& PRIDE
OWNER R E LATIO N SHIPS
not good for the horse, even if that’s what an owner wants. I want to win as much as anyone else, but I can’t ask a horse, especially a jumper, to win every class. Sometimes you want to go in a class just to have a nice school. That’s the tricky part. Once the owner understands that my main goal is to make the horse the best he can be, then it works out. If a big decision needs to be made, I start the
conversation by saying, ‘if it was my horse, this is what I would do.’ Technology has helped me with customer relations.
I don’t have time to call owners to tell them how their horses went that day. So I will text or email them at night. We have owners from all over the country. If they can’t make it to see their horses do the Grand Prix, I will email a video. I own some race horses so I know that just hearing from the trainer on how the horse is doing is a good feeling. It’s important that the owner feels part of it.
WT
HOW DO YOU ALIGN YOUR GOALS WITH THE OWNER’S GOALS?
n GEORGE: My job is to keep the horse moving forward, improving and learning the exercises and movements, but also to create the right feeling, correct muscling and physical development while at the same time helping owners to develop as riders so they can ride the horses as they progress in their training.
n BETSY: George and I have discussed and designed a plan for each horse. Horses change your plans, but we know what we want and who will be doing what. I don’t believe I am the rider that can take one of my horses where he can go, while my other horse is more appropriate for me to compete.
n DARREN: The relationship doesn’t work well if the parties have different goals for the animal. There is always a period in every horse’s career when things don’t go well. That’s when the rider rethinks how he’s
GEORGE WILLIAMS riding Betsy Juliano’s Don Bailey in
Wellington. Photo by Sharon Packer of Horse Sports Photography
Warmbloods Today 45
approaching the horse’s training and decides if he needs to make changes. Up to this point the owner has said that whatever the rider wants to do, he’s behind the rider 100 percent. But then when things don’t go so well, and they will not at some point, the owner may start the blame game. That’s not smart. When the owner ties the rider’s hands, things don’t go well.
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