mixture of necessity, geography, discipline, aims, availability and personal preference. Though I have learnt that sometimes, the trainers I like best aren't always the best ones for me!

As I say, I have rarely had one horse to concentrate on so causing a disconnect as such hasn't really been a problem.

ETA after reading your second comment, I think it is important that a horse has some adaptability and therefore is asked to jump a little deep occasionally even if they prefer to stand off. There will be times, especially at the more technical questions in the bigger classes, where they cannot manage by standing off alone. Therefore they need adaptability. This should not be at the cost of the horses confidence, but with an aim to build it. Perhaps stepping back in size for a short while could help rebuild your partnership.
 
Last edited:
Really interesting question and something I analysis and think about a lot.

I have had this recently with my horse; he has been away with a pro rider this spring who rides beautifully- always balanced but she gives the horse so much freedom with the reins when jumping and when on the flat she has quite low and wide hands; if the horse resists or is silly, she takes a wider hand.

I tried to follow this when he came home and although i found him really strong, I persisted because he had gone so well with this rider and improved so much.

Then I went to a xc clinic with a different trainer and fell off twice in quick succession- I felt like a bag of spuds and had no security.
I also got royally bo**ocked for having such long reins and having wide hands; told to shorten my reins by 6 inches and keep my hands together over the horse's withers.

Well, my confidence grew like this and so did my horses- I then jumped like this at home and found we were hitting better strides, the canter was more rideable and I went to a show and jumped the 2 x boldest rounds I've ever had show jumping.

I think you need to know what suits you and your horse.
My realisation is that I am about 3st heavier and 4" taller than the pro who was on my horse.
She is also exceptionally well balanced so when she rides with a wider hand or puts her hands right forward over a fence, her body stays perfectly balanced over the centre of the horse.
Yes, I can (and do) work on my core and my balance but my horse is very sensitive and in hindsight, I was putting him off and worrying him by flinging myself around and I ride much better with a tighter shape and moving less.

I haven't had many lessons in the last few years but am going to try and make sure I have more going forwards. Although I am fine, muddling along at home and my results on paper are ok, I know if I find the right trainer, I up my game by 3 or 4 levels and the horse really does feel the difference.

I change trainers if I come out of lessons demotivated or feeling like we haven't made progress.
I have a huge emotional attachment to my riding (trying to work on that too ;) and I need a trainer who understands that- sometimes I get frustrated, sometimes I get emotional but I need a trainer who will still push me to improve and not back off but equally please don't berate me as I already do that to myself enough! :)

Sorry, more of a ramble than anything else but in short, if you find the right trainer for you and your horse, you shouldn't be dreading lessons- if you need a few weeks without lessons to get back a certain self-confidence in your ability then I think that's fine but if I felt like I couldn't talk to my trainer about it imo there is an issue.
 
Brilliant question/thread.

I think it is exceptionally difficult to find a jumping trainer who suits you and your horse, and I am very fussy about who I will go to.

Flatwork-wise, I had my riding totally deconstructed and rebuilt in the USA by a brilliant trainer, and it has done my riding no end of good, but it was a hard and painful process which I opted to continue by finding a good trainer when I came back to the UK. The plus side is I now feel much more confident in my own abilities than I used to on the flat, and I think I can influence a horse positively without creating a battle through me blocking them in some way.

With training, I do think sometimes you have to accept things will get worse before they get better as you learn a new system or way of riding, and to me, it is critical that the trainer understands the horse and can figure out how to get them going the best they can for you as a rider. The top pros may all have a different style, but you can bet your life that they all have a system and go to someone regularly who is their eyes on the ground for training. It's finding that person which is tricky I think. Also, don't forget a lot of pros have a 'type' of horse which they prefer, so they know their style, have good support and training, and buy/accept horses which suit their style as much as adapting their style to suit the horse.

I think good training is absolutely essential if you want to improve and move up the grades and do more than make up the numbers, but I would agree finding the trainer that suits you is exceptionally difficult! Through a lot of trial and error, I have now got a few people who I know work for me - one is my main trainer who I use most often and is excellent and suits me down to the ground - they event. Then there is a dressage trainer who comes to my yard who I use relatively regularly. A step down from those two in terms of how often I see him, is someone who comes to the area occasionally and is always helpful - I've been going to him on and off for the past 5 years or so. Finally there are two top level trainers (one dressage, one eventing) who I go to as and when I have the money, and always with a specific aim in mind - they for me are the fresh pair of eyes who spot the little niggles which are the difference between a placing and a win, or who can give me a specific exercise to do to solve a specific problem.

