We Ride Sport and Trail Magazine December 2017 | Page 24

There are tons of questions to ask yourself before you send your equine off to the trainer and what you can do if you suspect neglect or abuse.

First ask yourself what are your short and long-term goals as an equestrian? What is your equine discipline. For example, if you are a trail rider you may not want to seek the help of a show jumper trainer. A better choice might be an all-around trainer.

Once you have identified your goals and plans. Make yourself a list of potential trainers to interview. I advise that you start this research at least 14-16 months in advance of your anticipated date to send your equine to a trainer. Most trainers have a waiting list and can be as long as 12 months.

Check your potential trainer out.

Thanks to social media and Google researching your potential trainer has been made simpler than in years past. Had Jack had access to Google he could have researched that this trainer had already been investigated by the Humane Society in his state.

When you are interviewing your trainer, there are a number of additional questions to ask. How many head do they have in their barn currently? Does your trainer have a helper? Will the trainer be riding your equine or their helper? Some trainers charge you a flat fee per month regardless of how many times they ride or work them. Some charge only per ride and then charge you a daily boarding fee. Does the trainer have a minimum amount of time they would train your equine? All this money spent on training your equine, does that include you the owner taking lessons? Is there an extra charge for lessons?

Check out the facility.

Go the barn where your equine will be living if possible, check little things. Are the water troughs clean? Are the pens and stalls clean? Are there salt and mineral blocks in every pen? Will your equine be stalled with no turnout? Or will your equine have a shed and a run? Is the area safe? Does your equine have a dry space to get during wet weather? Take a look in the tack room. Red alerts would be caustic materials stored there to sore an animal. What does the hay storage look like? What kind of hay and feed will your equine be eating. You are paying for a service and have every right to ask these questions. There are professional ways to go about it as well. Any professional trainer will be more than happy to say here is our feed supply, here is the tack I use and here is the run where your equine will be staying.

Visit regularly.

Once you have picked “the right trainer” for your equine, make sure you visit regularly. Don’t plan your visits at the same time. Be random with your visits but tread carefully, you don’t want to show up at 8 pm when you know your trainer is spending time with their family. Ask for video

updates and photos. With all the current technology

sending a snipped unedited video or photograph should

not take more than 5 minutes.

When to contact authorities

If you find that your equine is in an abusive trainer situation

don’t remove them from there until you have called the

local sheriff’s department. If you don’t feel safe staying

there while the Sheriff department comes or while you

make the call go to a public place and make the call. The

point being, you need to have it on record from a public

official the condition you found your equine in. If your

equine is out of state at the trainer's, don’t leave that state

with them until you have had a licensed veterinary check

them out and give you a full written statement and

clearance to travel.

Note from the editor

This article was submitted by a trusted associate of Sport and Trail Magazine. All accounts are true, as related by the experiences of the author. Names have been changed as the purpose of the story is not to focus on an individual, but to focus on the importance of protecting our equine partners who depend upon us to keep them safe and properly cared for.

In response to this subject of critical concern, we at Sport and Trail Magazine would like to emphasize the importance of regular visits to your trainer while your horse is in their care. There are a multitude of reasons for doing so.

First, there is no better way of ensuring your horse's condition than by regular visits. You can assess weight loss, changes in demeanor, stabling and turn-out conditions and ask for reports about your horse's overall well-being as well as training progress. There is much information to glean from how your horse progresses during training, which can greatly increase your understanding of your horse and its uniqueness.

Secondly, by observing training sessions with your horse, you will be able to further deepen the understanding of your horse and his personality, while simultaneously increasing your own knowledge and horsemanship skills. This is not to say to be disruptive, but to quietly observe and thus be as much a part of your horse's training process as possible.

It's much like schooling our children. Involved parents see greater success in a child's education. With our horses, an involved owner will be able to benefit likewise, while also providing a level of protection and the

knowledge that your horse is learning

in a safe, healthy environment while

away from your barn and under the

care of others.