Colt Starting & Ranch Horsemanship Certificate
H.O.L.L.S. · Heart-J Center at Sylvan Dale Ranch · Loveland, Colorado
Preparing students to safely start, handle, and ride horses for ranch and working environments. Clock-hour, instructor-supervised, facility-based instruction.
2939 N County Road 31D
Loveland, CO 80538
Course Description
The Colt Starting & Ranch Horsemanship Certificate is a 12-week, clock-hour, instructor-supervised occupational training program designed to prepare students for entry-level work with horses in ranch and working environments. The course emphasizes safety, consistency, and practical skill development through structured, facility-based instruction. Students learn foundational horsemanship, colt starting principles, mounted control, and ranch-relevant horse handling using industry-standard techniques under continuous instructor supervision. All instruction occurs on site, with no independent study or externship component.
Instruction is delivered through a phased curriculum that integrates classroom-based technical briefings, instructor demonstration, guided observation, and progressive hands-on practice across multiple horses. Emphasis is placed on observable horse response, safe handling practices, and task sequencing reflective of real-world ranch operations.
Successful completion indicates that the student has demonstrated the competencies necessary to perform supervised horse starting and ranch horsemanship tasks in an occupational setting, in alignment with Colorado private occupational school requirements and Veterans Affairs standards for non-degree, clock-hour training programs.
H.O.L.L.S. provides every horse used in the program. Students rotate through a working string rather than being limited to a single horse, building experience across multiple temperaments and skill levels.
Course Goals & Learning Objectives
- Provide students with the practical skills and safety knowledge required to work with horses in ranch and livestock operations.
- Develop consistent, reliable horse handling and riding practices appropriate for entry-level occupational settings.
- Prepare students to perform assigned horse-related tasks safely and effectively under supervision in real-world ranch environments.
- 01Demonstrate safe facility practices, horse handling procedures, and equipment use.
- 02Properly approach, halter, lead, and manage horses in controlled and working environments.
- 03Apply pressure-and-release principles to achieve predictable horse response on the ground and under saddle.
- 04Safely saddle, tack, and prepare horses for ranch-appropriate riding tasks.
- 05Demonstrate controlled mounted skills including starting, stopping, turning, and gait transitions.
- 06Identify and respond appropriately to common horse behavior and handling challenges encountered in ranch settings.
- 07Maintain safety, consistency, and situational awareness while working with multiple horses.
- 08Perform assigned horse-handling and riding tasks in accordance with instructor direction and established safety standards.
Course Structure & Methods
Instruction occurs Monday through Friday and follows a consistent weekly rhythm that integrates technical instruction, instructor demonstration, guided observation, and progressively advanced hands-on practice. All instructional activities take place on site and are scheduled, directed, and overseen by instructors.
The course uses a phased instructional model that moves students from foundational safety and groundwork skills to mounted control and ranch-relevant handling tasks. Curriculum is backward-designed and delivered through a gradual release of responsibility: instructor demonstrates, students work alongside the instructor, students perform under supervision.
Learning is competency-based and evaluated through observable performance and horse response rather than written exams or subjective measures. No independent study, self-directed riding, remote instruction, or off-site training is permitted.
- Morning: farrier theory, demonstration, and supervised participation
- Afternoon: instructor-demonstrated applied techniques and technical briefings
- No independent or student-led riding
- Observation hours are instructor-directed and count as instructional time
- Time-blocked instruction
- Instructor-assigned horse rotation
- 30 to 90 minutes per horse, averaging about 45 minutes
- Riding time increases by phase
- Instructor present at all times
Phased Curriculum
Establish foundational safety, horse handling, and groundwork skills required for ranch employment.
- Facility and horse safety procedures
- Safe approach, haltering, and leading
- Ground control and positioning
- Pressure and release fundamentals
- Introductory riding, late phase only
- Farrier basics and horse restraint
- Safety theory and equipment use
- Instructor demonstration of groundwork techniques
- Binary competency checks
- Safety violations require retraining
- Instructor-verified performance only
Develop reliable horse response under saddle and consistent handling across multiple horses.
- Saddling and tack management
- Mounted control: stop, turn, forward
- Ranch-appropriate gait transitions
- Problem response introduction
- Extended riding duration under supervision
- Farrier skill reinforcement
- Instructor demonstrations of mounted techniques
- Observation of correction sequences and common errors
- Horse response within defined thresholds
- Reduced instructor prompting, instructor remains present
- Task completion and safety compliance
Prepare students to perform ranch-relevant horse starting tasks independently under supervision.
