Watch The Instructor

You will want to talk to the teacher. You will want to get an idea of whether the two of you can get along and how they approach their role. You can get some very valuable insight from those conversations.

However, you can learn a lot more from actually watching the teacher at work.

The proof, they say, is in the pudding. You really should take the time to watch a potential instructor work with other students in your same skill range and age bracket.

This will help you determine whether you have found the right person for the job.

An instructor who does well with kids may be less enthused or effective when working with adults. A teacher who loves to share advanced techniques with experienced riders may not have the same infectious attitude when it comes to counseling a rank amateur.

By watching people in your same situation, you can get a clear idea of how your own lessons might look and feel.

Here are a few of the things for which you should be looking while evaluating a teacher in action:

Student reaction. How do the student’s react to the instruction? Do they seem put out by numerous recommendations and criticisms, or do they seem pleased to learn when advice is given to them? Are they enjoying their interaction with the instructor or merely forcing themselves through the process in order to spend time on horseback? A quality teacher creates a consistently positive environment, and that skill will show on the faces of his or her pupils.

Commitment to safety. A good instructor will demonstrate a strong commitment to safety. He or she may evidence that commitment by taking a second look at a student’s saddle before the pupil mounts the horse. It could appear in warnings and comments made during lessons.

Although riding is unbelievably fun, it does have its risks and those dangers must be taken very seriously. The best teachers understand that and make student well being a priority.

Animal treatment. Carefully note how the teacher is interacting with the animals, as well as the students. A good instructor will, of course, treat the horses with the utmost care and respect.

If you ever sense that the horses involved are almost an afterthought to an instructor, he or she will probably be a poor choice.

Careful observation of an instructor should help you decide if he or she is the right match for you.