I recently ran into quite a bit of conflict surrounding the subject of certified horse trainers and although I did a short article pondering the reasons for the harsh feelings against the idea, I had a request to give better arguments to support my stance on the subject.
I was not really intending on debating the issue, just wanted folks to stop and think a moment about what certified trainer means.
Now I will do my best to explain more completely My interpretation of Certification.
I will start by admitting that I have a very biased opinion on the subject as I have only sought the training of two 'Gurus,' both related.
So, what I say will only be based on what I have studied and observed from them.
What I know permeates the Certified crowd, however, will be fairly common.
With that in mind I will do my best to address the opposition that I learned about while trying to give advice, warning and encouragement to a young horse trainer upstart.
What it seems to all boil down to is worth, money / greed, and perceived knowledge.
Knowledge by definition in Encarta Dictionary is about as complex as the matter at hand: 1) information in mind - a general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths or principles 2) specific information - a clear awareness or explicit information 3) all that can be known - all the information, facts truths, and principles learned throughout time 4) learning through experience or study - familiarity or understanding gained through experience or study 5) transmission of information - communication.
Nevertheless, you can see in all definitions, knowledge is based on information learned, whether by experience or study and the communication of such.
Nowhere is there mention of knowledge simply existing or appearing in a mind.
What this means is the amount of knowledge a person has is in direct correlation to the amount of study, application, and experience a person has had in any given field.
So it would be fair to say that the individual that has spent 5yrs training one horse on their own would not have as much knowledge in horse training as an individual that has spent those same 5yrs studying and putting into practice on several different horses, the same proven techniques of a person who used them to successfully train hundreds of horses.
Let's say those two people had decided, due to their own success in training, to become professionals, how might you tell them apart? No real way except by their word and of course their product.
Let's look at a third option, there was a third individual who not only study and applied proven techniques, but also went to the individual they felt had the most knowledge of the usage of these techniques and went through classes with this teacher.
Upon completion, the individual by displaying a satisfactory understanding of the materials presented by the teacher, received 'proof' of completing this course in the form of a 'title.
' This person also decides, due to their success in and out of the class, to train others.
You, as a prospective client, now have reason to believe this third individual has sufficient knowledge to help you.
There is the argument that there are lots of trainers out there who do not 'certify and are not certified,' and are great at what they do.
This is very true, however, it is not to say that these trainers did not learn what they know from another more accomplished trainer then they.
Some would even bring up trainers centuries ago who would fit this bill.
Yet, how do we learn about these trainers? Study.
How do we know what these trainers had to say was 'good?' Application.
There were no 'certification programs' then? Maybe not in those words as then words of a man had more value than they do today.
You cannot even be safe with a handshake or hand written contract anymore.
But, before I get way off topic I would like to point out the Spanish School of Riding.
You had to be a very accomplished rider to get in and when you came out you would be the creme de la creme.
If you told someone you went to this school, I guarantee you were well exalted.
I could see a rider from that school either charging more for their services and being extremely picky about the students they took.
After all, it was this type of selective-ness that got them into the school to begin with.
Which leads us to the hot topic of money, which like politics, makes poor dinner conversation.
With the matter at hand, it is directly related to worth.
What drives us to spend money is need and desire.
We grumble about gas prices, but continue to pay as we need to get to work and as many live too far from their place of employment to walk or bicycle, and thus it is worth the price.
Desire, however, is a personal preference and is solely based on an individual's perception of worth.
Worth (noun) by definition in Encarta Dictionary: 1) value in money 2) amount equaling given value - the amount of something that can be bought for a particular sum of money or that will last for a particular length of time 3) moral or social value - the goodness, usefulness, or importance of something or somebody, irrespective of financial value or wealth 4) wealth - the wealth of a person, group organization, or other entity Worth (adjective): 1) equal to particular amount 2) important enough to justify something.
Outside of the trades that cater to horse owners, horses are a hobby and an expensive one at that.
Show horses are at the top of the chart when it comes to 'frivolous' spending.
Saddles for thousands of dollars, bridles for hundreds of dollars, special feeds and supplements, pampering and care every day done by paid grooms and workers not to mention all the expenses accrued with showing.
Showing is not everyone's idea of fun and some shun the amount of spending as they do not see the worth.
However, they may see the worth in having a trail horse that is not only calm, but also responsive and willing.
