1. What type of operation do you have, do you own your own facilities or use someone else's?

I currently work at a 20 acre training facility in Citra Florida. There are 2.5 acre pastures with shelters, arena, round pen, desensitizing obstacles, trails in the trees, and a lot more.

2. Do you train horses for others, or buy them to train?

Since I do not buy and sell that many horses at this time, although my proteges do buy, train, and resell for profits which I share in. Training other people's horses is more profitable for me.

3. Do you give lessons?

Yes I do. My specialty is teaching people to maintain or train their own horses. Once I train a horse I teach the owner to maintain the training their horse received. This summer I will be starting a series of clinics, teaching people how to work more successfully with horses.

4. What caused you to enter the horse training field?

Horses were always a big part of my life. I trained my own horses and other people's while in junior and high school. After graduating from high school I did not have any career plans, so I decided to learn more about training while deciding.

5. When did you know that this was what you wanted to do?

I am not sure, I do not think I had ever decided that horse training would be my career, it picked me. Someday I may get a real job, but I doubt it, I know to much about horse training at this point to stop.

6. What type of schooling/apprenticeships did you have in preparation for this job?

To become a horse trainer you must work under an experienced trainer. People who trade work in exchange for learning under a trainer are called apprentices, assistant trainers, or co-trainers. People who work under my supervision are proteges, they pay me to teach them how to train horses. My education started taking lessons as an amateur owner rider in my youth. Then I worked with various trainers doing the harder and more dangerous work in exchange for lessons. I read lots of books about horses, salesmanship, running business, advertising, accounting, etc.

7. How did you get your start in the horse industry?

The first time I earned a wage with horses was when I was in high school. People liked the way I trained my horse so, they asked me to do the same for them. Then I moved from Michigan to Arizona to work with two trainers, one of whom I'd met at a horse show.

8. What do you like most about working with horses?

Horses are my sport, as well as my income. Being able to communicate with horses gives me a great sense of satisfaction with endless challenges. I quickly get bored with most things, where horses have always kept my interests. When I got bored showing horses, I changed to training trail horses.

9. What about your job would you change if you could?

There is always something that needs to be changed and I have made many changes in the past. Fortunately for me I am self employed and I can make changes as I choose. Building my own stable is a recent change, raising my fees and subcontracting more work out to co-trainers under me would be great also.

10. How do you find clients?

Word of mouth is our best avenue for business. When I do a good job for one person, they tell their friends, then their friends tell their friends and so on. Writing horse training articles for trade magazines provides a way to explain my techniques which attracts clients. My web page allows people to get more information on my work and rates. I run a local advertisement in a horse magazine I also write for, just to keep people informed of my latest projects.

11. Do you ever have trouble finding clients?

Not so far. Typically just as one client leaves another client begins. However, the fear of starving next month keeps me working hard and developing new avenues to ensure future clients.

12. What is a typical day like for you?

Because I give riding lessons I have to adjust my work schedule around my clients jobs, then I group my training horses in that time period. My days are very seldom the same, sometimes I show horses to sell, give lessons, ride in an arena, ride on the trail, trailer horses, saddle train young horses, the list goes on. This is what I like about the horse industry, a lot of versatility.

13. Do you ever get tired of horses?

Everyone gets tired of working for a living including me. When you ride six to eight horses every day, five days a week, four weeks a month, twelve months a year for thirty years, sure. When I get burned out I take a vacation sailing, scuba diving, or skiing with no horses in sight! But it never lasts, horses are to important to me.

14. What would you tell someone who wanted your job?

There have been many people over the years who have wanted my jobs or clients. I normally do not say much, because people come and go. The horse business is very emotional, people want to hear what they want, not the truth. People fall for a good line of bull and then find out the truth was better, so they return to me as a better client.

15. What would you recommend to an aspiring trainer to prepare for this job?

Learn as much as you can as an amateur before you enter the work force. The best way is to start training horses part time, until you are use to the work. Talk to as many trainers as you can. Once you have a relationship with a trainer, try to get a job with that person. There are many different training techniques, find a trainer that you agree with and take the plunge.

16. What type of investment/risk is involved in getting started [training]?

There is no normal dollar value. Very few people become trainers who have never handled a horse. Most trainers have been around horses prior to becoming a professional, that period is where the most expenses are. Someone that can handle a horse can enter a stable as an assistant trainer, exercise person, or handler with all expenses paid. A self employed trainer can invest in just tack or an entire training facility.

17. How much money do you make per year? (Sorry, I had to ask :)

A standard wage for an average trainer is $1500 per month, including housing and expenses, and commissions on sales and outside horses. I personally know self employed trainers that are millionaires, mostly through land ownerships. A trainers business talents determines the wage, more than the ability to work with horses.