It has taken me years to build up this network, and whilst I do use other people from time to time, it's very rare and I won't often try someone new because I know from bitter experience how easy it is for the wrong person to destroy my confidence in what I am doing.

I would rather have more lessons and compete less often because to me, the competition is just a test of the training, and it's not worth me spending money on entry fees if I don't feel I've done all the prep work I can. There was a time when I just wanted to be there and take part - well I've done that up to Novice BE/Newcomers SJ and Elementary dressage now, and I am no longer interested in adding to the prize pool - I want to go thinking I am in with a realistic shot at winning, at least at the lower levels :)
 
The trainer my daughter has does purely SJing. She assess how things have being going since the last lesson & then works on any problems they've had. She amazes me in that whatever problems they've had, she instantly knows how to set up for that problem to arise again which can then be worked on. She doesn't alter the daughters style of riding as such just explains what shes doing/not doing which is causing the problem or what she should be doing to improve the horse (if that makes sense!). The daughter has had this instructor through 2 ponies & now a young horse & she knows her way of riding so also knows what problems she will encounter with the horse so teaches her ways to avoid them arising.

Now the daughter has realised that she could do with improving her flatwork so we've been looking for another instructor who can help them out with that. We did try 1 bloke but he was not interested in how the daughter rides the horse, just how the horse should be doing what he asked & after an hour of the same thing on the same rein both the horse & daughter were getting rather switched off & peed off! We have now found someone else &
they have their 1st lesson booked for the 1st August. The plan is to have a lesson everyweek alternating between the flat instructor & the jumping one. I'll know then if having 2 instructors can work out ;)
 
Very interesting post.

I think the main problem in this country is that there are very few really good trainers. I think there are a lot of good riders but it certainly does not automatically convert into being a good trainer. As i've got older, i've realised that i can't follow every single piece of advice from a trainer as the gospel - i have to take on the advice, think about it and find out which pieces work and which bits don't. The other thing i've realised with horses is that whilst one thing may work one day, it may not automatically work the next as the horse learns and develops. Therefore, it is important to be able to adapt and change your riding in line with the horse and not just what your trainer said 6 weeks ago.

I have a fantastic SJ trainer that never fundamentally tries to change the way i ride or the horse goes, but is able to spot little things that have a massive influence. I think these types of trainers are really few and far between. She also adapts to the horse - i have two horses that are poles apart and she never asks me to ride them in the same way.

I think a lot of trainers have a one method fits all approach - my older mare has always jumped in a forward canter which is not the classical bouncy canter - i have been to a few trainers that just tried to get me to shorten the canter all the time as this is "the right thing to do" rather than it actually suiting my horse - ended up with the horse stopping because she was confused and didn't want to jump that way. If you listen to a lot of the top Sjers, whilst they all have their own positional styles, you will hear them saying that they adapt their riding style to suit the horse. For example, i read something about Ben Maher having to stay more forward on landing on one horse.

However on the other side, sometimes you do have to get worse to get better and therefore you have to make the judgement yourself as to whether or not you fundamentally believe the trainers changes will be positive in the long run!
 
I very much agree with Spotted Cat. For most I think it is true that if you're going to improve your riding and go up the levels, you must have a good instructor and a lot of lessons.

I think it is key to try different trainers until you find someone whose approach makes sense to you - not everyone will, even if that trainer might be brilliant for somebody else.

I am very lucky to be based at my trainers yard, and she has a vested interest in both me and my horse that goes way beyond her call as just a trainer, so she is always available for free advice, I always know what I am working towards in the long and the short term - I've never had this before, and it has made a huge difference to my riding (also the fact that I loaned her schoolmaster!) and I am now a somewhat useful rider for her to use if she can't ride/to bring on youngsters/if she needs to assess a horse from the ground.

There are many ways to skin a cat even if the desired end result is the same - to jump clear rounds in good style for instance - so I think you just have to find someone that you respect and understand. If I don't have a lesson for a week, my riding deteriorates quickly. I am not especially talented, so perhaps most people can do with less, and I know many can't afford even one a week, and some just need a refresher now and again - you just need to try and find a system that works for you.

One thing i would say is to use a trainer that gives you "homework" - it is easy to just be riding around aimlessly at home, so at least for me it is very important to have a short term goal/plan - something to work on until the next lesson.

