OK, YOU’VE FOUND A CLEAN TRAINING BARN FOR YOUR HORSE - WHAT TO CHECK NEXT?
Ok, you have found a training
barn that seems to be well managed and clean. You are about to entrust
your horse to a trainer and you may possibly live out of State or a long
distance away.
It might be good to contact a
couple of other horse owners in that barn and get some recommendations
and feedback. Also, ask a few questions, of the trainer about specific
areas of interest or concern that you have.
Are the billings for the horses
reasonable and explained clearly? If you receive a bill where the horse
has been re-shod 3 or 4 times in a 6 week period, that may be suspect.
Be sure you understand what the
“Show Expenses” category is on your bill…normally it includes lodging,
meals, entry fees, etc., to reimburse the trainer and his help, for up
front expenses of driving to, and being at, a show.
Does your trainer have a Training
Contract? It’s a good idea to have one so that both owner and trainer
know what is expected and how the charges are incurred. Normally, the
owners split the costs by the number of horses shown. For example, if 9
horses go to the show and 3 are yours, you incur 1/3 of the expense.
Most trainers keep the prize money as incentive and, their reward, for
the horse doing well. Since most prize money is minimal, it is not a
big deal and often the trainer will pass this on to his help, WHICH in
turn, gives them an incentive to prepare the horse the best it can be.
Another concern, is that the
horse receives good health care. Does the trainer give (or have the
veterinarian administer) the necessary vaccinations, worming and dental
care on a regular basis? Are the Vet and Equine dentist to your
liking? Does your trainer keep drugs on hand to handle emergencies (ie;
Banamine™ for colic, until the Vet can arrive)?
Is your horse shod on a regular
basis and does the shoeing make sense for what is expected of the
horse? A colt just started, should not be fit with a huge and
cumbersome shoeing package….like kids, they have to “grow in to their
shoes”. It is necessary for the trainer to experiment with shoeing on a
young horse or a new re-hab type horse, so that a couple of different
shoeings per month is not unusual in that regard.
And finally, is the training
barn, owner/rider friendly? Do they welcome you to come visit your
horse and watch his training progress as well as the other
horses?Naturally, the trainer can’t have a lot of people pop in during
the week, or it disrupts the training process too much, but usually
Fridays and Saturdays are the days reserved for owners and riders to
come observe and practice riding. Lastly, being a part of “the barn”
can be a social (as well as educational) experience, sharing the thrill
of competition with fellow horse(wo)men, and a relaxing environment at
the end of a busy work week.
