Is it professional/normal for a horse trainer to?

Question

1. show up late (2-3 hours) to nearly every horse show and miss some of your classes?

2. have a 14 year old "assistant" that works all day, every day, for a mere $50 discount on monthly training?

3. tell all of her clients about her personal life, as well as complain about other clients

ive only been with this one trainer, so i dont know if this is the norm in the industry.

also, if its not to personal, could you please tell me what you pay your trainer for horse shows? (haul fees, day fees?)

thank you

:)

Answer 1

She sounds like Cruella De Ville!! (only, hopefully, without the black and white hair, the huge fur coat, and the purplish skin lol)

To answer your question, no. It isn't very professional/normal for a horse trainer and riding instructor to do all of thse things! How can she yell at the kids, make them cry, and then say that its a 'negative industry' and that if she doesn't do that her students won't be able to ride? My instructor is so nice. She doesn't yell at the students, and we learn perfectly fine!

And showing up 2-3 hours late? Come on! How did a person like THAT get that kind of job? She's obviously not a people person (especially kids from the sound of it), I hope she's better with the horses!!

Answer 2

WOW that sounds JUST like me old trainer. I quite riding with her because no, it's not normal.  

Answer 3

trainers are meant to uphold a certain standard of customer service, time management and correct employment. this sounds like she has none of the basics. if she's not an amazing insanely talented trainer i would get a new one. as taking advantage of a 14 year old horse lover like taht is not fair. and talking behind other clients backs, shows non-professionalism and means she probably talks behind yours just as much. i would get a new trainer quick sticks

Answer 4

Some of these details sound normal, and others are completely unproffessional.  Showing up late to a horse show and missing the classes of your client is completely unacceptable when they are being paid ot do so.  If that means they have to wake up at 4:30 am then oh well, they had better be there since they are bringing your horses.  

The 14 year old assisstant is normal though.  A lot of trainers take their expereinced, horse loving clients who don't want to show or something and let them help.  To them, the experience of helping out is worth more than the discount they get, though it is a plus.  

Telling clients about one's personal life is normal, but complaining abot clients is absurd.

My trainer charges $40 for hauling and $40 for the day fee.

Answer 5

No. This is not normal.

The trainer i have is VERY informal. But she is also an amazing teacher and cares about my results, the fact that your trainer turns up so late implys that she doesnt, which means that she doesnt care about her job.

Trainers often get kids to help put jumps up during lessons, if there are any they know around, but what your trainer is doing sounds very formal and no-one should exploit a 14 year old like that.

I know a lot about my trainers personal life, but i've known her for years and have probably spent longer in her prescense than my parents, and we consider eachother to be freinds. If you don't know your trainer that well, or would'nt consider her a freind, i would say she was just bitching and moaning. not good.

as for making someone cry, that's out of line for any adult, but an adult that is getting paied? that's wrong. My trainer sometimes yells at me, but i'm 16, i can deal with it, and most of the time it's just 'VICKY! you're riding like you're drunk' - not that intimidating!

Answer 6

1).   If you're a new rider then she should be there to watch and guide you.  But, if she's the one hauling your horse and she's late then that's not acceptable.  

2).   She shouldn't have them work every day, all day for only that much.  I work at my riding instructors farm once a week and it pays for half of my lesson.  

3).   She shouldn't be sharing what she does or does not do with her lesson students.  And she souldn't complain about her students because they're paying her money to teach them, not to complain about them if they do something wrong.  

And no it's not to much trouble, I pay her $25 dollars for trailering to and from shows.  And she doesn't charge me for day fees, she wants to be there to watch me and her other lesson students :]

I hope I helpd :D

Answer 7

deffenetly not normal...she clearly isnt professional id get a new trainer or something if she respected what she did then she'd b on time and responsible. and if she is only giving a 50$ discount for all day every day work then i feel bad for tht kid...goodness id hate to have her as a trainer....lol

Answer 8

Your trainer should show up at the exact time you get at your shows. An hour late is pushing t, but 2-3 hours is crossing the limit. You should find another trainer, I'm just giving you my advice.

What is her name?

Answer 9

No NO NO!  Your trainer should never be late to a horse show, in fact she should be there early and you all should be ready to go in plenty of time for warm up and unforeseen troubles. She should even be available to school your horse if he is naughty in the new environment.

The 14 year old assistant may be ok, we have had "young" assistants before. As long as she is pleasant and professional.

A trainer should NEVER complain about one client to another.  That just means she probably complains about you to the others. NOT good, or professional.  Personal life, well, maybe, depends on your relationship.

Right now charges for hauling are $40 for a local show and .65 cents per mile outside of the county with a $50 minimum.  Trainer's fee for the shows are $40/day plus expenses.

Yelling, some do and some don't.  Depends on what you are comfortable with. We only get yelling when it is an immediate safety issue or when a rider tries to argue with the trainer.

Overall, I'd say find a new trainer. Get referrals or watch other trainers at shows and see who you like.  

Answer 10

Ok the yelling thing isi normal i was a brat when i was a kid, i've been kicked out of the ring by more trainers and gotten into screaming matches when i was a teen with them then any of my friends. I've fired trainers and taken my check back  in the middle of a lesson if the trainer is an idiot. Why waste your money?!?

If my trainer EVER showed up to a show late 2-3 hours late they would be fired that day period end of story. If they have a time they say they wil get there and dont show on time that is a huge NO in my book. Unless of course they had an emergency then ok i understand.

Whether she has an assistant who isnt paid enough or  not you shouldnt even worry about, that isnt a problem for you personally

If she feels close enough to her students to share certain personal stories and things about her life then take it with a grain of salt. now depending on how personal she/he gets depends on if they are crossing the "line"

Kids cry, that is a fact in this business. There is a certain level of yelling that is acceptable and not. When i was a kid i think i got yelled at more than anything. I complained about EVERYTHING i hated no stirrups and when we would do them i would make themistake of asking 10 minutes in if we were almost done.. HA everyone else would be but me i'd have to ride the rest of the lesson without my stirrups.

good luck but i'd look for another trainer if these things are really bothering you, its your money spend it on someone you love getting trainging from dont settle for someone you are unhappy with.

Answer 11

this trainer that you have isnt good and she is definately not perfessional! being 2 hours late for your horse show is not acceptable or any of the other things she has done.

    i have had a trainer similar to this one where she had one girl that could only ride and show her horse. she would smoke and be on the phone ALL the time.

    so just a heads up, i think yo should start looking for a new trainer

Answer 12

Showing up late and blabbering about her personal life and gossiping about other clients is unprofessional behavior.

Taking advantage of the assistant who is foolish enough to allow herself to be taken advantage of is bad behavior, but it's easily enough resolved...the assistant needs to stand up for herself.  Nobody can treat you like a doormat unless you lay down on the ground and let them.

As for yelling and making kids cry, I'm split on this one.  If I were a top level instructor, and I got results, I would not change my style over tears.  I would tell the parent that perhaps we are not a good match and suggest they find someone else or the kid needs to toughen up.  If it's a matter of a ranting prima donna wanna be, I'd dump her as an instructor and find someone else.