Instructions
Check with your chamber of commerce or visitors' center. Not all instructors or training schools will be members or are registered, but this will offer you a good place to start with the ones who are within your geographical area. Some may even have arrangements with the city or local schools to offer summer classes or camps as part of a citywide program; if the timing coincides with such a camp, you can visit or try them on a short-term basis. If not, ask the chamber or city representative if they have a feedback or complaint file on any of the instructors or schools.
Make a list of your priority criteria. This might include discipline (English or Western), whether after-school transportation is provided, geographical proximity, and lesson schedules, such as evenings or weekends. As you work from your current list, you can eliminate those that do not meet the minimal criteria and limit your search to the remaining names.
Make appointments to visit. If possible, make time for a tour and also to observe a private or group lesson. When you visit, make note of the condition of the horses, cleanliness of stalls and barn, the tack and tack room, and the hay and grain storage area. Look at the fencing quality, noting sharp edges and size of the turn-out areas, such as pastures or paddocks. Ask how many hours a day the horses get turned out. While you may not be keeping a horse there, how a trainer or instructor treats her horses is an important part of being a riding instructor, as you or your child will also be learning horsemanship and horse care. In addition, you will be riding the school's lesson horses, and you want to be sure they are happy, healthy and have excellent care. If you like what you see, ask for references, and then follow up by calling them. Also ask about any instructor or trainer certifications the trainer holds, but do not let this be your overriding criteria. Many excellent trainers and instructors have learned the ropes through years of experience without going through a formal certification process.
Make an unannounced visit. A good time for this is after school when group lessons are likely to be occurring. Talk to some of the parents about what they like about the school and instructor. Ask them how long they have been there, and what other places they may have attended, in case you want to research those facilities, as well.
Call all of the references given to you. Use that opportunity to not only ask about experiences with a specific barn, but ask for opinions about other riding schools and instructors. This helps you build your horse network, in case you decide your first choice is not the right one. It is not uncommon for people to change schools and instructors if they discover it is not a good fit, and a professional instructor recognizes this and will not take it personally.
How to Find Horse Training Schools and Instructors
Looking for a good horse training school and instructor can seem daunting and be time-consuming, but taking the time to do proper research and check references will be worth the effort. With horses, safety must always come first; this can mean requiring proper riding attire, wearing helmets at all times around horses, and limiting the number of riders allowed in group lessons. Once you or your child have the basics, you can always change instructors as your skill level changes, but getting that safe foundation is important.