Training Enquiry

Horses are individuals and we treat them as such. We will not treat your horse like a non-feeling and non-sensing machine and turn it into an ‘obedient robot’ that is ‘shut-down’ with no life left in it that you ride by pushing buttons.

All horses who come to us receive a solid foundation on the ground before progressing to ridden work. This enables us to observe the horse’s individual learning style, start building softness and self-carriage for good posture and assess any potential lameness or biomechanic issues relating to conformation or past injuries. The time spent on the ground depends entirely on the individual horse and its progress.

We train horses with feel, timing and balance using primarily the rider’s intention, seat and legs to communicate with the horse (this is based much more on classical principles than modern training methods). If you are a rider who relies heavily on the reins to communicate with your horse you will need to learn this new way of communicating along with your horse in order for you both to speak the same language.

We can only give you an estimate of ‘how long’ the training may take once we have gotten to know your horse, its current level of training, any problem behaviours / issues and your own skill level and experience. The minimum training time for which we take horses is 4 weeks.

If you are bringing a horse to us for starting under saddle we ask you to be involved in the process as much as possible (time and where you live permitting). Before starting your horse we need to know your level of skill, experience and confidence as a rider as taking on a green started horse is very different to riding an experienced horse. We do not offer a cookie-cutter 6 week horse starting approach. How fast your horse's training under saddle will progress depends on many factors, including prior preparation / foundation training, fitness and strength, etc. Our approach is slow and methodical and we work with you every step of the way. 

We do not encourage green riders to take on green horses. This is because green horses require their riders to help them with confidence and good timing to ensure that they continue to develop into a great, safe riding horse after receiving a solid foundation. If we don’t believe that you and your horse are a good match we will be honest with you but if you are dedicated to learning along with your horse and it is possible to do so safely we will encourage you all the way.