Those who teach us

I learned to ride on this horse. He was grumpy, pretended to hate attention (he liked it, secretly) and he made me work. He taught me a lot. I didn't start riding until I was 18. I had been around horses a little. I LOVED them. I was scared of them. I wouldn't admit that, even to myself. I jumped when they moved really fast. Hadn't yet learned to tell the difference between them listening to something behind them and 'flat angry' ears or just grumpy ears. He taught me the difference and how to move properly around him and with him.

Despite the fact I wasn't wearing a helmet (she was a bit old school), my instructor was very careful. Very. She was very worried I would fall off in the 5 acre pasture she taught met to ride in for two summers. I never did. Despite his grumpiness and his occasional antics of work or fly avoidance Twig never actually tried to unseat me. Sure he tried stuff but thanks to my wonderful instructor laying down good basics, taking away my stirrups, not allowing me to use verbal commands only leg, I really learned. She let the field grow and mowed short a track so Twig knew where he should go with me... only a time or two did he 'stray' from that 'track'. I was on a grump but very solid citizen of a horse.

How did I find her? I worked with her at the small animal clinic. I only knew she had horses and had happened to ask if she knew a good place to take lessons in the area. Two weeks later she surprised me saying she'd been an instructor in NC before she and her husband moved and if I wouldn't sue their pants off (per his request) if I fell/got hurt around the horses she'd teach me. Twig needed the extra exercise, she missed teaching and she and I really got along. It was perfect. The little horse loving girl inside me finally felt she was somewhere she was supposed to be. I would have blindly followed anything my instructor said because of that inner little girl. I got really lucky and am still exceedingly thankful for my first my trainer/teacher. She and her Twig laid down some priceless groundwork for me and my future in horses.

Not everyone is so lucky. At all. I watched a little girl and her non-horsey dad doctor their horse last night. I think her trainer is unscrupulous. The horse she had them buy is young and green. When the 'trainer' was training the horse haphazardly over jumps and I watched previously. She told me how the girl that owned him was afraid of him. I didn't realize until last night the 'girl' was a little girl, no older than 12 if not more like 10. There's more that makes it worse - he's lame. I don't think he would be necessarily but for the trainer's ignorance. I'll leave it at that.

The little girl was very good around my horse. Spoke to him when she approached from the rear, asked before she gave him a treat. She moved well around him, he responded very well to her - she was a natural. I hope she doesn't get hurt.

I often think of my road in horses and I was darn lucky. Sure I had a moron in college throw me up on her not retrained OTTB who bucked me off because I was giving him mixed signals (my green reaction to pull back and lean forward when in trouble) and he wasn't having it. I had a bad feeling about riding him but I got on because she said it would be okay. I was lucky but my hip/lower back hurt for a couple weeks; it could have been A LOT worse. I did find a really good instructor after that through a friend who had more sense. The other girl though was just going to put a western saddle on the OTTB and have me continue to ride him. I'm glad I knew better. Had I started riding earlier and not had my first instructor to discuss the situation with, I might not have known to politely decline. I'm glad if I ever have a kid who is interested in horses one day to know better for their sake.

I pray for the rest whose parents know nothing of horses and unscrupulous 'trainers'. Who take the over confident I've done this and that stories to be real experience and knowledge. I hope they see through it before their kid or horse get hurt. I think it keeps happening because kids and horses are pretty resilient. Sadly so are the bad trainers... pop up at the next place once word gets out. As an on-looker who sees it, what do you do? What do you say? What CAN you do? What do horse people in general DO about these trainers? Certification? She is 'certified'. Some of the best trainers I know don't have any sort of 'certification'. She's technically not doing anything illegal. It's tough.

I'll speak up if I need to - especially if a child is in danger. I guess it's just 'how it is'. I hate that. I hope they meet my trainer and make a switch. It'll ruffle feathers but the little girl would be safer.

Here's to good teachers and trainers all over, but especially in the horse world. Here's to good horses and the little girls that fall in love with them.