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Horse Care Top 10 Top 10 Top 10: What Your Trainer Wants from You!
Horse Care Top 10 Top 10 Top 10: What Your Trainer Wants from You!
Let's be honest. If you've been doing horses for a while you've probably heard people complain about trainers a time or two. And if you're a trainer, married to a trainer, or friends with a trainer, you've probably heard a few lovely lines about client behavior. It's a two-way street with more than a few opportunities for bumps in the road. We thought it would be helpful to put together a Top 10 to help those of us working with trainers keep the bumps at a minimum.
- Be on Time and Respect Your Trainer's Time. Horses for most of us are a leisure activity, but it's a trainer's job to work with you and your horse. If you have a set time for a lesson, be on time. Early is better. If something comes up and you know you're going to be late, call and don't assume you can be fit in when you do arrive. Trainers have a full day of working horses, managing the barn and helping clients. It's anything but a 9 to 5 vocation. Treat your trainer's time with the same respect you would your doctor, accountant or other professional that provides you services.
Leave the Cell Phone in the Car. Ever had a trainer that spent more time on the phone than on your lesson? Drives you nuts, right? Guess what? That annoyance goes both ways. Your trainer should not be on the phone when working with you and you should leave your work (home and office) at the barn door. Consider it a gift that time spent with your trainer is your time to unplug, get away from things, and keep some balance in the hectic life most of us lead. If there's an emergency, the people that matter should have the barn number. But unless someone's bleeding or the office is on fire, give your phone a chance to recharge by leaving it plugged into your truck!
- Prompt Payment for Services Rendered. This is a big one. Pay your bill on time. Your trainer has obligations just like you. Your trainer cares, trains and feeds your horse or horses while working with you to improve your skills. Respect that relationship by not getting behind with your bill. Keeping it real - not all trainers are great about prompt billing and detailed statements. That said, do you know what your mortgage/rent payment is? Car or truck payment? Bet you can rattle those off down to the penny. Cuz you're so smart we're guessing you can get pretty close on estimating what your monthly training bill is too. Send your trainer a check monthly and keep your own great records.
- Don't Gossip. Horse people do like to talk about horses, feed, shows, dogs, anything, but we especially like talking about each other. Gossip just starts trouble in a barn. Ask any trainer and they'll tell you gossip among clients is a reality, but the more it can be curtailed the better experience everyone has. We've all done it, but rest assured if you're gossiping about someone, they are gossiping about you. Plain and simple, if you want people to stay out of your business, stay out of theirs.
- Clear Communication. From the very first time you contemplate working with a trainer, go over your goals and what you want to accomplish from the experience. You can't expect a trainer to meet you expectations if you don't state what you want from the relationship. After you set out your objectives, sit back and be ready for the response. And really listen. Don't expect to bring a 3 year old mare to a trainer that's never had anyone on her back and think you're going to be at Nationals in less than six months. It's not going to happen. Trainers want you to keep the communication open, but appreciate scheduled check ins. These meetings shouldn't be marathon sessions. Schedule15 minutes once every few months to go over where things are in the process, what you can do to help, and next steps.
- Keep the Barn Neat. Clean up after yourself. If you use something put it back where it belongs. If your horse lets it fly in the grooming stall for God's sake clean it up. Did you use up the last of the pre-mixed conditioner? Mix up another batch before leaving. It's not a trainer's job to clean up after you. Pitch in and keep things tidy. Throw a load of leg wraps in the wash once in a while and hang around to roll them when they dry. While waiting, watch a lesson or clean your tack. It's time well spent.
- Be Prepared to Focus and Learn. This one comes under the category of why waste your time or your trainer's? Seriously. If you have a horse or horses in training you're spending some money and a trainer is putting time into your animal and you. Everybody has an off day, but come to a training session prepared to get something accomplished. Leave distractions at the door and make the most of the time you have with your trainer. You owe that to your horse, your trainer and yourself.
- Proper Attire. This seems so basic, but people don't always come ready to ride. Wear boots always; never tennis shoes. Whether you wear jeans or britches, they should fit and allow you to move well. Most trainers are concerned with body position so wear something that reveals your form. Notice we said "reveals your form" not "revealing". If it's cold, wear layers and vests are great.
Ask Questions. Contrary to what you might think, most trainers want their clients to ask questions. Just make sure you really listen to the answers. If you don't understand what a trainer is telling you to do, say something and get clarification. This also means letting your trainer know how you feel your horse is responding to what you're telling him or her to do. Unless a trainer's on the horse's back, it's impossible to be totally tuned in to how the horse is responding to your body and cues.
- Trust. We saved this one for last because it's the toughest one to follow. When you put your horse and yourself with a trainer it's a leap of faith. If you've done your homework and placed yourself and your horse in a trainer's care, you have to let go a bit and let that trainer do what they do. We're not saying stop being vigilant or an advocate for your horse, but we are saying let the trainer do his or her job. If you've followed the other tips outlined here, you'll have a relationship with your trainer and really be a part of both the process and progress being made. You'll know when things are right and when they're not, but give it some time and have a little faith.
Hey - Trainers out there! Did we miss anything? Anybody else want to chime in? Comment below or post in the Top 10: What Your Trainer Wants from You! forum connected to this piece.
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Comments
Dang if I don't smell a challenge here.
So, which of us is going to tackle it?
oh sooo true!
hope you don't mind but i'm gonna print this out and give to my students!
I became a trainer so I could help peple have fun, safely, with their horses.
Some of the most important tools any client can bring with them is a sense of humour, patience, persistance and a readiness to work.
The clients that I have who are clearly motivated are fun to work with and will get the most out of our time, in the end! The clients who can grasp this concept, and it is a challenge for many, to block out all distractions and keep their focus on whatever exercise we are working on will go much further and achieve more with the horse than they can imagine!
I use to be a professional photographer shooting many weddings and there were times where I would literally have to motivate my clients to pose for their portraits and remind them that the photos were for them. That can easily transfer to coaching clients with their horses as it is their money and ultimately their goals that we are trying to reach, not mine.
Perhaps that is a point that some trainers would do good to remember. I was told, when I began, that most of my clients would never want the same level of performance from their horses as I may expect from mine and that has proven to be absoloutely correct.
Great article!!8)8)
If you select a trainer because their is good communication, you like their work ethics and you have seen their proven results. Then don't come to your training sessions and say, "Well so and so does it this way". Who care's, you have hired me. You want your horse started undersaddle the right way and my way? Let me do my job. Sorry if that was harsh but I will gladly put my money where my mouth is on that one. I know how to start and foundation, I learned from in my opinion masterhorsemen and women. My starting is going to be different than anybody elses, all trainers are different. I have wasted so much valuable time trying to explain why other trainers may or may not being doing something...yikes it is frustrating..anyone got advise on how to handle those clients? Blakjak, you learned from the master..what would you do?
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