Our Strategy

A Road Map for Success

Congratulations on your decision to seek training for your horse!  Time spent working with your horse should never be considered wasted time.   However, when seeking a trainer, there are several things of the greatest importance to consider:  1)  How will your horse be handled?  2)  Who will be working your horse?  3)  What goals do you hope to achieve with your horse?  4)  How much of your own time are you willing to invest in your horse?

There are so many reasons each of these questions deserves an answer. The first, of course requires addressing the basic needs of your equine friend.  All horses need adequate exercise daily but over exercise can do more harm than good.  Most horses require between 30 minutes to a maximum of 90 minutes of focused training and exercise 3-5 times per week.  In addition, horses need all of their basic needs met including proper feed management, clean water, and a clean place to live.  The trainers at RPM Academy will work with your horse 3-5 times per week to condition and train your horse.  In addition, you will be working with your horse  2-3 times per week or more with guided instruction or riding plans to help both you and your horse be successful as training progresses.

 Who works with your horse is paramount.  Many trainers employ the help of intermediate to advanced riders to "exercise" horses in their program.  Unfortunately, this is dangerous and counterproductive to most young horses in training.  Young horses need continuity in their handling which comes only from the expert hands of a professional trainer.  Along those same lines, young horses need consistency which NEVER comes from multiple riders.  Even though many intermediate/advanced riders may have similar training and backgrounds, there is no such thing as riders that ride exactly alike.  Ultimately this ends in confusion for your young horse and can act as a road block to his training.  When you put your horse with a trainer, it is the trainer's time and abilities that you are paying for.  Anything less is cheating your horse out of the training he deserves.  RPM Academy trainers are the only riders that work horses in their program.  You will also be part of the team when they teach you along with your horse, the methods they are working on for the success of your relationship.

 Goals are always a focus in implementing a training program.  Although training can and does add value to your horse, the greatest benefit for you as a rider comes with the improved connection you hope to increase with focused training.  Setting goals for you and your horse will help you arrive at the destination of success in whatever discipline  you are working in.  Many trainers allude to the idea that a horse in their program will be worth thousands more after training.  This is an impossible promise but an easy idea to sell.  The horse market dictates the value of a horse.  However, no time or investment is wasted when it is employed in the training and betterment of your horse.  One of the best values is that with most training, you will be able to do more as a partnership with your horse when your training period is complete.  

Lastly, one of the most important elements to your horse's training is YOU!  Most trainers can get the results out of the horses they accept.  The question is how will you get those same results?  The simple answer is by working in conjunction with your trainer in lessons as well as watching your horse be worked.  Learning to understand how and what to ask of your horse is just as important as training your horse to perform at the level you expect.  YOU must be part of the equation in order to achieve your goals.  Remember, you are wanting to have a better partnership with your horse which is by most people seek training in the first place.