Question :
Hi, my name is Allison. In my class we are doing a unit on careers. We have to choose a career that we would like to do when we are older, and we have to interview someone who is currently doing that job. The job that I choose is a "Horse Trainer." I am wondering if I can ask you a few questions about your job.

I will write the questions below and if you could just answer them the best you can that would be great! If there are any questions that you can't answer you can just leave them blank or write why you can't answer them.
Thanks.

Allison

Answer:

Hi Allison,

I will answer all of these questions as best as I can.  Hopefully this will give you the information that you're looking for.

1.How many years of training does it take untill you can start training horses? I believe that it depends on the definition of 'training'.  There are many different types of training that we can do with horses.  Someone who has a horse that is fairly well trained or an older more experienced horse that just needs to be touched up in some areas (such as bending or collection) doesn't require much experience if the rider has the help of a trainer and has been riding for at least a year or so.  If someone is going to train an unhandled horse, a young horse or a 'problem' horse then I would suggest at least five to seven years of intensive training and riding on the riders part.  It takes a long time to learn all the things we need to know to begin training a horse and even after years of doing this we may not know everything but those who have been riding, training and handling horses longer will have a head start compared to those with little or no experience who can get hurt in the process.

2. What types of skills do you have to have to be good at your training horses? I believe the most important skill you can have when training horses or riders is patience.  This is by far the most valuable tool you can have as a trainer.  Your patience will be tested over and over again by both horses and riders.  Also, since as a trainer you are dealing with people as well as horses I feel that good customer service skills and good people skills are a major bonus.  Business management skills are also a plus. Not to mention some advanced riding and horse care knowledge.

3. What types of interests are required for horse training? Most of all probably an interest in horses!  Other than that an interest in learning and expanding your knowledge are very important.

4. Was the learning part of how to train horses difficult, easy, fun, boaring, etc?  This is somewhat of a hard question to answer.  I learned how to train horses little by little over my years of riding by learning different aspects of training from each horse that I rode or owned.  When I started to learn more about training horses in terms of different disciplines and how to start young horses I found it extremely exciting and rewarding. 

5. Do you get paid for training horses? If so, do you think that you are paid fairly for the amount of work you do?  I do get paid for training horses.  I believe that overall I am paid fairly for the amount of work that I do.  However, I feel that horse trainers and riding instructors often do more physical work than others who might make as much as we do in different jobs such as office jobs or things of that nature.  We also have to contend with being outside in any weather, physical injury, and lack of benefits or retirement packages that other jobs offer.  By no means are most horse trainers 'rich' as far as money goes.  Our rewards come more from hard work and a job well done than money.

6. Are there any obsticles that you have to deal with on you day to day tasks?
When dealing with animals or a job that is done mostly outside there are always obstacles.  The largest ones are inclement weather and scheduling enough time for each horse or client when you have mulitple clients who want a lot of attention in one day.  Another obstacle a lot of trainers face is sometimes disagreeing with owners opinions of their horses good or bad qualities and dealing with difficult or demanding owners.  Thankfully I don't have to deal with any of those!

7. What do you like/dislike about horse training? I don't believe there is anything that I really 'dislike' about training horses.  Some days, when it's cold outside, I'd rather be at an office job or working in retail where you have heat but that is pretty much my only complaint.  = )  What I like about training horses is that it is an incredibly rewarding job, I get to teach people and horses how to work better with each other and I get to educate people about safer and gentler ways to work with their horse and build a partnership.  It is also helpful because you get to set your own hours.

8. What is your main task that you have to concentrate on when you are training a horse? Building a partnership with the horse and eventually teaching him what his owner wants him to learn.  Also, making a horse a safe, willing, confident and calm partner for their rider.

9. Do you find horse training difficult? No.  I sometimes find it harder to explain to others how to do it then when I do it myself.  It's almost become second nature to me at this point.

10. Are youi doing what you want to do? (Did you want to be a horse trainer when you were a child?) Most definately!  I couldn't ask for a better job!

11. Can you describe horse training in one sentence?  The most hard and yet rewarding experience that you could ever have.