What makes a professional trainer better than me?

[Foxglove]

I purchased Bob (8 year old QH gelding) in Nov. I am gradually molding him to be the horse I want him to be --he came to me well-trained, but like everyone who owns a horse, I want more than he came with. I have a trainer/instructor . . .and I work/ride with Bob 5 days a week for about 2 hours a day ground work and riding.

But I watch videos --specifically Matt Mills riding his reiners. Mills will say, “I’ve had this horse in training for two weeks and have trained him to [fill in any skill].” So in emailed discussion with a gal pal who also own horses and like me strive to improve them, I asked "what makes a professional better than me?" She came up with this list:

The professionals that get their horses so nice, so quickly, know what they are doing.

They have their timing down to instinct

they know not to drill and make learning miserable or a punishment

they don’t take it personally when their horse breaks down

they know the exact hand, leg and seat placement to send the optimum, clearest signal to their animal to make the required response clear

they know to break up the lesson to make it interesting

they understand there is only so much new information a walnut sized brain can absorb in a week

they have clear intentions and their every movement is purposeful, clear and concise.

they let the horse soak for the appropriate amount of time.

they make sure they are using exercises appropriately

they are constantly learning

All that is why they are professionals.

You and I can bake and ice a cake, but we arent going to be able to do it as quickly, efficiently, or as beautifully as a trained, maitre patissier.

Pretty good list, I think. Would you add anything? Finally, I may never have what it takes to be a professional --but if I bake a cake and ice enough cakes --maybe I’ll satisfy myself!

Favorite pix of Bob:

[Eclectic_Horseman]

@Foxglove

Would you add anything?

I would say that the bottom line difference is the number of horses that a trainer has ridden over their lifetime and as well as on a daily basis. An individual rider may learn how to ride a particular horse, or a series of horses one at a time, but not be able to develop a number of tools for their tool kit nor synthesize a generalized knowledge of different types of horses and problems and how to solve them. Because of all of that experience, they can read a horse, and they know how to use their own bodies so that the horse reads them. In other words, they learn to communicate with horses wordlessly.

[Texarkana]

I always feel like these conversations need the caveat: “anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a professional.”

But bottom line, constant immersion + a skill set you can confidently utilize makes capable pros more effective than someone with less experience.

PS: I love Bob!

[Bluey]

As a professional myself, I will add, knowing what you don’t know.

Many top reining professionals take a few days off a couple times a year and take mostly some of their colts to another professional that hosts them, where they vacation riding and training and helping each other, learning more.
That new second pair of professional eyes on the ground are invaluable when you are already at the top and so busy yourself.
Some riders are a bit too handsy, others wiggle to give aids, some have too active legs or seat, no one is perfect and someone helping us makes all of us better.
Videos have helped tremendously to educate everyone’s eyes.

One way to spot someone good is that, when they ride, is like watching paint dry, you rarely see how they just shape the situation so the horse defaults to do what asked that works and learns easily, without hitting resistances.
A lesser rider will hit those resistances where horse doesn’t quite know what you want and once there, fight them thru, rather than back off and explain again, a bit different this time.

I like what someone else posted a few days ago, when you ride a well trained horse and it doesn’t quite perform as well for you as the trainer, is that trainer’s knowledge and feel that is missing.

Since horses are individuals, some just fit a rider better also comes into play in how smoothly communication is or can become.

And some people are just naturally better communicating with horses and that comes thru and helps everyone, as here with Bob.

[Foxglove]

Understand what you are saying about “anyone can hang a shingle . . .” --the Professionals I was referring to are highly successful --I cited Matt Mills — he seems to be such a gentle rider --AND his horses are clearly well-trained (at least the ones he shows professionally). Since he and I both ride horses, and both have unlimited time to train (I’m retired), I was musing to my gal-pal --“Why does he achieve results quicker and seemingly better than I do?”

The list was her response.

I like the addition to riding many different horses too.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

@Bluey

is that trainer’s knowledge and feel that is missing.

Yes, FEEL. Absolutely, and this can only be learned by many, many hours in the saddle.

I think it was a Malcolm Gladwell book that talked about having to do something for 10,000 hours before becoming proficient at it. There are 365 days in a year. If you ride one hour every day for a year, not missing a day, that’s only 365 hours! In order to get the 10,000 hours that you need to become “proficient” you would need to ride multiple hours a day for multiple years. Most non-pro riders don’t ride anywhere near that much.

