Professional schooling - yay or nay?

Cortez

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I am fascinated at people thinking that having a professional train your horse is somehow "cheating".....Horse training is a complex, highly skilled occupation that requires long years of dedicated study and practise: why would people assume that it's just something that you can pick up casually, like knitting?

I know that anyone can hang out a "Horse Trainer" sign, and that the qualifications on offer in this part of the world aren't exactly onerous (or particularly useful), but proven, effective training is not something that you just get the hang of by "bonding"...
 

Auslander

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I am fascinated at people thinking that having a professional train your horse is somehow "cheating".....Horse training is a complex, highly skilled occupation that requires long years of dedicated study and practise: why would people assume that it's just something that you can pick up casually, like knitting?

Couldn't agree more. It saddens me when I see people making a hash of breaking or schooling a nice horse, because they think they could /should do it themselves, even if they aren't in any way equipped with the experience/knowledge/skill to do it.
 

JFTDWS

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Couldn't agree more. It saddens me when I see people making a hash of breaking or schooling a nice horse, because they think they could /should do it themselves, even if they aren't in any way equipped with the experience/knowledge/skill to do it.

Bloody hard when your experience of professionals is pretty bleak though.

(I know a couple I trust within reason, but god knows I see a lot more of them who shouldn't be in charge of a rocking horse)
 

Auslander

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Bloody hard when your experience of professionals is pretty bleak though.

(I know a couple I trust within reason, but god knows I see a lot more of them who shouldn't be in charge of a rocking horse)

Obviously you have to pick your professional carefully! I have a select group of amazing horse people who I would send a horse to without hesitation. Never had to, as I muddle through pretty well on my own - but I've been doing it for a while, and I learned the craft before I tried to implement it
 

spacefaer

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(not including your YO in the following comment, Levrier)

As long as the professional understood the difference between getting the horse going well for themselves, and training the horse to be rideable by the actual owner.

It's much easier to get on a horse and get a tune out of it, and make it look good (better than the owner can do) in a lesson situation, than it is to school it on a longer term basis for the rider - it requires a lot more conscious thought about how the horse should be trained and going. Every time the professional rides the horse, the owner/rider should be foremost in the rider's mind - how they ride, what they struggle with, so that the horse can be improved with that rider in mind.
 

Cortez

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If the overall standard of training both horses and riders WAS more professional in this part of the world perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult to match the two things up? I don't get this "training the horse so the bloody awful owner can ride it" idea.
 

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(not including your YO in the following comment, Levrier)

As long as the professional understood the difference between getting the horse going well for themselves, and training the horse to be rideable by the actual owner.

It's much easier to get on a horse and get a tune out of it, and make it look good (better than the owner can do) in a lesson situation, than it is to school it on a longer term basis for the rider - it requires a lot more conscious thought about how the horse should be trained and going. Every time the professional rides the horse, the owner/rider should be foremost in the rider's mind - how they ride, what they struggle with, so that the horse can be improved with that rider in mind.

Really really good point Spacefaer, I absolutely agree with you - I know we have discussed this before, and I had forgotten until you mentioned it, but yes totally!

I think I am incredibly lucky in that I have a YO who can ride J and improve him (plus giving me detailed feedback which luckily matches what I already know....) and a great trainer who can translate that to me and J working together if that makes sense?
 

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I am fascinated at people thinking that having a professional train your horse is somehow "cheating".....Horse training is a complex, highly skilled occupation that requires long years of dedicated study and practise: why would people assume that it's just something that you can pick up casually, like knitting?

I know that anyone can hang out a "Horse Trainer" sign, and that the qualifications on offer in this part of the world aren't exactly onerous (or particularly useful), but proven, effective training is not something that you just get the hang of by "bonding"...

I don't think anyone has suggested that it is easy? I certainly don't think so - I was simply trying to establish the difference between working through a problem myself and finding the answer (albeit with the help of a fantastic trainer and a long period of time) and being presented with a solution 'here you are, I have fixed it' that potentially might result from a professional intervention.
 

Britestar

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A slightly different slant on it, which probably doesn't apply to you.

I have a horse who is really too big for me. I'm 5'2" and he's nearly 16.3hh. It wasn't a choice, I bred him and he kept growing, so I'm stuck with him.

Whilst I would love to send him away to bring him on, at the end of the day, I'm the one who has to ride him, and nearly everyone is bigger/stronger than me. This means he can go beautifully for them, but I struggle to reproduce it with my short legs!

