tRAINING PROCESS
The Center utilizes reschooling facilities including our Hitchcock pen, round pen, obstacle course, and arena with jumping course to provide enrichment and exposure to stimuli that these horses may experience on trails or at a horse show, teach skills under saddle and on the ground, evaluate aptitude and athletic ability. This unique process ensures adopters are able familiarize themselves with the personality and strengths these horses during the selection of their next equine partner and fosters an environment in which horses to be placed quickly and successfully in adoptive homes.
Ground Training
A basic training for humans and horses, which is based on communication, respect, and trust between human and horse and which considers the varying needs of horses with different personalities.
After our horses have had time to settle in and decompress our trainers use ground training as a way to understand where our horses are in their training when they arrive. Our staff utilizes different techniques in natural horsemanship to provide a unique ground training program. We use natural horsemanship to better understand the horses’ personality and what they are sensitive to, if any.
Obstacles
Ground training is a building block. The next step is to introduce our horses to obstacles. Horses experience bridges, teeter-totters, cowboy car washes, noodle waterfall, and a variety of other stimulating articles that pose questions these horses have not experienced before. Some horses may take longer to build confidence in becoming desensitized to these obstacles while others confidently pass through the course with ease after only limited exposure.
Training Rides
First Ride
The first ride comes after working on ground training with our staff for a few days or even a week. We start the first ride by a ground training warmup to make sure they are attentive. Did you know? Most off the track Thoroughbreds have never seen a mounting block? With this in mind, our trainers will slowly get on to make sure they get used to the weight of the rider again and understand the mounting block. Our trainers will then slowly evaluate them under saddle to see how their training will need to proceed. Whether its working on learning leg aids, leads, straightness and steering, or direction changes, the first ride really helps develop their individualized training program.
Training Regime
Our horses are in work 5 to 6 days a week. Our training rides are designed to help prepare them for the future with their adopters. That may continue to work on straightness, steering, or understanding rider aids. Our trainers give our horses daily goals for them to achieve to set these horses up for success in future careers. While some arrive more advanced in their training and we continue to work on what is already there, others start from almost the beginning.
Experiences
Small Shows and Clinics
When possible, horses that are excelling in their training may be entered in local shows and clinics to gain skills from these experiences as well. Horses may also be taken to in-hand classes or demonstrations and participate in aftercare education events.
Jumping
We love when our horses are able to start jumping during their time with us! Our staff work with these horses to develop their skills and confidence over small obstacles and basic courses in the arena and out in the open.
Trail Rides
We utilize our 22 acre facility and the Kentucky Horse Park to introduce our ex-racehorses to new obstacles like bridges, open fields, trees brushing against them, creeks, roads, etc. Trail rides are also a way for our horses to relax and get out of the arena.
Cross Country
On our beautiful 22 acres we have a small cross country course that we use to expose our horses to new experiences that allow them to develop new skills outside the arena.
Hitchcock Pen
On our facility, we have a round pen and Hitchcock pen. The round pen offers a distraction free environment in which the horses can work on communication and trust before beginning work under saddle.
The Hitchcock pen is a small shute that we send the horses through to see if they have the inclination to jump, and to evaluate their natural affinity for a future career over fences.