There are three reasons professional horse trainers are hired. Either the owner does not have the time or desire required, the owner does not want to take the inherent risk involved, or the owner does not possess the expertise.
Time – Training horses is “labor intensive” and requires time. Most horse owners have a primary career/job that requires most of their time, not to mention additional social/family time. Just feeding and cleaning stalls can take up what spare time may exist! Professional trainers take the time a horse needs to properly learn without physical or psychological harm to the horse.
Risk – Not everyone wants to (or should) take the risk involved working with untrained horses. The wrong move by that 1200lb cutie can put you in the hospital quickly, or worse. Too much pressure used on a highly reactive horse can cause serious injury to the horse, not to mention the new hole in your fence.
Expertise – Let’s assume you have plenty of time on your hands and you have great medical insurance. Do you have the correct knowledge and experience to reach the goals you want with your horse? Most professional trainers have years upon years of experience working with hundreds, maybe even thousands of horses. These trainers, more than likely, have paid their dues and spent tons of time with more experienced trainers to develop their skill.
What makes up a trainer? – There are many horse trainers out there. Some with familiar names, some relatively unknown. Some have fabulous marketing packages, some are known from television exposure and some are just at the ranch down the street. But I will tell you this, every successful trainer has one thing in common, they possess a keen understanding of the horse and the ability to effectively communicate with the horse!
A good trainer will always keep an open mind and always be willing to listen and entertain new methods and ideas. Personally, I have spent time with many, many trainers, some locally, some known worldwide. As I learn from each of these trainers, I add more tools to my toolbox.
Ultimately, good trainers will become a “conglomerate” of all the trainers who taught them. They will use what works for them and leave behind what does not. They will develop their own style and their own methods and ultimately become their own unique trainer.
There are always many ways to get there, the only question is …. how do you want to get there.
