What to consider when choosing a trainer

Shiloh: grade Quarter Horse

Companion article to my April 20, 2023 monthly chat with Jec Aristotle Ballou. Watch chat on Jec's youtube channel. Breed bias
Jec and I started with the topic of how important is it for a trainer to have experience with different breeds? When I posed this question on my facebook page, the general consensus was: Yes, experience with different breeds is useful, and in some instances important. This is backed by research, which documents breed variations in physical development and needs, mental and emotional traits, and ways of moving. (See references.) Broader experience gives trainers more skills to adapt to individual horses' personalities, needs, and learning styles. This assumes, of course, that a trainer is responding to what he or she sees in each horse, not to stereotypes or assumptions that can create self-fulfilling prophecies, such as "Quarter Horses are lazy." Or "Arabs are spooky airheads." Or "Ponies are stubborn and naughty." In our chat Jec expanded on the importance of understanding how a horse's physiology impacts his ability to exercise, how long he can sustain faster gaits, and how often he might need rest breaks. Keeping a horse physically comfortable is part of making his training a success. Variations in behavior can represent individual personalities as well as breed characteristics. Some breed characteristics reflect traits that enabled our horses' ancestors to do the jobs for which they were originally bred. Arabians, for example, are particularly reactive to sudden movement. Their ancestors were used in the Middle East for tribal warfare and big game hunting. Survival meant reacting quickly to potential danger, and getting follow-up instructions on move. Understanding such behaviors puts them in context as once-valuable behaviors instead of annoying "flaws". Trainers who appreciate and enjoy these variations are more likely to adjust their training to meet the needs of each individual horse. However, there are several traits more important in a trainer than having experience with a specific breed.

Brandy: Pony, breed unknown

Essential traits of good horse trainers:
1. Competent horsemanship skills This includes the ability to use clear consistent body language for leading, lunging, and other groundwork; and the ability to ride in balance, giving clear, gentle consistent cues. One might consider this a given, but in the US, no credentials are required to call oneself a trainer. I have seen purported "trainers" who cannot ride, show no awareness of their own body language when leading or lunging, and either don't notice or don't care when a horse shows signs of significant stress. One such trainer was bucked off a very tolerant horse who had simply reached her limit. He declared her dangerous and recommended she be euthanized. There was a happy ending on this one, thanks to someone who bought the horse anyway, and is doing splendidly with her, even though she does not consider herself a trainer. Sadly, incompetent trainers routinely blame horses for their own mistakes, and horses pay a heavy price.
2. A good understanding of horse behavior This means interpreting behavior based on correct reading of a horse's body language, NOT on assumptions promoted by other humans or a specific training system.
3. Keep the horse's emotional state on their radar at all time Horses whose learning environment promotes positive feelings are most likely to become reliable horses who like people and like their jobs. Horses exposed to constant stress are often unreliable no matter what "skills" are taught.

Bronzz is NOT a "spooky airhead"

Basic training should be a Solid Foundation for anything that might be asked of the horse in the future, with the priority on safety, reliability, happy attitude. A trainer who is patient and willing to go at the horse's pace is likely to be more valuable than one who specializes in a specific breed. For advanced training or breed events, trainers need to understand the expectations required in competition. They should also know the difference between training that’s good for the horse and training that is aimed at winning in competition, potentially at the horse's expense.

References
Condition Friesians with Unique Physical Challenges in Mind by Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA
https://thehorse.com/110717/condition-friesians-with-unique-physical-challenges-in-mind/

Equine Exercise Physiology Research
While the term sports medicine is of modern extraction, exercise physiology in humans and horses has been around for more than 100 years. During the decline of the use of work horses in the early to mid-20th Century, not much research was done. by Christy M. West
https://thehorse.com/130855/equine-exercise-physiology-research/

Researchers Compare Different Types of Horses’ Temperaments
Factors such as age, breed, discipline, and more can impact a horse’s temperament, scientists found. by Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA | Jun 29, 2015
https://thehorse.com/112396/researchers-compare-different-types-of-horses-temperaments/

Insulin Sensitivity Compared among Breeds
British and Australian researchers have determined that metabolic differences between breeds are present even in equids that aren’t fat. by Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA | May 19, 2014
https://thehorse.com/149034/insulin-sensitivity-compared-among-breeds/

Do Ponies Get a Bad Rap by Lynn Acton
https://www.lynnacton.com/Articles-Videos/Riding-Training/Do-Ponies-Get-a-Bad-Rap/