In response to last week’s article, Why Horse Trainers Shouldn’t Advertise Natural Horsemanship, I received several e-mails accusing me of prejudice against natural horsemanship. I invite you to go back and re-read the article, specifically the last few lines.
If nothing else, the response to my article only proves how divisive this arena is.
Nothing is Wrong with Natural Horsemanship
This Web site is not about equestrian philosophy. It’s about business, communication and solving your clients’ needs. It’s about turning equestrians into horse business owners, and turning horse business owners into better entrepreneurs.
Rarely will you find two equestrians with identical views on horse training. There are almost always at least a few points of contention, and this fact makes life hard for horse trainers. Why make it harder?
Natural horsemanship is a divisive subject, as is every other horse training methodology in the business. Your definition of natural horsemanship is likely different from mine, but if I choose you to train my horse using natural horsemanship, I assume you will use my methods.
It might be an ignorant and erroneous assumption, but that’s how your clients think.
A better idea would be for you to describe your horse training methods using no labels at all. You might say, for example, that you will:
- Never use harsh artificial aids
- Won’t bully my horse or use unnecessary force
- Introduce my horse slowly to new concepts
- Believe in asking my horse to accept things rather than forcing him into obedience
- Use only a snaffle or equivalent bit
- Maintain soft hands
That’s just an overview, but which is clearer? Saying you practice natural horsemanship or that you resolve yourself to the above approaches to horse training?
Communication Requires Understanding
Let’s say that you are interested in training for a marathon. You enjoy running but have very little experience with it, so you’re hiring a trainer to get you in shape and help you prepare for the marathon.
You hit the Internet and search for fitness coaches in your area who specialize in running. You find the Web site of a local professional who offers just what you’re looking for, but he promotes the philosophy of Evolution Running.
Some of you might know what that is, but the vast majority of my readers are shaking their heads right now. Evolution running? What’s that? How will it benefit me?
Those are the questions your clients are asking if you advertise natural horsemanship or any other horse training philosophy. If they don’t know what it is, you’ve failed in communication.
Let’s look at it a different way. Say you have heard of Evolution Running. In fact, you’ve had an Evolution Running trainer before, and he or she was abusive and controlling. You didn’t like it at all. So you immediately click away from the page because Evolution? You’re not having any more of that!
Now apply it to natural horsemanship. What if one of your potential clients has hired a natural horsemanship trainer before and reacted negatively to it. You can’t control what that other trainer did, and his definition of natural horsemanship might be totally different from yours. But the client doesn’t know that.
Insert Horsemanship Philosophy Here
Maybe you practical Centered Riding or classical dressage or any other horsemanship philosophy. Maybe natural horsemanship has nothing to do with your horse training service.
Same rules apply, you guys. A philosophy is, by its very nature, amorphous, and subject to extreme interpretation. It isn’t a set guidelines or program that everyone follows to the letter.
Your horse training clients want to know what you can do for them. Most of them don’t care whether you practice natural horsemanship or anything else; they care about what improvements you can make to their relationships with their horses. End of story.
Applying that logic, horse trainers shouldn’t advertise natural horsemanship or classical dressage, or any other philosophy. Or if they do, they should expound upon that declaration with specific details that will address client concerns and help facilitate a meeting of the minds.
You might also like:
- Expectations in Horse Training
- Do You Need a
Horse Training Assistant? - Why Horses Trainers Shouldn’t
Advertise Natural Horsemanship - Types of Horse Training
- How to Set a
Horse Training Schedule
About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Chief Equestrian Officer of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. She believes that any horse business can succeed provided its owner practices smart strategy.
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Hello, I am the client and love your site. What is reasonable communication between your trainer and client. I would like a call or email with updates (once a week) whether my horse did any milestones or not, my horse is green, and I have the rest of my life with him. My horse is sixty miles away in training and we drive out there every weekend and spend time with him, grooming and leading. Our trainer works Monday thru Friday. I want to know does he have a bit on him or using rope, etc. Is wanting a call once a week asking too much? Perhaps watching him in action every other week? I told him I wanted my husband or I to come out and watch, I mean just watch not bother so we can
implement what he is teaching the horse.
Please let me know if I am asking too much from my trainer?
The website is my trainers website, not mine.. Just for your reference. He is breaking my 2.5 year old T walker.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your comment! No, it’s not too much to ask. It sounds like your trainer isn’t communicating with you much at all, so don’t be shy about asking for it. Just let him know that you’d like a weekly update on how your horse is progressing. He shouldn’t have a problem with it, though if he forgets, you can always call him. Make a point to stay in constant contact because, after all, you’re making an investment into your horse. Clients want to know if their trainers are making progress.
Good luck and keep me posted on how it goes!