Bob Battaglia Battaglia Farms
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to be a horse trainer? First, be ready for long hours and a lot of hard work. Secondly, stay informed. Be involved in your industry politics and the decision-making. And thirdly, be respectful of your fellow horse trainers, breeders, judges, and especially your clients. Lastly, work your horses every day. Believe it or not, they don’t learn by standing in the stalls. They need to be worked five to six days a week. When you are away from the barn, what do you enjoy doing the most? Travel, cooking, the theatre, movies, and my friends. What book has had the greatest influence on your training technique? Not any one book in particular. I’ve read many, many, many books, but observation of peers and their training techniques is really what is a huge influence on any young horse trainer. On average, how many hours and days a week are you in the barn? Six days a week. When I started it was 14 to 16 hours a day. Now it’s about five to seven hours a day. And at the horse shows you’re on call 24 hours. What is the biggest misconception about being a horse trainer? The idea that you’re simply a horse trainer. You
can’t just be a horse trainer. You have to be a breeder, a psychiatrist, plumber, electrician, accountant, a builder, truck driver, and most of all, be a politician. Get involved in your industry. I can’t stress that enough.
Leah Beth Boyd Cedar Ridge Arabians
Who was the first horse you trained? Starr Llight! I purchased her inexpensively as a project horse with the hope of selling her at some point for a profit. I had a lot of help with her along the way, but she was the first that I broke and messed with on my own. What is your training operation doing to get more people involved in the breed? Cedar Ridge puts a lot of effort into their lesson program. I think getting new people into the breed is the only thing that’s going to keep it alive and thriving. What advice would you offer to someone who wants to be a horse trainer? Probably get a job that allows you to afford showing horses. I don’t think it’s a career that should be entered into lightly. Go out and try other things before
you make that decision. Also, if you decide you absolutely do want to be a horse trainer, go work for someone whose techniques you admire, and be ready to work hard! Volume 44, No. 3 | 47