Riding Instruction

farm freebiesIf you are a riding instructor (or if you want to become one), you’ve come to the right place. Riding instruction is our specialty, and below you’ll find plenty of articles on teaching, managing clients, creating schedules, caring for school horses, and plenty of other topics.

Managing Multiple Riding Instructors

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In larger barns, multiple riding instructors are sometimes necessary to serve all clients. They might specialize in different areas of equestrian sports, or perhaps they work with different levels of riders (e.g. beginning, intermediate, advanced). Whatever the case, it’s the horse business owner’s job to manage these riding instructors and ensure they are always on [...]

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Teaching Overweight Riders

Horse Business

Today’s question comes from Kacy of Starline Stables in Texas: I would like to see an article done regarding overweight riders and the challenges they face learning to ride. I’m on the thinner side and can’t relate very well. If I had a better understanding what they’re going through, I might be able to teach [...]

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Helping Students Break Bad Habits

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One of my students came to me several years ago from a riding instructor who had taught her diagonals backward. Another was taught to simply kick her horse whenever she wanted to change gaits. Bad habits are common among students who have received prior riding instruction, but how do you break those habits?

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Helping Male Students Get Comfortable
in the Saddle

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Today’s question comes from Teri of Phoenix Farm in Woodinville, WA:

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Teaching Students Proper Balance

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Balance is one of those things that occurs in one of two ways: Either the student is born with it, or he has to work for it. Either way, riding instructors should focus on balance in the saddle from Lesson One.

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Helping Your Students Overcome Fears
in the Horse Show Ring

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Butterflies are a given when it comes to the horse show ring. You know it, I know it, and perhaps your students are about to discover it. The first horse show is always the worst because your neophyte riders don’t know what to expect.

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Death in the Barn:
Helping Students Cope with Loss

Riding Instructor University

It’s an eventuality that all riding instructors must deal with at some point. A lesson horse will pass away, and you’ll have to tell your students what has happened and console them in their grief.

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You Tell Me:
Beginners or Advanced Students?

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Several of my clients have expressed to me over the last few months their desire to work only with advanced students. “I’m tired of baby beginners,” I keep hearing from riding instructors.

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You Tell Me:
How Long Should Riding Lessons Last?

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Lend me the wisdom of your years, O Riding Instructor. All of you guys out there, I’m curious about your riding lesson programs. I know you all do things a little bit differently from each other, and maybe we can learn something from your methods.

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Teaching Students Basic Equestrian Safety

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One of the first things riding instructors should teach new students is basic equestrian safety. This is true regardless of whether or not the student has taken riding lessons elsewhere; you have no way of knowing what another riding instructor taught or didn’t teach.

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Why Riding Instructors Should
Start Rewards Programs

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Why do students work hard at math and science? To earn good grades. Why do boy scouts learn new wilderness skills? To earn merit badges. And why musicians do and athletes and artists work so hard on their craft? To win competitions.

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Teaching Riders to Use Less Leg

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Perhaps one of the most difficult lessons for students to learn in riding lessons is degree of leg pressure. This, like so many concepts in horseback riding, is based on individual perception and control, and cannot be easily demonstrated by riding instructors.

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You Tell Me:
Who are your favorite kids to teach?

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This week here at Riding Instructor University we’re looking for stories, anecdotes, and lists of great qualities. Specifically, inquiring minds want to know who your favorite students are. Who do you love to teach in riding lessons? And why are those kids so special?

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Teaching Your Students to Mount and Dismount

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If you’ve been a riding instructor for any length of time, you know that one of the most challenging parts of your job is teaching students to mount and dismount. These two seemingly simple movements require more coordination than most other horseback activities combined.

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The Riding Lesson Program

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Riding instructors often miss the mark when it comes to setting up their businesses. They look at each lesson in a vacuum, assuming that it stands alone as its own separate event. In reality, each lesson is part of an overall riding lesson program.

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How to Challenge Students in
Riding Lessons

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Each riding lesson you teach should introduce your student(s) to new material. You might work on movements or techniques taught in previous lessons, but you must bring something fresh to the table.

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What do your students
want to learn?

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Great riding instructors ask their students questions. They solicit feedback on future riding lessons so they can constantly improve their performance. Most important, they teach what their students want to learn.

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Riding Instructor Specialty

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Some might say that riding instruction is a specialty unto itself. It’s a narrow subset of the horse business as a whole, and it requires a specific set of skills and strengths. However, in my experience, riding instructors thrive when they specialize even further.

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You Tell Me: How Many School Horses?

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You Tell Me: How many school horses does a riding instructor need? And what do you think is the most important thing in determining the perfect number?

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7 Things Riding Instructors Should Never Say

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1“You aren’t good enough.” Each of your students will have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Your job is to appreciate your students’ strengths and help them work on their weaknesses, not to tear them down.

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Tips for Schooling Students at Horse Shows

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One of the most stressful responsibilities a riding instructor can undertake is schooling students at horse shows. It’s nothing like teaching riding lessons at home, and no matter how carefully you prepare there never seems to be enough time.

