Groundwork plays an important role in the breaking process for Ohio trainer Rob Fowler. He says he lets each horse tell him when they are ready to advance to the next step.

“They have the rest of their lives to be show horses, so I think it is important to take every horse at its own pace,” he explained. “I believe that this approach creates more sustainable animals both physically and mentally in the long run.”

Fowler started working for Ty and Karen Hornick in 2017, breaking colts. This year his role changed to a paid partnership and affiliation with Ty Hornick Quarter Horses.

“With the new NSBA (National Snaffle Bit Association) rule change, I will be an open rider this year,” Fowler explained. “While I will continue to help Ty and Karen, we all felt it was time for me to begin to think about next steps and progression in my career. This is a good steppingstone in the evolution of my professional progression, and I thank them for their never-ending support, encouragement, and development.”

Fowler said he will continue to be a big part of the Hornick operation.

“I still work under the banner of Ty Hornick Quarter Horses with the intent of taking over their business some day when they choose to retire,” he explained. “I continue to assist them with their training horses while also taking in outside training horses of my own, which they board at their facility.”

Ty Hornick Quarter Horses, located in Jamestown, Ohio, consists of indoor and outdoor riding arenas, several pastures and a heated show barn with approximately 25 stalls.

Fowler focuses primarily on Western Pleasure futurity prospects and said he really enjoys breaking colts and watching the babies progress through the training process.

“No two horses are the same, so I adapt my training method for every horse depending on its strengths and weaknesses,” he explained. “With that said, I do believe in a lot of calisthenics to improve the horse’s mobility, physicality, and fitness. I think this approach allows the horses to transition more easily into other disciplines later and creates a user-friendly horse that a non-pro rider will be able to enjoy.”

In addition to training young show contenders, Fowler also coaches their riders.

“I have been lucky to learn from Karen, who is one of the best instructors there is,” he said. “It really is a skill I have been working on over the past several years. I really enjoy when the customers put it all together and achieve their goals, whether at a show or at the farm.”

Fowler made the finals in the Open Division of the Coughlin 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the Quarter Horse Congress with Nomo Drama and Ty rode the bay mare to a Top 10 in the Sale Stakes Class that same year.

Fowler also rode She Isa Crowdpleaser to a win in the Limited Open Maturity at the 2020 Tom Powers Futurity and tied to win that same class at the 2021 Tom Powers Futurity.

Fowler considers the back-to-back Tom Powers wins his greatest accomplishment and says they both were special.

“It was special the first time because my good friend Melvin Yoder also won his first Powers that year,” he explained. “The second time it was special because I tied to win with my good friend Stephanie Armellini. I really want all of us to make it.”

He also had a hand in training and/or exhibiting such decorated horses as Chasing Batterflies, KM You Make It Easy, KM Betcha Im Best and Just Call Me Lazy.

Fowler has been riding most all of his life. In fact, he says he was born into the horse industry. His father’s family showed horses and his mother’s family raced Standardbreds.

“I was riding horses before I could walk, I really didn’t have much choice,” he admitted. “I quit riding horses for a little while to ride bulls but eventually came back to it.”

Fowler graduated from Greenview High School and then attended Wilmington College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Science.

In 2017 he met his fiancee, non-pro competitor Sarah Nimigan, when her trainers, Tim and Katy Jo Zuidema, stayed at the Hornicks’ facility on their way to the Congress that year. They became engaged at the Congress last year and will wed in July.

In addition to riding, Fowler enjoys hiking in the mountains; fishing; trying new recipes; and enjoying a day on the water when the weather and time allows.

Fowler says his most prized possession is his little family with Sarah, their Corgi, Nacho (Hornick bred of course) and their French Bulldog, Huckleberry.

“My idea of perfect happiness is hiking in the mountains with Sarah, taking in God’s work,” he said. “There’s nothing better and I look forward to our annual hiking trip all year long.” Fowler said the best advice he ever got was from Tim Zuidema who told him that if you want million customers, your presentation has to look like a million dollars.

“That includes the appearance of your aisle, equipment, and overall customer experience,” Fowler said. “Why? Because you must hold yourself to that high of a standard to be the best.”

Fowler’s mailing address is: 550 Waynesville Jamestown Rd, Xenia OH 45385. You can reach him by calling (937) 725-7043. You can also connect with him via his Facebook Page (Rob Fowler).

Open Profiles are part of InStride Edition’s editorial content. If you know someone who would make a good subject for a professional profile email Corrine Borton, Editor, at: CorrineBorton@InStrideEdition.com.