At some point during your horse’s life, you may need to enlist the help of a trainer to work with your horse. Training a horse is a bit of an art, and it’s important that you find the right match in the trainer that you choose. These five tips can help you find a great trainer for your horse.
Ask for Recommendations
Don’t just pick any trainer that you find listed online. Spend some time speaking with your friends who own horses and get trainer recommendations from them. Maybe one of your friends has had a great – or not so great – experience with a trainer. Knowing this could help you to narrow your search.
Read Up on the Trainer
You will want to spend some time reading up on the trainer. Read everything on the trainer’s website, and see if there are videos of the trainer in action that you can watch. If possible, attend a clinic or watch a DVD released by the trainer to make sure that his or her methods align with yours.
Get and Check References
Ask the trainer to provide references, and then check them. It’s also a good idea to Google the trainer’s name and to review any online feedback available.
Visit the Farm Ahead of Time
If you will be sending your horse away to the trainer’s facility, then make sure that you visit the facility ahead of time. Many trainers have great facilities, but you should check up and make sure that you approve of the care that your horse will receive while he’s away. Find out details about how much time the trainer will be spending with the horse each day, and how experienced the caretakers at the facility are. You should also ask about the feed that your horse will receive – are you allowed to bring your own, or is the feed equivalent to what your horse gets at home?
Ask Questions
The key to knowing what to expect during the training is to ask plenty of questions ahead of time. Make a list of questions that you have, and get answers to them before agreeing to send your horse to training. It’s ideal if the trainer is able to give you a few lessons on your horse toward the end of the program so that you can learn about how your horse is trained and how to get the best results out of your horse. You should also ask if you can visit and check up on the horse during the training, which is important to ensure your horse’s well-being.
It takes a bit of work to find the right trainer, but in the end it will certainly be worth the effort you put in.
