It seems I can't go a week without hearing about another new Train the Trainer program. Whether it's an apprenticeship, mentorship, or certification, there's a training to suit your needs (or one coming shortly!). In the midst of what seems to be an overwhelming number of such programs cropping up, I've begun to wonder: How much actual field experience does the person offering the training have?

By field experience I mean direct client contact, time spent in the barn with horses & “real” clients. My experience has been that it is much easier to just train other people to do what we do, rather than actually serving clients.

I'm a perennial student. I love to hear about different theoretical approaches & variations to how we can follow our passion, which is why we host events likethe Horses & At-Risk Youth Symposium at the farm. But I've let go of attending all the trainings out there, preferring instead to focus on serving clients in our little section of Western North Carolina, doing all the daily work of helping individuals, families & groups, session after session, one day after another.

I also found that while the theory at these many Train-the-Trainers was interesting, there was very little in the way of practical application that had been “tried & true” in what I was observing. I love theory, but I also really love practice as well, the practice of helping real clients.

So, as you consider the latest “flavor” of training, I encourage you to ask the question: How much actual field experience does your trainer actually have?