Freckles King Pickens Get'n Lena

How long will it take? It is unusual for my starting program to take any longer than eight weeks. General training (to make a horse a “bit softer” or stop better or start lead changing, etc.) takes around four weeks minimum to make a significant difference. Sometimes I work with the owner to create a reining horse by working the horse for a time and then the owner takes the horse home. They then have lessons together and both get comfortable with the work up to that point. The horse then returns and I'll work on the next stage of the program. This takes time and doesn't always produce the best result, but the owner can feel “involved” and it's more “budget-friendly”. A trained reining horse takes around eighteen months. This is a long time and quite costly but does produce the best result in the long term for the horse and owner.

Do you specialise in any particular events? I specialise in Reining and I also start and train horses for other events.

How often is my horse ridden? Horses are normally ridden 5 times per week.

What happens when it rains? If I am unable to catch up on missed rides due to excessive rain or other commitments, then agistment rates will apply for that period.

Will anyone else ride my horse? No.  The numbers of horses in training are restricted to 8-10 so that I personally work them all.

What do I need to bring? You do not need to bring anything except your horse but if your horse is currently being rugged & you want to continue, bring all his rugs with him. It is good to have a light rug. They look a little neater as it lays their hair down but that is up to the owner. In winter at least a light rug is a good idea to allow them to cool down slower after work.

Dietary supplements. You are welcome to bring in any supplements for your horse. Please label with your horses name and give feeding directions.

Does my horse need to be shod? It is very helpful if your horse has had his feet handled & trimmed before coming in. He doesn't have to be shod. If you think he needs shoes, is not a good-footed horse or wet weather conditions are imminent then it's a good idea to have him shod before he arrives. If he gets sore footed & can't be ridden, then valuable training time will be lost waiting for a farrier to come etc.  We reserve the right to have horses shod at 4-6 week intervals if we deem necessary. If your farrier can't come then our farrier Stephen Riggs will be booked as soon as possible.

Horse Physiotherapy We reserve the right to have horses checked and treated if necessary. If a horse comes in for work and exhibits signs of a physical problem, then Tony Fookes will be booked promptly.

Horse Dentistry We reserve the right to have horses checked and treated if necessary. If a horse comes in for work with a possible dental issue, then our Equine Dentist Jill Fenn will be booked as soon as possible or we can contact your preferred dentist. All horses up to 4 years of age will be checked at least every 2-3 months for wolf teeth, loose caps or any abnormalities.

STARTING/BREAKING

Do you start horses for all disciplines? Yes. Whether you want your horse for reining, pleasure, cutting or dressage, I find up to that 8-week point things are fairly similar. Sound basics are a good foundation no matter which direction you intend to take. Your horse needs to be soft, he needs to move off your rein and leg and yield to bit pressure and he needs to acquire these skills in a time frame that he can cope with. From this point onwards you may start to guide him into different disciplines.

How do you start a horse? How I start or break in a horse is very difficult to explain in a few paragraphs. The following is an overview of what I do. Because every horse is an individual, each one is trained or started a little differently, depending on what they can or can't handle. Most horses get 2-4 days groundwork. Some may have up to 2 weeks if they have had little or no handling before they arrive. They are ridden in a halter for the first ride. Basically I am just the passenger, they can get used to me being on them. Every horse is walked, trotted & cantered both ways in the round yard on their first ride and backed up. Continuing with a halter, in 2-3 rides they are ridden out in the arena and within 1-2 weeks ridden in an 8 acre paddock amongst other horses and occasionally cows. Usually by the time they are ridden in the paddock it is in a hackamore or bosal. They stay in the hackamore or bosal for 2-3 weeks while they get used to being ridden out and starting on their more “educated work”. When they come back to the arena, I teach them to side-pass, neck rein, direct bend, counter-bend, and start on vertical flexion and ridden in spurs at least a couple of times. Some may do quarters-in or travers in that time also. I do all of that in a bosal before riding with a snaffle bit. They next work for 2-3 weeks riding in a snaffle before they go home.

