TODAY’S ARABIAN HORSE TRAINERS
A lot of people think of horse trainers as having a dream job. How would you agree or disagree with that statement? This is a dream job, in that I love what I do. It can also be a lot of work, weekends at shows, and not a lot of time for other things in life. Is there any advice you have received from a family member, instructor, fellow trainer or horseman that you pass on to other people? I have learned from many different people. What do you wish other trainers, horsemen or competitors who are outside the Arabian world knew about the breed? The Arabian’s versatility, intelligence and beauty. Mike Miller Smoky Mountain Park Arabians Knoxville,Tenn. On a daily basis, how do you make the Arabian horse industry a positive experience for your clients? I simply treat my clients with honesty and respect, and try to keep things in perspective. While this is a job for my staff and me, we always keep in mind that my clients are in this for enjoyment and recreation—it has to be fun! Here at Smoky Mountain Park Arabians we strive to produce and train top quality English performance Arabians, but we never lose sight of why we are here—because we love the sport and love the horses.
definitely days that it is a job! I love working with the horses, but I think most people would be surprised at how much time a horse trainer spends doing everything but training horses—from driving the truck to paperwork to facility maintenance to client relations to simply staying organized. When your passion becomes your vocation, it can be easy to lose sight of why you got into it in the first place. Is there any advice you have received from a family member, instructor, fellow trainer or horseman that you pass on to other people? I think the most valuable piece of advice was given to me by a trainer named Bill Heiser when I was first getting started in horses as a kid. He told me that you have to always remember that everyone is in horses for a different reason and derives their enjoyment from different aspects of the industry, and that’s okay. Your job as a trainer is to figure out how to make each client reach their own goals, whether that be to show at a community show, win a national championship, or safely lead their own horse down the barn aisle. What do you wish other trainers, horsemen or competitors who are outside the Arabian world knew about the breed? I wish more people got to experience the bond or rapport that the Arabian horse develops with people. In general, I think the Arabian horse has more “personality” than most breeds, and sometimes people coming from other backgrounds have a hard time coming to terms with that.
What is the most important thing you have learned from your amateur riders/handlers? My amateur riders have taught me that progress is made through small victories. A lot of people think of horse trainers as having a dream job. How would you agree or disagree with that statement? I am thankful every day to have a job doing what I love, with horses that I love. However, there are
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