# What to expect after 30 days of professional training?



## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Well a much better trained mount would be my guess 

Though since he has new tricks that he learned, he may try to test you to make sure you're still in charge. But that's my guess... 

My horse's old owner was a trainer and when she got clients and trained them and sent them back.. she had to go there and kind of go over what she taught the horse and the cues and watch to see if the owner was going to be alright or if they needed help. Especially if they were sent for behavioral issues.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

I would suggest you discuss this with the trainer so that you are totally realistic. 30 days is NOTHING. Frankly, I think your expectations are unrealistic, but thats just me. My trainer insists on 90 day minimum, then, MAYBE I can get on my horse again with his direct attention. And mine was dead broke-we are just in reining training. You are also well advised to spend as much time as possible absorbing all the knowledge you can about what your horse is being taught, and I woud suggest that the traier work with both of you after the 30 days.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

Well I am taking lessons on him while he is there so we can learn together. I know my expectations might be unrealistic but that's what I also what I eventually want out of him. I discussed with her that I would send him there for 2 months but she said her goal is to start the foundation for both of us.
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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

It really depends on the horse. I had a trainer work with my gelding Trooper, who had been spurred bloody on a ranch in Colorado and had bad trust issues. 5 weeks later, he was good for general riding again, and another year of regular riding has turned him into a pretty trustworthy horse.

I hired the same trainer to work with my spooky mare Mia. After 2 weeks, she concluded Mia never had the basics, in spite of the fact that I had ridden her for 3 years. I had as few injuries as I did, she thought, because Mia and I tried to work with each other. But I put her into professional training because when she started spinning up, she KEPT spinning up. She had been sold to me as a thoroughly broke horse for a beginner, but she was confused by bits and didn't know how to give to pressure.

The trainer and I talked about it, and started her back at the very beginning. After 8 weeks of training, she was ridden at a walk for the first time today, for about 5 minutes. But she is a very different horse than Trooper. She is very slow to learn. When she learns, she learns it solid. Her progress has been 3X slower than Trooper, with the same trainer.

So what should you expect? No one knows. But when I hire a trainer, I tell them up front to take their time. I'd rather have my horse get a solid foundation, whatever it was that I could afford, than to have the trainer take short cuts. IMHO, a trainer who says, "I can do X in Y days" is blowing smoke up your butt. Maybe he can with one horse, but not with another.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I agree with bsms, it really depends on the horse. 
His issues, if he has any, his learning speed(mental capabilities), and athletic ability-
matched with your trainers abilities.

If he has no issues, smart and athletic he is going to progress pretty fast. Any issues is going to slow that progress, especially bad habits. That is why most trainers prefer a horse that hasn't been messed with....clean slate, don't have to fix someone else's mistakes.


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

When I first bought my horse, he was the definition of a psycho, spooky, green horse. For example, he did not have a right lead, could not go half a circle without trying to buck you off, spooked at anything that moved, would buck and rear whenever another horse would come near him in the arena, could not jump a fence, and could not canter on either lead without swapping in the back in less than 4 strides of being on the lead, and would take off afterwards. I put him in professional training with my trainer for 30 days, and after the 30 days I had him going to a horse show with a lead change being 60% there, could get around a 2'6-2'9 course with no refusals (though he was never one to refuse), had his leads straight, didn't spook, and could be in the arena with other horses no problem. We actually got placed pretty well considering the circumstances too!

Depending on the trainer and the horse, what you want isn't completely out of the question. Like it has been suggested above, talk to the trainer about what he thinks he can accomplish with the horse. You know your horse better than anyone else, so depending on the trainers ability and way of training, it could go either way. Good luck!


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

Well she never told me he will have this done in x days and this done in y days. I wana send him there for atleast 2 months (depending if he rly needs it and if I can afford it) but what she was explaining to me was that she wants to start a foundation for the both of us to work off of and do together. I didn't exactly start this thread to say "oo what do you think my horse will know in a month!!!" because I know that's a nearly impossible guess as every horse is different. Was wondering if you had sent a 7 year old or however old horse into training what would you expect out of them in 30 days.
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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Cowgirls Boots said:


> ...Was wondering if you had sent a 7 year old or however old horse into training what would you expect out of them in 30 days.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


But that *IS* the problem - what horse? Trooper? Mia? What if I sent Cowboy, my BLM mustang who had done barrel racing (as a pony - he's only 13 hands), worked on a ranch and been a lesson horse? Mia has taken far longer to sack out than Trooper, and she has panicked about things that didn't bother him. Yet I had ridden her at least 10 times more often than Trooper.

