Horse Training You Can Trust
Horse Training You Can Trust
Our self-less, empathetic and pragmatic approach has enabled us to truly help riders and students develop a stronger relationship with their horses while staying safe and having fun. We focus on developing the mind, spirit, and body, and believe that these three components must work together, in harmony, in order for our equine partners to give us their best.
We have extensive experience, knowledge and skills working with wild horses and burros. This experience has allowed us to understand domestic horses on a deeper level and aid them into returning to a more natural harmonious state. This has been the foundation in our success with problem horses, difficult horses, complicated horses and wild horses.
Your horse will get the best foundation laid on the ground and under saddle to be successful in any direction you want to go.
Your horse will learn how to confidently navigate trails, obstacles and open terrain so you can safely enjoy spending time together. We also specialize in developing & retraining endurance horses and helping problem horses.
"We highly Recommend Isidro Espinoza Horsemanship. We are thrilled with our boy Tucker. He is everything Isidro and Amber said he was. Because of their incredible training and gentleness with him we have been successful in our continued training. And I know if I need some help I can reach out to them and ask questions. They are Amazing people and excellent trainers with big hearts . We think the world of them. Big huge Thank you for all you do Isidro and Amber, your the best."
-Theresa
"Isidro and Amber are great to work with- honest, friendly, fair, and most importantly, they put the horse first."
-Nancy
I Can't recommend Isidro enough! Honest,Hard working and Kind.He has a gift with horses and is very fair and unemotional in his training methods. You can see the horses really respond in a positive way to his calm demeanor.
-Diane
"I sent my mustang Owen to Isidro for training because I was afraid of him. I lost my confidence after an accident with Owen. For the 2 months Owen was there I was sent weekly reports and videos on his progress which was so awesome to follow along. I got my horse back with zero issues. All his problems were fixed and I completely regained my confidence with Owen seeing how he was an angel now. I let my horse sit for almost a month after being trained and jumped on hoping for the best. Owen never skipped a beat! He knew what was expected of him. I couldn't be happier with the results. 10/10 will always recommend Isidro. Wonderful people. I never worried about my horse once while he was with them."
-Lisa
Training Program Details
All training programs pricing is listed below. We require a non-refundable $500 deposit to reserve a training slot which will be credited to your first month’s bill.
Owners are welcome to come visit your horse and watch their training session anytime during business hours with appointment. While in training, you will get an update video about every two weeks and up to 2 lessons with your horse per month.
All training programs will include full-care board with our forage-based, grain-free feeding program and health program at our Arizona Ranch in Snowflake.
To help you continue to develop your own horsemanship while your horse is in training, you will get 1 year free of our Perpetual Training Toolbox video library (please ask for this-minimum 3mths training required). We want you to learn what we will be teaching your horse, in detail and help you feel confident to continue on with your horse when you take them home!
Full-Time Training
We offer full-time training (horses worked 5 days a week - 20 sessions a month) - $1,500 (includes full board at our AZ facility)
Part-Time Training
We also offer part-time training (horses worked 3 days per week - 12 sessions a month) for $1,100 a month (includes full board at our AZ facility)
3 Month Colt Start Package
~$4200~
Horses must be evaluated for the colt start package. A good candidate is a horse who has basics of ground work established, can be caught, lead, tie, be groomed, lunged and basic body control on the ground. Please complete the training application to discuss if your horse is a good candidate for this program. Price includes full care board at our Arizona Facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
We use a variety of training techniques and methods. We primarily use negative and positive reinforcement. If you are unsure on what those are here is a video explaining the four quadrants of operant conditioning: https://youtu.be/xMo0C2QZJU8
What does a forage-based, grain-free feeding program mean?
Horses have access to 24/7 grass hay in slow feeder hay nets at our. We will use a variety of hay throughout the year to keep horse’s diet diverse to meet nutritional needs. We hand inspect each load of hay to meet our quality standards. Once per day we feed alfalfa or grass hay pellets, 4-8lbs depending on need. We top their pellets with a plant-based balanced Omega oil called ExcelEQ ProElite. It is a camelina oil grown specifically for horses and has Vitamin E. We may also give them 100X Equine GutX if we feel they are suffering from ulcers or digestive issues. Horses also have free choice access to salt 24/7. We use all natural salt from Redmond Equine mined directly from the ground and not processed. If you have supplements your horse requires, we are happy to feed it if you supply it. We will not feed any grain though while horse is in training with us. We have been a strict full forage/grain free program for the past eight years with less than 1% colic rate out of thousands of horses we personally feed. We highly encourage you to research and explore grain free/full forage diets for equines.
