I think all the articles on the web site don't do much to help. They just give you a little blurp about the subject and don't have very much information. When I read about a subject, I don't just want to be told find a trainer.
Try providing tips for the beginner and young riders prepping for a good first hunter or jumper rounds, too.
I think the article makes some good points, but I agree with Yvette's comments. If you can't find or can't afford a GOOD instructor, order instructional DVDs. Watch them over and over until you understand what the narrator is saying as the video demonstrates - visualize and practice the movements on a stool at home so that when you do get horse time, the movements come automatically. Also, audit clinics with reputable trainers. Remember, riding is less about how you look and more about how your mind tells your muscles what to do to communicate with your horse.
I do agree with this article BUT finding a good trainer is not always the case. I used to ride at an upscale hunter barn and the trainer there would frequently put children in classes they SHOULD NOT have been in to please the parents and keep the money comming. So beware when looking for a trainer especally for you kids.
Well, I think having a good trainer is a huge part of riding. By good, I don't mean well known or expensive, I mean someone who can teach you how to interact with your horse and how to ride correctly. There are so many methods to riding, just because you need a $300,000 horse to ride with Missy Clark, doesn't mean you couldn't get just as much education being, say a working student from her or riding with a less known trainer. I am big on trainers and I think that everyone needs to be comfortable with their trainer and the pace that he/she is moving them forward. My old trainer wouldn't let me jump because she said that my pony was 'unsafe'. This is the most untrue (is that a word?) statement that I have ever heard. This past year we won Reserve Champion at the end of the year in the 2'6" pony jumper division. That pony is the safest pony anyone could ask for. Ahem, sorry, I love my pony dearly. Anyway, I couldn't stand just trotting over trotting poles any longer so I found a new trainer and in just 1-2 years, I'm now jumping 3'!!! And, yes, I am not the best at this level but I need to be moved up or else I willget bored! I love jumping, it's my passion but I do believe that you can succeed with a smaller budget and still have a trainer.
It is NOT a good idea to learn how to ride based on books and videos. If you don't have someone experienced watching and telling you what you are doing wrong, you will never know if you are ding it right. When you learn how to ride wrong, it will not impress the judges, and more importantly, it will screw up the horse. If you do not know what you are doing, you should not have a horse. On finding a trainer, there are a lot of good, inexpensive intructers out there. What I did was go for a lesson or two at one barn, and if I didn't like it, move on to another barn.
Great tips but there is a lot more to jmping than this. I have seen many riders go face first in the dirt because the horse refused.