Certification

From competitor to coach, author to clinician, 30 years of bucking the system is paying off for Chris Irwin.  Acknoledged as the man who has ?cracked the code of Equus,? his evolutionary approach to horses and horsemanship is changing the very nature of horse-human relationships.  With masterful fluency in the language of horse and an artful ability to translate its efficacy to equine enthusiasts, Chris has earned a highly-respected leadership position in the industry, and top billing among equine specialists.

Chris? mantra ?Training Before Schooling? is the missing-link motto of his popular TRAIN THE TRAINER program, now in its seventh year in North America, and debuting in Europe ? Holland and Ireland ? this year.  Just shy of 100 certified trainers throughout Canada, the United States, Bermuda, Mexico and South Africa, are walking the talk of an efficacy unseen in the world of horse training..


The success of Chris’ innovative program lies in addressing the number one gap in the horse industry: standards of competency in horse training.  Focusing on the assertive yet non-threatening techniques Chris has designed to effectively communicate with all horses – be they drafts or minis, donkeys or mules, quarter horses or Thoroughbreds – both on the ground and under saddle, Chris teaches his students to correctly read (diagnose) all variety of horses at a level of cause rather than symptom, technically and skillfully work with the horse to dissolve and resolve its issues, and learn to coach others into achieving these same lasting results. 

While trainers are welcome to bring a horse of their own to these sessions, he encourages trainers-in-training to develop skillsets in diagnostics, groundwork and equitation with horses of a variety of breeds, genders and temperaments.  Chris has thus scheduled his Train The Trainer sessions at equestrian centers with wonderful facility horses for his students to learn from, work with and ride.  For students electing to work with facility horses and not bring their own horse, Chris will personally pair students with horses appropriately selected for their needs and goals for each day of the session. 

For individuals looking for the more traditional clinic format in which they work exclusively with their own horse to resolve specific issues – both on the ground and under saddle, Chris' weekend horsemanship clinics and small group sessions are designed for just this purpose.