I’ve heard of this being done, but has anyone here done it? Do you feel like you benefited from it? How did the trainers take it? Did you have multiple horses to split between the trainers?
It really depends on the trainers, and the situation you are in (if you keep your horses at home or at a barn run by a trainer, etc.). I’ve been with trainers who have a whole program and want you to be in it 100% and train only with them, and I’ve been with trainers who have a program but don’t mind if students go outside of it. Right now I’m with one who is the latter, because it suits me to be more on my own. I don’t board at his barn (too far away), which makes independence a lot easier, but he is also an event trainer and doesn’t try to lock people in. There are some event trainers who do this, but the model developed in the H/J world isn’t as prevalent in eventing. In fact, he has set me up with another barn to meet at jumper shows so I can have help when I need it, as he is usually at events when I am showing.
For a while I was bringing my older horse to him and my younger one to a trainer who was closer to where I board, which worked out fine until I needed more help with my young horse. The trainer who was working with my young horse would have preferred me to have both horses with him, and it got sort of uncomfortable when I was splitting my time between both trainers. Switching over to just one made more sense for a lot of reasons, but I will train with whoever I think can best help me and my horses. My trainer doesn’t care- he works with whoever is in front of him and will give advice about who else to train or not train with only if asked.
I was also at a barn previously that is owned by a trainer, so she doesn’t allow other trainers to come in unless they are dressage instructors. That is fine except that she teaches only at a very low level and I would never have used her. I was one of only three people who didn’t take lessons with her in the barn (one is an eventer, one does dressage), so it was annoying that my trainer couldn’t come there, especially since he doesn’t teach beginners (which is what she has, more or less).
Vaudeville -something to remember-there’s “a rat in separate” 
Did not work for me `` different trainers at the same time ```
just saying two different trainers did not :eek: work for me …
placed horses according to trainer’s expertise = what the horse needed
- trainers were very unprofessional and just jealous of one another
**several different experiences with two different horse trainers
- and when I had two different trainers for a second breed … it did not work either
:eek:
the trainers always wanted “ALL” the horses or ponies
Jingles & AO it works for you …I, myself will never do that again ~
Right now, I’m going to the hunter trainer I’ve been with forever, and a straight dressage instructor as well. Both have established, successful programs. While different, the lessons are complementing each other. The horses and I are making progress in both rings. If it’s what you think you and your horse need, give it a try.
I’m wanting to teach the Connemara pony I hunt to drive, which will require yet another instructor-I really am a lesson junkie.
I tried it. One would say lower my hands. One would say raise my hands. One would say full seat. One would say half seat. It was a mess. Wouldn’t do it again from a purely educational perspective.
The trainers were friends so there were no jealousy issues, but when it became time to enlist one of them to choose a new horse for me s*** hit the fan!
Most trainers won’t get on board with this. Separate programs, separate methods. Doesn’t always jive.
I do it! I’m a working student & do three days at one barn with one eventing trainer and three days at the other and haven’t had a problem. They’ve both ridden with USET & now work with the same clinician for jumping, so their instructions are mostly along the same lines - if they do conflict I try their method and then afterwards I just say something like “I usually do [x] because of [logic], do you mind explaining why you prefer [y]?” As long as I’m open to doing it their way on their horses it’s never really a big deal to ask about their thought process.
I think switching back and forth is the ideal situation for me at the moment. Both trainers have very different personalities and tend to focus on different things, so I get a lot of detail-oriented position critiques from one and then more “get your heels down and get it done” lessons with the other. I can be a little bit of a perfectionist & it works really well for me to have one trainer that satisfies my need for details and to then go to the other the next day and practice surviving a tough exercise even if all those details aren’t perfect.
I ride with whoever the H E Double Hockey Stix I want. I have a “regular” H/J trainer that I really like, but I like dressage too so I take dressage lessons. I board at a barn with no resident trainer. So, I just go out to any interesting sounding clinic or whatever.
Works great. I have a really versatile Connemara. As long as you’re riding with good people and have a good BS detector you don’t get too mixed up.
I find it works best if their styles mesh well. In the past, I have branched out to trainers that have been recommended by trainers I was already riding with. Cuts down a lot on jealousy issues.
I would imagine it’s easier, and goes over better with the trainers, if they teach two different disciplines, such as hunters and dressage. That way they don’t see each other as competition.
