Reaching for the NEXT LEVEL

He’s a real-world trainer and competitive reiner whose training methodology has evolved dramatically in recent years. In our exclusive interview, learn the fascinating story behind Warwick Schiller’s change of perspective.

- JENNIFER FORSBERG MEYER

Warwick Schiller is a traditional horse trainer who's discovered that nontraditional methods have extraordinary benefits.

Warwick Schiller has close to 200,000 followers on social media and 20 million views on YouTube. A lifelong horseman, he has traditional horse-training credentials, having represented his home country of Australia at the 2010 and 2018 World Equestrian Games plus earned a National Reining Horse Association reserve world championship, among other achievements.

He’s also known for his ability to explain horse training in a way anyone can understand—a fact reflected by his growing fan base among riders interested in a kinder, more horse-centric method of training. His approach, which is ever-evolving, focuses on solving horse problems by changing the rider’s perspective.

Schiller’s Problem Solved column is a regular feature in the quarterly Horse&Rider and online at Horse andRider.com.

This interview reflects his most recent thinking.

HR: How would you say your perspective on horse training is different now from what it’s been in the past?

Schiller: In a word, relationship. I now value relaxation and connection over specific training goals. But when I do, the training actually goes easier. It’s a little difficult to explain, but I’ll try.

I used to train horses for the public, for performance as well as for pleasure and trail riding. And when you train for the public, you have to get the horse ready to operate for anybody. That means you have to teach the horse to filter out some things, such as the rider’s nervous energy or inadvertent physical movement.