What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

Capriole Academy

Home
Canada
Port Coquitlam, BC
Capriole Academy

Head Coach Dianna Epps is an EC Competition coach, NCCP 2 coach, AFA Farrier and a student of Philippe Karl’s school of Légèreté.

Her interests include classical dressage, working equitation, horsemanship and all things jumping related. Board is currently available

Lesson packages

Lease Packages include lessons

Full training can include combination of lessons or training rides

We offer starting services for unbroke horses, re-starting for difficult horses and are willing to take on horses with "problems" on a case-by-ca

se basis (rearing/bucking/bolting etc). Barefoot Rehabilitation available

Holistic Care Programs (Chiro, Massage, Reiki, Barefoot rehab, physiotherapy, saddle fit etc) are available.

07/17/2022

09/27/2021

08/15/2021

More than 30,000 participants

08/09/2021

A few days ago I was talking to a trainer. She was telling me about the pressure she felt meeting the owner's expectation to have their horses going home trouble-free under saddle in just a few weeks. She said most people expect the job completed in 6-8 weeks and Flossy to go home ready to take on all challenges with a smile.

We both agreed that when it came to starting our own horses under saddle we prefer the process to take 6 months or even longer. For most horses, it allows us to cover all the layers of learning with no gaps between them. This is imperative in making a horse reliable, soft, feeling okay, confident, and trusting for the basic job of being an all-around riding horse. It doesn’t mean the training is finished or even polished. But it does mean the basics are solid enough to be confident of a concrete foundation for what lays ahead. Yet in most cases, a trainer is expected to achieve in 6 weeks what they would choose to do in 6 months for their horse.

I know it takes very little time to be able to mount, walk, trot, and canter on most horses. When I began starting horses as a teenager I used to average the job in 10 days. If I had one ready to go home in 8 days, I thought it was proof that I was becoming more skilled as a horse trainer. But now I see the folly of youth and how naive I was as a young trainer. Most of the horses in those days went home somewhat obedient but with trouble inside them that I would not accept today. Inevitably, there were many occasions that horses went home doomed to a difficult life. They were never ready for what lay ahead.

I have seen the same issue appear time and again at the many 3 or 4-day c**t starting clinics I have watched. Those clinics are not for the benefit of the horses and I believe they should be stopped. Without exception, every c**t starting clinic I’ve witnessed has resulted in flooding horses to the maximum to induce helplessness and a sense of futility on the horses. They are anti- good horsemanship in my view, irrespective of the skill of the trainer. However, even if you disagree with this opinion, it is hard to justify teaching people to start their horse in just a few days. This is one of those times when the term “breaking in” seems appropriate.

To be fair to owners, very few people have unlimited resources to afford 6 months of training to start a horse under saddle. So how does a trainer fit 6 months of education and experience into 6 weeks? Answer: they can’t.

However, there can be compromises that make the odds of success when the horse goes home much more favourable.

It starts with every owner promising to commit to the welfare of their horse and their relationship, to the maximum of their available time and finances allow.

In that regard, I believe an owner should get involved in the process of training with the best trainer they can access This means attending as many of the training sessions as possible. It means driving your trainer nuts with a million questions at every session. It means, when appropriate, doing some of the hands-on work yourself under the guidance of the trainer. It means when the day comes to take your horse home, you know as much as your trainer about Flossy’s strengths and weaknesses and what to do about them in the coming weeks/months. It also means that after you take Flossy home you keep working with the trainer through regular lessons. It also means only choose a trainer who is prepared to work with you in this way. It means avoiding trainers who don’t encourage your visits, participation and are uninterested in offering ongoing help after your horse goes home.

I know this level of commitment by an owner works. Shortly after I changed careers from trainer to full-time clinician I spent a little time recalling the success of some owners and their horses a year after they had gone home after working with me. The correlation was black and white. Those that worked with me during and after the training period had less trouble and happier horses a year later than those that did not, by a significant margin. I know that probably seems a no-brainer, but it surprises me how few people commit to taking advantage of the learning opportunity when their horse is with a trainer.

It’s not a substitute for 6 months with a brilliant trainer, but given that is not possible for many people, it’s a pretty good compromise. This type of commitment from an owner is no less than what every horse deserves. The emotional, physical and financial investment we place in our horses means that it is more wasteful to cut corners when we start horses than to do it right the first time.

Photo: A c**t starting event.

08/05/2021

Address

500 Lincoln Avenue
Port Coquitlam, BC

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16043284606

Website

http://caprioleacademy.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Capriole Academy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Capriole Academy:

Shortcuts

Our Services

*NEW* Full training (5 days per week in lessons or training with Dianna Epps including starting/backing horses) $1350 and includes Full Board (grain also included). We offer starting services for unbroke horses, re-starting for difficult horses and are willing to take on horses with "problems" on a case-by-case basis (rearing/bucking/bolting/stopping/spooking etc). Full Board is currently available for $780/month (new, large, dry, sand paddocks with electro-braid fencing) -Includes daily stall and paddock cleaning -Includes 2 fully customized warm mashes per day -Daily water bucket scrubbing and refilling -Blanket changes as needed -3 hay feedings per day -Seasonal Grass Pasture Turn-Out in small groups Semi-Full Board OPTION 1 (we do all the work, you provide the feed): $580 -Includes daily stall and paddock cleaning - We check water and refill if needed - We feed your hay (that you set up) and pre-bagged grain 3x/day Semi-Full Board OPTION 2 (you do all the work, we provide the feed): $600 -Includes 2 fully customized warm mashes per day -Daily water bucket scrubbing and refilling -3 hay feedings per day Better Than Self Board (we turn in/out for you and feed your horse 3x/day and ensure water buckets are full, you do your stall and paddock daily - we provide the tools - and you provide your own hay & grain that we will feed): $380 - Includes turn in & turn out - Feeding of your pre-set out hay 3x/day - Feeding of your grain (pre-bagged) 2x/day *please note: All boarders are considered part of our family & team and as a result are informally requested to participate in the barn through either lessons with one of our coaches, attending clinics, getting training for their horses etc. We ask that if you cannot care for your horse for a few days that you ask one of us to exercise him or her for you so we can have balanced, happy, healthy horses at our farm. Our belief is that horses require a minimum of 3 days per week of mental/physical stimulation to remain happy and healthy.* Lesson packages on one of our well-schooled horses start at $220/month Lease Packages start at $320/month and include lessons Barefoot Rehabilitation starts at $850/month and includes full board Holistic Care Programs (Chiro, Massage, Reiki, Barefoot rehab, physiotherapy, saddle fit etc) are available. UPCOMING PROJECTS: - Paddock Shelters - Paddock Paradise - Re-seeding of all fields with a timothy grass mix for the summer months - Jump refurbishing and painting party (spring) - General Property Beautification (ongoing)