D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
February 2012
Talking Horses
Selling a "System"
by Scott Thomson |
 |
I had an email from a local rider recently. The person had just traveled to a watch a demo from one of the major personalities in the horsemanship world. The rider couldn't believe what this clinician was able to get done with a horse, and was thinking of spending some serious dollars to buy this horseman's equipment, training tools and DVDs. The rider thought this would give him all that was necessary to fix or develop a horse.
I thought a story from my own experience might help.
Up in Washington State, there was a boarder at our barn who was having a lot of problems with a horse. The boarder was the kind of guy who knows it all and never asks for help, believing he can figure anything out, especially with a "dumb" horse. He would tell me, "In the end you can always make them do it." It really bothered me to watch the struggles between these two, so I finally offered to give him a couple of free lessons just to put him on a safer and more productive path. I jokingly said I didn't want to take time away from riding when I was at the barn having to figure out how to drag his body out of the round pen.
He said he had it all figured out. He was going to drive several hours each way that weekend to watch a demo by a famous horseman (coincidently, the same one referred to above) and that would give him all he needed to fix this himself. So off he went, returning with a trunk full of probably $1,000 worth of sticks, ropes, DVDs, bits and other assorted "answers." He grabbed his horse, went off to the round pen, assumed the positions and mimicked the movements he had seen at the demo, and waited for the magic to happen.
Well, his horse sort of looked at him as if to say, "I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but you seem to be having fun so I'm going to just stand here and watch." This went on for a couple of weeks, with more frustration and anger showing in the owner as he failed to get any of the responses he had seen at the demo. More and more clouds of dust and mud rose from the round pen, and the horse seemed to be getting more scared with each session. After about three weeks, I noticed all the new equipment was gone from the tack room, replaced by the severe bits and tools the owner had been using before. Next a sign on the board at the barn offered "practically new" horsemanship tools and tack for sale. And yes, I did have to drag him out of the round pen after his horse took objection to his human's antics.
I tried to make this point with him, and many others since. Setting aside people who buy and sell horses, or have a guest ranch, there really are only three ways to make a living in the horse business. You can have a good-sized facility with some boarding capabilities and some quality school horses and give lots of lessons. Or, you can take to the road and do clinics (many of the top names spend as many as nine months a year on the road), making sure you have your "system" and equipment for sale at each stop. A third option is the pyramid approach where you train/certify others to teach and sell your technique and equipment, then take a cut. Obviously, you can also use some combination of the above.
There is nothing wrong with any of this given that we live in a capitalist society and we all need make a living. The horse business is a classic service business, and like any other service business the only way to grow and profit is to increase volume. You need more "butts in the seats" and more ways to generate revenue from those people. Think of a restaurant that is doing well: The owner believes he could do even better if he had more space or had longer hours, or maybe opened more locations. Then maybe he could franchise the concept. Volume, volume, volume!
If you have ever been involved with growing a service business, you know that the larger and more standardized the business becomes, and the more the original owner or concept is stretched, the greater the likelihood that the quality and personal approach of the original idea starts to erode.
For me, helping someone with a horse is the most personal, one-to-one business there is. Not only are you dealing with humans and all that comes with that challenge, but you're also working with another species with a much different approach to life. That's why these business models just don't work in my book. There are certain universal truths about horses and their behavior, and how best to teach them. But each person and each horse form a unique partnership. Horse owners vary greatly in their physical abilities, mental make-up, and needs and goals for their horses. Likewise, horses vary in their abilities to learn, develop and perform.
You also have to accept enormous differences in facilities and living situations. Think of all the trailer-loading demos you've seen on RFD TV or at clinics where a nice trailer is parked in an arena with great footing, and the clinician moves the horse all around and the horse jumps in the trailer. Then you go home and realize that all you have is a trailer in the driveway with no footing and no room to work, and you never seem to be able to fix your particular problem. You conclude the "system" that you saw at the demo doesn't work in the real world and remain frustrated.
It is not that these "name" clinicians or trainers are charlatans. Most if not all are amazing horsemen and women. But what they can't teach you in a clinic or on a DVD, or give you with a piece of equipment, is the "feel" and the "eyes" that really help you become better with horses. Think back to the two or three individuals who are seen as the fathers of the horsemanship movement in this country — for example, the Dorrance brothers or Ray Hunt. None of these horsemen taught or tried to sell a "system" or special equipment. You could give any one of these legends a stick off the ground and some baling twine and they'd have a soft, responsive horse pretty quickly. It was about a feel for the horse and communicating what you were looking for from the animal, and recognizing the exact moment you got it. No generalized system or piece of equipment can give you that.
My first riding instructor, an accomplished endurance rider as well as a certified centered riding teacher from the Sally Swift program and with training from Linda Tellington-Jones, told me when I started that it took 10 years to become a good rider. That was pretty discouraging to hear given my age at the time! But years later I realized what she was talking about. It didn't take 10 years to learn how to ride and stay on a horse. But it did take a very long time to develop the "feel" and awareness to develop a soft, responsive horse that is comfortable under saddle and can use his body to carry a rider and perform.
My suggestion to any horse owner is if you really want to advance your horsemanship, try to find a trainer/teacher who is actually available to you, and who will look at you and your horse as individuals. Work with someone who will develop an approach just for you rather than a generalized, "this is how I always do it" system. You need a plan designed for your backyard or for wherever you keep your horse so you can practice. You need "eyes on the ground" to watch, correct and improve what you do. Even more important, you need someone to point out that exact moment you and your horse get something great, no matter how small, so you can begin to understand the "feel" of success and good horsemanship. This will be a much more productive use of your time and your money.
Scott Thomson lives in Silver City and teaches natural horsemanship. He can be reached with comments or questions at hsthomson@msn.com or (575) 388-1830.