MATTERS OF COURTESY

• Bring necessary paperwork. The facility where you take lessons will most likely have a set of guidelines regarding vaccinations and other health records, such as proof of a negative Coggins test. Make sure your paperwork is in order and keep copies with you. • Wait your turn. Though outside lessons are a good second income for many trainers and riding instructors, clients who have horses in training and board onsite are usually the bread and butter of a busy training or boarding facility. If you are trailering in, remember that boarders take precedence in terms of grooming bays and wash racks. If necessary, tie your horse to your trailer

for grooming and move over or wait your turn at the wash rack.

• Clean up after yourself. Speaking of grooming bays and wash racks, don’t leave your supplies lying around unattended and in the way of others—and, of course, clean up after yourself and your horse before you leave. Also remember to clean up any manure around your trailer that may have been left by your horse. By doing so you will make certain that you are welcomed back for the next lesson.

• Take sick days if needed. Reschedule your lesson if you notice that your horse has a slightly runny nose or just seems a bit “off” coming in from the pasture. Even if the problem seems minor, you don’t want to risk making it worse by transporting your horse and asking him to exert himself, nor do you want to expose the horses at your destination to a contagion.