Re Training

S

spiritus

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21 January 2007
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Would really like to hear from any of you who have sent your horse for re training?
I have a 6 year old thoroughbred gelding who needs a bit more than I am able to give.
Would like to know how beneficial it was and how long they were away from you.
Any advice you can give is very much appreciated.
 
Ive never sent a horse away for very long and vowed never to do it again.

Ive now got a really good teacher who willingly comes and schools mine on days when I'm struggling for time, obviously for a fee. Sometimes when I think he needs sorting she'll do us 2 or 3 times or ride every day if Im on holiday.

I think its cheaper in the long run and the horse is in its own surroundings. If you send them away sometimes they are great for a few weeks then revert to old habits when theyre not getting as much work and out of the disciplined enviroment of a professional yard.

Unless the horses is doing stuff that frightens you I'd keep him at home and invest the money in somebody who will come to you.

In our area 'schooling livery' is £150+ pw so if you multiply that by say 6 weeks it comes to £900, eek! You could have about 2 lessons a week for 15 weeks for that
 
On the flip side, what needs teaching could be beyond the riders ability/knowledge. It can sometimes be hard to teach a horse something new under instruction as you may not be giving clear enough signals.

IMO it might sometimes be better to send horsey away for a week or 2 so that it is established enough in the lesson that you can then learn how to push the buttons yourself. (Remember that it is very different training a horse as opposed to executing movement etc, that a horse already knows.)

Sending a horse to someone who is confident and competent enough to teach a horse new things without the frustration of maybe not being entirely sure they are doing the right thing can be invaluable, especially when it is a time when things need to be presented to the horse as clearly as possible.

It is also very hard to get an instructor of that standard to come out to your own yard 5 days p/w.

Remember that the cost of stable feed bedding etc is included, so doing it all from home may not be such great economy after all.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do x
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BBmat is right riding and training are quite different and going to a trainr can help the horse learn rather than the proverbial 'blind leading the blind'. The key thing is to then train with that person they can then teach both of you and give you the guidance and support that you need from the greater vantage point of truley undrstanding your horse and the training process that the horse has had.
as for a trainer only understanding one type of horse because it is a TB i dont agree. A horse is a horse any good trainer will understand the metality of each horse they deal with and it goes beyond type. Most trainers have worked with a multitude of horses from a variety of disiplines, they really should'nt be classified as trainers if thay have'nt gained this experience.
Do your homework as to experience and find someone you feel you could work with in the long term and i'm sure you'll get the support you need.
 
From a personal point of view, I would weigh up the costs, pro's and con's of sending the horse away, as opposed to having a good trainer come to you 2 - 3 times a week.

I had this situation and choose for a trainer to come to my yard, the lady came for one hour every day and I was able to learn from this and ensure that the training and treatment of the horse was to be liking. I was fortunate that the trainer was local and so I only had to pay an hourly rate.

Previously I send a horse away to Sam Humphries at Bunny Hill Top Equestrian Centre (Notts). It cost a small fortune and very quickly I had excellent results. I could not afford long term, only 4 weeks but it sorted out the immediate problems of having a dangerous horse that was trying to dismount the rider.

Because I have done both, I would still choose to have the trainer visit because it spreads the expense and I feel you get a bit more for your money over a longer period of time, and as I said you two are learning and watching each session.
 
I agree also about the TB thing. For an example, at the moment a few of the horses I have in for schooling are an eventing pony, an apaloosa, a fresian, a TB x and lots of WB stallions. Each horse is different and requires a different approach, but they may all be working towards a similar goal.
 
I am in the ideal situation in that I opted for schooling livery for my boy - I had to move yards and the yard I found had the option so I went for it - the first month or so was invaluable in that what they were working on with the horse was then reflected in the lessons & because they ride the horse they know what I should watch for/be working on etc. Obviously not everyone can afford to do this - luckily my livery cost includes 2 lessons a week & covers transport to shows etc aswell (for approx £100 pw) and because i am brining him home in the summer I wanted as much work to have gone into him as posisble before I get the chance to mess it all up!

The one 'con' I see with sending a horse 'away' to be shcooled, and there are quite a few on my yard who's owners just want them back 'better', is that you're not really involved if they are far away, riding styles can be completely different & what a horse will do for one rider who's extremely well qualified etc after a week they may not do for it's owner after 6 months of trying!

So and the end of this ramble I think the ideal scenario would be to send horse even for a short time to somewhere within travelling distance for you so that you can get a lesson from the trainer who is working on the horse hwile they are working on the horse that way both of you benefit....

hope that makes sense - good luck!

PS Just thoght obviously it depends what you need the horse to work on....if it's, for example jumping or xcountry that he/she needs an education in then you shouldn't need to be there but if it's more from a flatwork perspective then you need to be able to follow up what trainer is working on....
 
I think sending a horse away for training can be extremely beneficial under the right circumstances.

You need to be absolutely clear about what you want out of it first though and you also need to be completly honest and disclose any vices or issues to the trainer in question. We've had a couple of cases of horses showing up on our yard for dressage training where they've needed extreme remedial schooling or have just been down right wrong (in terms of their soundness). In that case it becomes unfair on the trainer in question. They need to know the full story from the start.

You've also got to consider that while you could send your horse away to someone like, bbmat (sorry, just using you as an example) and he could work wonders with the horse - if you still ride the same way as you always have, the exercise isn't necessarily productive.

What's generally recommended on the yard Im on, is that, if possible, both the horse AND rider come for an assessment first. After that, the horse can stay for intensive schooling but then the rider comes back and has lessons with the horse.

Having a horse professionally schooled can be fabulous for both the horse and rider if it's gone about the right way
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I'm wondering what sort of things you need help with. I sent one of mine to Jason Webb in Goudhurst, just for some help getting her hacking out alone etc, and he was great. My friend also sent her mega-napping TB gelding to him, and he came back a different horse. Mine was there less than 2 weeks because she was reasonably straightforward, I think my friend's was there 3 weeks. He was a bit of a horror though, and had injured her in the past spooking, rearing and spinning.
But if you want a finish put on, then it would be a different trainer. I'd say always go and watch them work with some horses before deciding.
Anyway, Jason's website is http://www.australianstockhorses.co.uk/
 
Thankyou for the address. Have just e-mailed Jason.
Just need similar help to your friend. Just want to be able to ride in the school or hack out. Too risky to do any at the mo.
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In that case, Jason's your man. I'm hearing more and more people recommending him.
He has a very down to earth approach, which puts some people off, but basically he is about producing a good working horse, a foundation that you then build on for whatever discipline you are interested in. He will make sure that you go along and work and ride with him, so that you are confident that you can deal with your horse when you get him home.
He'll be busy - but worth the wait and telling him you're interested if anyone cancels!
I'd really like to hear how it works out for you.
 
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