Once you are fairly experienced I think you can take bits and pieces of advice from different trainers and leave out the things that don't work for you and piece together your own style or ethos - but as a novice I think it is more important to have some consistency until the basics are really established.

For me, it has helped greatly that my current trainer was trained at the same competition establishment as my trainer as a teenager - immediately I could see a connection in the way of thinking I'd been taught from the beginning. It also helps that my trainer is a small lightweight woman like myself - she is more likely to teach me a way of riding that is achievable for me. :)
 
Excellent thread, with some interesting responses so far.

Whilst I do think that many people are able to potter along on their own, especially if they've got a decent ability to 'feel' what's going on, I do believe that some eyes on the ground are invaluable, especially if you want to progress with the minimum amount of pain/effort/angst?!

I would hope that most trainers have a 'system' they believe in and will use as the basis, or principles, of their teaching. However I would not expect anyone to stick to any system rigidly, and certainly if it's clearly not working for a particular horse or rider!

What I do expect is for the trainer to assess me and my horse and to work with us to get the best out of us. It's all too easy to stand in the middle and tell someone how their horse 'should' go, or how they 'should' be able to get it to go like that. Unfortunately the horse probably won't have read that particular book or be signed up to that method!

I'm having to work particularly hard with one of mine at the moment. I'm a competent rider, I believe I have decent 'feel', I'm qualified and experienced enough to teach others but I don't believe I can deal with this on my own. Baydale has been giving me an enormous amount of help. We both know what the horse is capable of, and we both know how we would get a 'normal' (define normal ;)) horse back on track - but unfortunately that's not working because this horse chose not to read that particular instruction manual :rolleyes:

It takes an open mind on the part of the trainer and the rider, a willingness to try different methods or systems, to think outside the box, and an understanding that it can take time to get a better, stronger, more robust horse (and rider hopefully).

I'm afraid someone who adopted a 'my way or no way' approach, would last all of about 5 minutes in a lesson with me!!
 
Last edited:
I have a lot of training. A lot of it is my lacking any kind of facilities so rather than hire somewhere, I just go and get training. I am always looking for marginal gains in everything I do as not happy to be an also run.

I see a variety of trainers but they all sing from the same hymn sheet. I have enough experience to know what works for me and I will not try anyone new unless recommended by someone I really trust.

The difficult bit is building up this circle of trust in trainers. I did it the slow and painful way, through trial and error! Its a very hard conundrum as you have to have trust and belief in your trainer and that the long term results will be worth it. Rome is not made in a day and like that training is a long and slow process. I am very lucky I have a trainer, I have seen for 7 years now and I never get bored of going but I do have days of what is the point, and sometimes will see the results of that lesson a month later instead.

I am not sure there is any short cut to finding a trainer which works for you. We all grow out of trainers, so instead I tend to invest heavily instead in good ones from the word go who I will not grow out of because their pupils are achieving what I would love to do etc. I want someone who genuinely loves horses, who still has high goals for their own riding and who never stops learning and is always doing interesting things even if its not riding themselves.

You have to have a trainer who you can have very open dialogue with. All my trainers are very reasonable in discussions about something I might find difficult and my trainer even accepted the other month when I told her I was not going to do frying pan hands any more as it had never worked for me! You have to have a trainer who pushes you and also retains your confidence.

Its not easy!
If in doubt I fall back on the following:
1) Do they have a UKCC3? Currently my favourite qualification and far exceeds BHS for me. I have never felt disappointed in a UKCC3 qualified lesson.
2) Do they compete or have pupils competing at a higher level?
3) Do I like the way they ride/pupils ride?
4) What is their reputation like locally?
5) Can I watch them cheap or have a group lesson before committing to a private lesson?
 
This is a really good thread – very valid to all, irrespective of discipline, and one that is very difficult to give a clear answer to!

My jumbled thoughts on the matter ...

There are many roads to Rome. So different trainers may choose different paths to get there.

Some training methods will compliment each other, some won’t. I can attest to this, from recent experience. I have a main dressage trainer who I think is superb, he covers most bases and I like the way he trains and the pathway I am on! I personally find a couple of small gaps in this training, which I think is perfectly fair and normal, and therefore have dabbled in trying to find a second trainer to go to occasionally just to help me in this area.

I tried 2 different ones who I’m afraid just upset the applecart, their methods were polar opposite to my main trainer! More recently I’m thinking/hoping that it is 3rd time lucky, and I have found that extra trainer to compliment.

