How to work well with your riding instructor

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How much should a trainer and pupil expect of each other? Does your riding instructor support you – or prop you up? – and how much ‘out of hours’ advice should riders reasonably expect of their trainer?

• Try to be realistic about what you can achieve, as opposed to what you want to achieve, and listen to your trainer’s advice.
• Trust your trainer, discuss a training plan with them, discuss their fees and your budget to try to avoid misunderstandings about what you are expected to pay for.
• Your trainer doesn’t owe you anything apart from your lesson, but most will happily discuss training and management issues, competitions etc. If they help you at a show, the least you can do is to buy them a coffee.
• If you are not confident about training on your own or turning up at competitionsunaided, discuss this with your trainer – a good trainer will support you, but help you work towards independence.

To read the full feature on trainer and pupil relationships see the current issue of H&H (2 February 2012)

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