It is all well and good to say what you as the client “expect.” But in my experience, trainers are fairly set in their ways and do things the way they do them. If you don’t think what he/she does is worth the price, or if you can find someone who does a better job, then move. Otherwise, you pay their price for the kind of training they do. I have NEVER seen a trainer adjust their schedule because the client thinks it should be done differently.
The way it works at my barn is: Usually the trainer has a warm-up rider working with her. The warm-up rider is usually a teen-age or young adult working student who rides a first level or above and has experience getting on all sorts of horses. When that is the case, the warmup rider usually does 15 min of walk,trot,canter – generally gentle work in a streatchy frame (but that may varry depending on the horse.) For a difficult or green horse, the warm-up person might lunge or hand-walk instead of riding. Then the trainer gets on and trains for 20 minutes. The training is generally vigerous and focused. There may or may not be a 5 minute walk break in there depending on the horse’s fitness level mental needs, and how stremuous the work is. The trainer doesn’t cool down. If the horse is obviously blowing or hot, then a groom or warm-up rider will walk him (either by hand or under saddle) for 5 - 10 minutes. On a hot day or if the horse is dripping in sweat, the groom will hose off and walk briefly.
Some days there is no warm-up rider. In that case, the trainer is on for 25 - 30 minutes. With the first 5 - 10 minutes being walk-trot in a streatchy frame, then go to work as above.
Usually someone other than the warm-up rider is doing the grooming and bringing the horses and taking them away.