It depends on what the horse knows, the bad habits, the horse's speed in learning, etc. And none of us know your horse...


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

It was just a generalized statement. I'm not asking anyone to tell me what my horse is gonna know. I wanted to know YOUR expierences like being you sent your horses in what did they learn in the 30 days. I'm not asking anybody to tell me that "oh your horse is gonna Learn this and this!" because I know no one can tell me that. Just what your
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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

Own personal expierences are with sending your horses into training for 30 days. 

ETA: sorry for two posts 
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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

If you are just wanting to get him refreshed & neck reining so he can be a little more responsive on the trails then you MAY see results/improvement in just 30 days. I emphasized "may" as it depends how solid you horses initial training was,if he has a good solid foundation to work from & is quick to learn you may get what you want.Your horse isn't starting from scratch but If he has holes in his training that need addressing or isn't the quickest learner 30 days probably won't be enough.Another big variable is how qualified a trainer he goes to..


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Have you filled out a training contract?
In a general one you fully list your expectations and goals to be met in the allotted time. My gelding went in for a 90 day refresher course. He neck reined beautifully, knew how to respond to leg cues, not spooky, no bad habits, good on the ground.
His holes - not soft, did not back well, evaded the bit, did not respond to verbal cues, good with feet but not perfect, had never dragged anything.

What I got after a month and a half of training... Softer but not finished, a great backing, 80% verbal response, started on dragging, much better with his feet, responsive start to the bit (with training forks). And a much thinner horse .
I continued on, did hours of ground work/riding and had him to my liking two months after I got him back. I just needed someone to get him started in the right direction. Training, 30 days in particular, is a beginning. You'll have to do the finishing. If you can't then add a couple more months. 
I'd also suggest at least 1 lesson a week on him to learn and gauge his progression. Then you can decide if he's come far enough along or if he/you need more time.


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## BaileyJo (Aug 23, 2011)

I think it's a fair question and one none of us can really answer. 

I agree, it depends on the horse. How in shape they are, their foundation already, the trainer....many different things.

Mine has been in training for about two weeks. My mare had somewhat of a good foundation and is in shape. Also my trainer is very good, so I am expecting a huge change in her. I look at it as he can do things in about one-third to one-quarter the amount of time that I can. Simply because that is his job and he knows it. I don't. 

I can tell a huge difference already in her softness, picking up her shoulders and her cantering - which is basically what I am looking for. I'm also taking a lesson once a week. I expect by the time the 30 days are complete that she will be able to accept some contact, hold her head better, be lighter on her shoulders and know where her feet are, have a great stop, better canter departure and slower canter overall and able to bend her body. 

I'm optimistic too.


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## Whisper22 (Jan 2, 2011)

My experience, I sent my 3 year old mare away for 30 days professional training. She knew nothing, except what minimal groundwork I knew how to do. Flexing, round penning, engaging and disengaging, that sort of thing. She also knew how to take a saddle, but she moved around a lot. So the trainer basically got her to w/t/c and backing up under saddle. Nothing fancy, no fine tuning. I got her back rideable, but later sold her because there was just too much left to do to be able to take her out on the trail, and I didn't have the know how to do it. I got what I paid for though.


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## xXHorseKissesXx (Jan 12, 2012)

Well, I'd expect a better behaving horse. A few of my friends have sent their horses to trainers to learn new reining moves, or to just be put back in their place. 

All their horses have come back, well behaved and respectful. I'm guessing he'll test you at first, since he'll have a new rider on him after a month at a trainer's.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

I will still be riding and taking one lesson a week on him. All I'm really looking for is a quiet all around horse. Nothing fancy.


