There are so many trainers out there how do you know which one to follow?

Many people ask me which one I follow.  The truth is that I was doing this long before some of these people were born.  I am glad that they are showing a kinder approach to training horses, but are they really?

Running a horse until it is totally exhausted, then saying look what I can do, as you start a chain saw over its head, is not horsemanship, its cruelty (the exhaustion, not the chain saw).  We are removing the fire and the spirit that can make a great horse.  We are turning them into zombies, with no life in their eyes.  I have seen more problems created, maybe unintentionally, by judges and breed associations which trickle down to the owners themselves.  Is there really a difference in breaking their spirit the old way or the new?

Every horse person will do things a little different.  Much of it isn’t right, or wrong, it’s just different.  We all find what works best for us and our horses.  The most important thing to remember is that each horse is different, and what worked well with one horse may not work with another.  Nothing is cast in stone.  The minute you think you’ve got everything figured out, you get a horse that read that book and won’t play by the rules.  You can force them, but it will usually backfire at the wrong time.  Don’t leave holes in their training either, that will show up  eventually too.

Which trainer.  Well I’ve listened to pretty much all of them.  They each have many good points.  If it doesn’t necessarily apply to the horse you’re working with at this time, file it in your memory for another horse, another time.  Some of the trainers out there, I find, are not safety conscious.  Yes it may work for them because they are professionals, have been around psycho horses before, are quick in their response time, and aware of the horses body language.  Saying that, it may also catch up on them one day.  There’s always one horse out there that is going to teach us a thing or two.  I don’t care how great a trainer they are, they’re not going to publish their mistakes.  My problem with them is that they don’t always remember that they are dealing with many new horse owners who don’t have the thought or reaction time that they do.  They don’t always set good examples for their viewers.

My pet peeve is when they teach you to bend low to encourage your horse to move on in a round pen or on a longe line.  If you don’t have a helmet on, aren’t far enough away, or if you take your eyes off your horse for a second, you have put yourself if the firing line of his back feet.  Horses will kick out if you chase them.  You can encourage a horse to move forward standing straight with your eyes up focused on your horse.  When people drop their heads, they usually drop their eyes.  They never see those feet coming.

The long lead or longe line dragging on the ground scares me too.  When people are focusing on the horse they aren’t aware of where their feet are and where the line may be.  They can get their feet tangled in the rope.  Now you’ve got a scared horse, dragging a body, that they think is chasing them.  Wow, sounds like a great idea to me, that will make them run forward really fast.

Some trainers send a message to their viewers or clients that helmets aren’t required, not in words but in their own actions.  Very sad.  As professionals, it is their responsibility to teach safety at all times.  The inexperienced are watching everything they do, and take it as gospel truth.

What is my theory?  Safety first.  Murphy’s Law usually wins out.  If it can possibly go wrong, it will.  Be clear in what you are asking your horse to do, set boundaries, and most of all be safe and consistent.  We’re always quick to tell them when they are wrong, but don’t forget to tell them when they are right.  They learn from positive reinforcement.

An old saying comes to mind.  Are you trying to put a square peg in a round hole?  Is your horse cut out physically, mentally, and emotionally for the job you are asking him to do?  Are you two different personalities fighting against each other?  Can we make this marriage work.  I always tell my students – You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find that prince.

Another thing that drives me crazy is when you get a parent wanting a young horse to grow up with their children.  Really?  Do you always hire a five-year old baby sitter to take care of your nine-year old child?  Older, trained horses are ideal for the novice or timid rider, and experienced riders are better suited for the young novice horse.  The more experienced will train the inexperienced.  Now that makes sense.

Be a thinking and responsible horse owner.  Do what is right for you both, even if it means placing him in a different home or job.

Take into consideration the things I have mentioned above when looking for a trainer.  Some of these trainers market themselves really well.  Buyer beware.

Because I’ve been there, its Just my way of thinking.