Fusion Training

Patience Is A Virtue

Categories: Uncategorized | May 1st, 2010 | by Larry | no comments

How many people do you know that have a 2 year old horse that is “ready to start” and they want it ready to ride and “bomb proof” in 30 days, or maybe 60?

It can be done (except the bombproof part). We have all seen stories of young horses that have been started in three days in the trainers challenges but all of the good trainers make sure to tell everyone that that horse needs a lot more work after it leaves and they would never start a horse like that under normal circumstances. The thing is, just because it can be done does not mean that it SHOULD.

As a farrier I can tell you the horror stories of horses that are not only used, but broken down by the time they are 3 or 4 years old, simply because of the demands of the sport they were used for or their rider. Not only are they broken down physically, but mentally as well. It is a sad situation that is not only continuing, but getting worse as more trainers are getting better at starting young horses.

So what age should a horse be started at? That is different for each horse and each breed. Keep in mind that by “starting” we are referring to preparing a horse for rider and or harness, not the basic manners, haltering, and ground handling behavior which all young horses should be learning for your safety and theirs. Each breed matures physically at a different rate and putting to much stress on a physical structure not yet fully developed is a recipe for disaster. Each mind matures at a different rate as well so while one three year old may be ready for more intense training, another may not even be close.

When you have a horse ready to be started how much time does that horse need? 30 days? 60 days? 90 days or more? Again each horse is different but consider the process used by the Spanish Riding School, renowned for starting and training horses such as the Lippizaner Stallions. Their timeline is basically as follows:

starts at 4 years old

ground training – no rider (movement, gaits & gate transition, saddle & bridle) – 2 to 3 months

3 months to 1 year – rider – straight lines only to develop free forward movement in the ordinary (not collected or extended) gaits, with correct contact and on a long rein, and to begin to cultivate straightness as well as build up stamina

year 2 to 4 or 5 – collection, all gaits in circles and turns, develop impulsion, improve the natural paces, promote self-carriage, make the horse supple and flexible, and gradually develop the muscles of the horse. The horse will learn to bend correctly in the neck, body, and at the poll

After this horses may go on to advance skills.

So in the Spanish School they are taking 4 or 5 years to accomplish what many expect horse trainers to accomplish in 30 to 60 days. The horses coming out of this school are near perfection and can continue in their physically demanding pursuits for many years because the time was taken to prepare them physically and mentally.

Does this mean that every horse should not start before they are four years old and spend 4 or five years in training.  No.  And Yes.  What it means is that those who are sending horses to be started should have a realistic  picture of what can and should be accomplished in a short time. It means that the training needs to continue when the horse comes back to you.  It also means that if we want to do the best for our horses we need to consider not just their chronological age, but their physical and mental age before we place excessive demands on them.

Consider these things when you are starting your next horse.

Larry  Nault – Fusion Training

The Mane Event

Categories: Uncategorized | April 26th, 2010 | by Larry | no comments

Just spent a remarkable weekend at the Mane Event in Red Deer .  It was a truly remarkable event and I don’t know of anywhere else you can spend $40 and acquire thousands of dollars worth of knowledge and information in a weekend.  Fantastic!!

The highlight of the weekend for Tammy and I was definitely Ruben Villasenor, creator of Horsemen’s Western Dressage .  It is truly remarkable what this man can do with his horses and he is a wealth of knowledge both in the seminars and talking to him outside of the seminars.  He is also spectacular to watch.  If you get a chance to attend one of his clinics or see him perform take it!

Ruben Villasenor of Western Horsemen’s Dressage is just as remarkable in the clinics as he is on horseback.

I am looking forward to next years Mane Event and may even travel to the Chilliwack event.  In fact I am trying to encourage the Mane Event to sign up Tammy for the Trainer’s Challenge.  If they bring Ruben back it will be reason enough to attend.

As good as the event was it would be nice to see a few changes.  Sound quality was horrible.  Some of the clinicians had wonderful things to say that couldn’t be heard and the sound man was nowhere to be found.  The big show on Saturday night was fantastic but again sound was poor, scheduling seemed way off, and it would sure be nice to have more seating.  It would be great to see schedules and clocks posted by the rings and lecture areas so you could easily know what was coming next and if you were at the right area for what you wanted.  Even better would be some large LED signs in each of the buildings letting everyone know what was happening where. (It is just too darn easy to get distracted at the vendor booths and totally miss what you wanted to see.)

How Much??

Categories: Uncategorized | April 20th, 2010 | by Larry | no comments

How much?

Whether you are a horse seller or a horse buyer you have asked yourself and others this question.   The common “business” answer is “let market conditions dictate the price.”  Unfortunately, at this time, the market is in a glut and horses are being sold as little more than disposable animals.  You can look at almost any horse classified and find nice horses with a good foundation and training on them being sold for less than you can buy buy a new puppy.  Why??

