FAQ
Your Questions, Answered
What do you do with my horse once it's in training?
Depending on your needs, your equine will be worked 3-6 days a week once in training with our farm. At least one of those days will be primarily groundwork, depending on the horse. Please remember, every horse has different needs and capabilities. Not every horse can mentally or physically handle being worked every day, and as our main priority is the health and well-being of the horse, we will not push them beyond what they are prepared to handle.
Please also note: if your horse comes in underweight, overweight, with physical issues, or needing veterinary or chiropractic care, we cannot ethically work them to the best of our capabilities until those issues have been resolved.
What are your rates?
30 day training sessions range from $1200-1500 for tune-ups, problem horses, and discipline-specific training. Varied rates apply depending on specific needs. We are only offering colt starting on a case by case basis, and instead focusing most of our time and knowledge into other training. This rate includes grain, hay, and board. Our travel training is $60/hour plus a mileage fee if outside of our 15 mile farm radius. Our lessons are $60/hour for 1 hour private lessons. We offer consignment sales at a 15% commission plus $600/month consignment board which includes hay, grain, and maintenance rides, or $800/month with training rides. Clinics are offered at varied rates. We are happy to travel. Please contact us for specific needs. Board packages vary between $525-1200/month. We offer pasture board, full stall board, as well as varied full or partial training board packages. Please inquire for specific needs. Pricing is up to date through 2024.
Which types of animals does Helms Hill Farms train?
We will work with horses, donkeys, mules, and ponies. Please note, our ability to work with some equines does depend on their size (i.e. some ponies will be too small for us to safely ride).
What disciplines do you specialize in?
We work mostly in the western world with a focus on ranch riding, though we do work with other disciplines as well. We also work with driving horses, pleasure driving and work horses. We do have experience with hunters & jumpers as well.
Do you have a training agreement or sales contracts?
Yes we do! We do require signed copies of our training/consignment contracts before we take on a horse, and no horse will leave our property without a signed sales contract. Feel free to message us for a copy!
Are you insured?
Yes we are! We carry our general liability insurance through Star H Insurance and our property insurance through Farm Bureau.
What can I expect in 30 days training?
Firstly, let's remember that horses don't have the same concept of time as humans do. Let's also remember that we're not miracle workers; we're trainers with the horse's best interest in mind. Patience is key when sending your horse off for training. We will be honest with you about our abilities and you need to be honest about your expectations.
You can expect us to do everything in our ability to send your horse home calmer, more focused, and with a better understanding of what you're asking. However, this doesn't always happen in just 30 days. We also have minimum time requirements for certain issues.
How does consignment work?
Consignment sales are an easy way for you to sell your horse without any of the hassle. Here's the basic rundown once you've contacted us and your horse is at our farm: we do a one week minimum evaluation so we can get to know that horse to better sell it. During that time, we set up sales videos, conformation photos, and write up a full sales ad. After that evaluation, we list the horse using Facebook and a few select websites. We also have a waiting list of clients looking to buy, so we've been fortunate enough to have a few "directed" sales that were great matches. We handle all the questions, all the buyers coming to try, and even hauling for buyers if needed. Once the horse is sold, we hand you a check (or cash, Paypal, Zelle) for your sale price minus our commission and you're done!
We are very picky sellers, so trust us when we say your horse is in good hands!
What's your nutrition plan for client horses?
We exclusively feed Purina, supplemented with forage pellets or cubes if needed and Redmond Equine minerals. With the selection that both Purina and Redmond provide, we are confident that there are great feed options for every horse. All of our animals have access to 24/7 forage and/or quality free-choice hay. We are happy to customize a feed plan for your equine while they're in training with us based on their physical needs and body condition. If your horse needs to remain on a specific supplement or grain, you, as the owner, will be responsible for providing said grain or supplement.
What's your training philosophy?
We draw our training principles from the classic vaquero style, some natural horsemanship, and an understanding of equine behavior and biomechanics.
No two horses are alike, so we strive to teach them all in a way that they can easily understand. We believe in being gentle but firm, in doing what is best for the horse, and in asking "why" when presented with issues.
We fully believe in putting the horse first, which can also mean disappointing the owner. We understand that not everyone operates off of this philosophy, so please consider your own beliefs about horse training before choosing us as your trainers.
What services do you offer?
We offer on-site and travel training, consignment sales, on-site and travel lessons, clinics, boarding and horse brokerage. We do NOT offer trail rides, birthday parties, or carriage rides. We are NOT a public access farm. Access to our farm is by appointment only and based on our availability. You wouldn't want us walking into your backyard uninvited; don't do that to us.
If you don't see the answer to your question here, please don't hesitate to contact us! A message to our Facebook page, email, or text is the fastest way to get in touch with us!