Foundation

Colt Starting & Foudation Tune-Ups

Currently, there is no industry-recognized quality standard defining expectations for horse owners who hire a professional to establish a solid foundation on their horse. TQA, as a nonprofit organization, has gathered respected industry experts to develop clear industry standards and expectations for trainers who provide these services to the public. Outlined below are the industry quality standards and professional expectations for a two-month horse trainingprogram provided by a professional horse trainer.

Disclaimer: This does not mean that every horse will meet the TQA Industry Quality Standard for setting the foundation on a horse. It is only meant to be a baseline industry standard for the trainer to evaluate the horse with the client and for the client to evaluate their trainer. Just like kids in school, some kids take more time, and it is the same in working with horses. Also, some horses may be unsafe for their client and the Baseline Industry Standard can be used as way to show this to their client.

TQA has worked with top level industry experts in the equine industry and full time horse trainers to help clients answer 4 questions when looking to hire a professional horse trainer to set a solid foundation on their horse.

Expectations: Colt Starting & Foundation Tune-Ups

1. How much should I expect to pay a professional horse trainer to “start” my horse, or “tune up” a horse with a poor foundation?

Base Training Fee: $800-$1,000/ Month/ Horse

  • Does not include Feed, Board, Shoeing, Teeth, Chiro
  • Average price with feed and board: $1,100-$1,300/ month
  • This price may vary depending on price of feed and board, as well as type and level of professional horse trainer.

2. How many rides should I expect my horse to get ridden for 2 months?

TQA Recommended Timeline for Setting a Foundation on a Horse

  • TQA Recommended Days Training to “Set Foundation on Horse”
  • Option 1:
    • 40 Days Training in Two Months (60 Days):
    • Ridden 5 days in a row given 2 days off
  • Option 2:
    • 52 Days Training in Two Months (60 Days):
    • Ridden 6 Days in a row given 1 day off
  • Option 3:
    • 40 – 52 Days Training in Three Months (90 Days):
    • Ridden 4 Days in a row given 3 days off
      • The number of rides per month partly depends on the age of the horse. Some may argue that a horse needs the extra ride in order to get a full two months, and others may argue that a young horse does better the other five days with two days of rest physically and mentally.
      • Horses trained at TVCC are ridden four days in a row and given three days off because the college term is 3 months and we do not want to burn young horses out. Regardless of which option the trainer chooses, the main thing is that the horse receives consistent training and the trainer can meet the recommended industry quality standards for two months training.
      • Many trainers in the Great Basin that take horses to do daywork, use Option 3 because the daywork is spaced out and seasonal and after long hard days it is good to give horses time off. This is especially true for older horses needing “foundation tune-ups” that have had arena training, but need long days on the ranch to help with temperament issues.
      • Finally, when establishing a foundation on a horse, if neither Option 1 nor Option 2 is being followed and the horse cannot be ridden three consecutive days in a row, the client is not receiving the full value of their investment. Inconsistent riding leads to inconsistent training, which ultimately affects the results at the end of the training period.

3. What should I expect my horse to be able to do at the end of 2 months from a “professional horse training”?

  • Setting the Foundation on an Un-Started Horse, or Restarting a Poorly Trained Horse
  1. Good to Catch
  2. Stand to saddle and accept bridle
  3. Stand to get on (For an inexperienced rider)
  4. Lope in a straight line away from the barn
  5. Walk, trot and lope a circle both direction
  6. Stop at a walk, trot and lope by asking with both reins.    
  7. Pivot around an inside front foot (disengage hindquarters)
  8. Use hindquarters to pull horse in reverse motion (stopping & backing)
  9. Front feet and hind feet move together in a lateral motion (side pass/ two track)
  10. Stop the inside hind foot and walk/pull the other feet forward around it. (Roll Back/ Spin).
  11. Vertical flexion 
  12. Pickup feet 
  13. Load in trailer
  14. Stand quiet tied up  
  15. Foundation applied to jobs (catered to discipline):
    • What will the owner do with them? Open/ close gate, except rope/ tarp, track cow/roping dummy, cut flag, go over jump, cross water/ bridge, exposed to starting gate/track, crack whip, etc…   

4. What should I expect from the trainer at the end of the 2 months?

Expectations:

  • 1. Ride the horse for the client, or provide a video demonstrating the horse’s current level of training and progress
  • 2. Give a “Training Trifecta” evaluation: Foundation, Task Completions & Temperament
    • Foundation Evaluation: How solid is the horse’s foundation?
      • Numbers from above list: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
    • Task Completion Evaluation: How solid is the horse on the two month task completions?
      • Numbers from above list: 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14, 15
    • Temperament Evaluation: How is the horses temperament?
      • Energy, Self-Preservation, Confidence, Sensitivity, Reaction to Social Seperation
  • 3. Ideally ride with client and give riding lessons if client is interested.
  • 4. Make sure client is familiar with the entire horse training process and where the horse is in the process.
    • A client should not expect a horse with two month to be able to fill in for an inexperienced rider. (Especially after turn out time).
  • 5. Discuss horse owner expectations when the horse is taken home and discuss further training/lessons if necessary.

5. What is the TQA Horse Training Philosophy?

Below are videos going through the entire TQA horse training process. TQA breaks down colt starting into 5 phases (Groundwork, Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 4). These videos go through the minimum expectations for two months training using the TQA method. These videos are catered for a college program and go at a pace to help beginner horse trainers pass the TQA industry colt starting test. Below is a breakdown of how long each phase should take to help pass the industry test within the industry timeline.

  • Groundwork and Phase 1 = Two Weeks
  • Phase 2 = Two Weeks
  • Phase 3 = Two Weeks
  • Phase 4 = Two Weeks
We are not suggesting that every professional horse trainer must follow the TQA process when training horses. There are many valid methods for training horses, and TQA respects the diversity of approaches. The purpose of the TQA guidelines and standards is to provide a common framework for communication between the trainer and the client, and to establish a baseline standard for evaluating the horse’s progress in training. Trainers are encouraged to continue using their own methods while referencing TQA standards to ensure clarity, consistency, and mutual understanding between horse, trainer, and owner.

TQA Colt Starting Curriculum and Industry Certification Test

  • The videos below go through the TQA horse training phases designed to help trainers pass the TQA colt starting test at the end of two months professional horse training.

TQA Industry Certification Judges Sheets

TQA-Colt-Starting-Test-2022Download
Certified-Public-Horse-Trainer-Test-2023Download