Absolutely and utterly fed up (BIG RANT AHOY!!!)

larri

larri

Luso Loopy!
Sep 10, 2001
1,609
5
38
54
West Essex / Herts border uk
Why is it impossible to get a decent reliable instructor :mad: ??????

I quite honestly feel like jacking everything in I'm so fed up.
Safi and I need regular instruction to make any kind of progress and for the second time this year I have been told by someone teaching us that they can't do it any longer, this time not just letting me down, but others on the yard who were using him at my recommendation. (Oh and great I get the job of telling them)

I had real hopes of getting out and about with Safi this year (even filled in her application form for the Luso Breed Show) and now without any instruction it would be pointless even trying

Does nobody have commitment to clients any more - why take new pupils on and then decide a couple of weeks later they can't be bothered? If I treated my clients like this at work I'd be out on my *r*e. Is my money not good enough, am I a horrible client....what is the problem?????

So does anyone know of any good classical dressage instructors able to teach evening / weekends in North Essex for a crap rider on a bolshy horse with big aspirations?
 
Hi,
I'm trying to send you a PM but your mail box is full....
Let me know when some deleted as i can send you in private some details of a couple of instructors you may be interested in.
 
I had that trouble with your instructor when I used him.

I can recommend mine she is excellent and reliable and will go to your yard she used to teach Nic when she was there.

If your into RWYM, or at least pretty open minded? She has worked wonders in a few lessons for me and Zak :D
 
Forgot to say Julie only does weekends at the mo as she works in London, but is going full time in a few months, so will beable to do eves aswell I would imagine.
 
Cheers guys - pm box now has spaces!
I was so bleeping furious to get the email, it was the last straw after him not answering phone and not turning up grrrrrrrrrrr. I wasn't particularly pleasant in my response to him.

Chelle I've no objection to RWYM, just not experienced it personally, to be brutally honest I just want someone reliable that I can see progress with - with a view to actually and finally managing to make it to a competition at some point in my horses lifetime.
I've always been taught along classical lines, so would prefer someone who is that way orientated, but hell so long as I don't get get any gadget promoting heavy handed boot and pull merchants I'm open to pretty much any style of tuition that gets Moose and me working correctly.

Also looking for help with jumping / xc as well as dressage (ever get the feeling we just need HELP lol :p )
 
She is def not gadge orientated, competes to a high level herself, was trained by Becky Chapman and is just excellent :D

Been having lessons with her since Nov, and I gave myself till Aug to get into a prelim test, which you know I succedeed in doing recently way before my goal, she pushes enough to get you there, but never pushes you to something your not sure of or capable off.

Will PM you her number, give her a call for a chat and see how you feel from there, she is perfectly reasonable, she welcomes calls inbetween lessons to discuss any probs, or any aims etc, and if you cant get her she always returns calls.

She watches over vids if you want her to, she will take short clips of the lesson if you have nobody to vid for you, and she likes to go over dressage test sheets etc to help if she can :D
 
The way that I have successfully found instructors, has been through being a riding club (and pony club) member.

If you're not a member of a riding club already, it's probably worth looking into, as if it's anything like the one I'm in, it's all very friendly and there are a lot of clinics and events aimed at a very grassroots level. In the summer there is usually a clinic most days - and these are heavily subsidised, so it makes for really cheap lessons, and oppurtunities to 'try out' different local instructors. If I particularly enjoy a rally or clinic and think the instruction was very good, I will usually speak to the instructor afterwards, and the majority of them are able to come out and teach private lessons. At the moment I am very lucky, as I have a fantastic showjumping instructor, who has just come back to horses after trying a different career and realising that actually horses were more fulfilling.

Also, if there is a large group of you, we have an instructor that visits our yard fortnightly to teach lots of people privately, and although he isn't really classically orientated, he's got an energetic teaching style and is really positive to riders and horses. I know he's prepared to travel, as he teaches a group in scotland some months :eek:
 
That is soooo annoying, especially when he seemed to have got the measure of Safi.

Not sure on the geography of the area - how far are you from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire? My own trainer has moved down there but he won't travel to you unless it is an organised clinic and he is very busy getting horses qualified (16 of them!) at the moment (he is way behind as he broke his wrist and is only just back riding) so isn't really doing them again until July. If you can travel to him, he would probably try to fit you in - he has indoor and outdoor schools.

