10/23/2026
🐴 THE MOST IMPORTANT 90 DAYS OF YOUR YOUNG HORSE’S RIDING CAREER! 🐴
Let’s talk about something I see quite often in the horse training industry.
When it’s time to start a young horse under saddle, many owners try to save a little money by sending their c**t to someone less experienced for the first 30–90 days, planning to send the horse to their professional trainer afterward.
I understand the thought process. Horse training is an investment, and everyone wants to save money where they can.
But here’s what I wish more horse owners understood:
❤️ The beginning is where the foundation is built.
The first time a young horse learns to accept a rider, respond to pressure, move off your leg, follow rein cues, stop, back up, and handle unfamiliar situations can influence how they approach training for the rest of their lives.
Unfortunately, I’ve had young horses arrive for further training that were already carrying habits developed during their starting process.
Sometimes they’re confused about basic cues, resistant to pressure, rushing through movements, anxious, or simply haven’t learned how to confidently understand what is being asked.
Instead of moving forward with their education, we first have to spend time undoing confusion and rebuilding the foundation.
And that can end up costing the owner more money than if the horse had been professionally started from the beginning.
Now, I’m not saying every small or local trainer does a poor job. There are excellent horsemen and horsewomen working out of small facilities!
Experience, knowledge, consistency, and the ability to correctly educate a young horse matter far more than the size of someone’s facility.
What I am saying is this:
⭐ Don’t choose your c**t starter based on price alone.
Research their experience. Watch them work. Ask questions. Look at horses they’ve started and how those horses are progressing months later.
A good c**t starter isn’t simply someone who can get on a horse and ride it.
A good c**t starter understands how to prepare that horse mentally and physically, build confidence, introduce pressure correctly, recognize problems before they develop, and create a foundation another trainer can successfully build upon.
🐴 The first 90 days should be about education, not just getting rides on the horse.
If you already have a professional trainer you trust and plan to use in the future, consider having that trainer start your horse from the beginning.
It can save time, money, and unnecessary confusion for your horse.
At Complete Horsemanship Program & K9, we take c**t starting seriously because we know the foundation is what everything else is built upon.
Don’t just invest in getting your horse ridden. Invest in getting your horse started RIGHT! ❤️
📅 C**t Starting Openings — December 1
📍 Goldsboro, NC
📲 910-308-3547
We create riders, not passengers — and we develop horses with a foundation built to last!
**tStarting
