Comments on: Don’t Trust Your Beginner Riders with a Beginner Instructor

By: TheRidingInstructor

TheRidingInstructor — Fri, 06 May 2022 20:18:43 +0000

In reply to Pia Särkänlahti. Thank you for your comment Pia. It sounds to me like you are giving your kids the most important thing- a love for horses. That's where it all begins. Good job concentrating on developing their seats! Best wishes to you, Barbara Ellin Fox

By: Pia Särkänlahti

Pia Särkänlahti — Fri, 06 May 2022 16:56:11 +0000

Great read, even if it is old. I really agree. I my self am not a good rider, but love hacking for pleasure. Horses have always belonged In my life, and my two kids 5 and 7 have learned riding at home whit just a girth, both get the horses To stop whit a whoa and theyr seat. When they have mastered all gaits whit the girth, they get the stirrups and after that the reigns. I have the begining of two riders whit a seat that is envied By many good riders. They still have a lot To learn, but the foundation is there

By: TheRidingInstructor

TheRidingInstructor — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 12:24:38 +0000

In reply to Laura.

Laura,
I so agree with your comments. Thank you for sharing them. Yes we have to be continuously teachable and always curious in order to remain on the path of becoming a good instructor. It’s a process. Mentoring/apprenticing is the ideal way to learn because you can be nurtured through stages. Having a grounding in the basics is one of the most important aspects of becoming a good instructor, as you show us in your comment. After all how can we pass to students what we don’t know? And that goes even farther because the basics keep people safer on horses and the foundation is what makes it possible for our own students to build their riding lives. If you have the foundation and if you are able to give it to students, riding lives can be built.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
Barbara

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 17:19:45 +0000

Agreed. I think one of the best ways to become a good instructor is to surround yourself with great instructors to learn from. I think we each develop our own teaching style from those who have influenced us, so surrounding ourselves with good mentors is vital. Also, there is no substitute for on the job training and learning to instruct under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor. My mentors were able to make corrections I had missed and gave me direct feedback on how each lesson went, what I was doing well and what I needed to work on.

As a rider, I rode with a “beginner instructor” for many years. I assumed I knew what I was doing because I had been taking lessons for nearly 10 years. When I went to college, I was frustrated to discover that I had never learned the true basics, and spent over 4 years and thousands of hours trying to relearn how to ride. As frustrating as that experience was, I now value it, because I believe it has made me a better instructor. I had to learn how to break each movement, action, and position change down in a way I could teach it to myself and now others. Gaining an understanding of bio-mechanics helped me learn how to get to the root cause of every issue, to help beginners fix problems more quickly and effectively. I think becoming a good instructor is a process that really never ends. I have been teaching for almost 15 years and I still feel that I have a lot of room to improve. Each lesson for the student is a new learning experience for myself, every horse and rider pair are different and present different challenges which gives me new opportunities to learn how to problem solve more effectively. To be great instructors we must first and always be willing students, because even at the highest levels of the sport there are still things to be learned.

By: Patricia

Patricia — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 13:13:25 +0000

In reply to TheRidingInstructor. This is a wonderful reply!

By: TheRidingInstructor

TheRidingInstructor — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 19:28:59 +0000

In reply to Grace.

Grace – Thank you – Barbara

By: TheRidingInstructor

TheRidingInstructor — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 19:28:32 +0000

In reply to Kim Creamer. Kim - thanks! I'm glad the posts help. Best wishes for good teaching. Barbara

By: TheRidingInstructor

TheRidingInstructor — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 19:26:40 +0000

In reply to Marianne England. Marianne- Nice Job- Barbara

By: Marianne England

Marianne England — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 15:25:20 +0000

An excellent read and excellent comments – BUT – (you know there’s always a but…), I want to share my story into teaching.
I worked as a working student/groom/trail ride lead at a massive public barn in IL. I wanted to teach lessons, and got my first few total beginner students (and I mean beginner – 6yr olds and 8yr olds who had never seen a horse before), and taught them the summer before I went to college. I had only the experience from my own lessons and showing my horse to go on, but I wouldn’t let them try a new skill before they had mastered the skill before it. I took them slowly so that I would be sure I was doing it right. Of those four students I had my first summer teaching, one of them is a professional trainer, two of them show their horses on the A circuit, and one rides with her little family for pleasure.
Sometimes, all you need is someone with the drive to teach and someone who will give them the chance to shine.
(Thanks, Amy Brown, for giving me that chance….)

By: Kim Creamer

Kim Creamer — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:00:24 +0000

I am a beginner instructor. I agree with you completely. There is a language to teaching new riders. I have been shadow teaching with another instructor for over a year now and that experience has been invaluable. I am also going for my instructors license so will be mentoring under a level 2 coach. I am 50 yrs old so am coming to this a little late in life, but have been riding for over 25 years. I feel that the learning process is never over…not for the beginner, nor the intermediate nor the advanced level coach. I believe what you said is true. If you don’t have a solid foundation, you are forever trying to correct those bad habits. I also believe that you need to have some really solid schooling horses, along with those that will challenge the kids to become better riders.

Once again, excellent advise. I research as much as possible and ask as many questions as I can. I am getting better everyday! Thank you for your time and for your advise. I always enjoy your posts!

Kim (The beginner Instructor)