Why does the “30 Days Trained” Method not work well?

I’ve frequently been asked what I’d charge to train a horse ground up in 30-60 days. My answer is always the same. “I don’t train horses by confining them in a specified timeline.” You can’t just throw any horse into a box and expect it to work. Just like people, horses have many different learning curves, personalities, abilities, and backgrounds. This means that they learn at different rates just like humans. Some can understand a voice command after 2 sessions and another might take 7 sessions to learn the same concept. I might do a 30 day session with a horse, but I give no guarantee on the end result. To push a horse to learn faster than it is capable can cause several bad and sometimes irreversible damages.

The first and most prevalent problem with a 30 day training deal, is that it can cause undo pressure, not only on the horse, but on the trainer as well. This pressure can then turn into anger or frustration if the horse becomes afraid or does not progress on the set timeline as it should. This often leads to the trainer using cruel or unusual tactics to get the job done faster. Often times these tactics include overuse of whips, ropes, chains, and other training aids that are meant only to augment a trainers method, or assist in giving correct aids. Over use or abuse of such tools causes the horse to become afraid, and later, could put the owner/rider in danger if the horse becomes skittish or bolts when the same tools are used at home.

Another problem with trainers who claim the 30 day programs are the often cruel/old fashioned methods that they use to achieve the goal. One such method involves tying the horse down and beating it until it stops struggling. These kinds of “cowboy” methods only create more problems later, since they use fear instead of communication to force the horse into submission. Often these horses are not truly “broke” and can explode and hurt their owners later.

The third problem with a 30 day training program is that they often promise a horse to be under saddle, but don’t specify how much training the horse will receive under saddle. This means that the horse could have been under saddle for 25 days or, if the horse is a slow learning horse, this could mean the horse has been under saddle and ridden once! If the horse has been ridden, technically, the trainer has fulfilled their end of the bargain and will expect payment, no matter how green the horse is. If the trainer fails to mention how green the horse is, or blatantly lies about it, injuries to both horse and owner can occur. Often when this happens, the owner will bring the horse home and jump on, expecting to have a calm and easy ride, only to end up riding a rodeo.

So, though a 30 or 60 day training deal might seem convenient and more economical, it is better to hire someone who takes into account the horses individuality and only promises progress rather than a specific goal.