While Part 1 of this series is about the wisdom trainers inherited, Part 2 is about what they pass on. The advice they now give their own assistants, clients, and the next generation standing at the rail, dreaming of becoming a professional.
From the show pen to the bank account to the college classroom, their messages all circle back to the same idea: this is an incredible life, but it’s not accidental. It takes intention, balance, and a willingness to see beyond the next class.
Keep it Fun and Protect Your Mindset
Ask almost any trainer what they’d like exhibitors to remember heading into a new show season, and you’ll hear a version of this: horse showing should still be fun.
Trainer Kyra Ley reminds riders that attitude can change the outcome. “If you get on with a negative mindset, angry, anxious, frustrated, it almost always bleeds into your ride. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a breath, walk away, and try again later.” In the grand scheme of things, that one sticky transition or imperfect lead change isn’t as big as it feels in the moment.
Several trainers echo the simple reminder that there is no perfect ride. Katy Jo Zuidema tells her riders something is going to go wrong somewhere. “Don’t panic. Fix what you can, shake it off, and go right back to showing.” Judges want to see correct first, then quality, as Jamie Hartman points out. “One bobble doesn’t erase an otherwise solid run.”
Above all, many trainers remind riders that they’re doing this because they love it. They encourage exhibitors to support their local associations, build friendships, and genuinely enjoy their horses. The backbone of a successful season isn’t just trophies; it’s the community you make along the way.
Rest is Part of the Program
In a world that celebrates hustle, a surprising number of trainers now preach the value of rest.
“One of the biggest things I learned is to rest,” says Beth Clemons. She’s learned that trainers, amateurs, and horses all benefit mentally from time off. Keeping a broke horse tuned up year-round can actually cause them to stop trying. Instead, her December often includes trail riding and low-key work for horses that have been on the road all season. They stay fit without being fine-tuned, and everyone returns fresher and more motivated when it’s time to gear back up.
Other trainers share similar advice: there is always another horse show. Missing one to protect a horse’s mind or body (or your own) is far better than pushing past the limit and paying for it later.
Show Ring Basics: Be Prepared, Be Polite
From the judge’s stand, a few themes show up over and over.
Jodi Finkenbinder Jeter and Lori Gordon both stress the importance of respecting everyone’s time. “Be ready at the cone,” Gordon says. “Don’t make the gate person and the judge wait while you wander in. With today’s long schedules and huge class lists, promptness is more than courtesy; it helps shows run efficiently for everyone.”
Visibility matters too. Keeping your number easy to find lets judges spend their time actually evaluating your horse instead of squinting across the arena. And once you’re in, ride every step until the class is over. A mistake doesn’t have to knock you out of the placings if you recover quickly and keep showing.
Kindness also counts. Horses aren’t robots, and neither are riders. Jamie Hartman reminds exhibitors that sometimes things happen, and you unintentionally interfere with someone else’s ride. “Most people understand that. Forgive, forget, and move on.”
Perspective: Life Beyond the Show Pen
When veteran trainers look back on their twenties, many of the “I wish I’d known…” moments aren’t about leads or patterns. They’re about time, balance, and life outside the barn.
All-around trainer Whitney Lagace wishes she’d realized how quickly time would go by. “Building a business and raising a family was a fantastic journey, but in her eagerness to get to the next thing, I sometimes missed the chance to savor where I was.”
AQHA World Champion Katy Jo Zuidema puts it more bluntly, “The horse business is not the beginning and end of her existence. Nobody in this industry is curing cancer, and everyone still puts their pants on one leg at a time.” Florida trainer Cole Baker agrees, “It’s essential to have a life besides riding horses.” That balance prevents burnout and actually sustains a long, successful career.
Many trainers now pass that perspective to their younger counterparts. They encourage them to travel, cultivate friendships outside of horses, pick up hobbies, and remember that the ribbon you’re stressed about today probably won’t matter in ten years.
Education, Apprenticeships, and Plan B
One of the strongest messages trainers give to aspiring professionals today is to invest in their education.
AQHA Hall of Fame trainer Nancy Cahill tells young people that the best aid they have is their brain. “Whether it’s a college degree, business courses, or horse-specific education,” she urges them not to wait too long. “Once that diploma is on the wall, no one can take it away, and it gives you something to fall back on if life changes.”
Others, like Brad Ost, are honest that college isn’t for everyone. He left school in his final year to pursue training full-time and doesn’t regret it, but even he advises that if you have doubts, get your degree first. The bottom line from both camps: whether it’s formal schooling or immersive apprenticeships, never stop learning.
On that front, there is near-unanimous agreement about the value of working for an established trainer. Professional Horsemen Sandy Jirkovsky believes apprenticing is the way to start. In her barn, assistants didn’t just learn to ride; they knew the business side – overhead, billing, customer service.
Judge Mark Sheridan suggests apprenticing for five years, not five months, and studying business, accounting, marketing, and psychology along the way. Many trainers echo the same philosophy: keep your mouth shut, your eyes open, and work hard. The things you absorb in someone else’s program can save you years of expensive trial and error on your own.
Money, Business, and Longevity
For many trainers, the advice they most want to give their younger selves is financial.
Trainer Paul Thurston wishes he’d lived more within his means in his twenties and started saving earlier, even when the checks were small. “Rising feed, fuel, and facility costs have made horse training a stricter way to make a living than it once was,” Thurston says. Several trainers urge young pros to remember that the overhead is high and the hourly “take-home” can be minimal, especially in the early years.
Their advice to up-and-coming trainers is consistent: save your money, avoid unnecessary debt, and don’t confuse gross income with net profit. Bigger isn’t always better. Full barns and fancy rigs don’t mean much if there’s nothing left after the bills are paid.
Others encourage diversifying income. Judge and trainer Chris Jeter points out that the body can only take the physical pounding of training for so long. He talks about clinics, lessons, judging, product representation, writing, welding, or even learning to make bits and spurs as ways to add revenue streams that complement training. “Having other sources of income can allow you to ride fewer horses, spend more time on each one, and produce a better product.”
Many also stress practical planning: carry health and disability insurance, take care of your equipment, and a retirement plan, even when it feels far away. There’s no built-in retirement fund for horse trainers; you have to create one.
For the Next Generation
So what do today’s top trainers tell the high school student who wants to skip college and turn pro right now?
Most agree on a balanced path: stay in school, take business and communication classes, spend summers and weekends apprenticing with respected trainers, and use that time to decide whether this life truly fits you. Some suggest keeping amateur status as long as possible by helping for free while you learn. Others admit they didn’t finish college themselves, but say they wouldn’t necessarily recommend their own path to others.
Underneath all the nuance, the message is remarkably consistent:
- Love the horses first – If you’re not genuinely passionate about them, this lifestyle will wear you down quickly.
- Learn from the best – Watch, listen, and be coachable.
- Respect the business side – You’re not just riding; you’re running a company.
- Take care of yourself – Physically, mentally, and financially.
- Remember, it’s a blessing – As Whitney Lagace says, “If you can make a living doing what you love, that’s a gift.”
Taken together, the best advice trainers have received and the best advice they now give form a complete circle. They were once the kids on the rail, soaking up wisdom from older pros. Today, they’re the ones reminding the next generation to work hard, stay humble, keep learning, and never lose sight of the simple joy that drew them to horses in the first place.
In case you missed it, be sure to check out our first installment in this series, Favorite Training Advice – Part 1: The Best Advice Top Trainers Ever Received.
