Bereiter

Bereiter is a German term that denotes a person who prepares or trains someone or something, with particular use in the horse industry. In equestrian contexts, a Bereiter is a professional horse trainer responsible for the early education of a horse and for advancing its skills through successive stages of training. The process of training a horse is known as Beritt, and a Bereiter may work within a stable or at a stud farm, often specializing in disciplines such as dressage, show jumping, or eventing. Qualifications and status vary by country and institution; senior trainers may be referred to as Berittmeister. The Bereiter’s tasks typically include basic handling, lunging, and progressive ridden work, with the aim of producing a horse suitable for competition, breeding, or other professional activities. The term is most commonly used in German-speaking regions, including Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland, and appears in horse-training literature and catalogs.

Bereiter also exists as a German-language surname. It is occupational in origin, reflecting the historical association with preparation or training work. People bearing the surname Bereiter have appeared in German-speaking areas, and the name persists in contemporary records. Like many surnames, its distribution varies by region and over time.

See also Beritt, Berittmeister, and horse training terminology.