# Getting Started?



## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

In my honest opinion all a certificate will get you is a good laugh. Most of the horse people I know around here want experience, and apprenticships. Talk to your trainer and ask to apprentice a bit. It looks a lot different when you actually get into it! And be warned, for many years you won't do anything. When I started my apprenticships my job was to get the horses ready for the trainer, cool them out, and do grunt work around the farm such as fixing fences, feeding, fixing water pipes, cleaning trophes. Don't discount this as it's valuable work and training for you. 

Apprentice under many different trainers, get a feel for horse training and what it entails. I went through my apprenticship and decided I would never be a horse trainer. I got too beat up, worked to death (I worked from 5am till about 11pm), little to no reward (I made about $15 a week if I was lucky!), lived off of the kindness of strangers and had to deal with unhappy clients. But then I took a break and dove back in because it was grueling and exhausting but I loved it. 

And it will take YEARS. I apprenticed for about 17 years before I took a couple of clients under the watch of my trainer. But it was a good education. It was also about 17 years before I rode for them, the rest of the time I just groomed, tacked, and watched. Watching is the best education you'll get in the horse world. 

But don't discount college! Go through acedemia, find something that you can use to help you in your career. I'm going to college, just gaining classes that can potentially help me run my own business, or nutrition, or first aid. It's all worth it.

*Just wanted to add that the trainer I worked with did problem horses. It was grueling for me as a groom those first few years. I broke all of my toes, had horses destroy the aisle way in the barn, had horses break equipment, had them run off and I had to go try and catch them for hours after dark. And when I finally rode for them...... oh dear lord. There were some that made me look like a PBR champion, and others that were a breeze. On the bad ones I got tossed around, flung around, thrown OUT of arenas and still had to get on and finish them day after day..... Not trying to turn you off of training, but trying to describe my experiences as real as possible. It was not all 'horse goes round like a gentleman and I sit here eating lunch'....... in fact many days I didn't eat lunch as I was just too busy!


----------



## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

You asked for thoughts, so do not become upset with what I'm about to say.

YOU stated your riding is horrible. Fix this first before thinking of becoming a trainer. I would not hire someone who rode horribly.

If your trainer is good, apprentice under your trainer if he wants an apprentice.


----------



## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

I agree 100% with sarahfromsc. You need to have good riding or I wouldn't apprentice you. What are you going to do when 3/4 of your clients have riding problems? But because your riding is bad you either turn them down (lose money) or make whatever was wrong worse (lose reputation).

Get riding first. Once you have good riding skills (which could take a year) ask about apprenticeship or volunteer at a rescue. But remember you'll probably be mucking and feeding for a while before you ride a horse.

Also, go to college anyways. Even if you have your heart set on being a horse trainer, things may go the opposite direction. So have a degree in something so you can get a good job.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## AGraceful (Nov 16, 2014)

IDk. Everyone says im not a bad rider, but i think im horrible lol. But yea, thats me riding. 

And yea, i am gonna talk to my trainer. I dont really care if i dont get to ride etc. when i first start, id actually rather learn first, then do it.


----------



## Die Sehnsucht (Nov 2, 2012)

In my opinion, if _you_ think your riding is 'horrible', then it does not matter whether others think it's atrocious or absolutely flawless. If _you_ are not confident in yourself, then any horse you work with is going to feel your uncertainty, and react to it accordingly. I agree that you need to work on your riding, and gaining confidence in yourself, before you jump into training. If you have an opportunity to simply tag-along and watch your trainer, that would be a great experience.

I know this is not a critique, but I will add a bit of my lowly advice shall you desire to read it (I am certainly no expert, so please don't take this too seriously :lol; It appears as if you are trying too hard, and just need to relax a bit. Your back is arched, your legs a smidgen too far back, and your elbows locked straight (I am mainly basing these off of the first image, as the other two are hard for me to see).


----------



## MaximasMommy (Sep 21, 2013)

I'm just now learning to not lock up any part of me. What that means is I am to the point where my trainer can tell me every little muscle and joint that I am locking up, since I've gotten to the not falling off stage. This learning to ride thing never ends, does it 

I'm not sure if I'm feeling it right, but at least in my arms it feels like they are a continuation of the reins. (continuation up to my brain, my trainer tells me) It kind of flows like an ocean wave from my brain to the bit. It's ummm. different. All the while keeping my hands steady and not flopping around. Lordie, if I was explaining this to my old self I, my old self would just arch her eyebrow and scoff.


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

This is hard but truthful.

From the pictures of you roding you would not last two minutes with a real problem horse. 

At your age you do not have the experience with horses in general. You say you have trained multiple horses, multiple can me two upwards. 

Training is the foundation for a horse's life. What happens when you start can make or ruin a horse or, as happens more times than not, makes the job far more difficult for someone to correct. 
You riding is in need of improvement, you need to get that right before you can even think of training correctly.
When you are old enough get an apprentership with a good trainer and learn all you can.


