# How long should it take to train a horse?



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

It depends on what you mean by trained. Basic walk, trot and canter, with stop, go and turn buttons? Or training at a high level?
It's another 'how long is a piece of string' question


----------



## calicokatt (Mar 5, 2012)

If a relatively experienced rider can't ride a horse at LEAST walk/trot in a confined area after 30-60 days of training, I would say find a different trainer.... JMO If its been a year of training (5-6 days a week) I would expect to be able to put any rider (with a basic knowledge of how to ride) on the horse in familiar surroundings and do well....
Kathy


----------



## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

In your situation, It sounds like the trainer isn't doing a good enough job, or your daughter needs lessons to ride this horse.

I would not keep my personal horse in training for a year and not ride it at least twice a month. My trainer gets me on my horses after they are under saddle for 2 weeks for our first lesson. (We do so much ground work up to the point of sending them out to be "broke" like backing and yeilding to pressure etc) 

That is just crazy to me. 

Either send your daughter for weekly lessons on her horse so she can learn to properly ride how the trainer has trained the horse to respond, or find another trainer is my advice.


----------



## PaintedFury (Aug 18, 2010)

My question is, if your trainer is supposed to be training this horse, why do they only ride it twice a week?

Horses in training take daily training a lot better than the weekend warrior style of training. This horse should be in training 5-6 days a week to truly train it. Granted, at his age, it should be light work daily, but daily work all the same. I don't see where twice a week will accomplish much of anything because it is too inconsistent.

I would be bringing this up with your trainer, and the fact that with a year of "training" the horse still bucks after being swatted on the rump for not moving. I would seriously consider asking for a refund of my money. I would also be looking for another trainer. You don't need a horse that responds to your trainer, you need a horse that will respond to your daughter.


----------



## Lauren Woodard (Jul 7, 2010)

Find another trainer. That's ridiculous!


----------



## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

PaintedFury said:


> *My question is, if your trainer is supposed to be training this horse, why do they only ride it twice a week?*
> 
> Horses in training take daily training a lot better than the weekend warrior style of training. This horse should be in training 5-6 days a week to truly train it. Granted, at his age, it should be light work daily, but daily work all the same. I don't see where twice a week will accomplish much of anything because it is too inconsistent.
> 
> I would be bringing this up with your trainer, and the fact that with a year of "training" the horse still bucks after being swatted on the rump for not moving. I would seriously consider asking for a refund of my money. I would also be looking for another trainer. You don't need a horse that responds to your trainer, you need a horse that will respond to your daughter.


Perhaps the OP cannot afford solid day-to-day training. I do the whole "Twice a week" thing with my mare during the show season in particular, and I come down to ride her in the off days that my trainer isn't on her. Cheaper that way when you can't afford the full five days a week.


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I would get another trainer.

I would, as a trainer be ashamed if a horse I recommended was bought for a pupil could not be ridden by that child after a month.


----------



## Tessa T (Aug 6, 2010)

Find. Another.Trainer. It is absolutely crazy that after a year, if your daughter can ride she's not able to ride that horse. It sounds like she has way more than enough experience to get the horse to move! It sounds to me like a case my friend went through with her "trainer" where she had the horse with the person for 7 months and was paying monthly for board, feed, and training time and the trainer didn't do anything with the horse but 1 day a week except for feed it so she could say this horse was a tough one for sure, but one or two more months should straighten him right up! Crazy crazy....good luck with him!


----------



## chandra1313 (Jul 12, 2011)

That seems odd to me, I would tell the trainer that I wanted the training schedule so I could be there. When I had my gelding worked with I was there everyday to watch and the guy liked it, because he wanted me to know how to do this stuff myself. I'm having my kentucky mountain gelding worked with at the person's place and I asked if I could come and was told I could come everyday, and it would be good for the horse, for me to learn how to ride a gaited horse.


----------



## HippoLogic (Mar 9, 2012)

First of all: what is a 'normal' (average) age to break a horse is? IN THe Netherland is is 3 years old. However, more and more people understand that a horse is not yet matured at the age of 3 and start later. This idea is also breed-dependable: Icelandic horses are broken in at an age of 4-5, racehorses 1,5 -2 years.