Others that might be a possibility in your area are:

Name TINA ATKINS
Address THE OWLS
WOODHAM ROAD
STOW MARIES, CHELMSFORD
ESSEX
CM3 6SA
Telephone 01621 828292
Mobile 07770 663229

I've heard good things about her as a trainer and she has certainly been very pleasant when I've met her at competitions.

Name ANITA DARKEN
Address STOCK FARM
MATCHING GREEN
HARLOW
ESSEX
CM17 0RN
Telephone 01279 731447
Mobile 07831 107127
EMail anita@darken.fsworld.co.uk

No idea what she is like as a trainer but she is a very good judge, have written for her and ridden in front of her. If her teaching is like her judging she should be pretty good.

Name DANIEL SHERRIFF
Address BAYFORD HALL FARM
BAYFORD
NR HERTFORD
HERTFORDSHIRE
SG13 8PR
Telephone 01992 511529
Mobile 07768 231711

Trains a lot of the BYRDs lot and they give really good feedback on his training.

Name DAVID PINCUS
Address SHEEPCOTE
BARTESTREE
HEREFORD
HR1 4DE
Telephone 01432 850396
EMail info@sheepcote.co.uk
David and his wife Serena are very classically based - he trained in Vienna at the SRS. Not sure how close it is to you - might be worth a try.
 
I'm sorry to hear what has happened and can sympathise with you. Could I just say though, it should be up to this instructor to tell his other clients who are based at your yard and not you. Its so easy for people to shoot the messenger if you know what I mean.

I had a great instructor who came out to me which was brilliant but then when the better weather came in I hardly saw her due to riding club commitments and beach trips etc etc etc

I then went for one on one lessons at a very reputable riding school and as it was nearly £30 I could only afford to go once per month. Every other month I was either put with one of the other younger helpers (I'll not even say instructor!) or telephoned about an hour before and cancelled off - after I'd come in to work an hour early so that I could extend my lunch hour for my lesson. Eventually I was finding the instructor was less and less interested in what I was trying to achieve so I stopped going as it was getting to the stage where I was trying to bring Amber on more. Its just frustrating though, you work around their timetable and pay out big money for the lessons and to be honest, YOU are helping them earn a living but they turn round and drop you as quick as you like!

Chin up and I hope you get sorted. Obviously a lot of people on here in your vicinity are determined to pair you up with a great instructor ;)
 
I understand your frustrations. The problem is county wide :mad:
I would happily teach you but a 4 hour round trip for 1 lesson is just not really an option. An occasional trip down to sort out a particular problem is possible but not what you need right now.
I still teach DITZ regularly (about the same distance) but that is only possible because she has arranged a group of 4-6 people that all have lessons with me at the same place. She hires an areana central to all parties and i just go there and spend the day teaching.
If you could arrange something similar then I could help you out (assuming you want me to).
Dave
 
Totally sympathise and hope you get this sorted.

My instructor came for one lesson with me and Zizzi, I rang him next day to arrange a lesson next week and he just never rang back. How rude !
 
I've calmed down a bit now everyone, sorry for rant :eek:
LGD - Your geography is worse than mine lol! Chipping Norton is nearer where I used to live but ooh about 100 miles away now and Hereford is even further, some of the others are very local though.

Thanks for the names, I'm printing this all off (and the PM's) and asking other on the yard for who we vote for to try first!

I'm stuffed travelwise atm, so can only ride on our yard, but have great facilities - new grass arena, large outdoor sand lunging area and indoor school - there is talk that the indoor can be hired - but that seems to have been put on hold till Rita is back on her feet :(

David I totally understand and there is a good possibility that I've found a local jumping instructor (seeing her in action on Weds) - I'm saving you for some XC schooling if that's OK (again need bleeping transport!!!!)
 
Dan Sherrif is very good if you can get there. :) As per LGD's post

Edit to add, what about Lara Abraham. She lives in stanstead. Or up and coming showjumping superstar Ben Maher. He lives in stanstead too.
 
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Casey - Safi was on livery at Lara's yard when I first moved over here, sadly if her teaching is anything like the same level as her care of liveries I wouldn't give her a penny ever again :mad:

Might try and find out a bit more about Ben - I know he's very local, just can't figure out where!
 
larri said:
Casey - Safi was on livery at Lara's yard when I first moved over here, sadly if her teaching is anything like the same level as her care of liveries I wouldn't give her a penny ever again :mad:
Click to expand...

Wow really, I have only had dealing with her from the circuit, though I believe your not alone in the livery stakes. :eek: :)
 
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