Also. Do you guys think it's a waste of money sending him out? I mean I'm 17 and am paying for everything (besides a tiny bit of help on board) for my horse by myself. So I'm paying for his training. Once he gets back from the one month I'll be working with him daily and having another girl come out and work with him 2x a week. I just don't want to put all this money out if it's going to be useless in the end. 
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## BaileyJo (Aug 23, 2011)

Cowgirls Boots said:


> I will still be riding and taking one lesson a week on him. All I'm really looking for is a quiet all around horse. Nothing fancy.
> 
> 
> Also. Do you guys think it's a waste of money sending him out? I mean I'm 17 and am paying for everything (besides a tiny bit of help on board) for my horse by myself. So I'm paying for his training. Once he gets back from the one month I'll be working with him daily and having another girl come out and work with him 2x a week. I just don't want to put all this money out if it's going to be useless in the end.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


If the trainer is good, it is probably the best thing you could ever do for him and you.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Like others said, it greatly depends on the individual horse and the individual trainer. I've had horses come in that were broke enough so pretty much anyone could ride them in 30 days...then I've had others where it took me almost 30 days just to safely trot circles in the roundpen.

If he is already fairly broke with no serious issues, then a good trainer should be able to get him supple and solid in his weak spots in 30 days. The biggest problem I've found since training horses is that they tend to go backward after they go home because they go from being ridden/worked 5-6 days a week to ridden once or maybe twice a week.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

^ thts my concern as well that he will go backwards. I have a ring but it is also weather permitting. (being it is a grass ring) So if we canT ride I can lunge. I will also have someone out to work with him 2x a week in addition to my 3 days a week once he is back home. I just don't wana mess him up once he's back!
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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

franknbeans said:


> 30 days is NOTHING.


I have to disagree. It really depends on the trainer, the horse's personality, and what it's being trained for. For instance, my horse with a pro trainer would get really far with only 30 days, because he is eager to learn and do the right thing. He picks up on stuff really fast. If the OP was sending her horse to barrel training, I would suggest about 60-90 days. But since it's just general training, 30 days should probably be fine, depending on her trainer and horse


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

Cowgirls Boots said:


> Also. Do you guys think it's a waste of money sending him out? I mean I'm 17 and am paying for everything (besides a tiny bit of help on board) for my horse by myself. So I'm paying for his training. Once he gets back from the one month I'll be working with him daily and having another girl come out and work with him 2x a week. I just don't want to put all this money out if it's going to be useless in the end.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_





Cowgirls Boots said:


> ^ thts my concern as well that he will go backwards. I have a ring but it is also weather permitting. (being it is a grass ring) So if we canT ride I can lunge. I will also have someone out to work with him 2x a week in addition to my 3 days a week once he is back home. I just don't wana mess him up once he's back!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


JMO, but I think that the horse will all too often revert to its old ways with its "old" rider/handler because horses usually test leadership. So, I'm not big on sending a horse out for training; I'm big on the owners gaining the savvy to be the leader the horse needs. The poster who said that the horse returned home skinny reveals another problem: that trainer's probably not the only "professional" who doesn't care enough about the horses to feed them properly.

I feel that if the person who's to come out 2x a week is qualified, that'd be enough help for you to gain the skills.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

Moose is not a horse to really test his rider a great deal. I mean he will andim not scared of him when he does bc it isn't anything huge and I don't let him get away with it now. I just want someone to do the training process for me because I wouldn't know where to start and my facilities at my barn are always weather permitting. She isn't only going to be working on the ring but as well as on the trail too. Which is what I wanted being the trails at my barn are closed right now.
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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Cowgirls Boots said:


> I just want someone to do the training process for me because I wouldn't know where to start and my facilities at my barn are always weather permitting. She isn't only going to be working on the ring but as well as on the trail too. Which is what I wanted being the trails at my barn are closed right now.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


The right reason to have a trainer help! 

Would it be better to wait until the weather moderates a bit so there is not the chance for several days off in a row once he is home?


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

I could do that but my hopes were for him to be atleast alittle better under saddle for the summer so I can ride alot 

I mean my ring is grass it's just hard when it's wet. But if we cant ride I can always lightly lunge him.
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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Gallup-guess it depends upon what you want. I am coming from a reining point of view, or really anything other than just riding around casually, IMO.


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