In The Netherlands is it hard to find a 4 year old green horse, generally spoken. If you can find one, most of the times it has been broken into once of twice and did not work out. Then they sell the horse as 'green', in the hope that they start over. (And the buyer cannot try the horse under saddle, smart huh?:evil

If I read your story, that is the first thought that comes to my mind. The second is: hmmm, twice a week for a year is 52 x 2= 104 trainingsessions and the horse doesn't obey another rider? Strange....


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If you're not there you have no idea of how often this horse is being ridden. Training can be a cash cow for the unscrupulous. It's time to have a chat with the trainer. A good coach will help your daughter train this horse. It will improve her skill level. If the horse doesn't want to move then get your daughter to move his hindquarters, in circles if need be. He'll want to quit and be willing to move forward. He may be testing her as horses do. She may need to make him do this from the ground first.


----------



## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

I would agree this is ridiculous, and you may well be being taken advantage of. I would have had my daughter out there WATCHING the training. She can (should be able to) ask questions as to what the trainer is doing, etc. At this point, I would have a come to Jesus with the trainer. Your daughter needs to be able to ride her own horse. Period. How would the trainer like to accomplish this? See what he/she suggests, but your daughter needs to be actively involved, no if, ands, or buts. She also needs to learn and benefit from the $$ you are spending.

I agree the horse may well be testing. I have one of those. He tests the trainer ALL the time. However, as my trainer is glad to tell me-it is HIS job to push my horse harder than I EVER will, so that we can minimize the "test" I have to deal with. But I am there watching. So I will know how to deal with it when it happens, what works best, how the horse will react-everything. I like to go in with as much "ammunition" as possible. I am, after all, the one writing the checks, as are you. Your daughter and her horse should be the ones benefiting.

If the trainer has an issue with this, I would find another trainer. Shoot-I may anyway, as I probably would not trust this one again.


----------



## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

First I would like to say 2 rides a week? What was the understanding with the trainer? Was he/she to ride twice a week and your daughter ride on the other days? It seems to me that if your trainer is only riding a couple of times a week and your daughter is not riding the other days the horse will never be ready in a reasonable amount of time. Double the training to 4 times a week and you might see some results. If you dont ride consistently when a horse is in training it is pretty hard for the horse to absorb what you taught it a few days ago. 
See if your daughter can start riding this horse on a regular basis (if the horse is safe enough to ride by your daughter) and see where it takes you. The only other option would be to have the trainer ride at least 4 days a week and your daughter perhaps once or consider sending the horse to someone who will put some miles on him over 60 days. Then you will see better results. Twice a week just isnt enough time to see any results...its like riding a horse who has been trained and polished just to keep them tuned up, and your horse isnt there yet from what you say.


----------



## dirtroadangel (Jan 24, 2012)

Don't watch be the one working the horse from ground up and the trainer critiques you . Establish the relation with the horse.
Some horses are easier then others.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## dirtroadangel (Jan 24, 2012)

HippoLogic said:


> First of all: what is a 'normal' (average) age to break a horse is? IN THe Netherland is is 3 years old. However, more and more people understand that a horse is not yet matured at the age of 3 and start later. This idea is also breed-dependable: Icelandic horses are broken in at an age of 4-5, racehorses 1,5 -2 years.
> Excellent point Hippo. I had one of those. Drops dead gorgeous appy best blood lines. Green broke at 10. No problem had the money......Three trainers later.......
> As my grandkids would say grammy's horse does wheelies. :[
> 
> ...


_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Just because this child has ridden 2 or more years, doesn't mean a thing, if she hasn't really been progressing. I've seen people that have ridden 20 years and they were at the level of a rider who had been riding for a year solidly, and in many cases? Not even that good.

Daughter may have been always put on easy horses, and now this horse is showing her training holes, and could also be this horse is just going to be a tough horse too.

But there is no way horse is going to be any better on 2 rides a week in my opinion. Not enough wet saddle blankets to help.

The first clue too, should have been that trainer recommended an unbroken horse basically, for daughter and that they would be happy to train it. Follow the money honey, as a former consumer would say.

Different horse, different trainer both to me would be best.


----------

