Lorien Stable: Trainer's Notes
Welcome. Enjoy.
For discussion of this article, or any other topic, visit the Message Board.
Today's topic is Reasonable Expectations while Taking Lessons.
When you are taking lessons from an instructor, you have the right to
certain expectations.
You are paying for this professional's time. You have the right to be
treated like a valued client. Your instructor does not need to shout
like a drill sergeant, nor to insult you continually. Yes, you are in
lessons in order to learn, but you can be treated with respect.
In return, you should attempt to understand what the instructor says,
and to try it--even if you don't think it will work. Don't do anything
you think is going to seriously hurt you or the horse, but do have an
open mind, and be willing to try strange and new things--or accept
correction on old ones.
When you are taking lessons, you should be given every opportunity to
learn. This includes being provided with a suitable horse. If you are
timid, the horse should be responsive and not stubborn. If you are
ready to move on, the horse should be able to teach you more than you
already know. If you have had your confidence shaken, then you
certainly ought to be put on a steady horse. If you are
already confident, you
do not need to be riding a plod who cannot teach you anything.
It is not your job to help train your school horse; it is not your job
to quiet and steady him. It is the school's job to keep him in suitable
training, to keep him steady and safe for clients. If you are put on a
horse who
upsets your confidence, who is too much for you to handle, or who is not
teaching you anything--then what are you paying for? Your goal is to
learn. You are not going to learn if you are uncomfortable.
Along the same lines, you should not feel embarrassed or upset about
asking for your instructor to increase your comfort level. It is
his/her *job* to help you learn; you can not learn if you are
uncomfortable. It is by no means a matter of embarrasment to get off a
horse because he is making you miserable; why should you pay to be
miserable? What are you going to learn? "Admitting" that a horse is
"too much" for you is no shame; it's wisdom. You're there to learn, not
to demonstrate that you are the most macho of the bunch. If they
haven't yet taught you enough that you can handle the horse you're on,
it's not your fault.
You should be able to feel welcome in asking for a change in your
lesson.
I encourage you to speak to your instructor in lessons. You are paying
for them, after all. If you have a question, you should ask it. If you
are not comfortable on your horse, you should be able to ask for a
different one. If you need clarification of a concept, your instructor
should be able to help you.
As an instructor, one of my main goals is to help my students to learn
at the pace which is right for them. I often find that my students are
reluctant to give me feedback about much of the above: was the horse too
much? too little? just right? was the speed of the lesson
satisfactory? Did we cover what you expected? If not or if so, was it
helpful to you? Is there anything you'd like explained in further
detail?
I can not
teach to your full capacity if you do not tell me how the lesson looked
from YOUR side. I would much rather have you happy than follow some
obscure timeline of my own. My goal, as a teacher, is to teach.