- Consistent control across multiple horses
- Problem response and correction
- Riding under controlled environmental variability
- Task sequencing without step-by-step prompts
- Advanced farrier handling
- Demonstrations of job-realistic scenarios
- Technical briefings and error analysis
- Summative competency evaluations
- Pass or needs retraining
- Based solely on observable horse response and safety
Admissions Requirements
Admission is selective and based on readiness for physically demanding, hands-on vocational training. Admission may be denied or deferred if participation would present a safety risk to the student or others.
18 years.
Programs involve mounted riding, livestock handling, outdoor work, lifting, uneven terrain, and prolonged standing. Applicants must be able to participate safely.
Students may complete an intake skills assessment before or at the start of instruction to determine horse assignments and supervision level.
Willingness to follow instructor direction, safety protocols, and professional conduct standards.
Course Requirements
- Attend all scheduled instructional days and earn the required clock hours
- Be present, on time, and actively engaged in instructor-led instruction
- Follow all attendance and clock-hour policies outlined in the Course Catalog
- Comply with all safety protocols, facility rules, and equipment use standards
- Follow instructor direction at all times when working with horses and equipment
- Maintain professional conduct toward instructors, peers, animals, and staff
- Refrain from unsafe, reckless, or unauthorized horse handling or riding
- Demonstrate required horsemanship skills through observable performance
- Meet competency standards verified by instructors
- Complete retraining and re-evaluation when standards are not met
Evaluation & Completion
Student progress is evaluated through competency-based assessment focused on safety, skill execution, and observable horse response. Evaluation is conducted by instructors during scheduled instructional activities and practical application sessions. Students who do not meet established competency standards may be required to undergo retraining and re-evaluation.
- 01Earn all required clock hours (390).
- 02Maintain satisfactory attendance as defined in the Course Catalog.
- 03Demonstrate all required competencies, verified by instructors through observable performance.
- 04Comply with all safety protocols and professional conduct standards.
- 05Pass final summative competency evaluations.
Policies
Attendance is recorded daily at designated times. Clock hours are earned only while attending and participating in instructor-led activities. Excused absences may be granted for illness, family emergencies, or other significant circumstances with documentation. Missed time may require make-up hours, remediation, or delayed completion.
Instructors assign horses and control rotation to protect horse welfare, student safety, and ranch-realistic conditions. Time per horse is strictly enforced at 30 to 90 minutes. Supervision ratios are 1:1 or 1:2 for high-risk activities such as first rides and young horses, and up to 1:4 for moderate and low-risk work.
Instructors hold stop-work authority at all times and may modify or halt activities, restrict participation, ground horses, or delay progression. Safety decisions override schedule and curriculum pacing and are final.
All instruction occurs at program facilities. Equipment use follows safety and manufacturer standards. Students may not engage in unsupervised horse work. Students may bring one or two of their own horses if approved by instructors before the program starts.
Zero tolerance for impairment during instructional activities, including alcohol, illegal drugs, marijuana, psilocybin, and misuse of prescription medication. Suspected impairment results in immediate removal from instruction pending review.
Refunds are calculated on a pro-rata basis using the student's last date of attendance. Tuition earned is retained by the school; unearned tuition is refunded to the appropriate payer. Refunds for students using VA benefits are processed in compliance with VA regulations.
Housing is not required and is not included in tuition. Arrangements are made directly between students and housing providers. The school does not own, operate, manage, or collect payment for housing. Students receiving VA housing allowances receive those funds directly.
Programs may include mounted riding, livestock handling, outdoor exposure, lifting, and uneven terrain. Reasonable accommodations may be considered when they do not compromise safety or fundamentally alter program requirements.
This program does not include an externship or off-site training component. All occupational training is delivered through instructor-supervised, facility-based instruction designed to simulate employment conditions safely.
Recommended Reading
- Hooks, P. (2006). 101 ranch horse tips: Techniques for training the working cow horse. Lyons Press.Practical tips for working cattle horses and ranch-relevant riding and handling.
- Rashid, M. (2020). Life lessons from a ranch horse: 6 fundamentals of training horses and yourself. Skyhorse Publishing.Principled horsemanship, patience, consistency, and communication.
- Tellington-Jones, L. (1993). The ultimate horse behavior and training book. Trafalgar Square Books.Foundational horse training and communication principles.
- Roberts, M. (1997). The man who listens to horses. Random House.A classic in natural horsemanship emphasizing understanding horse behavior.
Ready to enroll?
The inaugural cohort begins in January 2027. Tuition is $24,000. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.