Questions and Answers from my favorite e-group
These questions were posed to folks on one of my favorite e-groups, which has a large membership. People sent responses and then a summary of the answers was posted for all.
What are you looking to get out of your lessons?
- Safety for horses & riders as a priority
- Move at my speed & my horse's speed in lessons. Pushing beyond personal boundaries is okay; yelling & degrading are not okay.
- Trainers must be able to tell why something is done the way they're asking, not just how.
- I would like to know when I'm doing something correct instead of hearing just the negativity of my riding. By confirming the correct, the rider is encouraged and thirsty to know how to be even better.
- Basic position checks, to have a ground check to see if what I am doing is what I think I am doing and if it's clearly communicating with the horse. What I really don't like is lessons that are about how you look not what you do. That is not to say that you don't need to learn how to ride correctly. You do. But you need to know that your heels are down to give you a longer more effective leg.
What are you looking to get out of your boarding?
- For boarding I want someone who knows about horses and lets me know if anything is off and can take care of it until I can get there.
- Some one who looks after my horses' needs, not their program.
- I am not demanding but I want someone who looks at my horse every day and knows what they are seeing.
- I want someone who can hold my horses for a fee if I can't be there.
What are you looking to get out of your training?
- I want my horse to learn what I want him to learn using good riding not gadgets.
- I want to see a trainer that knows what they want, three or four ways to explain it to a horse, and but not inflexibility.
What are you looking to get out of your clinics?
- "I have often thought, tongue in cheek at least, that clinic attendees should have to sign an agreement that they will fulfill their part of the commitment to learn--with the correct attitudes and respect. One of my pet peeves is when auditors do so much chatting that other auditors can't concentrate. It shows gross disrespect to the instructor. Then there are the riders who find themselves 'above' the clinician and won't be respectful. I've heard of such even chewing out the clinician and leaving."
What would you like to see offered?
- More information about equipment, especially bits, how they work and why they are used in different situations. I want to see good old-fashioned hard work, not quick "fixes" like tying a horse around, tying a pleasure horse's head up, the use of drugs, etc.
What is the biggest challenge you see today in the horse industry?
- Lack of money. It's tough times for everyone and the horse industry is feeling the squeeze.
- Bad riders or non-riders "training horses." Therefore a lot of badly trained horses.
What do you value most from your trainer/instructor/barn owner etc.
- Honesty. In everything. You wouldn't believe how hard that seems to be for barn owners and trainers.
- Listening and thinking about what I am asking.
