I’ve got a coming 3 year old Warmblood that I’m wanting to get started next summer. I’m realizing that I have no idea what to ask of a colt starter to make sure it’s a good fit. I am wanting a good, basic start with a classical foundation. I do want him to be hacked out some as that’s what I’ll mostly be doing for the first year or so under saddle. Any suggestions?
As someone who starts youngsters, here are some questions I would ask if I was sending a horse out. Some of these you might be able to find out the answers to on your own via their website.
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Do they have experience with this type of horse?
Not to say that someone who doesn’t have that experience won’t do a good job, but if they are only used to stock breeds, for example, they might struggle with certain aspects that make WBs different. -
Do they have experience in putting on the basics of the discipline the horse is intended for?
If your intended job for the horse is dressage, for example, you don’t want to send the horse to someone that is going to teach it to hide behind the bit and duck the contact. They will create problems that will take extra time to be undone in the future. -
What kind of boarding accommodations do the training horses receive?
You’ll want to be sure that the horse receives adequate, safe turnout and a diet appropriate to it’s needs, along with proper vet and farrier care. You don’t want the horse to come back skinny or beat up and blemished. -
What does the typical work schedule for a 3 year old look like?
You’ll need to decide what you think is appropriate for your horse’s development stage. For a 3 year old, I personally don’t work them more than 4 days a week/30 minutes or so… but may do other things like ground work, clipping skills, etc. on days off. It’s up to you to decide what is too much or too little. -
What type of training methods do they use - who is their influence/inspiration?
Pretty self-explanatory, and it sounds like you already know what you’re looking for. They should be able to clearly articulate what they do and why. -
Typically, what are they able to achieve with a horse of this type in 60/90/120 days?
Most colt starters should know what basic skills they can install on a horse in this amount of time (barring any issues), so make sure your expectations align with their production schedule. IMO slower is always better, because shortcuts are just holes someone will have to go back and fix later. -
How do they deal with fitting tack to training horses?
I’m not expecting a custom saddle, but I do expect the horse to be ridden in a saddle that is as close to well fitting as possible. Someone that only has one saddle is a red flag to me. Ill-fitted tack creates sore, sour horses that do not look forward to working and you want your horse’s introduction to being ridden to stay positive.
I’m sure I could come up with more, but those are the basic ones off the top of my head. Some people seem to think that any old colt starter will do (the cheaper and faster the better), so I’m glad to see this.
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Ask to go watch them work with a horse or two. That generally gives me almost all the information I need to know whether their methods will be a good fit for my horse and needs. You will also be able to see the facility and general care/management level while you are there.
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I agree with Montanas Girl. Go and watch. Because that is the only way to form an opinion. Every “colt starter” will tell you that they are the cat’s ass. Not all are. Trust NO ONE.
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Go and watch! Have multiple conversations. Tour the facility.
And also, pay attention to the types of questions they ask YOU - a good trainer will show interest in the background of the horse, how much handling it’s had, what has it done/seen, if you have any info on the sire/dam, what were they like, what kind of nutrition has the horse had growing up, personality traits, anything little details you can provide, etc. If you get the vibe at ANY point that they don’t really care about any of that stuff and that they feel they can “train anything” and are very eager to take your money - leave.
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Ask them if they tied them to solid objects and let them pull back “until they learn”. Well, maybe not quite so bluntly but ask how they address tying. Major cause of injury to young horses ime.
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Great suggestions here. If you’re going to watch them work a horse (which you absolutely should), I’d ask to watch a few different horses in different stages of training, as well as a horse that they deem “difficult.” Seeing how they handle a horse that isn’t easy and seeing how they problem solve on the fly would be important to me. Do they get loud and aggressive or are they quiet and soft? Do they break a task down to smaller bites if a horse gets overwhelmed or do they try to force them through something? Is there both positive and negative reinforcement or only one type (you need both).
Also if you wanted to share the area you’re in, I’m sure there are lots of people here with recommendations, or people could give feedback if you’ve already selected someone.
Good luck, babies are great fun 
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Just coming back to say - don’t be afraid to ask for references, either. Obviously anyone they are using as a reference is going to be a positive review, but you might get some helpful information out of it anyway.
Anyone that refuses to give references or won’t let you come see the facilities is a big red flag.
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Visit the trainer and watch how the horses interact with them.
This is important. Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, and stock breeds can be quite different in their responses to backing and training.
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Word of mouth about how reliable/good they are is important. What type of horses they usually start is also important (QHs are not the same brains as warmbloods when they get started). What their methods are is also important. My current 3 yo was a little sensitive to start, so the trainer switched it up and had another person on horseback helping with the first walking around rides. What might have been more dramatic to start the “traditional” way became a non-issue…because the trainer understood what would help my mare process and learn better, in a uneventful way.
Basic care - does it mesh with your requirements (ie…I am okay that my youngsters grow up in a small group of horses…not everyone is; I am okay that my young horse will learn to go somewhere and stand tied to the trailer with 2 other horses…again, not everyone is). Can you be okay with the level of care/grooming/management that will be provided.
Communication - how will you get updates? will you get daily texts/weekly videos? Does the amount of communication you want match what that person will send you.
Ring time vs trail time…I wanted my youngsters to go hacking out, as much as possible and experience new places. The trainer I use prefers that over arena work. Not all colt starters will haul them all over.
Check out Dark Horse Training Center on Facebook (especially if you want to see some funny videos!)…she has started 3 youngsters for me. I just went down to ride my 3 yo mare last week and OMG she is the nicest baby I’ve had yet. I literally went hacking out on a loose rein on my 3yo warmblood with other horses on a buggy day (with another horse snorting at everything) and my girl didn’t bat an eye. I could bring her home and start riding her now…but she’s 3 and I prefer she continue to go hacking, pony other baby horses, and ride in parades and all kinds of other goofy stuff through the winter.
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Make sure to have it in the contract WHO is riding the horse. If they use an assistant, make sure you are comfortable with them too. Make sure they, and the facility they work out of, have insurance.
When I used to start horses, I was surprised by how few questions people asked, but they often would ask fairly open questions such as my training philosophy, and typical progression.
I would ask about round penning - not talking about an 80foot plus round arena, but the smaller round pens that allow for short cuts and sustained helplessness. You may feel differently, but I am not a fan, and find people that rely on small round pens skip the basics.
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Just as a thought if you have a trainer who you want to work with later they might have some recommendations. I know my dressage trainer has 2 colt starters she works with
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Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for!
This is where I’ve been stuck! I live in a stock horse centric area and we have a lot of good colt starters for them. Not much for sporthorses. And while some might be ok, I don’t think my colt would be.
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Hold out for someone with the experience your colt needs. 
Some stock horse starters react harshly to more sensitive horses in order to correct what they view as a “misbehaving” horse and can really shut them down or scramble their brains.
You also need someone who can ride the bigger gaits of a Warmblood. People who have only brought up stock horse types may not be good at riding horses with more (for lack of a better word) powerful, gaits, and may inhibit the forward thinking that you want in your horse.
Yep. IME also the (sometimes much) bigger size of WBs/sporthorse types can bother colt starters used to smaller QHs.