I do think the whole issue is more complex than that though,

- Teaching style, we all have preferred ways of learning and we all have different personality traits – so irrespective of the training pathway you choose, the actual trainer has to be able to deliver their knowledge/expectations in a way that suits the person they are teaching. They have to know when a confidence boost is needed, when is appropriate to give you a b@llocking, when to just back off etc.

- Same goes for the horse – the very best trainers will have multiple tools in their box and when plan A doesn’t work they will be quick to move to plan B, C etc.

- Us as pupils obviously still need to take some responsibility. We need to be aware of our strengths & weaknesses and we also need to listen and question what we are told if we don’t understand. Training should be a 2 way thing, and any trainer not willing or not easily able to engage in communication/debate about what is going is never going to be as effective.


I’m at an interesting stage in my riding at the moment – I’m progressing very much on the flatwork side of things, I’m having to challenge myself and up my game a lot and enjoying every second of it (apart from the frequent self-flagellations for being rubbish!!). Over the past few years however I have gradually come to the realisation that actually I don’t ‘love’ jumping. I kind of enjoy it when I’m on the right horse and when everything is going to plan, but in reality having not jumped properly for the last 6 months I haven’t missed it in the slightest.

So for me if I’m going to jump it has to be on a horse that is utterly genuine, forwards and within reason on autopilot. I also need an instructor that will chivvy me on and keep me confident. And to be honest I don’t care if I improve (I’m actually not that bad !) as if I jump my priority is having a good time! That is in contrast to my dressage whereby my priority is to get better & more competitive.
 
Thanks for all the replies, it's given me lots of food for thought and given me some confidence that I'm not just being useless.

I can't multi quote so will have to do it manually

Ruth83, I have more than one but the others are quirky so I've been left to my own devices riding wise and we've concentrated more on the horse. I'm not having any problems with them. I think I'm relaxed because I'm not thinking about speed, strides, head carriage etc etc.
The mare I'm talking about doesn't mind chipping in or jumping deep the odd time but I think I was asking for it way too often. This wasn't what the trainer told me to do but I was so thrown by the new canter and head carriage I couldn't see my usual stride and my confidence has gone. I'm not nervous of falling off (the mare has a very kind stop) I just feel like we've lost our partnership and I feel like I question every decision I make now.

Millitiger your description of the emotion attached to your riding reminds me so much of myself, my oh says when a trainer tells me I need for example lots more leg he winces because I over try so he always says don't do lots more of anything but I always do. If they ask me to hold a bit I ride with the handbrake on and if they ask to to go forward more I become frankie dettori!!

Spotted cat, it's interesting when you mention about pro's having a type of horse. When I bought my horses I didn't pay enough attention to the fact that I am used to quite hot, forward horses. This horse needs leg and is a bit fussy in the mouth something I'm not really used to. I think this is just adding to the problem.

Supanova, I think what you describe about filtering the information is exactly what I need to learn to do. I need to put less pressure on myself to doing everything I'm told 100% and just get ideas to try and see if they work.
 
Last edited:
I LOVE having training, and would have more of it if I could afford it. The right trainer makes SUCH a difference and I feel that I owe it to my horses to do as good as job as possible, and that just isn't possible without good eyes on the ground. If I won the lottery I'd beg my dressage trainer to relocate here and teach me as much as possible, I'd be a disciple!
I went for quite a while without regular training (due to waiting for baby horses to grow up, and trying to save money) and have discovered that things that I kept working on in the interim between lessons (without good eyes on the ground to monitor my progress) I have overdone, e.g. I have gone too 'heels down' to the point of having a lower leg that is too fixed, so my two-point seat has really suffered, etc. Now I am working to eradicate those problems that I made myself, that a good trainer would have nipped in the bud early on...
Wanting training doesn't have a lot to do with my competitive goals, even for just doing things at home I want to do as good as job as I can. But a good trainer at the right time, when I had the right horses, really helped me to raise my game and push my dreams... I started eventing for fun, I never had any ambitions really, Novice became very easy so we had a crack at Intermediate, did our first 1* (under the aegis of a v good rider/trainer) and came 7th, Ints and 2* were the logical progression... then with next horse N, Ints, 2* were easy so on to Adv and 3*... and 4* was the next step if she hadn't had to be retired.
I could never never NEVER have done all of that without a good experienced trainer who advised what to do and when. I'd probably have got stuck at Intermediate, if that.
I just can't understand people who don't want to train, sorry. I don't understand being happy to be mediocre (or worse) at something, especially when another being's comfort and safety is at stake!
 
