The right start
The right start
Some call it breaking, we prefer starting. It's all about giving your horse a good start. Teaching respect and the basic riding skills it needs for further education.
We like to give young horses room to figure things out for themselves. Ask them to do things instead of telling them. Encourage good behavior. Make them work if they show unwanted behaviour. Be strict and fair. Set clear boundaries.
We believe that a horse learns from the moment of release, not pressure. That is why we
do not use any form of restains
.
All breeds are welcome at the Ranch. We both teach English and Western principles. Colts are welcome. We can also handle horses under 14 hands now. Ayla Harwood will be riding the ponies under instruction of Erwin.
We work the horses 5 days per week. Horses get 2 hard feeds a day plus hay. Our price is all inclusive.
We encourage your participation in the starting of your horse. You can stay in our accommodation, have lessons and enjoy the Ranch.
$350 per week $1900 6 weeks
Prices will go up in July 2012 to:
$375 per week
$2000 for 6 week package
(book in before July 2012 and
pay the current price)
Week 1
Week 1
First we want to get to know your horse. How far is it in it's training? What is his personality?
We start with a join up session. This will get the horse to focus on the trainer. Then the learning can begin. Every horse starts with some training on the ground in the round yard. We work on respect and trust.
We want to be able to touch the horse everywhere. Pick up all 4 feet. Make sure it is comfortable with us handling his mouth and flanks. Next step is to desensitise the horse. Get it used to things around it's legs, over its body. For this we use ropes and a bag.
Some horses will have a hard time to accept these basic things. To us it is crucial to have the horse relax and put it's trust in us. No matter how long it takes. We will not procede untill we have complete trust and respect. Other horses are already trained to trust and respect people. We will move on to the next stage quicker.
To us it doesn't matter how much or how little your horse already knows. We always start at the beginning and work with the horse we have before us.
Week 2
Week 2
When the horse shows us it is ready to work together and accept new things we start introducing bridle, saddle and then a rider.
First the horse will only have the bridle on with the bit in, no reins attached. This gives him time to get used to the feel of the bit. We use a plain full cheek snaffle bit. Most horses are fine with that. When they know the feel of the bit, we attach a rein and ask the horse to bend it's head towards the pressure on the rein. It learns that it can release the pressure itself.
The horse will be introduced to a bare back pad. This way it can get used to the pressure of a girth without the weight of a saddle. Erwin will lie over the horse so it can get used to a person on his back. We want the horse to stand still for this. If they can do that, then we put the saddle on. The horse moves in walk, trot and canter in the round yard. If they buck that is fine. We just let them figure it out.
When the horse is happy with all that, Erwin will mount. Somebody will always lead the horse around. This way Erwin will be only weight first, then he can slowly take over the commands from the person on the ground. Gradually we will get the horse to stop, walk, trot and steer in the round yard. If all is under control we move on to the arena.
Week 3
Week 3
At this stage the horse has probably had 5 rides. Just enought to get used to a rider on his back. Now it is time to start teaching the riding aids.
First we find it very important to teach the horse to stand still while mounting. We will mount with a mounting block and from the ground.
Second important lesson is to wait for the rider's cues. We will repeat the correct cues over and over till the horse figures out what they mean. If they give the right repons we will reward them. If they make mistakes we will just correct them. The horse will soon find out what the desired behaviour is.
We will teach the horse to move away from pressure.
In this first ridden week the horse will get more control over the steering, the walk, trot and back up.
Week 4
Week 4
In the 4th week we will continue our lessons in the arena. This will be the week to more firmly establish the different cues.
We will also start cantering the horse. Some trainers canter the horses straight away. We prefer the horse to have a good basic understanding of the steering first. Plus we want the horse to be more flexible and balanced. This way we can better set the horse up for succes. Lots of young horses don't have enough balance yet, or are not very strong in a canter. They rush through the corners. With correct preparation we can try to avoid this.
Time for some fun as well. The Ranch is surrounded by state forest, the ideal place to take young horses for a ride in the bush. It will freshen their minds a bit after all the work in the arena. We will only walk the horses in the bush to begin with. And they will be headed out alone, no other horses to go with them. This way they can deal with all the scary things around them. We basically let them figure it out. After one or two rides most horses are pretty confident in the bush.
Week 5
Week 5
This is the week that we will be working on the weaker areas of the different horses. Most horses will need more work done on the canter, some we take out more into the bush.
For the rest we focus a lot more on rhythm and suppleness. We will start to refine the horses movement. Gettting it really loose and flexible by changing reins, making circles and frequent transitions. While doing this it will learn to listen to the riders hand, seat and legs on very light cues.
The horse will also be taught different lateral movements; turns on the forhand, turn on the hind quarters, back ups, roll backs, side pass. Nothing fancy, but just enough so the horse has a basic understanding of the different direction we can ask it.
We want the horses to be really light in our hands, stop on our seats and listen to our cues.
Week 6
Week 6
This last week we will put the finishing touches on your horse. Depending on what you want to do with your horse when you get it back, we start working on more discipline specific things. You only want to ride in the bush, we will take it out and give it more challanging rides. Into dressage, we will start asking more collection. Or maybe your horse needs more time to handle the basic things.
When you come to pick your horse up, Erwin will demonstrate what it can do. We will explain how it is trained. Then it's your turn. We encourage you to ride your horse at our place. This way you can feel how it responds to you, ask questions and see if you are happy with the job we have done.
Your horse will:
- stand still while grooming and saddling
- stand still while mounting
- have 3 good gaits
- back-up, turn on forhand, turn on hindquarter
- stop on your seat
- listen and respond to light cues
- give to pressure
- know the one rein stop
- lightly work in a frame and on a loose rein
- enjoy a bush ride
At home
At home
Excited that you finally have your horse back. You want to ride it like your other horses. That's great, but just be aware that you still have a green horse.
Your horse has only had a limited amount of riding. It knows the basics, but now you have to guide it to become a solid mount. It's up to you to train your horse further. Set boundaries, be black and white about what you want and what not. Be strict but fair.
Listen to your horse, it will tell you when it needs a break, when you're going to quick, if it doesn't understand what you are asking or when it is just being 'naughty'. Don't be afraid that you 'undo' the training that we did. It's your horse now, you need to form a team together.
Remember we are always available to answer any questions. We love to hear how you are doing!
