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Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on February 7, 2012 at 7:18pm

I would be very pleased if the members here would read my blog, and comment if you would like. The current post is titled "Are You Serious?" There are older posts about buying horses, clinic etiquette, and other dressage topics. I post to it rather often, so if you would like to be informed about new posts, click on the "join this site" button on the right. I would be honored to have you join--it is free. :-)  http://iridedressage.blogspot.com/

Comment by Patti Bartsch, Ph.D. on February 4, 2011 at 11:54am

Scheduling a clinic?  Consider adding a segment with a Certified Holistic Life & Wellness Coach who specializes in Equestrians.  For more information, visit www.NaturallyUnbridled.com. 

Comment by Jan Jollymour on December 18, 2010 at 10:07am

Hi, Martha:

 

My situation is very much like Mary's.  I own 20 acres, inclusive of my house, barn, and arena.  I had 2 lesson horses until recently, but have retired that part of the business. 

 

I have 2 clients who keep their horses (3 horses) with me, but I don't run a boarding barn.  The vast majority of my clients either have their own properties/facilities or board at other facilities.  In the spring/summer/fall my local clients travel to me for lessons, but in the winter months when the snowfall can be quick and dangerous, I travel to them instead.  I also travel throughout Western Canada and the Northwestern US to teach clinics at various facilities and for different groups and/or individuals.

 

My coaching insurance covers the few horses boarded on my property, my activities as a coach/trainer/organizer on my own property and on others, as well as extras like clinics I might choose to host at my personal facility.

 

The majority of coaches in BC either pay a surcharge to teach in boarding facilities, and/or lease stalls at externally owned facilities.  Very few of them lease all of a facility, and there can be several coaches operating their businesses out of the same facility. 

 

I hope this helps!

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on December 8, 2010 at 7:04pm

I own a home and barn on five acres, and have one lesson horse (no boarders), and a standard dressage arena. My clients all keep their horses at various other facilities (or their own farms) where I have authorization to train/instruct from. I carry liability insurance that covers me wherever I teach, and I also do clinics throughout the Southeastern USA. I have never leased stalls out in a block, but many of my colleagues do. I think it depends on your own circumstances as a trainer/instructor. Good question! I look forward to the others' answers. It seems as though you are asking with a purpose--might I ask the reason? :-)

Comment by Martha Worts on December 8, 2010 at 11:47am

Hi Everyone,

I am just doing some research as to how coaches set up their businesses. Do most of you own the facility you teach out of? If not, what is common practice for renting a facility to run your business out of?

For example: Do you rent a block of stalls and then fill them with your clients? Do you rent the whole facility? Do you just pay on each stall you're using? Do you get a discount on stalls because you're providing a teaching service?

I'm just curious as to the best arrangement in these circumstances.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on August 10, 2010 at 10:33am

I tried to follow the link posted by Barbara a week or so ago, but it (still) takes me to a page explaining using the "alt" text stuff, and not William's blog...does it do this for others? I will try to access it another way.....

Comment by Jan Jollymour on August 10, 2010 at 9:59am

Thanks, Barbara! I find William's posts informative and thought provoking. I wish it was easier to forward things like that from Barnmice - my computer system really doesn't want to co-operate! I do send the links, though!

Comment by Barbara F. on July 17, 2010 at 7:48am

Super blog post by William Micklem today that I thought a lot of coaches might enjoy.
http://creators.ning.com/forum/topics/do-yourself-a-favor-add-the?x...

Comment by Elaine Flintoff on June 24, 2010 at 9:06pm

Thanks for your comments about the Centered Riding - your thoughts are appreciated and parallel my own.

Comment by Jan Jollymour on June 24, 2010 at 3:22pm

I understand, Elaine. Sometimes I feel the same way.

With regard to your query about centered riding: I think that every good coach's toolbox contains centered riding principles, among others. I am very leery of any methodology which claims to be the only way. My understanding of centered riding does not include that philosophy, rather it tries to make classical riding principles accessible to different learners. There are good and bad practitioners within any approach, and that goes for centered riding as well, which is why I'd be careful with a move to make work within the centered riding principles equal to a coaching certificate. I think that coaches need more than just one approach in order to be effective with varying types of learners. I also think that adherence to classical principles first and foremost is essential, regardless of what types of coaching and teaching approaches are explored.

Dressage seems to attract personalities which easily become obsessive about specific approaches or concepts, so I think we need to be careful within the sport to include different modalities, so long as they are humane and supportable physiologically and psychologically, both for horses and for riders.

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