----------



## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

You do not need a certificate. You do need to be a very confident rider as well as having many years of experience under your belt with hundreds of horses & a complete knowledge of horse behavior to be successful. 

If you cannot ride a challenging horse with confidence you will only create problems for the horse. I really don’t think you know what you are getting into, but if this is your goal I’d then suggest you seek an intern position with an accomplished horseman so you can learn from the ground up.


----------



## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

You need a very expansive set of knowledge before you can begin training horses. This is true for almost anything you want to consider 'teaching' in - you need to be a confident tried-and-true professional. An expert. While you will always, always continue to learn new things and grow, you need to know enough that you are not asking questions about the basics. 

One of the basic fundamentals of training horses for riding is, well, riding. You are still asking too many questions about this to be considered experienced enough to pass that information along.

There is nothing wrong with this though. Your original questions was "How do I get started?". The answer is, is you need to get the knowledge first. You have already started and you are well on your way. You are on the right path.

*So, get back to work.* Keep riding and keep in contact with your trainer; use him or her as an excellent, trusted source of information and apprentice under them. Go to clinics, go to different barns, ride many different horses in many different situations. Talk to different horse people. Ride with different instructors and trainers. Be open minded and listen to people's opinions, no matter how dead-set you are against them. Take that knowledge and apply it to your every day work with your horses, on the ground and in the saddle. See what works for you and what doesn't and always remain open-minded to the possibility of other methods. Network as much as possible - other people are your best resource for knowledge.

Just *do*. Do more riding, do more ground work, do more of everything until you are confident in those things. When you are confident enough, you will know - that little voice of doubt and fear in the back of your mind will cease completely. If it has diminished but has not been eradicated, then you know you need to seek more answers until it's gone. 

You will know your hard work has paid off when you can ask your horse and the answer is consistently 'yes'.


----------



## AGraceful (Nov 16, 2014)

I do ride a lot of different horses. Ive started horses, 2 of them turning out into promising show horses(and no, they werent suppose to be show horses. pasture pets actually) Ive been on a ton of different problem horses too. I know how to handle them, i know how to start horses. I think i have a lot of confidence on the ground, i will grant that to a horse ive worked with who will just randomly attack people.(she doesnt anymore lol) I have gained a lot of confidence in the saddle, ive been on rearing, bucking, bolting horses. Although, i admit, the thought of starting out as a trainer without someone who does it, yea thats scary(but im also the one who is terrified of little kids under 10, but has the guts to get on a rearing 1klbs animal) so yea.....


----------



## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

But you also stated your riding is horrible. I don't really know what that means or if you are just trying to be self-endearing, but I wouldn't personally hire someone who's _riding _is awful to train my horses to be _ridden_. If I am hiring a trainer I need someone who can teach and reinforce proper leg and seat and hand aids to my horses. I am trusting you to not teach the horse an incorrect cue due to your own lack of understanding. I am trusting you to continue and improve the work I have already put on my horse. If you are a subpar rider or on the same level as me, why should I pay you when I can already do what you can? If your riding truly isn't that great, chances are I will notice and question where my money is going.

It sounds like you are confident on the ground and that's great for the general handling of the horse/desensitizing/getting horses started, but riding skills are also *very* important. If you want to offer a service in which you work with problem/unbroke horses on the ground to get them prepared for riding, I would say go for it. You could work under your current trainer maybe while he/she does all the riding (until yours improves).

Personally though, I still think you have some work to do. It's my belief that trainers should be pretty well versed and riding is a core subject that can't be skipped. 

Let's use my mare as an example as to why good riding skills are important... Hypothetically, I am bringing her to you as a 'problem' horse because she has a problem that I cannot fix.



> She can be stubborn and opinionated when she is riding with buddies in an arena. If all the other horses are grouped up in the middle taking a rest, she does not want to leave them for she thinks it's her right to rest, too. Her biggest vice when she gets into this situation is not wanting to canter, from either a walk or a trot, and makes it very challenging for the rider to get her going. She sidesteps and gets difficult to steer in these moments as she tries to avoid your cue. I give up, get frustrated, and after a dozen times of this occurrence I decide to get a trainer - that's you - to ride her through this.


Now, of course this is all hypothetical - I have actually learned that in order to get her steering straight and listening to me, I need to use a lot of neck rein to keep her neck in the bend I desire and leg behind the girth to get her hindquarters in order. I have also found that if I shift and really push my seat bones more when asking for the canter departure she is more willing to respond, as sometimes too much leg pressure sets her off and makes her mad. So sometimes, in this situation, I ditch the leg aid completely and use a different aid to get her going, and then switch back next time I ask. I have also learned that if I take too long about all that, she just shuts down. It needs to be done in quick succession otherwise she gets more difficult and you will be fighting a battle you can't win.

