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