[2DogsFarm]

Note: Tongue is in Cheek here
They get paid

In this country, as there’s no requirement to prove skill training horses or get licensed (thinking BHS), it comes down to word of mouth & success in the showring - for Pro & clients.

[Bluey]

One other mark of a top trainer to emulate is that those trainers are thinking of their horse first, ego really should not play a role.
If you have a top horse that can make you good, but you know he would be better fit for someone else, you check to see if they want to try it.

When we were racing, if we had a top prospect that would have been great at our lesser regional level, make us look good, we would put the word out to some racing in the big leagues and send the horse to their level of talent.
Reiners do that also, an exceptional horse that you know will fit in some other trainer’s hands, well, being honest, you see if they want to try it.
Some times, the difference of being in the finals, good enough, or the horse a great match with another trainer could win it all.
Knowing where a horse fits best, for the horse, is something that takes being a professional that can evaluate the horse and industry.

[Texarkana]

@2DogsFarm

Note: Tongue is in Cheek here
They get paid

In this country, as there’s no requirement to prove skill training horses or get licensed (thinking BHS), it comes down to word of mouth & success in the showring - for Pro & clients.

Exactly.

The “professional” worship always boggles my mind because more than half of them only deserve the title for monetary reasons.

I know the OP wasn’t referring to that group, but it’s such a large group in this country that it needs to be noted.

[NoSuchPerson]

@Bluey

when they ride, is like watching paint dry, you rarely see how they just shape the situation so the horse defaults to do what asked that works and learns easily, without hitting resistances.

This is so true. Two of my horses spent some months with a fantastic western trainer who used to do reiners on a large scale and then semi-retired to colt starting on a small scale. Every Friday I would go watch my horse get worked. The trainer would tell me what he was doing and often said things like, “There, did you see my ‘ask’ and the way Horse ‘gave’?” And I could never see anything.

Another story from the same trainer. One Friday I was there riding my horse under his supervision. I was having a problem and asked the trainer, “How do I make him stop doing that?” and the trainer said, “I don’t know. He doesn’t do that when I ride him.”

@Bluey

I like what someone else posted a few days ago, when you ride a well trained horse and it doesn’t quite perform as well for you as the trainer, is that trainer’s knowledge and feel that is missing.

I remember reading something from some pro telling about attending a clinic with a dressage master many years ago. At one point, the dressage master got on the pro’s horse and rode it briefly. When the pro got back on, it was like a new horse, light and responsive. Then, as he continued to ride, he could feel all that lightness and responsiveness just draining away because he didn’t have the skill to maintain it.

[Alterration]

I think the other component is that they’ve had so many horses come through their hands that they have many tools in their toolbox. As they say just when you say a horse would never, here they come nevering like they’ve never nevered before.

[floppyammy]

Another thing I would add is that they likely have the facilities necessary for optimum training - whether that is great footing, an indoor, a covered arena, a round pen, safe areas to teach tying skills, a eurociser, etc.

Also I would say a professional trainer can organize their day so that they have the optimum time for training, when the ring is quiet and there are fewer distractions. Versus, for example, someone that works full time, standard business hours, who has to content with the after school and after work contingent, a busy ring, lessons going on, etc.

[NoSuchPerson]

@Alterration

As they say just when you say a horse would never, here they come nevering like they’ve never nevered before.

IMO, if a person uses absolutes (always, never), it’s almost always a sign that they don’t know nearly as much as they think they do.

[Alterration]

@NoSuchPerson

IMO, if a person uses absolutes (always, never), it’s almost always a sign that they don’t know nearly as much as they think they do.

Absolutely. Agree 100%.

I think that’s true in most fields, but horses especially, because they can be SUCH individuals. That’s what makes giving advice hard!

[Paisley_Pony]

@Alterration

just when you say a horse would never, here they come nevering like they’ve never nevered before.

Wishing we could use quotes in our ID’s like the old COTH did.

[FitToBeTied]

I think trainers are like any other profession. There are good ones, bad ones and average ones. Some are great with some types of horses but bad with others. Some trainers are good with horses but not good with people and vice versa. Some trainers you can click with and some you don’t.

The trainer that is good with horses and good with people is a very, very rare trainer. I know a couple of trainers I would send a horse to in a heartbeat but would never take a lesson with them. Not that they are bad people but they just can’t explain things or vary their approach for the rider.