Inspired by the “how old are you” post – and realizing plenty of us are pretty, uh, seasoned – I want to ask: Who has been your favorite trainer in your riding career? Why? It can be your everyday trainer, a clinician you rode with, someone you lessoned with just once, whatever.
Well, I’ve never really “ridden with” a single full time “trainer” or “coach”. Always have kept horses at home, and ridden alone most of the time. Shipped in for lessons with the various local coaches, all of which taught me something, and taken all sorts of more famous coaches who were brought in for local 2 or 3 day long clinics. And taken from each of them what worked well for me and my horses. I think that John Turner’s clinics were probably the most fun, because he was so slayingly funny while he imparted his opinions, but perhaps that was because it was so informal, and I don’t know that it would be the same these days… a bit politically incorrect. Michael Patrick was awesome too, he’s long gone now, but such a brilliant rider, trainer and coach. Cathy Wedge (more a 3DE coach and rider) taught me a LOT a long time ago (1975???), mostly about the Classical Training Scale, the basic dressage principles that are so often ignored these days. George Morris terrified me, although it wasn’t me that he slayed that weekend, all that I remember from him is that he wanted to buy my horse, who was NOT for sale (probably the reason why I was not slayed). Bo Mearns helped me a lot too, long ago. She was local to me. So I have plenty to thank for what they did for me, each added something. I think that it is important for riders to take as many clinics and lessons from as many coaches as possible, those that become available. Because those who have had successes at higher levels of competition and training always have some valid opinions that are worth listening to. What is NOT a good idea is to stick loyally with one and only one coach, and never venture out to explore new possibilities. Because nobody knows it all.
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Ditto. In the past I wasn’t able to do this, but now I’m eager to lesson here and there as a complement to what I’m doing with my coach. I’d love a fast (two- or three-lesson) analysis of what’s good and what’s bad about my riding from people who have nothing invested in a relationship with me. Not GM-brutal, but brutal in a good way. And then – who knows – report back in six months or a year and see where I am.
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I got to do a week at WEF with Cynthia Hankins. One of my close friends has known her a long time and put together a bucket list week for me.
First of all, she is magic on a horse. The one we leased was quite stiff and she had him going like butter in one ride. She is also so clear in her training. She really finds the thing that’s going to make the biggest impact, gets you to fix it, makes you feel like a hero and you continue onto the next thing. You build confidence and things really naturally build on each other.
I think that actually takes a lot of discipline. I feel like younger trainers will say ok, this round, you’re just going to focus on carrying your hand with a soft elbow, then the warm up is every kind of comment under the sun (which I get, if you see something you want to point out that it’s wrong), and then the client is frazzled even before they get to the ring.
Probably the best part was watching the saturday grand prix with her, hearing her commentary was literal gold. If you can ever clinic with Cynthia, I highly highly recommend it. She’s a lovely person, so funny and so smart.
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I have learned many valuable lessons from every trainer I have ever had or had a clinic from. Even if they had different approaches or were from different disciplines entirely I always had a takeaway to use, a new tool or a different perspective. I have been lucky to have had the opportunity to ride with some “big names” but I also have found wonderful local coaches who are super helpful and supportive, and have helped me to achieve goals and expand my skills and knowledge. I feel extremely fortunate to have had access to so many excellent horsemen and women throughout my life–always seize the opportunity to ride with/learn from those you admire if you can! I think if you are a beginner it is more helpful to hear from one person to get a foundation, but then as you start to understand “feel” and get a broader experience it helps to hear other perspectives so you can incorporate more ideas and techniques into your practice.
Julie Winkel— best clinic I’ve ridden in, precise, encouraging, rigorous, and well designed for the clients in each group.
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No “career” to speak of here, just a barn rat who has been lucky enough to get tossed up on someone else’s nice horse once in a while and treated to instruction well over my head. In chronological order:
Henry Schurink
Jeff Cook
Judy Richter
Kevin Babington
I know, right? I am beyond grateful.
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The one who made the biggest impact on me and truly taught me how to train is controversial --some like him, some hate him so I won’t post his name --but I do have every one of his DVDs and followed his method --still do. It worked for me —the main take-away from his many 30 min DVD lessons was “consistency” --have a plan, follow it, evaluate how it worked, and go back the next day and try again. I am sure that is the basis for every successful interaction between horse and rider, but it was eye-opening to me. Until I followed his method, I had a very hit or miss approach to my horses --and my results were hit or miss. Worked for me --his initials are CA --and no flames, please.
