Choosing a Trainer

So you're ready to find a trainer. Buckle your seat belt and prepare yourself for he ride because finding a new trainer is a lot like online dating: you're gonna meet some normal people, you're gonna meet some absolute crazies, and then hopefully you find the one! More than anything else the trainer you choose will define and shape your journey in reining horses. If you're already in the sport and you've been with the wrong trainer you know how much of a negative impact this has had on you. If you've worked with some good trainers then you know the value in finding the right one. No single trainer is right for everyone's program, and no program is right for every trainer. The journey to finding the right trainer is one to take with time and thoughtful consideration.

So how do you choose? And why is the trainer so important? Well the trainer is who you're going to go to with questions, he/she is who you're going to see and work with at the shows, the person who will guide you in the industry, and most importantly this is the person who will be spending every day with your horse. This is also most likely the person who will be helping you find your horse or breed your horse. So think of finding your trainer a lot like how you find a partner. Scan some websites, ask around about them, and more importantly set up a first date aka meeting with the trainer. Follow the basic rules of online dating and approach with all of the same caution and you'll be fine.

So here are the Top 5 things to consider when shopping for a new trainer:

1. Is this a Catfish?

We've all heard the stories. Nice guy just looking for someone to love gets scammed on the internet by someone who it turns out doesn't even exist. Believe it or not this happens in the horse world more than you would think. Plenty of people like to pose as trainers, take your money, and then however long later you end up with a skinny, untrained horse and a valuable lesson. So do your homework to make sure this person is an actual trainer and not just an armchair jockey who's happy to take your cash.

2. Is this person crazy?

No one wants to end up on the news, or lets be honest no one wants to end up as a cautionary Facebook tale. Just as there are plenty of Catfish out there, there's also plenty of trainers who have a little screw loose and will leave you with nothing more than a fried horse and a story to tell your friends of who not to use. So the old rule of ask around always applies. It's hard to hide crazy, so chances are you ask around some and you'll find out if this person is gonna leave you wanting to get a restraining order, or if they're relatively normal.

3. First Date gitters

The first time you meet a trainer is always nerve wracking. Will you get along? Are you making a huge mistake? What are they going to think of you? Did you put on too much cologne?

All kidding aside the first time you meet a trainer make sure you don't just get the sales pitch. Look at their horses, are they happy and healthy? Do they walk up to greet you or cower to the back of their stall? Take a look in the tack room, is their equipment in good shape or is illegal equipment strewn about. You may be excited about 50 Shades of Grey, but trust me your horse just wants that nice boy next door to ride her.

Ask about the barn's policies. Can you see your horse whenever you'd like? Do they mind if you watch your horse being worked? How often will your horse be worked, what kind of updates can you expect? If you feel like you're being treated like the dirty mistress then time to find someone who's going to value you and your horse.

4. Watch them work

As much as its considered stalking to follow your new online crush to their work place, in the horse world this is completely acceptable. If at all possible watch the trainer at a show, preferably without them noticing. See how they treat their horses and their clients, is this how you want you and your horse to be treated? Make an appointment to go to their barn during training hours and watch them work some horses. Ask how long each horse they work has been in their program and for some history on the horse. Does the trainer seem to get all of their horses from other programs and the longer they've been their the worse they look? Or do they have horses they've started and brought up and the longer a horse has been their the better they look?

5. What's the family like

Last but certainly not least meet the family. And no I don't mean your trainer's family (although make sure you get to meet the trainer's wife, more on that later).

A barn is really a big family though. You travel together for long periods of time. You see each other at your worst and at your best. These are the people who can help make or break your experience (after the trainer of course). You may have a bad trip in the pen but are you going to walk out to a supportive group waiting with wine to make you feel better, or are you gonna feel constant stress and like knives are being thrown at your back? The old saying "you marry the family" is especially true in a barn. If you don't get along with them its going to be a miserable time.