In fact, they may have had an accident and they find these attributes are not just worthy, they are necessary.
They would put great worth in a trainer that could help them create this kind of horse for them and would look for the trainer that has a track record of success in that area.
In that same mind, there are trainers that want to help people achieve these goals and instead of continually 'fixing' the horse they want to also teach the rider how to maintain their horse as well.
In other words, pass their knowledge on to the horse owner which in turn empowers the owner and enables them to continue training their own horse.
Sound like greed to you? If you wanted to become the best in any chosen field of employment you 'pay for your education.
' You can go about it many ways: 1) You can read, research, and in essence train yourself, 2) You can attend free seminars, community college classes, and workshops, 3) Pay for a Trade School, 3) Pay for State College or University, 4) Pay for Private College.
When it is time to hit the pavement which education do you think will best prepare you for your career choice? Which path is your perspective employer most likely to be impressed with and why? Some people have the luxury of taking their training skills and helping others whenever and however they like.
They don't need the money and don't charge or want to protect their 'non-pro' status and can't take money.
Training for them is a hobby.
Others are trying to pay the bills, enlarge their facilities and grow a business.
There are a lot of expenses that go with any entrepreneurial venture.
As with feed stores and horse shoers, many horse owners think, "Well, I pay them 'x amount' every time I see them, they must be rich.
" Or, "They make a bunch off me, they have lots of clients, they could give me a deal and still be racking in the dough.
" You have to understand most horses are a hobby and an expensive one at that.
The feed store, trainer, shoer are providing a service and it is their business.
There are business expenses such as web design, advertising, office equipment, liability insurance, health insurance, and possibly workman's comp.
There are physical expenses such as expansion, ground maintenance, human amenities, building maintenance, equipment maintenance, tack, equipment, possibly workers, as well as storage and purchasing of hay, bedding, and such.
That is not even an exhaustive list as you consider there could be a flood, fire, or other disaster that insurance may not cover.
That is the average trainer just running a business.
Let's say this trainer is really good at what they do and now people want the trainer to teach them how to get the results.
The trainer has some options.
They can say, "No, these are my secrets, they are what keep me in business," or they can say "Yes, but I will not have enough time to train as many horses so I will have to get picky about what horses I take in.
Supply and demand.
The supply of the training is going down and the demand is going up.
Now you add travel, clinic expenses, additional insurance, vehicle maintenance, and other travel costs when that trainer decides to add clinics to their calendar.
Many clinicians do not do horse training as it is obviously impossible.
"But I want so and so to train my horse, how much will it cost.
" Now this trainer's time is more valuable to them.
It has to be worth it to them so they don't become resentful for taking time away from their clinics to train the horse.
As a product becomes more in demand, you have two options: 1) humor everyone at a low price or 2) raise the price and get pickier.
In horse training it goes something like this: New trainer on the block takes everything with 4 legs, works four times harder than others as the horses are tougher, have destructive behaviors and many times the clients are not as committed.
After awhile, as word gets out of the quality of the work, more people use the trainer and slowly the quality of horse and owner gets better.
The trainer is getting older and realizes there is more to life than being kicked in the head, bit in chest, and left with non paying owners.
The price goes up and the trainer will not accept the worst of the horses into training or perhaps stops training and starts running clinics only.
So how does this translate to Certified trainers? Holding a certificate only shows what you have accomplished in 'school.
' It does not make you a master of your trade.
It is a strong advantage to those who do not come from a 'horse training' family or live in a 'horse training' community.
It shows others your dedication and desire to be the best at what you do.
You have to beat the pavement just like everyone else.
It does not make you a success, it gets you going down the road in the right direction with an edge over some of the competition.
If someone finds value in that, they will become a client.
Greed will always drive some people and I don't deny it, however, to put a label on people who's desire is to be the best through education in order to provide the best is simply wrong.
True wisdom and knowledge is obtained through experience and application, yet you will find those with arrogance and conceit to hide what they don't have.
I believe you have to be fairly blind to not see the difference in trainers no matter where they received their 'education.
' And worth is as individual as the people who own horses.
So, it all boils down to what you as a horse owner would like for you and your horse and what a horse trainer feels is important to them to pass on to the client.
Why then the fuss? If I choose to study under an individual in order to become proficient in the techniques I feel are best, why is that any different than any other who studies under another via book, video or lesson? There are many different kinds of boats that traverse the waters, they all have to float, but they get to their destination in different ways.
