Purchasing

Rancho Bayo does not sell foals. All of our pricing
includes the horse staying here until thier third
birthday and then solid training under saddle,
usually until 3.5 years of age.

How a horse is raised affects his character and trainability for life. Young horses need to be properly socialized and grow up in natural herd environments. They need to play within the same age group, learn about leadership roles and interact with others of varying ages. Since part of learning is through imitation, positive role models are essential.

It is vital for strong physical development that the horse be raised in an enviroment where the muscles can be stretched and used daily. Bone develops strong and thick when it is stressed, so large areas with varied terrain are neccessary. Through play, horses develop good balance, agility and security in using their own bodies.

Mentally, growing up out in the open and in a herd situation keeps horses interested in life. It also helps them learn to adapt to new situations and work through any emotional issues they may have otherwise not gotten past. Ranch raised horses generally have a higher level of mental fitness than a horse raised in stall or limited environment.

Ranch Bayo takes education seriously. Young horses need to not only bond with people, but learn boundaries at a very early age. Treating them like a dog or a pet is a dangerous situation as they grow and you start to ask more of them. While people think of rough handling as abuse, over gentling a foal is even more so. Spoiled horses usually do not fair well at the trainers or once it is sold. They either get knocked around because of bad manners or lack of respect; or they wind up hurting someone.

Raising a foal is not for beginners. It takes years of hands-on experience in order to set a horse up for a successful life. In over 20 years of working with other horses and students around the nation, we usually find the horse's issues come from two places: how it was raised and how the person handles the horse at present time - mostly a combination of the two.

Starting a horse under saddle is another big step in their lives. Most horses are ruined at the starting process due to lack of preparation. There is an art to starting them properly, and should not be taken lightly. While many amateurs are successful at riding a young horse, they do not have the knowledge to prepare them for continuing education. Problems will crop up along the way due to not knowing how to follow through when issues arrive. Most issues are not even considered as such until it is too late.

The advantage of working young horses outside of an arena are many. They have nice forward movement naturally, and keep interested in what you are working on because they have interesting surroundings. The horses also find a purpose in what has been asked of them.

Horses raised and educated at Rancho Bayo are set up to be successful partners with their humans. We are always here to support new owners, advise on health issues and have a network for continuing education.