[QUOTE=alternate_universe;7802634]
I would imagine it’s easier, and goes over better with the trainers, if they teach two different disciplines, such as hunters and dressage. That way they don’t see each other as competition.[/QUOTE]
Doing it right now, 2 trainers, 2 horses, different states. Its easy if their methods are similar, but still doable if not. BTW, trainers have never met each other
I do it. I’m a dressage rider, but my dressage instructor is a good hour away. I drive down there once a week or so and take a lesson on her school horses.
My horse is boarded near my place, and because he’s young we both need a lot of help right now. So we’re getting a mix of training rides for him/lessons for me from the boarding barn’s HJ trainer.
It works great. Both trainers know the situation and are on board. They have very similar approaches, particularly when it comes to putting the basics on a young horse. They tend to focus on different things when it comes to me/my position/etc, so not a lot of conflict there–I actually benefit from having two sets of eyes on me.
I think the reason it works so well for me is that everyone is on the same page, we all know what I want to get out of this situation in the short and long term, and they do have similar approaches.
I have tried it and it didn’t work. The one trainer did not have lesson horses as we rode the horses we owned and after I sold mine I did not enjoy riding the only horse available so I also rode elsewhere. She was not happy with me for riding elsewhere and even though we had been good friends before I felt shunned. I ended up not sticking with the one trainer because I did not enjoy having to go to 2 different barns. The other barn however did not care who else I rode with.
That’s sort of my situation - the saddleseat barn I ride at is 2 hours away. I started riding with an eventing instructor, on her horse, once during the week over the summer. I don’t have any other-than-sport-horse options local.
I have always been very clear the my heart lies with Barn A. I wouldn’t do this with trainers within the same discipline; it would just be a mess.
For most hunter barns it would be considered a no no, unless the trainer approved the decision and usually with some cause. If horse is boarded and in full training but rider lived hour + away etc.Hunter trainers with their own barns typically expect their boarders to lesson/show with them or their assistants.
Because of the multi-disciples required, eventing trainers seem to be the most open to multiple trainers etc. As long as the trainers’ methods don’t conflict, it can work but as mentioned, there can be issues when it comes to commissions or when both trainers are attending the same show.
[QUOTE=merrygoround;7801902]
Vaudeville -something to remember-there’s “a rat in separate” ;)[/QUOTE]
There’s a “rat” in sep-e-“rat”-e, too.
I’ve done it twice, with different results.
First time was in high school. Nearby barn was the one I started at, but wasn’t getting as much from lessons, and very little horsemanship/groundwork experience (horses were tacked up by barn crew, very little teaching of stable management/horse care).
Through family I learned of another barn further away (but near our summer cottage, and other family members) and started riding there on the weekends. Paired with one horse for a year minimum with affordable schooling shows, much greater focus on horse care and management (some of the kids resented getting roped into holding horses for farrier hours after their lesson, etc, but I soaked it up!!). I continued riding at the near barn because it was so much closer (20 min vs hr and fifteen) but quit there for my last year of high school as I was part leasing a horse at the far barn and able to drive myself out there three times a week.
It worked because the two barns were entirely different operations. Barn A was an excellent schooling lesson barn, barn B was all the hands on learning that A didn’t provide.
The second time I tried riding at two different barns didn’t go so well. It was for private lessons for fun vs ihsa team lessons. Both trainers were in the same circuit and had very different riding styles and teaching methods. Private trainer would have me jumping 2’6" courses, and the next day isha trainer would say I wasn’t ready for cavelleti. It didn’t do wonders for my confidence and ended up confusing the heck out of me (I’m not athletic/coordinated/self-aware enough to purposefully switch out between a perchy half seat and a more square, balanced seat between rides, depending on which barn I was at!). I also came to realize I’m not exactly cut out for team sports and one of the things I love about riding is the minimum of human interaction needed
I think riding with two trainers works best if they are either different disciplines, or focus on different things (young horse training vs strictly equitation), or if the two trainers are of similar minds. I could easily go to one trainer in particular even though my trainer and she often have kids competing against each other because the other trainer is a huge mentor of mine and I think my trainer would enjoy the collaboration/double sets of eyes tackling all of my crookedness/terrible muscle memory
I’ve done it. Worked for me, and all trainers were ok with the arrangement.
My daughter and I are doing it now. Mostly for her. Each trainer brings out something different in her and works on different things. One is dressage based but can really yell at her while making her smile at the same time. They just click.
The other is jumper based and is helping Kiara learn how to properly get out of the saddle, use her hands, and balance for jumping.
