7 Things You Should Be Looking for When Searching for a Horse Trainer
"Watch out for backyard horse trainers!" If you have ever started looking for a trainer to send your horse to, you have likely heard that phrase along with a horror story from someone who made a grave mistake in choosing a trainer for their horse. What is a "backyard horse trainer?" This phrase has been accommodated to describe a person who decided to start training horses with little to no knowledge in how to actually train a horse. A lot of times, it is someone who has owned horses for several years and is looking for a way to make money with their hobby. If you are in any horse group on Facebook that allows advertising, you have probably seen several training ads. How in the world do you begin to decipher the good from the bad? Why is this SO important? I have had a few horses now who have come to me after they went to not so good trainers. For example, I had a horse come to me for 30 days to have work done on trailering. The trainer who originally had this horse used a cattle trailer that had a winch in it that was used to drag in the carcass of dead cattle. This trainer hooked the horse up to this winch and dragged him in the trailer. By the time the horse got to me, he would take a couple steps towards the trailer and suddenly shoot backwards with all his force across the yard. The money this client paid that trainer not only went to complete waste, but now the client was having to send their horse off to another trainer to fix an even bigger problem. This is a huge problem horse owners should be very concerned about avoiding, so let's take a look at what you should be looking for in a trainer.
1) Ask for reference - and actually contact them!
If I had to make a guess, I would say about 95% of the clients who book a training spot or lesson with me never ask for any references. Why is this such a big deal? Let's say you purchased a yearling filly at $1500. When you are ready to send her off for training under saddle (whatever age that may be) let's say you find a trainer who will put 90 days of training on her for $1500. If you have a good trainer, you should be able to turn around and sell that horse for at least $3000. However, if you have a less than knowledgeable trainer working with your horse for 90 days, your horse could easily come home terrified of being worked with. You might be unable to ride or even handle the horse anymore. That $1500 training bill could leave you with a horse that needs even more training, and definitely did not add to the value of your horse. In conclusion, when you send a horse off to training, you are making an investment! Why wouldn't you want to talk to a trainer's references to be absolutely sure you are making a good investment? Some good questions to ask when contacting references would be about: whether or not the reference has sent a horse to training (if not, how do they know about this trainer's skills), improvements the horse made, and customer service.
2) Set up an appointment to see them work with a horse.
Do me a favor here and Google search the phrase "horse training methods." Are you feeling completely overwhelmed? You should be! There are MANY different training methods/techniques for horses out there. I'm not going to argue which method is best, but you should make sure before sending your horse off to a trainer that you agree with the method the trainer is using. There is no better way to do this than asking to set up a time to go watch the trainer in action. If the trainer says they cannot do that for you, move on (talk about a red flag!) Watching a trainer work with a horse will be able to give you a great idea on how they handle a horse. If you are not sure what method or technique they are using, ask! This is a great time to talk with the trainer about what they do and why they do it. This is also important as you are able to see the equipment they use, especially any training aids. With this in mind, I have had several clients come from several hours away with training horses, so making an extra trip to watch the trainer in action is not always possible. If you cannot make the trip, you can always ask for videos of the trainer working with a horse. The reason being there in person is better option is because you are much more likely to see how the trainer handles a horse who acts up or is being difficult. A trainer will likely not send videos of a horse who is misbehaving, but rather of a horse responding to the training well!
3) Ask about board/daily care of the training horses.
If you currently board your horse, you know why this is important - not every facility is the same! Personally, I keep training horses in individual paddocks with 24/7 access to a shelter. I do not stall training horses (in years to come a stall barn is on the list of things to add!) If you know you want your horse stalled every night, you want to make sure the trainer you are sending your horse to can do this for you. If you are able to set up a time to watch the trainer work with a horse, that would also be an awesome chance to see the facility. You want to make sure the fencing is safe for horses (no barbed wire). Take a look at the stalls, is there any dangerous hazards such as loose tin? Don't get me wrong, a good trainer may not have the fanciest, newest barn on the block, but a good trainer will have a safe environment for horses. This doesn't necessarily mean your horse won't get injured here - if you are a horse owner, you know they can manage to hurt themselves with their own four hooves. Make sure to ask how often the horses are fed and take a look at the hay they provide. Hay should not be very dusty or moldy. If your horse has an allergy, make sure they can accommodate to your horse's needs. I've had a horse who could not have any alfalfa come in, so I always make sure to have different types of hay on hand. Ask the trainer who they use for vet and farrier. If you are close to the trainer, ask if you are able to use your vet and farrier if the need should arise while your horse is in their care. Again, each facility and trainer is different, but this is information you should have before booking with the trainer.
4) Ask what is included in training price - make sure lessons are included!
