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Training the Pleasure
Walking Horse
We accept a limited number of
outside horses for natural gait training here at Howe They
Walk Farm. We are a modest farm operating near Kansas City, MO and want to
help those that seek to understand how to encourage/train correct gaits using
natural horsemanship methods.
We firmly believe that each
and every walking horse has the ability to correctly carry their easy gaits. Some will learn quicker, some will take a bit more patience, but
all can be trained without artificial manipulation. We never
use gimmicks in the form weighted shoes, severe bitting, unnatural hoof angles, martingales, tie-downs, or any other of the
multitude of "appliances" frequently seen in other training barns. We
train
horses using
the natural horsemanship and "The Four R's
: Request,
Response, Release and Repetition."
We have a few
specifics for horses coming here to work with us:
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They must be sound, healthy and in good
flesh.
-
They must be current on all vaccinations and wormings.
-
They must be either
barefoot or keg
shod all around with natural hoof angles, no toe lengths in excess of 4
1/2
inches.
-
Wolf teeth should have been
extracted and they should have had a dental float within the last 6 months.
-
No horse younger than 3 yrs old will be
accepted for training.
-
The canter will not be
trained on any horse younger than 5 yrs. old.
PLEASE
NOTE: Because we accept only a limited number of horses here for training, it is not unusual for us to be booked
several months in advance, so plan ahead and contact us to reserve space
for your horse.
For
complete details please review
***our Training contract
*** Service Fee Schedule
Finding a Trainer for Your
Gaited Horse
First educate yourself
and do your research. Your prior preparation will be well worth your
reassurance that your horse is not only being cared for, but is learning from
someone who wants to help him/her become a better horse for you.
-
Define your goals:
it is your job to know what you want for your horse. Don’t be sold on what
a trainer is producing. Do you want show training, or trail seasoning? Do
you want someone to start your horse under saddle or help with gait
correction? Consider that you may not even need a “gaited” trainer, just a
good, reputable, natural horsemanship trainer.
-
Any gaited trainer
should understand the fundamentals of gait correction through carriage
modification. A horse must be trained, not fixed.
Mechanical aids (weighted shoes, hoof angle modification, long curb bits) do
not train the horse, and will not give you what you’re paying for, they are
simply short cuts and Band Aids.
-
Know exactly how much
mechanical influence is acceptable for you, if any. For
instance: is anything heavier than a keg shoe acceptable to you? Are you
comfortable with the use of curb bits? If so, how long of shanks? These are
standards you yourself must know and adhere to before you even begin talking
with trainers. Note: Do not try to convince a trainer of what you don’t
want. Trainers are notorious for doing things their own way. Instead,
find a trainer that already agrees with your standards right off.
-
A trainer should ask
you about your riding habits, and what issues you feel you’re having
with your horse, what your riding experience level is, about your horse’s
history (does he have any “issues” to work through?), in order for him to
have a good feel for “your” needs and those of your horse.
-
Consider booking a
lesson or two with a trainer to watch him/her work … with other horses as
well if possible. Do you agree with this trainer’s philosophies? Does
he/she answer your questions readily? Do they seem eager to share?
-
Do the horses there
appear healthy and in good flesh? Do they seem to feel comfortable with
their environment, their work routine and this trainer? Do any of them
appear to be in any distress for any reason? The horses can tell you a lot
if you watch them closely.
-
Observe how much of the
hands-on work and daily handling is done by the trainer and how much by
support staff. Are you comfortable with this? (Remember that
your horse will be interacting with all of these people so you’ll want them
all to be competent. Any one of them can mishandle a horse and create a
serious problem.)
-
Are the
facilities clean and safe? (Good fencing, lots of clean
water, available shade or shelter, etc.)
-
Are there a reasonable
number of horses in training? Do the math… can all the horses reasonably be
worked regularly by the trainer at the promised schedule?
-
Is management careful
about boarding policies? (Health and vaccination records required, regular
shoeing and worming schedules maintained?)
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Is the overall
environment comfortable and congenial? Do you feel relaxed?
Pay attention to your instincts here…they are telling you something!
-
Are visitors welcome
anytime? Are you invited to drop in and watch your horse being trained?
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There should be a
contract spelling out how often your horse will be worked and all
contingencies. Read it, know it and above all be comfortable with it.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Good trainers protect themselves as well
as their customers with the contract.
-
Don’t be afraid to ask
for references. If they are any good at what they do, they will have plenty
of people willing to say so. Many trainers fill their barns solely off of
referrals.
-
Set goals, discuss with
the trainer about your horse reaching a certain point in 60 or 90 days…know
that much of this depends on your horse and cannot be guaranteed…but this
lets your trainer know that you expect results.
-
Make sure the trainer
plans to work with you as well. A trained horse is only part of the
equation…your trainer must spend at least a few hours teaching you to
work with your horse before sending him home with you.
-
A good trainer should
be willing to offer you even the opinions you really don’t want to hear.
Your horse’s abilities are first defined by his conformation and
breeding; training can only enhance natural ability, not create something
that isn’t there to begin with. A good trainer will honestly evaluate not
only the horse’s talent but also his temperament. If a trainer tells you
early on that your horse is a difficult fit for what you want, you must be
prepared to make the decision to persist or rather try to help this horse be
the best at what he/she is most suited for.
-
It is the duty
of a trainer to help an owner come into a higher level of partnership with
their horse. They will do you no favors in not being honest with you.
Unfortunately there are trainers out there that will simply take your money
as long as you’re willing to pay them, without really helping you or your
horse toward this goal. It is, as always, your job to constantly assess if
progress is being made.
Contact
Anita Howe (owner/trainer) at
ajh@howetheywalk.com,
or call 816/697-3516 for more information.
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