How to evaluate a trainer

Ok as most of you know I've had some issues at a barn I lease a horse at. Since that incident I have been searching for a new place to get lessons from and find a horse more suitable. Unfortunately I haven't had much luck, the last lady seemed really awesome but due to my schedule there was no way I'd be able to take a lesson with her.

Today I got a response from someone answering on behalf of her sister in law ( don't ask) They were apparently going to a show when I called so the sister in law is supposed to call me later.

She teaches both english and western and the horse I would be riding is a Morab. She's also looking to lease the horse out, sounds nice but after my last experience I don't think I'll be ready to lease so soon.

Aside from experience as far as teaching are there any other questions I should ask?

References.

You can always take one lesson at the barn as a tester - if you like it then do more, if you don't, keep looking. Its not like you have to enter a forever teaching relationship, you can always leave. Go there, have a look around, see if their horses are cared for, if their tack is well fitting and clean, all that kind of stuff, then see how they teach.

I don't know if its normal over there, but I find it a bit weird that they could already tell you what horse you'd be riding even though they had never met you, and have never seen you ride. When I was at a riding school we rode a different horse each lesson.

Thanks for the suggestions. The lady finally called me but had my phone off. Anyway she doesn't have a number, weird, she gave me someone else's number to call but gave me her e-mail address???

This seems weird to me, for some reason.

I told them I am a novice rider and the sister in law suggested a horse that was used for lessons. We'll see, I am going to try to meet them tomorrow.

Ok, so I finally got a responose from them, somehow it went from taking lessons to doing a lease???

When I told her that she said that she only gives lessons to boarders.

I mentioned in my ad the specifics of what I was looking for, that I didn't have a horse etc. Why is it so hard for people to understand before they respond.

You can rule out potentially not-so-good trainers by feedback and references. However you won't find out if that trainer works out for you or not till you try several lessons and see if you are making any progress. I did try several trainers (all recommended to me), but only the one I'm working with now can answer my questions (often tough, sometime I'm sure dummy) that other trainers couldn't.

Red flags for this new lady have already went off in my head.... She doesnt have her own phone number? How are you supposed to get a hold of her to cancel or change a lesson?

There is no written rule that because you take a lesson at a barn that you have to stay there. You can even say, I would like to take a trial lesson with you.

It doesnt sound like she was the one that initially responded to your ad...??

Its definitely trial and error, especially right now. I can't even get that far because most places are either outrageously expensive and/or require you to have your own horse.

The lady's sister in law awswered for her, without even reading what I posted. I don't know what happened to her phone but that's what I was thinking too.

My post stated that I didn't have a horse, and after speaking with her sister in law, the lady responded saying she had a horse for lease. I Told her I'm not looking for lease, she responded that she didn't have a lesson horse.

Most people do the opposite meaning you take a few lessons then your offered to lease the horse not the ther way around.