Speed control amongst a lot of pilots can be dire - unstabilised and too fast and there is usually very little concept of landing at the right speed on the numbers to gain the maximum length available. This does not matter on a large tarmac runway, but is VITAL on most strips, although to be fair, the last guy I attempted to check out was an AFI with a frozen ATPL and he was desperate - Worst ever!
We will do several circuits (at the proper airfield) where we are looking for the ability to fly a tight, speed stable circuit and to land and be stopped before the half way point without trashing the brakes or nosewheel. If that all works out then we try the strip!
I know this gets repeated ad nauseam and a lot by me, but it is so vital. If you can't nail your speed on final to within very close tolerances then don't bother. I also think it is much easier from a perspective point of view to fly lower, racetrack circuits, not more than 500 feet when flying into small farm strips, avoiding the neighbours as appropriate.
There is a fair number of very experienced farm strip pilots out there who can show you the ropes, but very few instructors.