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Should Riding Instructors Let Students Ride Outside Lessons?

horse business

E very so often a Riding Instructor University reader sends me a question about his or her horse business. Last week I received the following query from a riding instructor and horse business owner named Kiran, who hails from Minneapolis, MN:

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Reward Riding Lesson Students
with a Schooling Show

horse business

R iding lesson students work hard to learn all they can about riding and horsemanship, and many of them either can’t afford or have no desire to compete. A schooling show is an inexpensive, no-pressure way to reward riding lesson students for their loyalty and their hard work.

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Combining Services in the
Horse Business

horse business

One of the latest crazes in the insurance industry is insurance bundles. That is, you purchase your car and homeowner’s insurance from the same company, and you get a discount on both.

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10 Tips for a Successful Riding Lesson

horse business

Riding instructors have one basic goal: To please their students. If you can accomplish that, you’re riding heads and tails over your competition. But what makes a successful riding lesson?

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Are You Ready to Become a
Riding Instructor?

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While I would never discourage anyone from becoming part of the horse business in some fashion, no one should ever become a riding instructor unless he or she is prepared for the job. This means having the requisite skills, safety training, and devotion to their students.

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The Number One Way to Make
Students Happy in Riding Lessons

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All riding lessons will not go as planned. Every student experiences a bad day every once in a while, and although this is inevitable, unhappy students may leave your horse business and go somewhere else.

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Questions to Ask Your Students

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A reader named Lisa left a particularly insightful comment on my article about dealing with hyperactive students. She said, in part:

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When to Remove a Student from His
Horse in Riding Lessons

horse business

Bad behavior, failure to follow direcftions, and injured horses are all reasons to remove a student from his horse in riding lessons. Read on to learn how to handle the situation.

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Are Your Students Too Competitive?

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Competition is healthy—to a point. When students are getting too competitive, it is up to the riding instructor to restore balance. Here’s how.

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Why Do Your Students
Want to Ride?

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Motivation is a key aspect of riding instruction. If you want to give your students the best equestrian education possible, you must know why they are interested in horses in the first place.

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What Should
Riding Instructors Wear?

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Riding instructors have to dress for success, but what does that mean when you’re alternating between mucking out stalls and shouting orders from the middle of a dusty arena?

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Why Group Riding Lessons Fail

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All riding instructors make mistakes. If you’re having trouble teaching group riding lessons, one of these common issues might be at fault.

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Group Riding Lessons Versus
Private Riding Lessons

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Riding instructors should consider both group riding lessons and private riding lessons carefully before deciding which is best. This article will help you compare the two riding lesson formats.

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Teaching Students to Sit the Trot

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Learn the best methods for riding instructors who are teaching their students to sit the trot.

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Warming Up Your Riders

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In some ways, the warm-up is the most important part of the riding lesson. Riding instructors can use these tips to get more out of their students during warm-ups.

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When to Retire Lesson Horses

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Riding instructors must look for signs that their lesson horses are ready to retire. Learn some of these signs and find tips for dealing with school horse retirement.

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Teaching Your Students to
Mount and Dismount

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Learn the best methods of teaching students to mount and dismount their horses in riding lessons.

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How to Pair Students with
Lesson Horses

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Worried about whether your students will be compatible with their lesson horses? Learn how riding instructors can successfully pair students with school horses for valuable training.

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Should Students Prepare Their Own Horses for Riding Lessons?

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Riding instructors can groom and tack up the horses themselves for riding lessons or they can have their students do it. Which is better, and what type of system should riding instructors use?

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Teaching Students to Post on the Correct Diagonal

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Learn how riding instructors can teach their students to post on the correct diagonal through repetition and proper set-up.

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Teaching Students Horsemanship

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A riding instructor’s job is to prepare his or her students for horse ownership. Teaching horsemanship is an integral part of achieving this goal.

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Teaching Students to Post the Trot:
Part One

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It is extremely difficult to teach students how to post the trot. Use these tips to prepare your students for the trot and to teach correct technique while posting.

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Teaching Students Soft Hands

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Riding instructors should make soft hands a priority for all students. Learn the Pinky Test and other ways to help students develop soft hands.

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Cell Phones for Riding Instructors

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Do you carry a cell phone during riding lessons? If so, you’ve got the right idea, but make sure you aren’t committing these cell phone sins while you’re at it.

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Teaching Students to
Use Their Corners

use your corners

When students understand how to use their corners, they can take advantage of the entire arena and avoid getting into wrecks with other riders.

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10 Fun Activities for
Summer Horse Camp

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Gearing up for summer horse camp? Keep your campers happy and occupied with these tried and true activities.

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What Do Your Students
Wear to Riding Lessons?

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An overview of how riding instructors can set guidelines and enforce rules about riding lesson clothes.

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Q: How do you deal with hyperactive students?

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Every riding instructor has faced a hyperactive student. Which techniques work best? And how do you convince hyper kids to pay attention?

