Top 10: How to Pick a Horse Trainer

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How to Pick a Horse Trainer – U Rock ‘n Ride's Top 10: Picking a horse trainer is tough.  Not only do you have to find someone you trust in the discipline you most enjoy, you have to feel confident who you pick will care for your horse and help him progress appropriately.   We've compiled our Top 10 questions to ask when interviewing a trainer.  We bet you have other great ideas. As always, let us know what you think, ask questions and share your advice about this topic by posting on the forum linked at the end of this piece. See It – Do It!

1. How often will my horse be worked and what does your training program entail?  Working a horse doesn't always mean riding a horse.  There are conditioning elements to training a horse.  It's not necessarily a great thing if a trainer tells you he or she is going to ride your horse everyday for an hour.
2. Other than you, who else will be working with and handling my horse? It's all about communication.  Larger facilities often have assistant trainers which can be fine.  The methods are typically in line with the head trainer, but you need to understand the program and not make any assumptions.  It's about communication between all parties. 
3. Can I watch you work my horse whenever I like? The answer should be “yes”.  At the same time you need to remember that trainers are running a business and it's appropriate to let your trainer know you'd like to come watch your horse be worked by appointment.  Any time you are present means you're your trainer needs to be communicating with you and that takes time away from their other work and training horses.
4. What's included in my training fees?  Many trainers include one lesson a week for their amateurs in their training fees as well as general maintenance such as bathing, mane, tail and hoof care.  Others do these services on an a la carte basis.
5. May I come and observe a lesson or two prior to making my decision? This is really important if you're planning to take lessons with this person.  Everyone has a different style.  Some trainers are yellers – not usually a good sign.  Some teach by showing.  You need to figure out what works well for you and if you can learn from this person.  A trainer can be supremely talented in working with a horse, but has difficulty teaching an amateur to work with the horse.
6. What's your show schedule like? If you want to show your horse, ask the trainer about his or her personal success at the local, regional and national level as well as the success of his or her amateurs.
7. May I talk to some of your present and past clients? Referrals are important and it's good to talk to people in the barn and to those that have left.  Keeping It Real . . . people leave trainers and it doesn't necessarily mean the trainer was at fault.  It's usually more about miscommunication or unrealistic expectations.  How a trainer responds to this question is also an indicator of how transparent they will be in their ongoing communication with you.
8. Does my horse fit your program? Good trainers like this question. Obviously, it's probably not the best fit to bring a Friesian stud to a quarter horse working western trainer.  There are exceptions, but you get where we're going.  If you have a young horse that needs to get started, you need to know if that is something this trainer commonly does – and likes to do. 
9. Do I fit your program? Trainers have specialties and usually a certain profile of client.  Some trainers specialize in youth while others prefer to work strictly with adults.  Some trainers prefer to have amateurs that have a bit more experience in the saddle so it's good to know if you are going to be one of the only beginners this trainer works with and why.  On the flip side, if you are a more experienced rider coming into a barn of greener amateurs, it may prove frustrating to you and you may not progress to a higher level of proficiency as quickly. 
10. Gut check – do you like this person? More importantly, do you feel he or she is straightforward and being honest with you? When you look around at the trainer's facility does it feel comfortable and a place where you want to spend your time and money.
    

Bottom line before you even talk to a trainer, it's important to think about and know what you want from the experience.  If one-on-one, personal attention is at the top of the list and your proposed trainer goes to 20 shows a year with 50 horses in training, it's probably not going to happen.  You also need to be honest with yourself about what you can afford.  That same personal attention does not come cheap because of the time it takes to invest in a client.  We all know the old adage – time is money, and a trainer's time is short.

A great follow up to this article could be I Picked a Trainer, Now What?  Down the road we'll do a piece on working with your trainer and the importance of two-way communication.  You know we're going to say it...weigh in and tell us what you want by leaving a comment below...or...share your own thoughts and ideas, and ask questions by posting on the forum connected to this series. Discuss ->