1/2 Hi! I just got a job in a great horse area and after I earn enough to get my dog her shots and have an emergency fund I’d like to take lessons. There’s a barn super close and I like their website and what they offer. I’m thinking of taking a trail ride first to see the property and actually talk to people in person (and personally I’d like to see how the trail horses are treated before committing) and was wondering if you had any tips?
2/2 This is my first time approaching a place for lessons and don’t want to go in blind. I’m also gonna ask my boss and such what reputation the place I’m thinking of has jic But afaik she’s never taken formal lessons before and I love her but her experience is very narrow in general. Her job is all the horse world experience she has and since it’s a rescue she’s really only seen the worst of most disciplines so I’d like more opinions on what a red flag is for lessonsFirst of all, congrats on the job! What kind of lessons are you looking at taking (disciple? group/private? weekly/biweekly/every other week/etc?)? Furthermore what are your goals in taking lessons? Do you want to ride with someone who is going to get you show experience, do you want to ride with someone who is going to work really slowly, do you want to ride with someone who is going to push you out of your comfort zone? Figuring those out first will be really helpful in figuring out if this place will be a good fit or offer you what you’re looking for!Other than that, my suggestions are:
Ask around--- do people have good things to say about their lesson program? Do they do well at shows (if they show) ((this isn’t always a great reflection of quality, but it’s worth knowing))? Are they known for taking good care of horses or do they have a reputation for overly harsh/abusive methods? Is there anyone who swears by their program? Is there anyone who refuses to recommend their program? Reputation says a LOT; personally I have trainers I will never recommend and steer people away from, many I’m ambivalent towards, and a select few I really recommend with glowing reviews.
Check out the footing--- a facility with bad footing is reflection of low quality instructors and barn management. Trainers/instructors that are going to be worth working with and are knowledgeable aren’t going to deal with poor footing. Bad footing means lame horses. Instructors who don’t know what bad footing is means bad instructors.
Check out the turnout/runs/stalls--- is it regularly cleaned? are there any broken boards, hanging wires, etc. that a horse can get caught on? Again, a facility is a reflection of the quality of trainers and management. If a trainer/instructor is keeping their horses in poor, unclean, potentially dangerous situations then again they aren’t good, they aren’t knowledgeable. Basic sanitation goes a long way.
Check out the lesson/program/trainer’s horses--- are they fit? are they in relatively good condition? are any of them visibly lame (and if yes, are they clearly in care/receiving care for that or do you seem to be the only one who notices it). This is basic common sense, but if the horses don’t look like they’re in good condition for the amount of work or level of work they’re supposed to be doing then don’t even bother. Again, poor horse management speaks volumes to an instructors lack of knowledge and you shouldn’t waste your money with someone who doesn’t take good care of their horses.
Check out the kind of bits being used on lesson horses (if at all possible)---I’m not against harsher bits when used correctly and in the hands of someone who knows how to use them BUT what someone puts in the mouths of horses they put beginners on says a LOT about how they teach, train, and how much they can really offer you. If you see a w/t pony in a gag then just run the other way. If a lesson horse isn’t in some variation of snaffle for all flat work then yikes.
Ask if you can audit/watch a lesson/part of a lesson--- or if not see if you can find one of the students to tell you what they like/don’t like about the trainer’s style. Both are good ways to get a feel for if it’s even worth spending money and IF you do get to watch a lesson you’ll also just have a lot better idea of what they expect of YOU as a student and overall it’s a little less stressful than coming in blind.
See if you can find out the trainer’s competition record--- this is blissfully easy to do with dressage, hunter/jumpers & eventing and I’m not as sure about the Western disciplines but basically someone’s show record can’t lie. Yes, some people do have BAD shows and then they get them on their record for all time BUT generally this is a quick and easy way to see what levels this person is truly proficient in.
Basically, my suggestion is to go out without your horse (if you have one, I wasn’t clear on that lol) and basically see if you can bum about the place or have someone you tour around. You can learn a lot more from just checking these things out at the facility than you do from asking the potential trainer. Hope this helps!
