Running Arrow Bill":2a9wwq3g said:
We're still at a loss around here to find anyone that is able, willing, and actually needs some $$ to do basic training & handling work with our Tennessee Walkers & Peruvian Pasos. Even having a hard time finding any breeding/training facilities within 350 miles that are taking any clients.
None that we have contacted around here want to bother with our horses and come here for 2-4 hours a week to work with them. Our horses are decent and don't have any nasty attitudes. But, these breeds need gentle, slow, patient training. The QH and related trainers/breeds just want to "slam, bang, thank you mam" in their "training"...and start riding them in a couple of days or weeks. NOT what we need or want.
Any ideas, suggestions out there????
I wish I had an answer for you, Bill. Friends of ours here in Utah are excellent trainers and breeders of Quarterhorses. When they can find time, they love to work on cutting. They have been kind enough to take me under their wing over the past 7 years or so and have taught me what I consider the basics. I will never be the caliber of trainer they are. I can ground train a colt, but am too old to be the first one on the back of that colt. So far any colts I've round pen trained ( and I've only worked with our own) have been calm and easy to ride without any bucking or other scary behavior. You are correct. Proper training takes time, and lots of it.
They have made friends with a German family who owns property in the area. The family's primary residence is in Germany, not the US. What is interesting is through this friendship my friends have hosted two girls, one each of two summers, who wanted to work and see the US. These girls have had a strong background in horse training and were in their late teens. The girls came to the US, worked hard for our friends for, I believe, room and board and the chance to see the US for a summer. They did a little traveling and attended western horse events in this area. They were great with the horses and started several colts. I think our friends have run out of luck for now, as there apparently are no comparable girls available to come out for this summer. They still receive Christmas cards and correspondence from the girls and have made lifelong friends.
I can't recall if you have the time or inclination to train. I guess you wouldn't be trying to hire someone if you had the time to do it yourself. I couldn't afford to hire someone to do all the training we needed to have done, although we have paid for training for our horses in the past. Our situation simply evolved to where we put up a good round pen and started learning how to do it ourselves. My husband and I find we each have strengths and weaknesses in different areas and rely on each other to pick up the slack when training any of our horses. We attend clinics when we can. We are fortunate in that our friends host clinics from time to time. They have had some big name trainers put on clinics and some lesser known trainers. We've gone to clinics with lesser known trainers and found some to be very knowledgeable trainers. Any clinics put on by our friends are strictly fundraisers for the 4H Horsemanship kids. The cost is a bit less, and the kids benefit greatly. During the clinics, the trainers work with our friends' colts, which is also a benefit to our friends.
We started our adult horse adventures with a really cowy Saddlebred gelding who, sadly, colicked and died when he was 14. My husband replaced him with an equally cowy Morgan gelding. The best horse I ever owned was and is my retired 25 year old Saddlebred/TWH cross. He's big, 5 gaited, and a gentleman. I've had him since he was 9. I'd give anything if he was young and rideable again. In place of that wish, he gets the best pasture and feed I can find for him. :heart: We also own a Saddlebred mare, an Arab gelding, a stout TB/QH cross ranch gelding, and my very special buckskin QH mare, who works cattle daily on her own. It's a good thing the cattle are on the other side of the corral fence. She's far above my caliber of riding skills, but was a gift from my husband and I am trying hard to improve my riding skills to match her heart and willingness and potential. When I say above my caliber of riding skills, I mean in potential, not difficulty.
Are you planning to work with these horses yourself in addition to the time spent by the person you hire? Just curious here, as I've found working a colt daily, or at least 3x a week, is important.
Are you looking for ground training only or riding, too? I've been able to teach a few young folks here how to do the basics of round penning. Their help has been invaluable. I also have a neighbor who has been willing to spend some time working our horses in exchange for me teaching him how to ground train his spoiled horse.
I suppose you have tried to locate a 4H Horsemanship group in your area? 4H and FFA kids can be one of your greatest resources. When I need to hire a kid to do any chore for me, I always look for the 4H and FFA kids first.
Attending local clinics has helped broaden our experience, plus introduced us to other like minded horse folks here. Some are local young people who would be willing to work with horses, too. I've even hired a couple of young men, brothers ages 11 & 12, who come over and groom horses for us, do general feeding and chores when we have to be gone, and simply are good, hard working 4H/Boy Scout kids. Because they can pick up the slack in some areas, I have more free time and energy to work with our horses myself.
Sorry to go on so much. Sometimes I tend to ramble. Hope there is a seed of an idea for you somewhere in what I wrote. You may find looking at solving your problem from a different perspective will help. I know we've had to become pretty creative as we've grown older. It might be the amount of money you offer isn't necessarily the solution to solving your problem. Finding a young person with enthusiasm, energy, and a willingness to work may substitute for a strong background in training, if you can spend some time showing them what you need.
I hope you can find a solution soon. This must be very frustrating for you. BTW - we were in your great state last week. We had a wonderful time visiting with relatives and took a drive through the hill country. My dad was born in the panhandle of Texas, but this is the first time I've visited the hill country. Texas is an amazing state.
