Horse Training & Board
Surprise Valley Ranch has space available for a limited number of horses to board and train at the ranch with nationally recognized master trainer and equine communicator Captain Grant Mitchell. Training is available year-round, at a rate of $1200/month including pasture board and a minimum of five hours of professional training each week.
Clients often refer to the horse training programs here at the ranch as a "camp for horses" where mounts learn new skills, make new friends and return home ready to show off their talents. So strong are the relationships we develop with our clients and these mounts, it's not at all unusual for a truck and trailer to come up the driveway loaded with rider and horse just stopping by for a visit.
We believe training should be fun and rewarding for the horse. Our outdoor equine challenge course provides an inviting set of obstacles and evokes amazement among those who watch the horses at 'play'. The horses are so proud of their accomplishments that they routinely want to show off their newly mastered skills.
Learn more about our training methods...
When a horse first arrives, it is given a private outdoor paddock from which it can observe ranch activities. Initial handling and lessons are performed either in the paddock, in an adjacent round pen or in the fields surrounding ranch pastures. The paddock offers the newcomer an opportunity to see and communicate with other horses on site while enjoying space to move about. Later, the horse is transferred to a pasture for even more space to run. Training sessions generally begin with time at the barn for grooming and handling, followed by the activities of the day. All horses receive daily personal attention and are given one day off from training each week.
Owner Involvement
We believe that proper training includes the education of both horse and rider, so the skills your horse develops in our hands ultimately transfer to your hands where they can continue to flourish. Equine training programs at Surprise Valley Ranch enable the horse owner to periodically participate in and learn from the horse's training sessions. Training begins with a professional evaluation of your horse, after which one of our trainers will work with you to establish your training goals and ultimately a written training plan. Your horse's training follows your acceptance of the written plan, and you are invited to participate in selected training sessions to ensure that your horse experiences a smooth transition when returning to your hands.
Questions to Ask Your Horse
- Do you spook when presented with something new?
- Do you and your rider trust each other?
- What would you do in an emergency?
- Do you have fun on the trail and in the show ring?
- Do you make your rider proud?
- What do you and your rider want to learn?
- Are you ready for a trainer who will treat you with dignity and teach you to think and respond intelligently?
- When would you like to go to camp to develop new skills, have fun and learn to be a confident, trusted mount?