18. Where do you see the horse industry going in the future?

There are more horses today than when they were used as transportation, and they are still multiplying. Horse owners are wanting to get more hands on involvement. As the average horse owner is learning more about horses, there will be less mistakes which cause people to leave the industry. With more people staying in the horse business plus the new people, horse companies will sell more products. Trainers will be giving more clinics that are sponsored by companies.

1. What is the first thing you would teach a total beginner that had hardly touched a horse before?

Whether a student is new or a long time veteran to the horse business, I first talk about how a horse thinks and acts differently from what we may expect them to do. People become very frustrated to the point of losing their temper when horses do dumb things or when they will not do as they are told. This happens because people expect horses to think the way humans do or people have a misconception, due to movies and television, that horses are smarter than they truly are.

2. If a totally horse crazy little girl and her enthusiastic parents walked into your stable, neither of them had experience with horses, and wanted to purchase one of your horses, what would you tell them?

They should buy a horse that will fit their wants and needs today, not one that requires training. They should spend a lot of time with the horse they have chosen to make sure their personalities get along, so they will not be quarrelling all the time. An older more experienced horse will understand humans and will be less likely to panic and hurt himself when a mistake is made.

3. Do you believe that a person should not purchase a horse until he/she has learned the basic care of and how to handle a horse on the ground?

Yes, I do recommend that people should take lessons prior to buying a horse. There are many little things to know about horses that should be learned under supervision. Instructors require their students to obey their rules that will ensure safety for both horses and people. This will also give people time to determine what style, breed, or division they like or best suites them. To many times people buy the wrong horse and try to change them afterwards. Trying to make a jumping horse out of a horse that is not built for jumping can be damaging.

4. What is your opinion on people that unintentionally mistreat horses because they do not know any better?

Knowledge and understanding is the greatest asset people can pass on. We must always keep in mind that we have all started from the same place, the beginning. People always make mistakes and have different opinions on subjects, unfortunately we must make mistakes to learn. Learning to be diplomatic is not easy, but we must try to discuss our opinions with others with open minds so we can learn. As long as people are trying to get better that is just part of the system, when people are not improving I will try to bring attention to the subject. Fortunately horses are very forgiving and seldom hold grudges.

5. What is the best quality you look for in a rider?

Their ability to communicate with their horse, and to know both of their limitations. A horse and rider should work as a team as if they are one unit, not as two foreign objects with different ideas and interests. A willingness to learn is a great asset for a rider, learning is a never ending process when working with horses.

6. Do you believe that a rider can be in control without being cruel?

Yes, there is a level where both rider and horse can be happy. Unfortunately there are times when conflicts will arise and pressure is used to deter a horse from doing something wrong. These situations can be avoided if the owner does not rush their horse's training. Pressure is the way horses communicate, and to work with horses we also must use pressure to tell them what we want. The amount of pressure should be determined by the rider, horse, difficultly of the situation, and excitement level of the situation. When a rider learns to break down situations into easy to learn segments very little pressure is needed.

7. When you teach, do you teach just riding or values that will help riders in their lives?

Instructing people to ride is merely teaching a communication that both horse and rider will understand and perform naturally. The hardest part is accepting a horse for who they are and not what people want them to be. Values that people must learn in the horse world are not any different than the human world; responsibility, the ability to get along, the urge to learn, and caring and understanding for others, are just a few examples. On the other hand, values outside the horse world can also be used to better a relationship with a horse.

8. What qualities do you look for in a riding instructor?

The ability to explain their opinions and techniques so the student understands. Every person relates differently, so an instructor must be versatile enough to explain their rules in a scenario that a student can relate to. If a person is a snow skier they should use examples used in skiing. An instructor's techniques should be adaptable by different personalities and physical abilities of people, because everyone is different. Most importantly, instructors should always be improving their own talents and testing their techniques for flaws, because they are controlling the future of the horse industry.

9. Are you good friends with your students?

Yes, I spend a lot of time with my students helping them enjoy their horses. Problems between horse and owners can become very emotional times and I have to become the mediator. This causes a bond between the horse, student, and instructor. With horses being the students release from their work I try to make horses a big part of their social life.

10. Do you believe that in order for today's horses to be safe and happy today riders must be well educated by their riding instructors? Please explain.

Yes, people are very surprised as to what is cruel or making their horse unhappy. Most people focus on the trainers and point out cruelty there, yet more cruelty is committed by owners that do not understand horses. Here are just a few examples: A horse's body is designed to walk a long distance while eating small amounts of food along the way. By containing a horse in a small area without exercise while being fed two large meals a day, people are doing damage to their horses health. Riders who hold tight on the reins and never offer their horse a light cue are more cruel than a rider who uses one rough cue and returns to light cues. At least the horse has a choice whether to obey the light cue or wait for the harder cue, versus the continued hard cues.