BY STACY DEPALMA
“This started as a conversation with one young professional, but she was speaking for thousands. This is for every trainer navigating the ‘exhausting tightrope’ in an industry that must evolve to survive.”
Recently, I sat with a young professional I coach as she weighed the reality of shutting down her operation. This isn’t a story about a lack of talent or work ethic. It is a story about an industry that has become increasingly difficult to navigate for those building from the ground up.
She didn’t come from money. She became a professional out of necessity to make a living in the world she loves. She is the definition of grit. She works grueling hours, reinvests every dollar, and develops horses with thoughtful patience. She has sacrificed financial stability and a personal life to build something honest. Yet, she is left questioning whether a sustainable future exists here.
She is not alone. Across the country, a generation of talented trainers is quietly asking: Is the path forward still there?
The Human Element
In the Hunter/Jumper world, success was once built on “sweat equity”—the idea that hard work could bridge the gap between passion and a profitable business. But beyond rising costs, there is a deep personal drain.
Young trainers often protect their clients from the sport’s high costs out of pure compassion. As the professional I work with shares, “It is not the horses that make this industry difficult. Give me a horse that bucks or bolts or needs medical rehab any day. It is the people that make it difficult.”
“You worked hard, you stayed up late, you gave your heart and soul,” she continues. “And still, it’s not enough, but not because I am not enough.”
The Source of the Burnout
The exhaustion isn’t just physical. It’s the realization that dedicated effort can be undermined by a culture that often takes more than it gives. When a partnership goes unexpectedly sideways despite a trainer’s best efforts and sacrifices, the toll is heavy. This professional’s reflection hits on the most painful reality of the modern industry:
“You want to know why facilities are closing and good trainers are quitting? The people,” she reflects. “Not the late nights with a colicking horse or the early mornings at shows… it’s the people. They can make you or break you.”
Finding a Sustainable Path: Green Flags for Owners
Owners and clients hold the key. By choosing where to place their horses and which values to reward, they determine which professionals stay in business. Look for these “Green Flags” in a program:
- Transparency over Trends: They prioritize the horse’s long-term health and education over quick ribbons.
- Active Horsemanship: They are hands-on, knowing every horse’s needs, grain bill, and personality personally.
- Professional Boundaries: They charge a fair, living wage. Supporting their ability to pay bills ensures they stay in the sport.
- Commitment to Learning: They seek out continuing education, valuing growth over ego.
- Integrity in Sales: They prioritize a safe, honest match over a quick commission.
- Stability and Consistency: They maintain a steady routine for the horses, built on a solid foundation.
- Advocacy for the Horse: They are willing to say “no” to a show or class if it isn’t in the horse’s best interest.
- Open Communication: They foster an environment where the “why” behind the training is explained.
- Lesson Intentionality: Every lesson has a clear objective. The trainer focuses on correct flatwork, rhythm, and aids rather than simply jumping fences.
- Quality of Care: Their primary focus is well-being—from nutrition to restorative turnout—rather than just competition results.
The Reality From A Young Professional’s Perspective
In an industry where some top pros are being publicly exposed for controlling clients, abuse, and drugging… honest professionals continue to be overlooked for medals and titles. Ribbons do not guarantee quality of service, yet many are judged and hired solely on “showing success.”
My own journey reflects this: I have been overlooked because I lack extensive show awards. After my FEI prospect died of a heart problem two years into his development, affording another top-tier horse wasn’t possible. That was two years of irreplaceable work gone in an instant. When others at the top of the sport are using shortcuts to step over those representing themselves with integrity, it creates a sad, unsustainable model for the working professional..
A Role for Our Governing Bodies
While individuals make a difference, our governing bodies, like the USEF and USHJA, must support the disappearing middle class of our sport. We need initiatives focused on business stability and professional development for emerging trainers. By making the sport more accessible and protecting the people who provide the labor and the love for these horses
The Road Ahead: Choosing to Stay
Despite the exhaustion, the trainer mentioned in this piece is still in the barn every morning. She is riding horse after horse with meticulous care. teaching clients, going to horse shows. She stays because she loves the horse. She continues to work this hard in hopes that the industry will eventually evolve to support up-and-coming young professionals.
Her persistence is a quiet plea for an industry to become a place where grit is rewarded with opportunity, opening doors for the true professionals who represent the backbone of our sport.
Stacy DePalma is a Hunter/Jumper trainer, coach, and the owner of Next Generation Thoroughbreds. This article was written in support of the journey of not only Abigail Wiley of Phoenix Equestrian in Bradenton, Florida, but the many equestrians and young professionals like her striving to preserve the integrity of our sport.
