FAQS
Some questions we are commonly asked
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A TRAINING PACKAGE WITH MOONBAH PERFORMANCE HORSES?
All horses in training with Moonbah Performance Horses are provided with a tailored training and management program. This includes at least 5 day a week work (depending on the horse, this can be ridden work, lunging, in hand work, pole work or fitness training). Our training packages include basic feed of your choice (or we can tailor a diet for your horse), all agistment and rugging services and an individual paddock.
HOW DO YOU DEVISE A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR EACH HORSE?
When I tailor a training regime for each horse, some of the things I consider include:
your goals (e.g. education, confidence, competition, sales or rehabilitation)
my own assessment of your horse's mental and physical state, and its stage of training (e.g. biomechanical function, confidence in a new environment, general condition and wellbeing)
how the horse's environment and equipment can best support effective training (e.g. suitability of the bit, how the saddle fits and how the horse's diet meets their needs)
how the horse progresses through training, by creation and review of a training log shared regularly, and discussed with you
A training program is a constantly evolving plan designed to grow with your horse. There is no "one" program and we will work with you to ensure your goals are our goals.
MY HORSE HAS BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR A WHILE, HOW CAN I BE SURE HE IS PHYSICALLY READY FOR TRAINING
At Moonbah Performance Horses, we believe that prevention is the best medicine. Therefore when horses enter into training, we offer our clients a range of "training preparation" packages that include things like:
a physical assessment of your horse, including conformation and movement
diet analysis
bodywork
dental work
farrier
vet assessment
On completion of the requested items, we provide our clients with a written report summarising our findings and any areas we need to consider moving forward. We find that horses that go through this process prior to the start of extensive training are far less likely to present behavioural problems, and appear to adapt to training programs quicker given we have a far greater insight into their physical and mental wellbeing.
CANÂ MOONBAH PERFORMANCE HORSES ASSIST IN MY DRESSAGE JOURNEY WITH MY NON-TRADITIONAL BRED HORSE?
Yes! Olivia Palfreyman has a special interest in non-traditional dressage breeds, having trained her own AQHA registered horses to medium dressage by the age of 6. Dressage is the discipline for every horse.
WHAT AREAS DO YOU COACH IN?
While most coaching sessions take place on-site, Olivia does travel within the Cessnock/Quorrobolong region for lessons. Please contact us for more information and our availability.
DO YOU START HORSES?
While Moonbah Performance Horses have experience starting a number of horses under saddle, it is a service we have decided not to offer publicly in order to be able to dedicate our time to our training, coaching and rehabilitation services. We are most happy to take horses on following being started under saddle.