online course
Filed in: training
Online Horse Breaking
I very recently received an email from a lady who is having considerable trouble with her newly started horse. She broke it in herself using a system sold online by a trainer. The lady naively believed the hype from the trainer that the system could be learned by anyone and produce a horse better than most professional trainers. But of course, the end result is that it sounds like it is a big mess and the lady is now afraid to ride her horse.
No doubt a proportion of responsibility for the screw up lies with the lady. She has already had a lecture from me about trying to take shortcuts, save money etc at the expense of her horse’s welfare. But in my view the major proportion of blame belongs to the trainer that is selling the idea that people should be learning to start horses under saddle using video lessons and emails. They are preying on the naivety of gullible people and exploiting their hunger to learn how to train their horse.
I believe starting life under saddle is perhaps the biggest life changing experience a horse can ever undergo, along with weaning. It sets a horse up for the rest of his life as a riding horse. If done well, there is every chance a horse can have a good life as a riding horse. But if done badly, it is almost certain a horse is doomed to a life of hardship and perhaps even early death. It seems only fair that we give the best possible start to these amazing animals to maximize their chance of a long and good life as a riding companion. So why would you not find the best horse breaker you can find to start a horse? It’s an investment in your horse’s future, as well as your own.
I know that people have to begin somewhere if they want to learn to break in a horse. We all do. But my advice is to find the best horse person you can and start the first few horses under close guidance. A good mentor will let you experiment and discover approaches for yourself, but ensure neither you or your horse are headed for trouble.
I also know that some people have probably broken in their horse using the trainer’s online system and are happy with the result. But the risks are huge that there will be a screw up and the horse will suffer. And it is extremely doubtful that even if the owner is happy with their work, that the horse would not have had a better start from a good professional or from the owner being mentored by a good professional with hands-on help.
It seems to me that the only motive for a trainer to promote an online horse breaking system is greed. What other motive makes sense? But I believe it is irresponsible and shows a lack of care for the client and the horse as well as a lack of integrity. When I start a horse for somebody I take responsibility for my work and for the state in which the horse goes home. If the owner is not comfortable with the horse, I keep working the horse until the client feels it is far enough along for them to take home. If things go pear-shaped when they do go home, the owner is always invited to bring the horse back for some further work.
But it seems with an online training system no level of responsibility is accepted by the trainer (or should I say sales person, since they are not actually doing any training – only selling a product).
The whole idea of learning to train horses by a computer course seems so bizarre to me that I can’t imagine what the clients are thinking. But even more bizarre is what the trainer is thinking. Training is a not an exact approach. It’s not like learning to knit, so why do people treat it like it is?
If somebody offers to sell you an online horse starting or training course, keep a tight grip of your wallet or purse and run. Then get onto a horse forum and expose them for what they are.
I very recently received an email from a lady who is having considerable trouble with her newly started horse. She broke it in herself using a system sold online by a trainer. The lady naively believed the hype from the trainer that the system could be learned by anyone and produce a horse better than most professional trainers. But of course, the end result is that it sounds like it is a big mess and the lady is now afraid to ride her horse.
No doubt a proportion of responsibility for the screw up lies with the lady. She has already had a lecture from me about trying to take shortcuts, save money etc at the expense of her horse’s welfare. But in my view the major proportion of blame belongs to the trainer that is selling the idea that people should be learning to start horses under saddle using video lessons and emails. They are preying on the naivety of gullible people and exploiting their hunger to learn how to train their horse.
I believe starting life under saddle is perhaps the biggest life changing experience a horse can ever undergo, along with weaning. It sets a horse up for the rest of his life as a riding horse. If done well, there is every chance a horse can have a good life as a riding horse. But if done badly, it is almost certain a horse is doomed to a life of hardship and perhaps even early death. It seems only fair that we give the best possible start to these amazing animals to maximize their chance of a long and good life as a riding companion. So why would you not find the best horse breaker you can find to start a horse? It’s an investment in your horse’s future, as well as your own.
I know that people have to begin somewhere if they want to learn to break in a horse. We all do. But my advice is to find the best horse person you can and start the first few horses under close guidance. A good mentor will let you experiment and discover approaches for yourself, but ensure neither you or your horse are headed for trouble.
I also know that some people have probably broken in their horse using the trainer’s online system and are happy with the result. But the risks are huge that there will be a screw up and the horse will suffer. And it is extremely doubtful that even if the owner is happy with their work, that the horse would not have had a better start from a good professional or from the owner being mentored by a good professional with hands-on help.
It seems to me that the only motive for a trainer to promote an online horse breaking system is greed. What other motive makes sense? But I believe it is irresponsible and shows a lack of care for the client and the horse as well as a lack of integrity. When I start a horse for somebody I take responsibility for my work and for the state in which the horse goes home. If the owner is not comfortable with the horse, I keep working the horse until the client feels it is far enough along for them to take home. If things go pear-shaped when they do go home, the owner is always invited to bring the horse back for some further work.
But it seems with an online training system no level of responsibility is accepted by the trainer (or should I say sales person, since they are not actually doing any training – only selling a product).
The whole idea of learning to train horses by a computer course seems so bizarre to me that I can’t imagine what the clients are thinking. But even more bizarre is what the trainer is thinking. Training is a not an exact approach. It’s not like learning to knit, so why do people treat it like it is?
If somebody offers to sell you an online horse starting or training course, keep a tight grip of your wallet or purse and run. Then get onto a horse forum and expose them for what they are.
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