We require that your horse is halter broke prior to arriving. We can and have trained many horses that were not halter broke and have found that they tend to cause damage to our round pens. In addition, you will end up having a better trained horse in less time if they are halter broke before being brought to us.
We require that your horse be trained for a minimum of 30 days. Most horses should be well under saddle and on the trail within 30 days but since each horse is different, we cannot garauntee how much progress your horse will make in 30 days. You are welcome to call, email, or come buy to check the progress on your horse. Additional training time is highly recommended for novice riders who want their horse to be more sound and bombproof on the trail.
Currently, we charge $300.00 for 30 days of training. There is a $3.00/day boarding charge for every day your horse is here. Since your horse will be trained for 30 actual days, there will be days off during that period that your horse will still incur boarding fees. Additional training days beyond the 30 are $10.00/day and normal boarding fees still apply. To book your horse for training, we require a minimum of $200.00 deposit due on or before arrival of your horse. The remaining $100.00 training fee and the total boarding fees will be due before your horse is released.
Tips to make the most of your horse's training.
Have your horse halter broke and leading well. Work with your horse to ensure they are not fearful of people. Be prepared to continue riding your horse when you bring him home from training. Simple things like this will help you get the most out of your horse's training.
"Natural horsemanship" From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Natural horsemanship is a concept combining both ancient and new ideas, used by horse trainers and clinicians around the world to enforce the desired behaviour of horses. There are countless variations of natural horsemanship but overall it all boils down to the following ideas:
The horse has a functional, evolutionarily successful intelligence system and social system. The horse has a highly developed communication system practiced primarily through body language. The horse is receptive to human body language constantly. The human must be knowledgeable of the horse's natural instincts and communication system, and furthermore, utilize these concepts to teach the horse. Natural Horsemanship seeks to make the wrong things hard and the right things easy. A horse is rewarded for responding to a cue appropriately by a release of pressure. There are two types of reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement is when a behaviour is strengthened because it is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus. Example: A horse is led to a trailer, the horse walks in easily. The horse is fed an apple. The apple is the rewarding stimulus. Clicker training is one method of using Positive reinforcement. Because horses are not predators, food rewards and positive reinforcement are not commonly used.
Negative reinforcement takes place when a behavior is strengthened because it is followed by the removal of an aversive (unwanted) stimulus; the desired behavior results in the removal of an unwanted situation resulting in the reinforcement of the behavior. Example: If pressure is applied to the horse’s shoulder and the horse moves away, the pressure is released. The unwanted, annoying, uncomfortable pressure applied is being subtracted; this serves as a reward for the correct behaviour. This is commonly used in natural horsemanship training techniques.
Natural horsemanship has become very popular in the past decade and there are many books, videos, tapes, and websites available to the novice equestrian. This new philosophy has capitalized on the use of reinforcement to replace punishment and force, consistently reaping benefits on account of so many unique and perceptive characteristics.
