When Do I Need a Professional Horse Trainer

Each day I read questions from people asking what to do about their horse's behavior, training or general care. These are from people who have limited experience with horses, but want to train these horses themselves. It is really not as simple as these questions make it out to be. You must consider your knowledge of horses and the horse you own when deciding whether or not to hire a professional.

I have been raising horses for 25 years now and riding and showing them for over 35 years and I don't feel that I have the qualifications to be a horse trainer. A person who trains horses is a professional like anyone else. Usually, they even have a card that says professional on it. They have spent years apprenticing under various other trainers to master their skill and usually begin by working as a groom in a barn to become comfortable with horses. Each horse is different and the care and training of each horse is different. One horse may be on the lazier side and may need more leg or a smoother bit. Another horse may be gamier or more nervous and you wouldn't want to drop a leg on him or put a smooth bit on him. Some horses are quirky about one side or the other and there may be no clear explanation for this. It takes years for people to master the ability to read horses and train horses the way an individual horse needs to be trained. Not all horses are trained in an identical manner.

Recently, I read about a person who decided to rescue two horses. One was older and one was a young colt. She wanted advice on how to train these horses and how to keep them from kicking and biting. I also read about someone who couldn't understand why her 4 month old baby wouldn't cooperate. This perplexed me. People post these questions in forums and on message boards asking what to do. How can you explain to someone how to train a horse that you have never seen? If a human was ill, you would take them to a doctor not ask how to treat them on a message board. A person can get seriously hurt attempting to train horses that have had no training when the person training them has had no experience working with these animals. In the end, when the horse hasn't changed, it is decided that the horse is no good. This is not necessarily the case. The horse didn't get the proper training.

The same is true when I read questions regarding the health of a horse. The questions are all over the message boards. My horse is lame or my horse is coughing etc..what should I do. That should be obvious. Call the vet. Until a vet has seen the horse, it is difficult to diagnose via a question on a message board. Another common question is how often does my horse need vaccinations, shoeing, teeth floating and other maintenance? Again, this is where a trainer, vet and farrier come in. Each horse has its own maintenance routine depending on issues it may have. Younger horses need the dentist more often than older horses. Some horses get shod every 4 weeks while others get shod every two months.

If you choose to get a horse that has had a limited amount or no amount of training, it would be smart to get a professional trainer involved at least at the beginning until that horse is trained and known to be safer. Further, trying to do this on your own could be end up with dire consequences not only for you, but also for the horse. Many horses turn into wonderful backyard/owner trainer rider horses, but generally all begin with some sort of formal training. If you are willing to take on the costs of a horse, the costs of a trainer even for a limited time, needs to be a part of that. In short, horse training is not a hobby nor a do-it-yourself project. Rely on trained professionals. Your horse will thank you for it.

Nina Kraus

by Nina Kraus - 9/27/08

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