Foundation Training

At MQH, our training program is designed to gain the trust of the horse and build its confidence. A good foundation is essential for him to be ready to go the direction his individual talent will indicate as he grows older.

Every horse has a unique personality and skill set. It also takes varying lengths of time for them to mature. It is one of the reasons that we prefer to raise our own prospects, as by their third year we have a fairly good insight of when they are mentally and physically ready for their formal training to saddle and bridle.

There is no one way to train a horse; what makes one horse understand what the trainer wants may make another one confused. We strive to go at a pace the individual horse can support without getting him unduly stressed.

We do not force a horse through a training step. He is given an option or “out” every time; what we hope is that he will chose the option we want him to. It also reduces the potential risk of injury to him and the trainer. Some horses can learn in five days what will take others ten, and in that way are no different than human students.

At this point, he is taken on several long pony rides accompanied by one of our experienced saddle horses. He will learn to stand quietly beside the other horse while the rider dismounts to open a gate, will walk through brush that drags at the stirrups, cross through water, kick up partridges, and become used to traffic passing him on a heavily travelled road. From there he progresses to ground work in the round pen until such time as he trusts and follows his trainer. He will become used to weight of a rider in the saddle, will stand quietly while being mounted, and will walk under control around the pen.

He will be progressively ridden under bridle in both the outdoor arena and indoor training facility. By the end of 60 days of hands on training, he will have mastered a simple obstacle course, learned to cross creeks, ride through brush, had a rope swung off him, and if cattle are available, have lightly worked a steer.

In our view, a young horse gains more confidence on the trail than they do in the arena. Fundamentally, we believe that every good ‘using’ horse should also be a trusted Sunday trail ride companion. We invite you to visit our Ranch Horse Sale Barn from time to time to see what we have available. If you would like to inquire about upcoming horses for sale, or have one that you would like us to train for you, please Contact Us