Let me tell you a quick story.
Once upon a time, I decided to become a riding instructor. Since I could no longer train or show, it seemed like the obvious choice as a career path. And so, with a song in my heart and more enthusiasm than I could express, I set out to find a job.
I found myself at a little stable in Texas. I’ll share more about this first job as a riding instructor down the road, but suffice to say if I encountered that same stable now, I’d have a few suggestions for improvements. Nevertheless, the owner offered me a job teaching jumping and dressage lessons.
Another riding instructor was leaving the stable, so all of her students were unloaded onto me. I was lucky in one regard: Most of my students were friendly, talented, fun individuals with whom I enjoyed working, and I had some great (and educational) first experiences.
However (isn’t there always a “however” moment at this point in the story?), I got too close with my students. Many of them were teenagers who hung out at the barn every day after school and on weekends, and I would take them to lunch on Saturdays and drive them home in the evenings. The adults were lots of fun, as well, and many became dear friends.
Suddenly, I noticed that my bank account balance wasn’t quite as high as it should have been. Many of these students (a.k.a. friends) were making excuses on a weekly basis. Can I have one more week to pay you? Things are rough right now. I heard it time and time again, and I couldn’t say no to my friends.
Even worse, I didn’t have the respect I desired from my younger students. They frequently took my orders as suggestions and often ignored what I said entirely. I learned they were engaging in dangerous behavior when I wasn’t around, riding double in halters and lead ropes and riding on the road.
It was at this point that I discovered I’d made a serious mistake as a riding instructor.
I’d simultaneously created the perfect environment for a riding instructor and destroyed my credibility. It was a difficult lesson to learn and one that still makes me cringe when I think about it.
Drawing the Line
There is a reason why the CEO of Wal-Mart doesn’t call you up on a Saturday night and suggest drinks and dancing. Business relationships should be kept professional and entirely separate from personal relationships.
This is hard to hear—believe me, I know. I wanted nothing more than to be liked by my students and their parents, to enjoy going to work every day. And who doesn’t like working with their friends?
The problem is that when you blur the line between friend and students, all you have left over is mush. Your professionalism and your ability to do your job is forever tarnished.
This doesn’t mean you can’t be friendly with your students. By all means, joke around and share personal anecdotes. Get to know one another. But never let your students or other clients believe that you are more friend than teacher.
Off on the Right Foot
Unfortunately, I was forced to resign from my first job as a riding instructor. I’d made such a mess of my student-teacher relationships that I felt a new start was essential. Don’t put yourself in the same position because it is an untenable position from which it is difficult (if not impossible) to recover.
Instead, start off on the right foot with professionalism. Make sure you and your clients sign a contract, regardless of the services rendered. A contract should detail the types of services you will provide, when you will provide them, how much you will be pad and when you must be paid.
Once you have that contract, make sure your students understand the rules at the barn. In the midst of the joking and laughing, maintain your professionalism. This is key to a successful riding instructor career.
You might also like:
- Why Do Your Students
Want to Ride? - Should Riding Instructors Let Students Ride Outside Lessons?
- Are Your Students Ready?
- What Do Your Students
Wear to Riding Lessons? - Questions to Ask Your Students
About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Chief Equestrian Officer of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. She believes that any horse business can succeed provided its owner practices smart strategy.
