Winn Dixie said:
What more is there to say, if Sadie and her friend believe what they're saying, it is a sad world indeed for the young riders. And, Fred... it's easy to find legitimate trainers, just go to the various certification associations and you can find trainers/instructors in any area of the country. Riding experience is wonderful, but I don't want my child riding with anyone who isn't insured, tested and certified to teach. JMO.
HAhAHA Most of the top hunter/jumper trainers I know teach by reputation not certification. Some of the certification programs are a joke to get your money, but if you are so concerned about the certification...make sure that the person who claims to be certified is actually still certified and at the level they claim. That is easy to check on, just call the company they say they are certified through. That is just checking references! Have them ride for you too. If they are going to teach you how to equitate over 3'6, then by God, they should be able to show you how! JMO If they are injured and can't show you (or some other excuse) have them show you old videos or pictures of them riding at that level. If you are paying big bucks for a trainer you want to make sure the trainer is not just a good talker, feeding you a bunch of BS. Riding EXPERIENCE should be at the TOP of anyone's priority list!
Insurance, on the other hand, protects the trainer from being sued and losing everything they have. I definitely don't mind having insurance. I just don't like being the ONLY one forced to have it to teach at a place when other instructors don't have to. That is just not right, but it sounds like that will no longer be an issue.
I certainly wouldn't want to take on a student that one of the parent's main concerns was insurance. I would feel like they would go out of their way to try to sue. There are way too many sue happy people around. I also make sure my students have medical insurance themselves. They are less likely to sue in case of injury.
