So your love for horses is a true passion and your urge to want to start riding is a fact. Your family and friends are tired of hearing you talk about equestrian sports and you keep on day dreaming about starting a career along with your four legged friends. Perhaps it is time for you to find a good horse instructor to vent off some of your passion and getting into action.
Yet, beware. You do not want any ordinary instructor you find on the yellow pages, nor do you want the one closest to your home. If you are serious about riding you must be serious about searching for the ideal instructor that will practice safety and contribute to instilling in you the passion for riding in the correct manner.
This does not mean that your instructor must have awards and ribbons all over his office but lots of experience will get you where you want more efficiently and you will get your money's worth out of each lesson. Following are some guidelines on how to ensure you choose your instructor wisely. Remember: you choose your instructor not the other way around. If you do not like what you hear or see, stop and search elsewhere.
- Look for Experience
Only instructors with a good amount of experience should teach others. Ideally he or she should have been around giving lessons for at least two years. Less than this, you may be dealing with somebody that is still learning as he teaches, not a good place to start. More than that, is certainly welcome, the more years, the better of course.
- Check for Credentials
Instructors in order to practice are not required to be licensed nor are they required to have any specific certifications. However, the most serious tend to like to offer credentials and they are therefore certified. Some of the most common affiliations are the American Riding Instructor's Association or the Certified Horsemanship Association.
- Match Your Goals
Not all instructors will teach those that are beginners. Rather, some instructors only provide intermediate or upper level lessons to those already with some experience. Ensure the instructor you are interviewing is willing to give beginner lessons and that he or she will put you with others at your same level.
- Check for Horse Availability
It may be hard to believe but not all instructors have horses. In some cases, the instructor will train people that already own a horse, so this is something important to ask about. If the instructor does provide the horse, ensure that it is suitable for beginners like you.
- Set the Schedules
Check what days your instructor is willing to give lessons. Mainly weekends are highly booked for obvious reasons. Coordinating your schedule with the one of your instructor may be a challenge at times.
- Try a Trial
A picture is worth more than a thousand words and watching a lesson may be the best way to decide if the instructor is the one for you. Watch for clarity in giving directions, patience, praise and encouragement towards the riders. Stay away from nervous instructors that seem to lose their temper easily. Some instructors will also provide you with a trial lesson.
- Consider the Fees
Last but not least you want to ask about the fees. You do not want to have any last minute surprises, after you have already decided to frequent a specific riding center. Be prepared: riding lessons may be costly and easily sum up to exorbitant fees when added all together.
As seen, there is a lot of research you can do in order to find the ideal instructor for you. The research is very well worth it since a good instructor is the foundation for an ongoing passion or even a promising equestrian career.
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