And you call yourself a Trainer?

Unfortunately, the Label “trainer” is thrown around far too lightly. Myself, I can, and have, trained horses from halter breaking up to bridle less riding. I have only done so for myself and a few select friends. I do not call myself a trainer. However, I know I have a lot more skill than a lot of the yahoos out there using the “T” word to describe themselves.

To me, being a Trainer is being out there every day with the horses, learning from them as much as the other way around. You have a large pool of knowledge and experience to pull from, and every horse is an individual. If one method does not work, you have the flexibility to try another way. There is no “one-size-fits-all” way to train a horse. There are also no shortcuts – you teach a horse to give to pressure in the bridle, and move away from pressure on the leg. Each movement is broken down into small parts so the horse has a chance to learn each and be rewarded for the correct answer. A horse that you have trained leaves the barn willing and flexible – happy in his job, not bullied into it.

At the bottom of the barrel is ‘Billy down the road’. His claim to fame is that he has successfully remained on top of the rank horse in the next pasture. He then goes and advertises himself as a trainer on craigslist sans grammar and spelling that most of us learned by the fifth grade.

Real ad…enjoy! The emphasis is my own.

TRAINER - $150 (LIBERTY)
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Date: 2009-08-23, 10:43PM EDT
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Hello thanks for your time i will brake or train or horse i have been around horses for about 4 years i have green broke two qurter horses and saddel broke a draft horse i also do farm work so if you need help let me know.
• Location: LIBERTY
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests



Some top of the line trainers become “Big Names”. The underlying problem with Big Names is that they have become too busy to do training themselves. They have hordes of helpers doing most of the handling, while the Big Name jets around the country doing expos with pre-screened horses. Don’t forget hawking the special $85 stick or $100 halter you must have. Most of the time, the starting point – the horses – get lost in the rush to commercialize.

Some “Big Names” are better than others. You really have to watch and decide for yourself. Try not to drink the Kool-Aid along the way. If you feel the need to buy strange, expensive contraptions, spend $800 on videotapes, or need to play elaborate games in order to make “friends” with your horse, you need to back away slowly.

Somewhere in the middle, you will find hardworking, knowledgeable, actual trainers. You still have to be very careful with your choice. Even trainers that come with recommendations are sometimes closet abusers. You would be shocked, nay, FLOORED to find out what goes on behind the barn at some places.

Most importantly, you should never leave your horse unsupervised at a barn for long periods of time. Make unscheduled visits. Check up on your horse to make sure it is being properly cared for. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t!