Kind of an Etiquette Question..

I hope this is in the proper forum!

I would like to show next year, because I think by then I will have a solid foundation with my riding and be able to enter some beginner classes or walk/trot at least. However, the barn I currently lesson with doesn't really show. My trainer shows his own horse but his horse is definitely too young and hot for my level and also much too large for me to be comfortable on. The only horse from that barn who could reliably travel to shows is a pony who is usually the children's schooling mount so he's probably too small anyway. This puts me in an awkward position. I love my trainer, but he only teaches out of this one barn.

So what would be the best approach to this? Everyone knows everyone and I would hate to step on anyone's toes, particularly as we'd all see each other at shows! I am new to horses and dealing with horse folks and I don't know if some barns are rival barns or how that works. I, of course, would not even be in a position where I could CONSIDER showing if not for him so I am eternally grateful, but I am prone to some anxiety about these things. I don't own a horse, so I am hoping that everyone understands my need to switch to a facility more suited to my needs. I have only been in one horse show in my life and it was a lead line competition when I was a child on a friend's horse. I have NO idea how shows work and I'm going to need someone who can walk me through all of this from the very, very beginning too and I figure the best place to find that would be at a competitive show barn!

Any suggestions would be dearly appreciated!

A lot of things can change between now and next year.

By your own admission you won't be ready to show before then, and everything else about this barn and instructor seems to suit for now, right?

The barn or the trainer might aquire some suitable horses between now and when you decide you want to start to show.

You may decide to forgo training until you're at a higher level of competence so you can get more out of the experience.

I think you're worrying well ahead of time

There will also come a point in your lessons when you can discuss with your instructor that you would like to show, and ask him how that could be made to happen in the current venue. He may know of something suitable for you to show that you haven't considered.

Also, most successful instructors and barns have certain niches and market to that niche. If this instructor's and barn's niche is giving beginners a correct foundation, then they probably understand there's a certain point at which students need to change barns if they want to continue to advance.

Yes, sometimes there is jealousy and hurt feelings when students or clients change barns, but just as often there is an honest conversaton, following by the instructor giving a recommendation and making a referral phone call for the student.

i loved the above post. Especially the quoted above. For now I would just have a chat with your trainer and let him know what your goals are. Being specific in what you want to compete in and when you want to start competing. If you both are open about everything from the get go there should never be any hurt feelings.

Maybe before you actually start showing he can take you as a groom or something and kinda show you a bit about what happens and like said above maybe they will have a horse suitable to your needs by next year that you can show on. No need to start worrying just yet

There is also a leasing option if its something you can afford.Some girls at the barn I used to work at wanted to start showing as well but there wasn't anything available so they talked it over with the trainer and together they all went out and found suitable leasing horses for them. Worked great, girls got horses they could show and the trainer freed up some lesson horses.
Of course you would have to find an owner leasing a horse that would allow them to move barns too.
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