Horses are required to be up to date on vaccines (5-way with WNV and Rabies) and have a current Coggins before coming to the ranch. We do not require strangles vaccine though you may give your horse if preferred. Horses in our restart, problem horse or colt-starting program are required to have a dental exam and float within the past year prior to horse entering training program. Horses too wild for vet examination will be required to have current vaccines, Coggins and dental exam done while in training, when they have reached the level of training to have vet care safely done by our vet. They will be in quarantine until that time. All horses are required to have a minimum body condition score of 4 before entering training. Exception: wild horses who need gentling first. Here is the body condition scale for reference: https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2021-05/PIM2021-007%20att2-%20HennekeBodyScoringChart.pdf
Yes! You are welcome to visit your horse anytime during business hours. We just ask that you let us know which day and time window you plan on coming at least 24hrs in advance. This is to ensure that we are available and can dedicate time specifically for you when you arrive. For the safety of our team and equines, our Arizona ranch is private and the gates are kept closed/secured.
If you would like to see your horse worked or would like to schedule a lesson with your horse (up to 2 lessons per month included with training), please be on time. We will work with your horse as close to the scheduled time as possible.
Dos Lomas Wild Ranch (Snowflake, AZ facility) - If you need to stay overnight there are three hotels located in Snowflake, AZ plus airbnb options. Please ask for a list and we will e-mail them to you. You are also welcome to dry camp at the ranch. We have a port-a-john available for clients and water. The ranch is off-grid so it gets very dark at night.
Horses in full time training will get worked with a minimum of 5 days per week. We change the schedule to fit the horse. Some horses may benefit from several shorter sessions throughout the day while others need a longer session. If a horse is telling us they need a day off, we give it to them. If they do better with a routine, we do that as well. If a horse is in part-time training they will get worked with 3 days per week. We take Sundays off and Wednesdays or Saturdays we use as a makeup day or extra training day for those who need it.
All horses will get worked by both Isidro and Amber throughout their stay. Many will get worked by additional members of the team as well to make sure their training transfers to other people. We have found the more people these horses can get exposed to, especially mustangs, the better they do when they go home. All interaction is strictly supervised by Isidro and Amber.
You do not need to bring any equipment for your horse. We have everything needed already. Your halter will get your named labeled on it and stored until your horse is ready to go home. We do not use boots or wraps on horses. If your horse needs bell boots please provide those but find these is rarely needed if horse has balanced hooves and physically conditioned.
At our Arizona ranch we use Dr. Milton DeSpain at Cedar Ridge Veterinary Center located in Taylor, AZ. Horses needing routine care we haul to Dr. DeSpain at no extra charge. This is a training opportunity for the horses to be exposed to a busy town. If we feel your horse needs veterinary care we will contact you first with our recommendations and concerns. If you refuse care that we feel the horse needs before progress in training may continue, we may ask you to leave the program. You will pay the vet directly for any care received. We do not have a surgery center or emergency care in the White Mountains. If such care is needed we will need to haul down to the Phoenix Valley (you will be charged a discounted client rate for this type of hauling). The one most commonly used is Arizona Equine Medical & Surgical Centre in Gilbert, AZ. Thankfully, such care is rarely needed with our management methods. You are not required to use our vet. You may book with any vet of your choosing and haul to them yourself or pay their travel fee. We are happy to assist with holding, etc. for vets coming to our ranch.
Isidro trims and shoes all the horses in training currently. Often it will be their first hoof care or they are a difficult case with farriers and he can get them confident with this care. We often get horses in that need to be sedated for farrier care and leave never needing sedation again. We do not do corrective shoeing. Basic balanced trims and basic shoeing (if needed) only. We are happy to have your farrier come and handle your horse for them.
We deworm every three months on the moon cycle with Silver Lining Herbs natural dewormer. This is included with all training horses in our programs. Sometimes the horses we get in need aggressive deworming (kill pens, newly adopted from corrals, adopted for awhile and not gentled enough to be dewormed, etc). This deworming is included in the training program as well.
We believe an integral part of a horse’s health is making sure we have a very effective fly control program. Flies bring so many health and well-being issues to horses. We use a safe feed through fly control that uses natural ingredients to deter flies from the horses when it's available. We do not use harmful chemicals. We also use fly predators to decrease the fly population as well as consistent manure management. Pens are open to sunlight, cleaned daily and the manure spread with a manure spreader at our Arizona facility. We are happy to place fly masks, sheets and boots on your horse if you provide them.
Once your horse completes the training you are encouraged to have an exit lesson before taking your horse home. If unable to do a lesson we will shoot a comprehensive video covering what your horse has learned, current training status and any issues to be aware of. We will send you a link to this video for you to view at will. You may continue taking lessons with your horse, join us at a nearby Horsemanship Clinic, or learn from our online Perpetual Training Toolbox to continue progressing your partnership together (previous training clients receive a 10% discount on lessons and clinics).
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