Why do do you keep a “breaker” for 8 weeks? I do an 8-week program to make sure the horse is well and truly started and happy with being ridden. They have gone well past the basic pull right, pull left, go forward stage. They have the beginnings of a work ethic, and they have enough of a handle to feel more like an older horse. It is better to take longer and make sure everything is done as thoroughly as possible than to rush and miss something.

Why don't you long rein my horse - why do you use a halter? The reason I do the halter, then the bosal is it doesn't matter how much I “long rein” a horse, when I start to ride them, there will always be arguments about - `I want to go here', `no you need to go there', `now I want to go there', `I want you to come back here' and I am going to end up having to pull your horse somewhat psychically on those first few rides. They gradually accept the idea that I'm going to be making the decisions and not them (& there starts the work ethic) and the idea is that I am only going to pull on their nose & preserve their mouth while they mentally become more accepting of me making the decisions. When they are accepting that I am the one in control of where they are going, and what speed they are doing, there is a lot less physical pressure needing to be exerted. When I start using the snaffle, I won't have to apply pressure as much and in general that creates a softer horse. There are some horses it won't make a significant difference to, but I believe I've got more chance of making a softer horse using this method.

What can I expect of my horse after being started? Where a horse ends up precisely after it is started is dependent on the individual. They will have all the basics they need to go on with to do whatever discipline their owner requires. Some horses that are a little fractious or are a little behind and can't seem to cope with the pressure will still get all the basics put on them, but I will concentrate on encouraging them to be quieter and more de-sensitized than to really advance their education. If a horse is taking it all in their stride and is really comfortable with the whole process, you can step up their education a bit more and they will be that much further along heading home.

What can I do to prepare my horse before it is started? It is preferable if the horse has been rugged, had his feet handled & trimmed, tied up (if you have a safe and suitable tie up area) and floats. If you wish to go as far as saddling and lunging your horse that is your individual risk.  Sometimes that can be dangerous but some owners' will and can do that before the horse comes in. I do request that nobody sits on them under any circumstances. There are really so many things that can happen on the very first ride and it is really important that someone who knows exactly what they are doing does the initial ride.

Why can't I just sit on my horse before he comes in for starting? A lot of people think that it is OK to just sit on their horse and not do anything. “If I don't do anything then I mustn't be doing anything detrimental”. If you sit there often enough however, the first thing your horse learns when somebody is on his back is that he doesn't have go forward nor do any work.   I believe the first ride is crucial. It compares with your first day at school.  If you have a really bad first day at school, you are going to take a fair bit of convincing that it is a good place to go. Your horses first ride is his introduction to being ridden - having someone up there making the decisions. It is vital to have somebody who is riding young horses all the time and is able to read them. If your horse is being a little stubborn, he needs the rider to push him through, but if he is acting up because he is scared, the rider needs to just sit there and let him settle. You need the rider to be able to read a horse instantly and respond instinctively. There are so many things that happen in regard to his attitude which can affect him for the rest of his life and it can all hinge on that first ride. Obviously the subsequent rides are very important also, but that first introduction sets the whole agenda for your horse and is a big thing to him mentally.

Do you ride with a back cinch? Starting horses do get ground work with a back cinch but don't get ridden with one. I personally don't like having a back cinch under my leg when I ride, but I do get a horse used to a strap around that area of his stomach.

What if I have a problem after the training time? At the end of the training time I will always ride the horse while the owner is here to watch. If it were an interstate owner we would generally do an unedited video so they can see their horse under saddle and see what happens from start to finish. It also encourages that the owner comes and rides the horse once or twice before the horse goes home. If you encounter any problems at home, please feel free to call. Most problems are easily managed if dealt with early, but if left unchecked can become major.

How do I book in? Call Wayne to discuss any other details and he will give you an idea of the wait list at that time. Once you have made a booking, please let us know your contact telephone number/s, email and postal address and we will post /email you a training agreement and risk acknowledgement.

How do I get there? Travelling from Woodford, turn into Neurum Road and we are 12.5 Km along on the right hand side - opposite Archer Falls Winery & Vineyard.  We have a brick entry with signage on the brickwork. Travelling from Kilcoy, turn right into Neurum Road (just before Kilcoy Abattoir) and travel 11.5 km along. Once you pass the 20km p/hour sharp left hand bend, you will find us half a kilometre past there on the left hand side.