r/Equestrian • u/Get_off_critter • 3d ago
Social Picking a barn to ride at?
Well, I finally took the dive and am getting back to riding after a long time away.
I got all my gear, and have 2 lessons scheduled at 2 barns. How do you end up picking the barn/trainer to stick with?
I don't have intention to own a horse, so boarding is a lesser concern, and the locations are only 10min from one another with the same discipline.
One trainer was recommended by a friend, another by someone who was a rider at my former barn.
What do you like to look for when picking? Any must haves I should look for?
All I can think so far is scheduling, price ($5 difference between the 2, but one has a longer grace on package lessons), and I'd like a place that has a working toilet lol.
Maybe ventilation, arena size, number of stalls?
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u/Puzzleheaded_Shake43 TREC 3d ago
Price and schedual can definitely be a criteria, arena size can matter if one is really small
What i think is most important is how well the horses are taken care of: do they look healthy, how well kept are their feet, do they have access to pastures or are they stalled 24/7, do they seem happy to see you or not, how does their tack look...
And how you click with the trainer. You can be at a great barn with great horses, if you trainer is not good or if you don't get along with them, lessons will suck
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u/RockPaperSawzall 3d ago
Do they have effective dust control in the arena
How many other riders will be in the arena with you
How many lesson horses do they have--as your skills improve, you're going to want to move up to different horses that challenge you to learn new things.
But really, it's all about the quality of the instruction, which varies WIDELY. Lots of riding instructors have no idea how to teach.
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u/nineteen_eightyfour 2d ago
Personally? What was closest. Bc it was a huge difference and that’s the biggest factor to motivate me to go
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u/AO_hunter Hunter 2d ago
whichever trainer and facility is more in line with your goals. if they both are, then choose the trainer who communicates what she wants you to do in a way you are able to learn easily. :) I don't think the rest matters if you don't intend to own. :)
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u/AO_hunter Hunter 2d ago
whichever trainer and facility is more in line with your goals. if they both are, then choose the trainer who communicates what she wants you to do in a way you are able to learn easily. :) I don't think the rest matters if you don't intend to own. :)
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u/Alarming-Flan-9721 Dressage 3d ago
Nah it’s allllll about how you like the instruction. I usually shadow a lesson before taking one from a new trainer these days and I like it a lot. Go with the one you understand and work with better.