Sometimes life requires you to pivot your career. Here are three NRHA Professionals who’ve done it with great success.
By Jennifer Paulson
Every NRHA Professional chose training horses as a career for a reason: a love for the horse. While there are many horse-related careers to pursue that include reining, becoming an NRHA Professional allows you to immerse yourself in the community and culture of the sport. As much as you love the reining horse and the sport of reining, you might reach a point in your career when it’s time to pivot away from full-time training to a different focus. One that still includes reining horses and the community you’ve come to love, but allows you to thrive in different situations, professional and personally.
This crossroads can come at any point in your career. We spoke with three NRHA Professionals who’ve successfully pivoted their reining expertise into other areas of the sport. They continue to contribute to reining in many ways, but they might not spend their days riding colts, hauling to major events, or coaching non pros.
Shane Brown built a lucrative, successful business in Elbert, Colorado, training aged-event horses, coaching youths and nonpros, and facilitating horse sales. He’s since moved to Texas and trains a limited number of horses out of another NRHA Professional’s facility.
Brent Loseke grew up in Nebraska on a cattle ranch, but always had his eyes on horses. He spent a few years focusing on aged-event reining horses, but chose to focus on 2-year-olds, starting some of the most influential reiners of today. From that first pivot, Loseke found himself with another opportunity in his path—managing and promoting stallions Colonels Shining Gun and Patriot.
Steve Ross’ voice is one of the most recognizable in our sport. Ross has trained horses since he was 13 years old, eventually working for NRHA Hall of Famer Doug Milholland for three years. Ross now focuses on pairing riders with their perfect horse match by selling reining and ranch riding horses of all levels as well as commentating major events.
Here they’ll share their insights on pivoting in four parts:
Part 2: How to Use Your Network
Part 3: Transition With the Right Support
Closing Sage Advice
Each of these professionals has overlapping-yet-different experiences in their reining careers, and they have sound advice for pros looking to make a change.
“I want to find the way I can make the best contribution to this industry,” Ross says. “I truly believe the secret to success is to add value. I try to do that in everything I do—I want to bring something to the table that other people might not be able to and that might be lacking. That’s how you find happiness and success.”
Brown has spent his entire adult life in the business and has seen it change immensely in many ways.
“Our sport has evolved so much,” he says. “You have to have the horseflesh to be able to make it, and sometimes those opportunities are dictated by where you live. Sometimes you have to be an entrepreneur and make an opportunity happen instead of whining and complaining and waiting for it to come to you. Maybe you need to buy yourself that nice horse that can launch you into another level of your career. Think about your future; plan past your next futurity horse. Think about your future.”
Ross concludes that being keenly aware will keep you headed in a positive direction.
“You really have to keep your eyes open for opportunities,” he advises. “Every horse trainer has a second skillset. A lot of guys make bits and spurs and do other things. Stick with things you’re passionate about; then you know you’ll do your best work and it doesn’t seem like work.”
Read the rest of this article at the links above.