There are many reasons such as the current economy, changes in slaughter legislation, draught, and more, however I think much of the fault lies squarely on the shoulders of those selling horses.  We can blame the buyers for not wanting to spend more money and not recognizing  the value of horses but how can they recognize the value of the horses when the sellers do not.  It is also a buyers perogative, and perhaps obligation, to try and get the best value for his hard earned dollar.

Breeders and sellers on the other hand have a responsibility to themselves, others in the business, and to their horses to get a fair and honest price for their animal.  To themselves because of the time and investment they have already made in the animal.  To others because undercutting and selling cheap only serves to devalue the entire market and has the potential to affect those who earn their living in the equine market.  To their animal because there is a cost to caring for and maintaining a horse and while someone may be able to afford a cheap horse, this more often than not does not mean they can afford the ongoing expenses.

So how do you determine a fair and accurate value for your horse(s)?  Take a look at it from a business perspective.  What are your input costs.

Breeding/Stud service $250

Feed & Supplements For Mare In Foal $900

Vet/Medical/Vaccinations For Mare In Foal $200

Farrier Care For Mare In Foal $150

**Before the foal even hits the ground you have $1500 invested**

Add another $1250 (feed/vet/farrier) for the first year of care for the foal including the mare while the foal is still on her.

**A yearling now has $2750 invested into it (yet they are selling for a few hundred dollars)**

Add another $1250 in expenses for care of the yearling for a year.

You now have a two year old horse that you have invested $4000 into and you have not even started to train it (and probably should keep it another year before starting it – but that is another blog).  For arguments sake lets say you add 60 days of training to the horse at a cost of $1200.  Your two year old horse with basic training now has more than $5000 invested in it.

You may think these costs are high, but they are not.  Even if you have your horse on pasture for most of the year there is a value to that pasture.  As long as your horse is grazing it you can not get the income leasing it out to another animal.  And these feed values used here are low even in the best of years.  You must also keep in mind that there has been no accounting for the value of your time put into this horse, whether it is feeding it, moving from pasture to barn, hauling it, or anything else you do with it – your time is worth something and should be considered in the cost of raising this horse.

All things considered, a breeder, raising the horse for two years and putting 60 days of training on the horse has probably invested at least $7500 of time and money into that horse.  How often do see a 2 year old horse with 60 days being sold for this amount?  Not often enough!!!  Consider these things when you are pricing your next horse for sale.

Larry Nault – Fusion Training

BOMB PRO0F!

Categories: Uncategorized | April 15th, 2010 | by Larry | no comments

With the nice weather coming around, so are the phone calls, emails, and ads, all asking for the same thing.

Wanted, horse, MUST BE BOMBPROOF!

Believe it or not, I actually have had people get upset with me when I tell them there is no such thing.  If a horse is bomb proof it is only because he hasn’t been exposed to the right bomb.  Take for instance a friend of ours who had rode the same horse for 15 years without a problem.  That horse was exposed to everything it could possibly be exposed to but on one fateful day it stepped  over or around a wasps nest, got a few stings in the nether regions and KABOOM!  it went into bucking and running, its rider (with more riding experience than most will ever have) hit the ground, shattered a hip, broke his back, and is permanently injured.  That horse would have met anyones definition of bomb proof – but he wasn’t.

People who shop for bombproof horses remind me of those women who are out there shopping for the “perfect” man (and vice-versa).  They go on and on endlessly to friends and family when they have found that perfect partner, marry that partner and then weeks later (at least you hope it takes that long) guess what happens.  You find them in a coffee shop whispering to their friends – “Oh my God!!!!   He leaves crusty underwear on the floor and expects me to pick them up and wash them!!” or “Can you believe it?  She spends 3 bloody hours in the washroom every morning making love to her hair dryer and make-up kit!  What’s a man supposed to do?”.  Not long after that comes the inevitable “No matter what I say or ask he/she won’t change!!”

Your laughing, I know, because you know its true. (It might even have happened to you.)  The sad thing is this people (at least in most cases) spent more time shopping for and checking out their “perfect” partner than any of us will spend evaluating a horse and look what they ended up with. 

Horses, just like that perfect partner, also have a mind of their own (and no I will not enter into the debate about whether that mind is better than any man’s or woman’s).  That means that despite any training or experience that horse had in the past may have embedded some good thought processes and problem solving skills into that horse but inevitably it will come across a situation that it is uncomfortable with or afraid of, its own mind will take control despite anything you do, and the horse will explode.  It may be a little explosion.  It may be a large explosion.  It doesn’t matter which (unless you are the one on the horses back).  What matters is that there is a bomb that will set off each and every horse.  It doesn’t matter how much time you take evaluating the horse.  It doesn’t matter what the seller tells you.  All you can do is hope that you and your horse never come across that particular bomb.

If you are one of those people selling “bomb proof” horses – shame on you.  Buyers deserve fair warning and not to be lulled into a false sense of security.  Be honest and up front and save us all a headache.  “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BOMB PROOF HORSE!” Even better (and I know its a shameless bit of self-promotion)  put a link to this blog post on your website or print off this post and hand it to potential buyers and save yourself a long explanation.

Larry Nault -  Fusion Training