Tips on Choosing a Riding Instructor with Courtney King-Dye

How to find the best fit for you as a rider

There’s a big difference between choosing a good instructor for you and a good trainer for your horse. If your horse needs a trainer then, of course, you’ll want to choose the best rider, but if you want someone to teach you, I suggest evaluating other things. 

(Photo by Amy K. Dragoo)

Ask yourself why you are riding, and choose the instructor who will help you toward that goal. Not everyone wants to go to the Olympics. You may just want to learn the movements and enjoy your horse, and that is absolutely fine. Some instructors happily accommodate this goal, but some (like me) cannot tear themselves away from perfecting the basics before moving on. A good instructor should be able to explain things in a clear, comprehensible way that allows you to progress toward whatever goal you may have. 

Choose someone who suits your needs. When I was competing a lot, I knew I couldn’t give people a lot of attention and was surprised at how many who—despite telling me they wanted a great deal and me telling them I couldn’t supply it—still wanted to come. I had to turn people down because I knew I couldn’t make them happy. Try to make this decision on your own.

Be sure to choose someone you want to be like, both in riding position and in attitude. This is not just to ensure that they teach you the correct things. Even if you don’t do it purposely, your brain is telling your muscles to mimic what it sees. The attitude toward the horse is equally as transferable through the eyes. You want to see balance between correction and reward. At the end of a ride, you want to see both the horse and the instructor motivated for the next ride even if they had trouble. So I recommend only watching riders you want to emulate.

It’s also important to know how you learn. Some people learn from “yellers,” while others get tied up and can’t react when someone yells at them. Some people learn from gentle coaxing; others need a kick in the butt. Some instructors are methodological explainers, and there are some who don’t know the “why,” they just know what to do. There are very few trainers who can adjust their method, so choose someone with a teaching style you can learn from. And remember not to train with someone long-term just because a friend said that person is great. Go and watch a couple of lessons before you decide.

Courtney King-Dye represented the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games riding Harmony’s Mythilus and at two World Cup Finals riding Idocus. She is a U.S. Dressage Federation (USDF) Certified Instructor through Fourth Level and USDF gold medalist (ckddressage.com).

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

CATEGORIES

TAGS

RELATED POSTS

DressageAnhidrosis_1
The Non-Sweater Conundrum: Managing Anhidrosis In the Heat
Alice Tarjan (USA)Serenade MFHanoverian
Prolong Your Breeches' Lifespan With These Top Tips
Screenshot
Adult Amateurs: Use Biomechanics to Improve Balance and Communication
Neve_Thumbnail
Neve Myburgh's Key Takeaways from the 2025 USDF Trainers' Conference

TRENDING ARTICLES

Screenshot
Introduce Lateral and Circle Work From the Ground
Screenshot
Adult Amateurs: Use Biomechanics to Improve Balance and Communication
Trainer Breakup
Is It Time to Break Up With Your Trainer?
DT-horse-lumps-under-jaw-01
Are lumps or swellings under the jaw reason for concern?
Dressage Today
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.