The items included in the training price can definitely vary from trainer to trainer, you must ask ahead of time to make sure you are getting everything you want! Does the price include board? There are many trainers working out of barns they do not own - there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but occasionally they do not have board included in their training price. This can apply to trainers who own their own farm as well, so just make sure to ask! Although we already talked about board/daily care listed above, make sure to ask what is included with board. I provide hay and grain as needed, but clients must provide their own supplements. How many times a week is your horse going to be worked with? And most importantly, are there any lessons included in the price of training? Although the answer can vary, a good trainer will say yes! You should not have to pay extra for a lesson to learn everything your trainer worked on with your horse. With my training price, I include weekly lessons. Although not every client can make it out that often, I want my clients to know they are welcome to come as often as they can and participate as much as they can. The more lessons you are able to have with your horse, the better success you will have when it comes time to take your horse home. If you are concerned about getting a sale video, make sure to ask if this is included in the price as well!
5) Make sure the trainer can help you accomplish your goals.
Ask the trainer for a list of tasks they can accomplish with typical horses they have come in. Have they worked with horses on the trail? Can the trainer help prepare a horse for Western Pleasure? Is the trainer able to help get you and your horse in the show ring? The answer to these questions do not necessarily tell you whether or not the trainer is knowledgeable, but it will tell you if the trainer is a good fit for what you are looking to have done with your horse. Another thing to make note of, is that just because a trainer specializes in Dressage, does not mean they cannot help you start your horse or work through a steering issue. That is why is it equally important to ask what the trainer trains for. For example, I specialized in Foundation and Barrel Training, but I have helped many clients with horses who were spooky on trail and working cow horses who needed work on response to leg aids. The most important thing to make sure of is that the trainer has access to a facility in order to train you horse with the tasks you want accomplished in mind. I have had a few clients mention to me, "I sent my horse away to a trainer who promised they would work with them outside/on trail, but when I went to pick up my horse, the trainer said it didn't happen!" At which point I would ask if the facility had an outdoor arena or access to trails, and they would say no. If you know you need your horse worked with outside or on trail, make sure the trainer has access and is able to do that. If a trainer does not have access, that doesn't mean they are a bad trainer, but you should invest in someone who can work with your horse on the exact things you want your horse exposed to.
6) Make sure the trainer has good customer service.
Let's talk about something scary for a minute. I want you to imagine you have your horse off with a trainer and you get this text, "I believe your horse is colicing." Ahh! Like any horse owner, I would assume as soon as you see that, you would be calling/texting back immediately asking about your horse and trainer's plan of action. If your trainer is not a good communicator, this is a terrible time to wait for a returned call or another text. If you are inquiring to a trainer about possibly using their service, take note of how long it takes for them to get back to you. Do note, however, although I am a self-employed horse trainer, I do in fact have a family and life outside of my job. I do not respond to inquiries after 9pm or if I am busy with family. That being said, it is very, very rare I let more than 12 hours go by without responding to a client over night, and very rare during the day I go by more than hour or two without responding. If the trainer you are contacting can go days without responding to you, you should likely move on. In a crisis, that is not the type of person you want to rely on being a good communicator! Does the trainer take the time to explain things thoroughly to you? This can definitely shed some light on how well the trainer will update you about your horse's progress as well as how they will be as a teacher when it comes time to take lessons with your horse. You want someone you have a good connection with!
7) Last, but not least, don't just talk to one trainer!
I remember a couple years ago, my husband and I were beginning our search for an acreage to purchase as our own. I am one of those people who could probably see the potential in a cardboard box (okay, maybe I would at least like an insulated four wall structure), so I fell in love with every single house we looked at. As we kept looking, I slowly was able to say, "That last house might not be so perfect, the driveway would be brutal to take care of in the winter" or "You're right, perhaps we don't need wrap around deck if it means we would be 45 minutes from the nearest town." This is exactly why you should talk to more than one trainer. As we talked about in the previous point, having a good connection to your trainer will be important when it comes to emergencies, updates, and lessons. Although you may think the first trainer you talk to is perfect, you might notice some flaws when you talk to another one. Perhaps as you talk to more trainers, you realize you actually have a best connection with the first trainer you talked with! One of the biggest reasons I find the clients who book with me aren't able to talk to many trainers is because they are looking to send their horse off as soon as possible, and my schedule works with theirs. Obviously, I cannot hold a spot forever, so it's all the more important to look for a trainer as early as possible so you can take your time in finding the right one.
As I said before ladies and gents, when you send a horse off to a trainer, you are making an investment. This is an important decision and it should not be taken lightly. The one thing on the list most of my clients always ask about is making sure I can help them achieve their goals. What about everything else on the list? I would still have to go with a solid 95% of my clients forgoing everything else on this list. This is a very scary thing to think about, as it can be so easy to send your horse off to a trainer who will cause more issues and cost you more money. If you look for everything on this list, you should be able to weed through the good, the bad, and the ugly to find your perfect horse trainer!
Have something to add to this list? Add it to the comments below!