Trainer Program

The HorseTenders Trainer Program is a unique opportunity to experience a guided journey of individual discovery while providing comprehensive insights, detail, instruction, and understanding of the HorseTenders LLC “Developing Mettle without Metal”™ training philosophies & methodologies.

As with our training approaches, the HorseTenders Trainer series is NOT a series of “cookie cutter”, one size fits all, sequence of actions as is too often the case with many other programs. In fact, it is this reality that encouraged Kris & Nik to develop their unique and acclaimed training methods. It has been well over a decade since they had the courage to abandon traditional punitive approaches and learn in partnership with the horse, to great success.

Developing a relationship with a horse is a privilege and should never be taken for granted. First and foremost, we believe that every horse is a partner and not an object that is to be dominated. We are all individuals and unique in our own ways and every relationship with anyone we meet is different. We believe and respect that every horse is an individual and each relationship is different. As with any relationship, mutual trust, respect, and communication are essential. Horses communicate and communicate very effectively. We just simply need to learn how to listen, comprehend, relate, and develop proper healthy relationships. With relationships established, we then need to develop subject matter expertise, as would a teacher with a student, to transfer information so that it is understood and willingly received. During this process, both teacher and student grow and it is often difficult to discern who is actually learning more, the student from the teacher or the teacher from the student.

A “HorseTender” is a horse’s link between horses and humans. The HorseTenders Trainer Program is a uniquely created approach based upon the HorseTenders LLC “Developing Mettle without Metal”™ totally non-punitive training approaches. This distinctive program provides wide-ranging exposures, detailed insights, and comprehensive instruction through a succession of guided, self-paced experiences that foster the wide-ranging awareness essential in acquiring the skills and understanding necessary in establishing lasting bonds of true trust and respect between trainer, horse, and owner.

The HorseTenders LLC Trainer Program is designed to nurture the power of understanding by fostering the ability and competence of each individual to the betterment of themselves and every horse they ever interact with or encounter.

To provide maximum program effectiveness, the HorseTenders Trainer Program participants will each have the unique opportunity to work with legendary mustangs. Unlike working with any other domestic breed, the mustang has not had their free spirit and crisp natural instincts bred out of them and resultantly offer a greater insight and depth into working with horses. HorseTenders Mustang Foundation is working in cooperation with the HorseTenders LLC by providing mustangs at various stages of training. This is of great benefit in the effort to help develop requisite skills particular to each individual session. Each session is designed to be a building block for subsequent sessions and is required to be successfully completed prior to progressing. Individual HorseTenders Trainer Program session details are provided below.

Note: A precondition for applying for the HorseTenders Trainer Program is attendance to the HorseTenders Horsemanship Camp. Should any additional information be desired or should you like to apply for our program, please use the form below.

Horse Connections

Horse Connections enhances the awareness and insights into understanding the horse by discovering each individual’s abilities to effectively communicate. Sessions provide guided observations, interactions, and contact with the horse to advance personal perceptions of both horse and self to facilitate effective exchange of information. This core session is essential in building the requisite foundation for establishing understanding between horse and human through mutual comprehension.

The essence of the HorseTenders “Developing Mettle without Medal”™ methodologies and success lays in developing the healthy and effective connection with the horse. This session offers each participant the insights and direction to learn through observation, self-awareness/discovery, and unique horse interactions.

Horse Connections is a 5-day experience for a fee of $1,500

Horse Boundaries

Defining the terms and conditions of a relationship is paramount in cultivating confidence through clear expectations. Horse Boundaries guides each individual to effectively set, communicate, and understand individual boundaries while discovering, acknowledging, and honoring those of the horse.

Horse Boundaries offers comprehensive insights into HorseTenders methodology involving horse/human boundaries through a progressive series of comprehensive horse handling sessions. Program activities provide extensive insights into proper ground manners for both horse and human, effective leading, lunging, obstacle training, trailer loading, horse foot handling, training to stand for general health and maintenance.

Horse Boundaries is a 10 day experience for a fee of $3,000

Horse Relationships

The ability to develop true bonds of lasting trust and respect is the most important factor determining the success of any relationship. Horse Relationships teaches how to develop a clear vision to effectively communicate intentions and instructions by employing HorseTenders methodologies in a low stress, non-punitive, and productive interconnection with the horse. Horse Relationships progresses through a comprehensive series of round penning sessions beginning with basic round penning fundamentals and then steadily advances to saddle intro and saddling.

Horse Relationships is a 10 day experience for a fee of $3,000

Horse Partnerships

Horse Partnerships provides the guided direction to progress a horse with a solid foundation into a willing, safe & healthy relationship of true trust and respect. This session provides exclusive insights into HorseTenders mounted training methods that lead to mutual horse/owner/trainer confidence and productive partnerships. Horse Partnerships begin with basic riding then advance through mounted obstacle training with introductions to basic trail riding activities.

Note: The pre-requisite for attendance of the Horse Partnerships session is the successful completion of a comprehensive HorseTenders training methods and approaches skills assessment.

Horse Partnerships is a 10 day experience for a fee of $3500

Horse Challenges

The culmination of any program is to take what you know and learn how to effectively use it. Horse Challenges is an intensive session developed to provide the ability to properly apply all learned HorseTenders approaches and methodologies with all types and breeds of horses. Program participants will learn how to perform comprehensive horse evaluations, develop in-depth training plans and then be guided on how to use their developed skills to perform the required training.

Horse Challenges is a 4 – 6 week experience for a fee of $6000

HorseTenders Internship Program

Upon completion of the HorseTenders Horse Trainer program participants are offered an exclusive opportunity to work with HorseTenders trainers to continue developing their skills while working with various types and breeds of horses to include the legendary mustang. Additional details available upon request.