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The Challenge | The Trainers and Students | Event Information

The Challenge

At some point, we've all attended a three-day clinic that was supposed to solve all our horse problems and turn our ADD equine into the next prize champion. But like the quick-fix diet, it failed. So we send our horse out for 30 days of training. The result? We see a glimmer of hope, but we find that we still have a long way to go.

Training a horse is a lifetime commitment, even after giving it a good start. You want your horse to be rock-solid when a jogger in blaze orange comes around the corner. You want your horse to stand stock-still when the farrier is working on their feet. You want to ride with confidence that your horse is not going to explode into a panic the next time you try to trailer them or ride in a busy arena.

Do you have the Trainer's Moxy? Have you spent so much time sitting a bouncy trot that you're not even phased by Minnesota potholes? Can you look at a horse and see the champion within, even though that "champion" has thrown you more times than you care to admit?

Then pay attention, because we're looking for YOU.

On the weekend of September 13th, the first ever Trainer's Challenge of the Unwanted Horse will be held at the Louise Leatherdale Center at the University of Minnesota. It is here, before a panel of judges, that you will demonstrate how you've taken a horse that no one wants - a horse that came to you untrained and inexperienced - and with the right amount of time and investment in training, turned it into a horse who is now a willing companion.

If you're a member of the interested public, there's really not much for you to do except watch this site for updates on the Challenge. As horses are assigned to trainers, we're (hopefully) going to provide updates on how things are progressing. Also, you're going to want to keep the weekend of September 13th open because this is a "horse show" you're not going to want to miss!

However, if you're a trainer, then you're going to want to download this application, print it out, fill out the required information, and send it in. The cost of putting your name in the ring (so to speak) is the price of postage plus a $25 donation to the Rescue - please include it with your application so we can keep track of things. But before you commit to spending some 100 (or so) days training a horse, let's run down the expectations of this Challenge so everyone can start on the same page.

• It is our intention to assign each and every trainer that submits their application by June 6th a horse from a "pool" of horses under the care of the MN Hooved Animal Rescue. However, due to illness, or health of a horse, this assignment is not guaranteed.
• Horses will be assigned to trainers by way of lottery during the early part of June and it will be up to the trainer to transport their equine student to their training facility.
• The horses will be of different training levels which will be taken into account at the time of judging. It would be sort of a "before and after" evaluation.
• The basic skills a horse should learn include: standing quietly for a farrier and veterinarian, load and unload quietly into a trailer, stand patiently for tack and untacking, and being able to be ridden on the rail and on the trail. Going above and beyond these skills is encouraged, as they would be looked upon favorably by the judges.
• Judges for the Challenge will not have ties to the Rescue, and it is our hope to have no less than three judges in total.
• All horses will be subject to a drug test on the day of the Challenge.
• All horses are still considered to be in the care of the Rescue and will be checked at least once a month by a MHARF representative to ensure the health and safety of the animal.
• Upon completion of the Challenge, horses will be returned to the Rescue, unless other arrangements are made.

So, if you're a trainer who's thinking about entering. you're probably wondering "Why should I enter this Challenge? Why should I invest time into a horse that's going back to MHARF at the end of the Challenge? Why give $25 to MHARF?" Those are very good questions; how's this for motivation?

• We're not going to keep this all quiet and everything - oh, no - not by a long shot. We're going to advertise the Challenge and will let the media know what we're up to and we think they'll be interested. But if they're not...
• We're going to be posting progress on this website. We get a little more than 1,400 hits a day and if you would like to keep us appraised of your progress, we'd be more than happy to post it. We can post whatever information you'd like to have posted (within reason), such as your barn name, how to get in touch with you, and so on.
• Last but not least, here's some monetary motivation for you - the Grand Prize for the Challenge is a $4,000 purse, with second place taking home a not-to-be-laughed-at $1,500. Bragging rights are certainly part of the prize.

By now, we're hoping that you're as excited over this as we are! And if f you're a trainer, be sure to hurry and fill out that application! We're looking forward to hearing from you!

*Please note: The Trainer's Challenge application requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Don't have it installed? Go download it here.