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 the same page.
Too often, I see groups of riding instructors where each individual instructor does his or her own thing, regardless of what his colleagues do. This results in alarming inconsistencies that can threaten a horse business’s survival.
This doesn’t mean that riding instructors shouldn’t be individuals. Of course not. But all instructors should be unified under common philosophies, values, and goals if the horse business is to succeed.
A set of rules
I’ve written before about the importance of barn rules, but what I’m talking about here are riding instructor rules. Things like:
- Ensuring all riding lesson equipment is put away at the end of a work day.
- Checking with other instructors to make certain a horse isn’t already in use before scheduling a riding lesson.
- Using the arenas/equipment only at specified, agreed-upon times.
- Avoiding disparaging comments about other riding instructors.
- Never “stealing” another instructor’s student.
Other rules will likely occur to you as time goes on and you see what issues crop up. They will vary from barn to barn, depending on the people who work there and the relationships between each of them.
The important thing here is to maintain both civility and order. To manage multiple riding instructors effectively, you must set boundaries and insist everyone respect them.
A published schedule.
Scheduling conflicts often crop up in barns with multiple riding instructors. If a schedule isn’t written and published (each week, to reflect changes in ride times as well as cancellations or make-ups), you can bet your employees will step on each other’s toes.
One of the riding instructor rules should require instructors to check with everyone else before making any changes to the schedule. This way, everyone knows what to expect when they arrive at the barn to teach.
A conflict resolution system.
If you think your riding instructors won’t argue now and again (or every day), you’re living in what I like to call My Little Pony Land. People don’t always agree on everything, so you need to have a system set up for addressing and resolving disputes.
For example, some horse business owners require that employees come to them with concerns first. This allows you to settle the issue yourself if possible, or to come up with a non-confrontational way to help them settle the dispute among themselves.
For example, one of your riding instructors tells you she doesn’t like the way another instructor teaches her students to post the trot. She describes the situation, and you can tell her whether she’s correct or mistaken, based on the way you want students at your barn taught. Then you can either educate the complaining instructor, or call in the other teacher to go over the preferred method of teaching. Your choice.
A quality control device.
Many of the horse business owners I meet have let their riding instructors have full rein. The teachers do what they want, when they want, with no real supervision. In my opinion, this is a mistake.
Your riding instructors represent your barn in every decision and action. Therefore, it is your responsibility to make sure they are projecting an image that is in line with your barn philosophy.
I recommend sitting in on riding lessons at least once a month. Watch how your instructors interact with their students and perform as teachers. Yes, it takes time out of your already busy day. But it also protects your horse business.
What about you?
Have you experienced trouble managing multiple riding instructors? Or maybe you’ve got this thing down to a science. Whatever the case, leave your perspective and experience in the comments below.
You might also like:
- Cell Phones for Riding Instructors
- Should Riding Instructors Let Students Ride Outside Lessons?
- Where Do Riding Instructors Stand?
- 7 Things Riding Instructors Should Never Say
- What Should
Riding Instructors Wear?
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.
