Beyond Certification
What Trainers Really Are Worth. by Duncan McIntosh
of achievement, of knowledge and skills that show horse trainers actually have. And given the sums our clients pay, it’s a great idea. But – there’s another piece to the
T
here’s a very worthy program being developed through USHJA to offer certification
puzzle, that just might open up the floodgates of professional success and self respect in a discipline and an industry that can be as professionally competitive as any art or fashion or commodity trading business. It’s about respect; showing it for
your colleagues and claiming it for yourself. All that’s required is to change some thinking, and a great re- ward awaits.
Consider this:
* Spent countless years watching, learning and presenting yourself. * Spent vast sums on your own edu- cation. * Dedicated yourself for a period of 5-7 years of formal learning, includ- ing apprenticeships. * Served as a junior member of a larger program, before striking off, to “hang your own shingle”. Details vary, but that is the basic career/life commitment of a horse trainer, and it’s significant. It’s also interchangeable with being a vet, a
To Be A Trainer, you already have:
doctor, a lawyer, a CPA, or real estate agent or any of a hundred other wor- thy professions. And yet, we trainers as a community don’t see ourselves that way. We have a history of accept- ing stalemates as part of the state of the trade. Only it doesn’t have to be that way. We are all educated, committed,
dedicated and often have sacrificed a great deal to give to our clients, our horses and our sport. We don’t exist because the USEF says we can, or be- cause Show Managers permit us to. We are the backbone of the sport, the real horse lovers and fans and we share what we love with others, and mostly make a very modest return for doing so. As such, we have a collective
at least an average of 12 clients and that equals over 10,000 horse own- ers. Those clients spend thousands monthly on the horse, (hundreds on us), and represent a treasure trove to manufacturers and service companies that target them. We, the trainers, are the guides to this land of treasure. What that means is an opportunity
strength - just as a group of attorneys that write laws for pollution control or consumer protection, just as doc- tors that confront insurance compa- nies and hospitals for illogical and redundant and wasteful protocols that get in the way of healing. And just as large groups of buyers of cars, like the rental companies, that get huge discounts, and giant corpora- tions that get benefits programs for all their employees that an individual can’t dream of..... we have strength in numbers. There are approximately 800 hunt-
er jumper trainers actively show- ing on the west coast, we represent
that presents itself to us, and it's up to us to recognize it. But it is very defi- nitely there. A few years ago I began a conversation with several major com- panies about working with a group of professionals that might consider en- dorsing the company's products and services. They were very interested and see all the possibilities. I’ve start- ed this conversation lately with the product business community. Now I would like to start it with you. If you have always wondered what
it might take to be sponsored, what products or services are really the best and how YOU can get access to them, for yourself and your clients at reasonable costs, then I want to hear from you. Imagine, if dozens of people call, and we all want the same supplement, or new breeches, or sad- dle.... what kind of deal we might get. Think about it, then get in touch…
Duncan can be reached via e-mail at dun-
canrides@gmail.com.
There are approximately 800 hunter jumper trainers actively showing on the west coast, we represent at least an average of 12 clients and that equals over 10,000 horse owners.
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