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Are Your Students Ready?

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Your students’ lives are valuable, so you must think carefully before pushing them toward new steps in the learning process. Consider these factors if you think you might be pushing them too hard.

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Why You Must Have
an Indoor Arena

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Considering the installation of an indoor arena at your farm? It’s more important than you might think. Don’t put it off for these reasons.

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Are You Too Friendly
with Your Students?

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Every riding instructor needs to establish professional relationships in the horse business. But what happens when you cross the line into friendships with clients?

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3 Mistakes Every Riding Instructor Should Avoid

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Avoid these mistakes in your riding instruction business and you’ll be far ahead of the curve. But know that you will make mistakes, and resolve to learn from them as they occur.

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On Whips and Spurs

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All horse business owners have a position on whips, spurs and other artificial aids. Learn how to develop a policy for your business.

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How to Use Riding Lesson Plans

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Get your free riding lesson plan template and learn how to use it! There is no reason why you can’t get organized and give your students a better riding lesson experience.

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The Book Riding Instructors Can’t Live Without

Learning to Ride, Hunt, and Show

Review of Learn to Ride, Hunt, and Show by Gordon Wright. Learn why this timeless classic is a must-read for riding instructors.

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Organize Your Horse Business
with Riding Lesson Plans

horse business

Use this riding lesson plan template to make your riding instruction business stronger, more efficient and more organized. Riding lesson plans are excellent tools for all riding instructors.

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Ten Slam Dunk Ways to
Make Riding Lessons More Fun

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Games, contests and other creative endeavors can spice up riding lessons and ensure students come back for more. These ideas should get you started.

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How Much Money Does a
Riding Instructor Earn?

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Have you ever wondered about riding lesson wages? If you’re thinking of becoming a riding instructor, it might help to understand your income possibilities.

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Age Limits in the Horse Business

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Age is just a number, but it’s a very important number in the horse business. From riding lessons to horse boarding, you can expect to deal with clients of all ages unless you decide to set limits. For example, I never work with students under ten years of age. This might seem extreme for most [...]

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Price

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How much should you pay for a lesson horse? This is the question on every riding instructor’s mind, and it can have an enormous impact on the bottom line. After all, the amount of money you pay for lesson horses comes right out of your profits from teaching riding lessons. I hate to be the [...]

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Disposition

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Before buying a lesson horse, make sure his disposition is appropriate for your program. Although not necessarily a deal-breaker, a bad disposition can cause you to lose students.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Vet Check

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An equine vet check is a necessary step in buying a lesson horse. Before you agree to take the horse home and put him to work, have a professional conduct a pre-purchase exam. This is the only way to protect yourself.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Equine History

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Every horse has a history, and you should learn it before buying lesson horses. This will tell you if there are any problems in the animal’s past.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Student Compatibility

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Ready for a bold suggestion on how to evaluate lesson horses? A school horse must be compatible with the students who ride him, at least to a certain degree. This article will help you gauge student compatibility to find the right lesson horses.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Physical Ability

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You never want to buy a lesson horse that doesn’t fit the criteria you need in physical ability. Use these tips to narrow down your search and find the perfect horse.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Behavioral Suitability

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When searching for lesson horses, consider behavioral suitability first. Read on to learn about the fundamentals of ideal lesson horse behavior.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation

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Part One of an eight-part series on lesson horse evaluation. Learn how to choose the best school horses for your horse business.

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New Year’s Resolutions for
Riding Instructors

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Setting new goals for 2010? Consider these New Year’s resolutions for riding instructors and work your way toward a prosperous 2011 and beyond.

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Do Riding Instructors Need Web Sites?

horse business

Riding instructors and other horse business owners should use the technology available to increase their client bases and improve their businesses.

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20 Rainy Day Activities for Riding Instructors

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Put these twenty ideas for rainy day activities to good use in your riding instruction program.

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How to Keep Riding Lessons on Schedule

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Check out these tips on how to stay on schedule when you’re teaching riding lessons, regardless of your lesson format.

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Where Do Riding Instructors Stand?

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Where riding instructors stand isn’t always as important as their behavior during riding lessons. Keep these tips in mind as you teach your students.

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Safety Tips for Teaching
the Fearful Rider

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Learn how to approach timid riders during their riding lessons. Safety should be the top priority for all fearful riders.

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Keeping Students in Line

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Use these tips to keep your students from cross the line with their horses. Riding instructors have an obligation to both set boundaries and to discipline those who step over them.

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What Would Happen If…

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A warning to all riding instructors of the hazards of putting your students in danger. Read this if you want to avoid being held responsible for stupid mistakes in the horse business.

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Building Healthy Relationships with Your Students

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When was the last time you connected with your students? Riding instructors can enjoy increased client retention by building healthy relationships with those they teach.

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Should Riding Instructors Yell?

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No one likes to be hollered at, but why do some riding instructors shout? Follow these rules of the road when communicating to your students.

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