You say you have horrible riding. Do you understand that there are multiple ways to ask a horse in the saddle and understand when to use which cue and when to change if need be? If my mare starts getting really difficult and pulls a fast crow hop/sidestep on you (which she HAS done), do you have the balance and skill to ride that out without it becoming a bigger mess? How quickly can you straighten her out and say, 'No'? Because in my situation, the longer you take to correct her the more likely you are going to lose the fight entirely. An experienced rider should be able to react to the situation on the fly and fix things pretty quick - and good trainers can, because they understand a broader amount of fundamentals of seat/leg/rein and pressure.

For the record, this actually was a really big issue with my horse at one point, until I asked my trainer. She got on and corrected the issue in a matter of minutes, and then taught me how to ride it out myself so it is rarely a problem now. I need to know that you are reliable enough that if I ask you a question on how to ride my horse through an issue such as this that you are going to tell me to use proper/different riding cues until she understands and not just whip my horse into oblivion until she goes forward (not that I am saying you would, I am simply implying that if your riding was bad, that if you ran out of cues that you know you would just add more pressure. It's a possibility). 

I am not trying to attack you OP, I am just trying to get a general understanding of your riding skills by asking you situations. You left the whole 'bad riding' thing on a pretty vague note, but it's a very important one.

I also think that when starting horses, teaching the proper cues is so key because you are building their entire foundation. I once owned a mare who was previously owned by a backyard trainer and this mare didn't even know what leg pressure was. She thought it meant 'go faster'. She didn't know canter cues other than kiss. She was hard mouthed from heavy, inexperienced hands and dull to seat/leg aids because she just didn't understand them.

...And that's because the rider who broke her did not understand these things. Remember that a horse only knows as much as its rider.


----------



## AGraceful (Nov 16, 2014)

Actually, ive had plently of experience riding through rears/bolts/bucks/crow hopping(etc.) 
My mare came to me with a VERY VERY hard mouth. She now will go off my hands with the slightest cue of the rein. She didnt know what leg pressure was. She now goes off my seat and legs. 


> You say you have horrible riding. Do you understand that there are multiple ways to ask a horse in the saddle and understand when to use which cue and when to change if need be? If my mare starts getting really difficult and pulls a fast crow hop/sidestep on you (which she HAS done), do you have the balance and skill to ride that out without it becoming a bigger mess? How quickly can you straighten her out and say, 'No'? Because in my situation, the longer you take to correct her the more likely you are going to lose the fight entirely. An experienced rider should be able to react to the situation on the fly and fix things pretty quick - and good trainers can, because they understand a broader amount of fundamentals of seat/leg/rein and pressure.


I do understand there are multiple ways pf asking under saddle(and the ground too) and i know when to use the cues i give, and when to change them if i need to. ive also ridden through SO MUCH bolts/bucks/crow hops bareback that i think i have the balance haha 
My mare also gets like that so i have to correct her fast. 

I can try to get a little video of one of my training sessions if ya want.(like under 10 minutes) that way you can see my riding and hopefully that will answer any questions ya have?


----------



## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I just want to add that you can never ride enough bucks/bolts/rears/spins/whatever. I've been put through the ringer in my apprenticship and just this past August I had a horse get me off massively. 

If you want a rider critique go for it. Even trainers are constantly learning! You've got a long way to go and your entire life to do so! 

That being said I think it would be extremely beneficial to apprentice under a trainer. A lot of times there are little secrets that they won't tell you until you've been 'sworn in'. ;-) lol


----------



## hyperkalemic4 (Dec 8, 2014)

I feel a person is a competent rider when they can take a problem horse and fix the problem in a couple rides and do it easily, just by asking and fixing in the right way. (when a horse says "NO" ) you have either asked the wrong question or you have asked the question wrong.


----------



## AGraceful (Nov 16, 2014)

> I just want to add that you can never ride enough bucks/bolts/rears/spins/whatever. I've been put through the ringer in my apprenticship and just this past August I had a horse get me off massively.


haha right! My mare(somehow) reared and kinda leaped forward at a gallop...that got me off lol and my mom was freaking out and im just like 'yea ok. let me get back to my riding please.'



> I feel a person is a competent rider when they can take a problem horse and fix the problem in a couple rides and do it easily, just by asking and fixing in the right way. (when a horse says "NO" ) you have either asked the wrong question or you have asked the question wrong.


I half agree with you. there are some horses, when they need a lot longer to get 'fixed'. My sisters gelding is like this. it took about a month just to get him to canter without bucking(for unknown reasons)


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

The fact is that a horse cannot rear when it is galloping says your lack of experience. 
What you probably experienced is a fly leap a type of buck though usually easy to sit on. 

I have little doubt that what you call difficult or problematic, someone with experience and good roding ability would sort out in a couple of rides.


----------



## AGraceful (Nov 16, 2014)

I decided to wait til im old enough(14-15??) then get a working student position somewhere. I was working with my mare and she showed me i had A LOT more to learn. So im just going to take a few years to learn more, and get more experience. And id like to start working at liberty with my horses, so hopefully this is be a good experience. So yea.


----------