I was not really intending on debating the issue, just wanted folks to stop and think a moment about what certified trainer means.
Now I will do my best to explain more completely My interpretation of Certification.
I will start by admitting that I have a very biased opinion on the subject as I have only sought the training of two 'Gurus,' both related.
So, what I say will only be based on what I have studied and observed from them.
What I know permeates the Certified crowd, however, will be fairly common.
With that in mind I will do my best to address the opposition that I learned about while trying to give advice, warning and encouragement to a young horse trainer upstart.
What it seems to all boil down to is worth, money / greed, and perceived knowledge.
Knowledge by definition in Encarta Dictionary is about as complex as the matter at hand: 1) information in mind - a general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths or principles 2) specific information - a clear awareness or explicit information 3) all that can be known - all the information, facts truths, and principles learned throughout time 4) learning through experience or study - familiarity or understanding gained through experience or study 5) transmission of information - communication.
Nevertheless, you can see in all definitions, knowledge is based on information learned, whether by experience or study and the communication of such.
Nowhere is there mention of knowledge simply existing or appearing in a mind.
What this means is the amount of knowledge a person has is in direct correlation to the amount of study, application, and experience a person has had in any given field.
So it would be fair to say that the individual that has spent 5yrs training one horse on their own would not have as much knowledge in horse training as an individual that has spent those same 5yrs studying and putting into practice on several different horses, the same proven techniques of a person who used them to successfully train hundreds of horses.
Let's say those two people had decided, due to their own success in training, to become professionals, how might you tell them apart? No real way except by their word and of course their product.
Let's look at a third option, there was a third individual who not only study and applied proven techniques, but also went to the individual they felt had the most knowledge of the usage of these techniques and went through classes with this teacher.
Upon completion, the individual by displaying a satisfactory understanding of the materials presented by the teacher, received 'proof' of completing this course in the form of a 'title.
' This person also decides, due to their success in and out of the class, to train others.
You, as a prospective client, now have reason to believe this third individual has sufficient knowledge to help you.
There is the argument that there are lots of trainers out there who do not 'certify and are not certified,' and are great at what they do.
This is very true, however, it is not to say that these trainers did not learn what they know from another more accomplished trainer then they.
Some would even bring up trainers centuries ago who would fit this bill.
Yet, how do we learn about these trainers? Study.
How do we know what these trainers had to say was 'good?' Application.
There were no 'certification programs' then? Maybe not in those words as then words of a man had more value than they do today.
You cannot even be safe with a handshake or hand written contract anymore.
But, before I get way off topic I would like to point out the Spanish School of Riding.
You had to be a very accomplished rider to get in and when you came out you would be the creme de la creme.
If you told someone you went to this school, I guarantee you were well exalted.
I could see a rider from that school either charging more for their services and being extremely picky about the students they took.
After all, it was this type of selective-ness that got them into the school to begin with.
Which leads us to the hot topic of money, which like politics, makes poor dinner conversation.
With the matter at hand, it is directly related to worth.
What drives us to spend money is need and desire.
We grumble about gas prices, but continue to pay as we need to get to work and as many live too far from their place of employment to walk or bicycle, and thus it is worth the price.
Desire, however, is a personal preference and is solely based on an individual's perception of worth.
Worth (noun) by definition in Encarta Dictionary: 1) value in money 2) amount equaling given value - the amount of something that can be bought for a particular sum of money or that will last for a particular length of time 3) moral or social value - the goodness, usefulness, or importance of something or somebody, irrespective of financial value or wealth 4) wealth - the wealth of a person, group organization, or other entity Worth (adjective): 1) equal to particular amount 2) important enough to justify something.
Outside of the trades that cater to horse owners, horses are a hobby and an expensive one at that.
Show horses are at the top of the chart when it comes to 'frivolous' spending.
Saddles for thousands of dollars, bridles for hundreds of dollars, special feeds and supplements, pampering and care every day done by paid grooms and workers not to mention all the expenses accrued with showing.
Showing is not everyone's idea of fun and some shun the amount of spending as they do not see the worth.
However, they may see the worth in having a trail horse that is not only calm, but also responsive and willing.
In fact, they may have had an accident and they find these attributes are not just worthy, they are necessary.
