Standard Training : $700/month.

• Owner provides feed & hay
• Higher fees may apply for horses with aggressive histories

Standard Training is individually determined based on the identified needs of the horse and rider.  Standard training always includes basic ground work and round pen work as well as riding in different environments. 

Upon arrival for training, if not evaluated before, Gary identifies the concerns of the owner/rider and assesses other potential areas of need, for example; dental, soundness of feet, soreness areas in body and mental disposition.  Problems in any of these areas may impact training and safety.

At the completion of training the owner will receive a written report outlining the identified issues worked on and the resolution of those issues. The owner will also be invited to come to the G’Day Mate Ranch numerous times near the end of training to work with the trainer and their horse so they can learn the techniques to assure continued progress and establish their partnership with their horse. While at the G'Day Mate Ranch, each horse will be housed in a large individual paddock with run-in shed.  Barn stabling may be arranged for a higher fee. Blanketing and fly spray are provided as necessary. 

Horses receive a least a minimum of five 1 hour lessons per week.  The length of time of lessons vary day by day and week by week depending on the horse's level of anxiety at any given time. Each horse is different and each horse responds to learning new skills differently. The objectives of lessons are sequential.  If a horse is progressing well in a day's session, as soon as he has achieved the objective at least to some degree, we finish up on a positive note and revisit the objective the next day and may add a new objective.  If a horse is uneasy and having difficulty with a new objective to the point of being stressed we go back to something he is comfortable with so he can end on a positive note and start with the new objective again the next day.  It is very important that each day is ended with an easy activity that they are comfortable with, either ground work or riding, so they finish the lesson each day feeling relaxed and confident and not stressed. At some points in training if things are going very well the horse may work 6 or 7 days straight, then have a couple of days off to relax and absorb what has been learned.  If a horse is having problems he may only work 3 or 4 days and then have a day off. The schedule for any given horse is dictated by his response to the training. A calendar is kept of days worked.