What an interesting thread! Here are a few of my thoughts
Firstly as someone who taught for many years (admittedly at a riding school not competition riders) but I was very interested in the process of teaching. I believe that its a mistake as a trainer to try to create 'identikit' riders whether their aim is to canter to 20M circle or compete PSG. Top riders evidently vary is style and approach in every discipline, I believe a good trainer practices strength based coaching. watch a novice rider and you can soon see strengths develop one has a naturally good seat, another great tact, a third good rhythm. I believe you should help people make the most of those talents, developing strengths to help support weaknesses. I have also taught a number of physically disabled riders and again I felt it was a mistake to try and make then ride as if they did not have a disability but rather its better to help them find how to use their unique balance to best effect I thought long and hard about the bio-mechanics of each new rider who I met - if you do not have seat bones (as was the case with one of my clients) there is no point in assuming a rigid bony base to the seat that stability will have to be found elsewhere. So yes as I rider I look for a trainer who can coach my strengths, bring on my weaknesses but not become fixated on them.

As a rider looking for a good trainer (which I have found very hard indeed) I think over the years I have been given a lot of conflicting advise but I don't mind that. it enables you to try things you wouldn't yourself. I have incorporated things I found worked for me and the current horse, just ignored what I didn't care for or found unhelpful and modified what I half liked to suit. They are tools which become part of a broad skill set.

recently had a funny experience with instructor A who tells me to carry legs in one way which I dutifully try for a while, then instructor B says something quite different - As both instructors teach a similar approach I mentioned this discrepancy to instructor B who laughed as it turned out instructor B gave instructor A lessons and was always asking her not to do what she had suggested i did with my legs!

Basically I look for an open minded instructor who can incorporate some of what I already know into improving me and my horse. Someone I can discuss things with and who can articulate why they think I should try X or Y. I don't care at all for my trainers own competition record - some excellent riders can't teach worth a dime and some excellent teachers just don't get excited by competing. But if your aim in having lessons is to compete a lot yourself than I can see that this would be more important.

Interesting thread Oh One more thing, I thought I would need two instructors one for flat one for jumping as like 'Ihatework' my attitude to the two is like chalk and cheese, but in fact I THINK I have found someone who suits me for both - fingers crossed!
 
I love having lessons, love learning, love improving myself and my horses. This is all only possible however if you find a trainer who you really gel with and who is really interested in helping you. It definitely helps if they have competed to a high level in your chosen discipline.

I had a wonderful coach when I was living in England, helped me improve so so much but since I moved to Ireland I haven't found anyone yet to match up to her. I have tried quite a few instructors but not generally impressed so far. Although I have now been for a couple of lessons with a new teacher and I am already seeing improvements so hopefully that will continue. I am also booked in to a clinic with someone else and I am quite excited about that as I really like this person and their riding style. After that I will choose one of the two of them and stick with that person. I generally stay with one instructor for fortnightly lessons and then go to the odd clinic with others for something a bit different
 
I too have lots of training these days, in fact I think I prefer training to competing much of the time.

I am happy to have flatwork lessons and training from a range of people. I will adhere to what I agree with, may have a go at somehting I am sceptical about, and will ignore stuff that makes no sense to me.

SJ trainers are so thin on the ground and it is so important to have someone who you know will not upset the horse and can trust completely. I have had the same SJ trainer for about 12 years. I've had a few others who were fine, and as I've been piddling about over small fences the risks are lower. I would actually not have a serious lesson with anyone else at the moment, I think it is so important to find a good person and stick to them. (by serious I mean jumping bigger fences & challenging the horse/rider with grids etc, or changing the horses way of going much)

Like Lec, having no facilities means often when I have a lesson, especially a jumping session it is because I can't do the sutff at home so I am quite cavalier about letting the person do all the work with poles etc while I stay on the horse haha.
 
Interesting thread, I love training when I am actively competing, it helps me with feeling prepared and that increases confidence. I am very fortunate to have spent the best part of 25 years being taught by one of the best FBHS in the country, she taught my grand mother and my mother and my jumping trainer of choice trained with her in his early days. So all of the training/help I get comes from a similar way of thinking.
 
Who was that BB? I was trained in my formative years by Lady Mary Rose Williams & it made a huge impact on my riding & perceptions about what is right & what isn't.
 