They would put great worth in a trainer that could help them create this kind of horse for them and would look for the trainer that has a track record of success in that area.
In that same mind, there are trainers that want to help people achieve these goals and instead of continually 'fixing' the horse they want to also teach the rider how to maintain their horse as well.
In other words, pass their knowledge on to the horse owner which in turn empowers the owner and enables them to continue training their own horse.
Sound like greed to you? If you wanted to become the best in any chosen field of employment you 'pay for your education.
' You can go about it many ways: 1) You can read, research, and in essence train yourself, 2) You can attend free seminars, community college classes, and workshops, 3) Pay for a Trade School, 3) Pay for State College or University, 4) Pay for Private College.
When it is time to hit the pavement which education do you think will best prepare you for your career choice? Which path is your perspective employer most likely to be impressed with and why? Some people have the luxury of taking their training skills and helping others whenever and however they like.
They don't need the money and don't charge or want to protect their 'non-pro' status and can't take money.
Training for them is a hobby.
Others are trying to pay the bills, enlarge their facilities and grow a business.
There are a lot of expenses that go with any entrepreneurial venture.
As with feed stores and horse shoers, many horse owners think, "Well, I pay them 'x amount' every time I see them, they must be rich.
" Or, "They make a bunch off me, they have lots of clients, they could give me a deal and still be racking in the dough.
" You have to understand most horses are a hobby and an expensive one at that.
The feed store, trainer, shoer are providing a service and it is their business.
There are business expenses such as web design, advertising, office equipment, liability insurance, health insurance, and possibly workman's comp.
There are physical expenses such as expansion, ground maintenance, human amenities, building maintenance, equipment maintenance, tack, equipment, possibly workers, as well as storage and purchasing of hay, bedding, and such.
That is not even an exhaustive list as you consider there could be a flood, fire, or other disaster that insurance may not cover.
That is the average trainer just running a business.
Let's say this trainer is really good at what they do and now people want the trainer to teach them how to get the results.
The trainer has some options.
They can say, "No, these are my secrets, they are what keep me in business," or they can say "Yes, but I will not have enough time to train as many horses so I will have to get picky about what horses I take in.
Supply and demand.
The supply of the training is going down and the demand is going up.
Now you add travel, clinic expenses, additional insurance, vehicle maintenance, and other travel costs when that trainer decides to add clinics to their calendar.
Many clinicians do not do horse training as it is obviously impossible.
"But I want so and so to train my horse, how much will it cost.
" Now this trainer's time is more valuable to them.
It has to be worth it to them so they don't become resentful for taking time away from their clinics to train the horse.
As a product becomes more in demand, you have two options: 1) humor everyone at a low price or 2) raise the price and get pickier.
In horse training it goes something like this: New trainer on the block takes everything with 4 legs, works four times harder than others as the horses are tougher, have destructive behaviors and many times the clients are not as committed.
After awhile, as word gets out of the quality of the work, more people use the trainer and slowly the quality of horse and owner gets better.
The trainer is getting older and realizes there is more to life than being kicked in the head, bit in chest, and left with non paying owners.
The price goes up and the trainer will not accept the worst of the horses into training or perhaps stops training and starts running clinics only.
So how does this translate to Certified trainers? Holding a certificate only shows what you have accomplished in 'school.
' It does not make you a master of your trade.
It is a strong advantage to those who do not come from a 'horse training' family or live in a 'horse training' community.
It shows others your dedication and desire to be the best at what you do.
You have to beat the pavement just like everyone else.
It does not make you a success, it gets you going down the road in the right direction with an edge over some of the competition.
If someone finds value in that, they will become a client.
Greed will always drive some people and I don't deny it, however, to put a label on people who's desire is to be the best through education in order to provide the best is simply wrong.
True wisdom and knowledge is obtained through experience and application, yet you will find those with arrogance and conceit to hide what they don't have.
I believe you have to be fairly blind to not see the difference in trainers no matter where they received their 'education.
' And worth is as individual as the people who own horses.
So, it all boils down to what you as a horse owner would like for you and your horse and what a horse trainer feels is important to them to pass on to the client.
Why then the fuss? If I choose to study under an individual in order to become proficient in the techniques I feel are best, why is that any different than any other who studies under another via book, video or lesson? There are many different kinds of boats that traverse the waters, they all have to float, but they get to their destination in different ways.
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