Selection and Care of the Dressage Instructor

The very first thing to remember when selecting an instructor: they may be the greatest instructor in the world but if you can't learn from them, then they are a bad instructor for you.

I'm constantly being asked, "who's a good instructor?" Knowing the instructors in my area my first response becomes "what are you looking for?"

The basic things that need defining are the approximate age of the student, skill level, budget, what sort of teacher they are comfortable with, and what the heck do they hope to achieve by taking lessons.

So make a list of what would be YOUR ideal instructor and then put a number 1,3,5 beside each qualification with 5 being I must have and 1 being nice to have and rate each instructor. Then add them up and see what you really can and can't live with in your instructor

Some things to think on are -

Do they use gadgets, how often and can you tell them no way on my horse? - check out the tack room as that will often tell the tale of what really happens.

Do the horses in the barn appear friendly? (I went into one barn and every horse ran to the back of their stalls with one running so fast he slammed into the back wall and bounced off it).   I just kept walking.

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