I've discussed it at length with trainers and we've come to the conclusion that its better that I get lots of input, but ultimately do it myself.
 

ihatework

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Why would you not have a pro help if you can afford it?
When I was competing I had someone school mine for me at least once a fortnight, always good to have a little tune up!
These days I tend to send them away for short periods whilst I’m busy away with work.
 

Ahrena

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I have in th past.

I had some problems with my mare bucking in canter last year. I could sit them perfectly well but I couldn't stop her doing it. Once everything physical had been ruled out my dressage instructor got on a few times at the start of my lessons which helped us work through it.

Then in February I broke my collarbone/shoulder joint and couldn't ride for a few weeks so I had both my dressage and jump instructor ride her a few times to keep her ticking over. Thoroughly enjoyed being an 'owner' for a while
 

ILuvCowparsely

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Lévrier;13672006 said:
Would you consider asking a professional you trusted to school your horse if you had the opportunity? What would your reasons be for ‘yes’ or ‘no’? Just curious :)

Yes I would and I am on many counts, even though I am a qualified BHS, this time round with my recent accidents and business in the yard. I don't have the interest to school my mare, partly because I prefer western schooling but also I have no interest in in English schooling anymore. Also With my gelding out of action for 2 years I never rode from 2013 - 2015 so a lot of my muscles went, when I did ride again my mare fell on the road and fractured my shoulder which has left a disability and pain, and out of action for a further 4 months..


The other reason my trainer albeit same BHS qualifications as me is an amazing rider/trainer/person who is working and trained by a high professional dressage rider so I get brilliant schooling and my mare has come on leaps and bounds as we are playing the catch up game due to her lack of training in the first few years she is behind.

The same with jumping reasons above too, have a Professional jumper training her weekly, as again we are playing catch up.
 
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chestnut cob

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I think it depends on what you're trying to achieve but I have done in the past. My DR trainer had my horse (now sold) in for schooling three times. Twice when I was on holiday and once after some time off. The difference in him after each "holiday" was fantastic. It also helped my lessons as she had felt what I did & so better helped me to deal with it. I wouldn't hesitate to send a future horse to her & have recommended her to loads of people.
 

j1ffy

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Absolutely yes. My YO has schooled mine fairly often in the past, mostly due to me being busy with work, and it's helped keep them on the right track and also gives her insight that helps when she is teaching me. She also takes schooling liveries but usually horses belonging to people she teaches - I think this is a good combo as she can help the rider to maintain the training after the intense schooling period.

I'm not sure I'd send a horse away to a 'random' for training but I'd never say never, especially if the person was highly recommended and I'd seen their training methods.
 

rachk89

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I would send my horse off to be trained and competed by a professional if I could afford it. I'll never accomplish with him what someone better could. He has a lot of talent for dressage or jumping that I just can't use. But can't afford it so he's stuck with me, but seems happy as we do nothing overly complicated and he gets to jump with someone else now and again to keep him happy. :)
 

NZJenny

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So interesting and once again highlighting differences between the UK and NZ.

Very few people here would consider sending their horses away to be schooled by someone else. Yes, you may pay someone else to start the horse under saddle, but lots of people, myself included have started our own. I learnt from a book - the confidence of youth! No one died, the horses have all turned out fine and I learnt a lot along the way. These days however, I'm happy to pay someone else to do it as starting young horses needs a ton of confidence and that fades with age.

Kiwi's are big on DIY - it's a national obsession!

What is more normal here is to have lessons with an instructor on said horse and this is how I have always worked. I love learning how to do it myself and developing the feel required to school the horse. Yes, sometimes we get it wrong, but that's called experience. I'm not aiming for the Olympics and I don't own a horse for someone else to have the pleasure of riding it. "Professional" doesn't really mean a lot (other than you pay them) and NZ isn't big on qualifications either. Most people in the horse industry trade on reputation and word of mouth and given that the horse world is very small here, news travels.
 

Oscar

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Yes!! A pro can install buttons, teach it movements or help iron out any issues quicker than your average rider. Many of us buy young or green horses as it's all we can afford so we often need a bit of extra help, there's no shame in that. I'm not the worlds best rider but I school my oh's 4yo while he works away and he always says he feels better after I've ridden, I think because I'm quite black and white with him and oh may be a bit fluffier!!
 
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