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When I was a kid, I loved going over to John Debeirs place to ride. They had Carl Bessett in for clinics, fairly often. But, as you all know by now, I was going to marry Rodney, although I never met him 
I did watch him ride though, any time he was in the Mid West
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Roy Como. Dressage - New Jersey - early 2000s. Think 2003-2006.
He passed away from time ago, but he forever changed my riding and how I viewed myself as a person. He was as much of Dressage coach as he was at times, with his partner, a surrogate father figure.
https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/starledger/name/roy-como-obituary?id=18767925
From a hunter/jumper perspective, my “favorite” trainer/clinician was Mike Page, with Ernest Dillon running a close second.
For dressage it would be Werner Platzer (sp?) as a junior, and Stephanie Millham as an adult.
For eventing, you can’t beat Lucinda Prior-Palmer Green and Jimmy Wofford.
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How I regret never having lessoned w him.
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He taught just like he rode… beautifully with patience yet firmly supportive.
I was such a lucky junior. He was at a stables extremely close to my parents house in NJ for some very formative years.
He got me burnt out and scared from Pony Club XC jumping and completely transformed my foundation and gave me a love for Dressage that still is evident in my riding in H/J land in my 30s. Gah, now I am looking at dressage saddles and Eventing barns to get my fix in my new area!
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I used to ride in equitation classes, some show jumping, nothing too fancy, but my favorite trainer was Linda Crouse from Long Island. I felt that I improved a lot with her because she was more easy going and her teaching style made me feel comfortable and able to improve. When I was younger, I rode with a different trainer at a schools riding program all year who was much more stern and rigid, and I had difficulty improving as much, it always made me uneasy. Linda was great and I got my first horse, a thoroughbred from her and her partner, I also competed in The Hampton Classic that year.
Good times!!
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An interesting question and one completely predicated upon the era and location in which one rode. I grew up in California and was affiliated with a number of “trainers” in the 70’s. None in my circle were true trainers or coaches although they were knowledgable “horsepersons” , but, sadly, coaching and lessons consisted only of setting up some fences in a ring and instructing you in which order to jump them. No one focused on the all important flatwork. No one instructed us as to how to “ride a line” or set your hunter up for his best jump. How to ride a jumper to an oxer vs a vertical. Riding corners? Handy classes? Eq? Those of us that succeeded back in that era ( in CA) earned our local and PCHJSHA year end championships through a combination of hard work, natural talent, gumption and time in the saddle and on the road. I rode with Larry Langer early on before sending my horses to Rusty Stewart. Neither of them coached me in the warm up , watched my rides or offered a critique. Sad. But they probably didn’t know what to contribute. And true coaching requires commitment and time, sadly absent in too many “trainers” … at least in the past.
I would just add that I once had the opportunity to take a clinic with Eric Horgan. Even though he was tough, he really got me to get my horse more collected and on the bit, and I really focused more.
Anne Kursinski was always my role model growing up with her amazing show jumping.
While I never took a clinic, I have been enjoying watching her online lessons.
I think the right trainer truly makes such a big difference. I found that I did so much better with Linda than with sterner trainers because I could relax and wasn’t under so much pressure.
I admit that I haven’t been as active riding recently, I am a rescue Mom to my arthritic mare. There’s a young girl at the barn where I board who is getting into jumping, she wants to get into hunters with her OTTB. I always enjoy chatting with her. Makes me miss those days!
Best one from an auditing perspective was the Academic Art of Riding trainer Bent Branderup.
Inspirational, absolutely incredible. Pretty much everyone in the audience came out dazed saying how affirming it was. A joy to watch him present and teach.
My current trainer is my favourite personal trainer to date. I had completely lost my nerve jumping - Had been reasonably successful until I lost my horse back in 2008. My current horse jumped and evented very successfully 1.40/ Adv….and I couldn’t ride him over a pole on the ground.
She has built my confidence gradually, always encouraging, gently pushing me with clever use of exercises / grids. Asking for more but never pushing us too far in one go.
I recently jumped my first course in 14 years with a huge smile on my face and asking her to put the jumps higher - flying high again all thanks to her.
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Loved Joe Fargis for a clinician.
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I loved the longtime trainer I had as an adult. Taught me more than anyone and made me far better and tougher than I ever imagined.
But I have a special place in my heart for my first teacher, who led the package of 10 group lessons my parents had bought, and an even more special place for my second teacher, in a similar 10-lesson deal that turned into many years. They must have been bored out of their minds explaining posting and heels and all the rest. But each took a special interest in me and provided the lifeline that I so desperately needed.
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Loved Greg Best as a clinician.
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