Having had a lots of lessons over the years with various people I think that most people have something to teach you. Just in the way something is put across it can trigger a light bulb moment, I'm having lessons with someone at the moment who isn't qualified and hasn't done any high level competing but things are explained to me in such a way that we are making leaps and bounds. After so many different opinions and styles of teaching I try to pick and choose what works for me and the horse. I don't neccesarily follow a type of teaching however I try to take what I can to make my own riding better, so if something isn't quite clicking I have no worries to try someone new that might just make it click. I also beleive that its really important that whoever teaches you genuinely wants you to do well. My current trainer goes above and beyond to help us which makes all the difference. So many instructors teach so much that they lose interest and just repeat themseves to the point that you no longer learn anything. Lastly I love having lessons so I think if you don't enjoy them or they are regularly awful then you should just try a new approach, thats not to say that the instructors wrong but there are many roads to Rome and that one may just not suit you.:)
 
applecart14 said:
I'd say seven out of ten times we normally get placed in unaffilated Novice and Elementary classes without the need for lessons, so I think why bother.
Click to expand...

And if you are satisfied with that level of performance and the horse and you are both happy, then fine! If competing is an escape from everyday pressures and a bit of a party or day out for you then I can see why lessons aren't a priority. But if you compete to be truly competitive and strive to win and up your game at each level, then good tuition can make a huge difference to the results you achieve.
 
I love lessons/training. In fact like others have said at the moment I'd rather have a lesson than compete.
For me a lesson is akin to a party. I love the fresh challenges that are thrown at me & there is nothing more satisfying than being pushed just enough out of your comfort zone.

There are so many aspects to learning that can effect how satisfying an experience can be, this is something that many riders don't grasp. I've seen instructors stuck with for all sorts of reasons even if they aren't working for a partenership.
I recently changed instructor. Before going I asked a friend who had had a lesson what they thought. They told me they thought I would hate it that she felt there was too little explanation about stuff & that she nit picked over small details.
Undeturred I went for my lesson.....I loved it & I've loved every lesson since (even the crap ones where I've 'achieved' very little)
What my friend thought was little explanation suited me. I'm an activist in my learning so sitting having the theory drilled at me switches me off. I much prefer the 'this is the problem try x to solve it' approach.
Also what my friend saw as nit picking suited me. I'm also analytical I don't like to know something is good/bad, I like it broken down into exactly what aspects are good/bad.
Also I find when big changes are made to my riding or the horses going too quickly I find it overwhelming & frustrating yet if small changes are concentrated on (I guess what my friend calls nitpicking ;) ) it's a much more manageable exercise.
 
Think I mentined this a while ago, but for me personally choice of trainer is also limited on how much money I had to spend at the time and convienience.

Yard horse used to be at, couldn't really get an outside instructor in, so had to take horse out in the trailer. Had a couple of lessons with someone who was excellent, but it involved taking a day of work, hour drive each way, so ££££ in fuel as well as £££ for lesson.

I then switched to someone more local, whilst was very good, not quite as good as the other one, but would teach at weekends, less ££££ and time on fuel and driving.

However in future it will be my aim to find an instructor who will come out to me, as I don't really want to be travelling to lessons unless really necessary.
 
In my opinion (fwiw) you always have two trainers - the instructor and your horse. They both give you feedback on what you're doing. If the instructor says something and the horse feels good as a result, go with it. If the instructor says something and your horse hates it - maybe its a new thing and they find it difficult, but if they continue to not like it, your horse is feeding back to you that it isn't good. As long as you keep mentally checking that both your trainers have the same opinion, then you tend to get along ok :-)
 
I have had 0000s pounds worth of lessons from some world class trainers over the years - some qualified, some not- but all brilliant at communicating. The art of a successful trainer is translating a 'feel' into words that the pupil can understand and put into a physical action. Each person understands and learns differently, so a good trainer has to be able to adapt teaching technique to help as many horses and riders as possible.

I love having lessons, particularly jumping ones, and probably enjoy them more than competing now. I don't currently have a competition horse so find it hard to justify going for training but I would leap at the chance if I had a horse that would benefit :-)
 
I do usually really enjoy lessons and I love learning and progressing but I just wonder on someone else influencing the delicate relationship between you and your horse. I think sometimes what we do as amateurs is built on trust, willingness and rapport rather than technique and ability and when someone makes changes it can upset the apple cart. I'm not for a second down playing the importance of a good trainer though. I've often watched people struggling at a show with something really basic and thought how much an instructor could help. The second trainer made some amazing changes with tack and schooling techniques. I just wondered if I was going crazy by avoiding having lessons when I was having a problem and i also wonder how I'd react if a trainer asked me to change my canter again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top