# Choosing a trainer



## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

I have decided to send Romeo off to a trainer for 2 weeks or so in Oct as I will not be able to ride him, and to help me establish that right canter lead.

I just have a few questions at how you choose who you send your horse to.

I went to one lady who's half an hour away from where I live, she seemed really knowledgable, had a horse that had won nationals and what not.
I saw her ride and really liked her riding style, she was light with the hands and no jerky business.
I liked how she handled the horse on the ground and would be stoked if my horse could go there.
She also had the natural horsemanship approach was an English/western rider.

The only thing was, when I rode her horse, I couldn't really get it do anything I wanted....
I felt like a complete noob, he had he's nose sticking out, kept falling in, just wasn't listening.

Now my questions is what if that happens when I get my horse back? What if she's trained him completely different to how I ride?
She said that after the 2 weeks or however long it will take I get a free lesson, but like what if I have to re learn how to ride... 

There's another place I would love to send him to buts its nearly 2 hours away, I have had a lesson with her before as she came down to my adult riders club.
She breeds and trains warmbloods, she offers her training services as well to others.
She rides and competes only English as well.
I haven't been to this place as its so far away.

What would you do?


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

So I didn't relize there was a horse trainer section in the forum... Could a mod either move this or is it alright here?


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

The best thing to do would be to look at all of your options, and talk it through with each trainer. Do you have a riding instructor that could give you a recommendation or maybe pop some training rides onto Romeo?


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## srcosticov (Aug 14, 2013)

Just a note - a good trainer trains both the horse and rider as a team. 

Sending your horse to training and not having a few lessons while at the trainers to help you better understand each other isn't going to help as much as you would think.

I would speak to the trainer you like and see if taking lessons with your horse after 2 weeks solid training is an option. It will help build you both up and bring you closer together as a horse/rider team.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I think my first stop would be to sit down with that first trainer since you like how she rides and she's closer. Discuss the cues that she gives and how she gets the correct response from her horses and ask her what you might have been doing differently on her horse to get such a bad result.

Then, once you've got that hashed out, that might solve your problem altogether if it was some little something you were doing. If not, you might ask if she'd be willing to train your horse using the cues that you already know and are comfortable/confident with. A good trainer shouldn't have any trouble training a different set of cues than they're used to.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

srcosticov said:


> Just a note - a good trainer trains both the horse and rider as a team.
> 
> Sending your horse to training and not having a few lessons while at the trainers to help you better understand each other isn't going to help as much as you would think.
> 
> I would speak to the trainer you like and see if taking lessons with your horse after 2 weeks solid training is an option. It will help build you both up and bring you closer together as a horse/rider team.


There was an option to have lessons with her after she finished training for a couple of months so I'd get the feel of my horse again.

I think I will have to have a sit down with her or something to ask about her aids, but then they shouldn't be that different, I never ridden a completely educated horse before like that, I think he just knew I wasn't as experienced...

I'm just awaiting some references from the First Lady, will ask these people what they think of her as well.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

Skyseternalangel said:


> The best thing to do would be to look at all of your options, and talk it through with each trainer. Do you have a riding instructor that could give you a recommendation or maybe pop some training rides onto Romeo?


I wish, I would love my riding instructor to jump on and ride him, but she's nearly 80 and barely rides anymore, I think she rides her own ponies once in a while but asking her to get on Romeo would be a no go.

And I want he gone for 2 weeks or so, I'm having an op and after it the doctor said bed rest, I don't really want to get worse so I'm having bed rest, if I don't end up sending him to training I'm going to spell him for 2-3 weeks just so I don't have to look after him and I can get the bed rest needed.


Also with the first trainer I did ask if I was feeling up for it, if I could just randomly pop in and see Romeo, she said as long as she got a msg before there would be no problems.


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

RedTree said:


> So I didn't relize there was a horse trainer section in the forum... Could a mod either move this or is it alright here?


I've moved it. 

Good luck to you Redtree in your search!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm surprised that there isn't an option to take lessons with the trainer you are thinking about sending your horse to.

When you put a horse in full care/training with a professional, that usually includes at least one lesson a week.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

Zexious said:


> I'm surprised that there isn't an option to take lessons with the trainer you are thinking about sending your horse to.
> 
> When you put a horse in full care/training with a professional, that usually includes at least one lesson a week.


I'll be quite glad not to have anything to do with him the first week lol that's the whole reason he has to go off, I'm having an op and docs said to have bed rest for at least a week, and since I don't want to get worse ill be quite happy just having bed rest, there is a lesson free at the end of the training, that'll be good.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

I've found the perfect trainer 

She lives about half an hour away, rides eventing and better yet some of my eventing friends take lessons of her.

I forgot all about her until recently, and then it all sort of fell into place 
She's got one vacancy in oct as well.
Asked my friends about her and they say she's great, now I'm really excited.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Congrats on finding someone good!


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

Sending him off was the best thing I have ever done 

So happy with my horse now, walk, trot and canter on both reins no problem


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## Horselover503 (Oct 26, 2013)

Get more knowledge about each trainer and then decide.


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