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Agricultural Careers. Horse Trainer. By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Jennie Simpson Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education June 2005. START. What Is a Horse Trainer?.
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Agricultural Careers Horse Trainer By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Jennie Simpson Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education June 2005 START
What Is a Horse Trainer? • Horse trainers work to understand horse behavior and train horses for many different uses. • They train horses for riding, harness, performance, and pleasure.
Duties of Horse Trainers • Feed, groom, and exercise horses. • Accustom horses to new tack. • Study the behavior of specific horses. • Train riders and stable workers. • Evaluate the health and condition of horse during training. • Train horses for racing, dressage, jumping, trail riding, cart work, etc. • Accustom horses to riders and other people. • Design training plans for horses. • Oversee all activities relating to the welfare of the horse and ensure all daily tasks are completed.
Becoming a Horse Trainer • Horse trainers should have a strong love for horses and enjoy working with them. • Need to have knowledge of equine health, psychology and personality. • Gain as much experience with horses as possible by spending time around the barn and at competitions. • Trainers need excellent communication, business skills, scientific knowledge and should have high ethical standards. • Good problem solving skills and the ability to think creatively, “outside of the box,” make a person successful in a career as a horse trainer.
Education • Although you do not need specific educational requirements, many horse trainers go to school to learn the business aspects of the trade. • Many clients want their trainer to have some kind of college-level degree in the horse industry (such as certificates in horse management, etc.) • Reading different books about horses can improve your knowledge and present new training methods. • Volunteering at stables and observing horses and other trainers will help gain experience.
Employment • Income varies based upon location and discipline. • The salary can range from $15,000 to over $100,000 depending on experience and demand in the area you train in. • Most trainers are independent, but many professional riders have assistants to help train horses for them. • Trainers supply their own equipment, so be prepared to buy several different types of tack for different horses.
Vocabulary Dressage- Often referred to as equine ballet because of its beauty and elegance, dressage represents the highest level of training a horse can achieve. Movements such as piaffe, passage and half-pass take years to perfect. Like show jumping and three-day eventing, dressage is an Olympic sport.
Related Careers • Animal Behaviorist • Animal Scientist • Animal Trainer • Veterinarian • Zookeeper
Career Resources United Professional Horsemen’s Association 4059 Iron Works Pike, Suite 2 Lexington, KY 40511 Internet: http://www.uphaonline.com/ United States Equestrian Federation 4047 Iron Works Parkway Lexington, KY 40511 Internet: http://www.usef.org Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association National Horse Center, Building B, Suite 24063 Ironworks ParkwayLexington, KY 40511-8905 Internet: http://www.hbpa.org