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Info & FAQs

Questions answered straight,
and notes from the barn.

Common questions about colt starting, ranch training, and tune-ups, plus a few articles on getting the most out of your horse — pulled from real days at Circle C Bar.

Common questions

What new owners always ask.

If your question isn't here, call the barn or write us — we'll answer straight, the same day.

  • All of them. Quarter horses, thoroughbreds, mustangs, mules, ponies — every breed has the same basic deal with a handler, and we treat them all that way. If it's got four legs and a mind of its own, we can help.

  • Halter breaking, sacking out, first saddle, first bridle, first rides — walk, trot, lope. Trailer loading, farrier manners, ground tying. By send-home your colt is ridden, calm, and confident. $950/month with hay included, or $750/month if you bring your own.

  • Colt starting is typically 60 days. Ranch training and tune-ups run 30 – 90 days depending on what the horse needs. Mountain miles are quoted per trip. We'll give you an honest estimate after the first week.

  • Yes — $250 to $350 a week, or $600 to $900 a month for a full tune-up. Good fit if your horse needs to come back into shape before a trip, a show, or trail season.

  • Yes, and we want you to. We encourage at least two visits during your horse's stay so the transition home isn't a surprise to anyone — horse or rider. Just call ahead so we can have your horse working when you arrive.

  • We'll tell you straight within the first week. If we don't think we can help, we'll refund the unused training and recommend someone who can. We've sent horses to other barns before. It happens.

From the barn

Articles & barn notes.

Short reads on training, tune-ups, and picking the right barn for your horse.

5 min read

When to start a young horse under saddle

Two, three, or four years old? The honest answer is the one the horse gives you.

Most folks ask us when they should start a colt under saddle, and the truth is the age on the paperwork matters less than the horse standing in front of you. We've started two-year-olds that were ready, and we've waited on four-year-olds that weren't.

What we look for is physical maturity in the joints and back, mental settledness around new pressure, and consistent groundwork manners. A colt that loads in a trailer, ties calmly, picks up all four feet, and stands quiet for the farrier is telling you something — and a colt that can't do those things consistently isn't ready to carry a rider, regardless of age.

Our colt starting program at Circle C Bar runs through the same checklist with every horse: halter break, sacking out, saddle, bridle, and first rides. We send a young horse home calm, confident, and started right. Hurrying that timeline is how you end up with a horse that gets rushed for the rest of their life.

4 min read

Spring tune-up: getting your horse back in shape

A winter off the trail will soften any horse. Here's how we bring them back without rushing.

If your horse spent the winter eating hay and watching the snow, the first warm Saturday is not the day to load up and ride to the high country. Soft hooves, soft topline, and soft brain — every part of the horse needs time to come back into shape.

Our tune-up program is built for exactly this. A monthly tune-up at Circle C Bar runs $600 to $900 and gets your horse ridden five days a week, conditioned slowly, and refreshed on the manners that may have slipped over the winter. Weekly tune-ups run $250 to $350 if your horse just needs a few days of consistent rides before a big trip.

Either way, we send a written assessment after week one telling you exactly what we're seeing. No surprises at pickup.

6 min read

How to choose a horse trainer in Utah

Three things to ask before you load your horse on the trailer.

There are plenty of horse trainers in Sanpete County, Utah County, and across the Wasatch Front. Picking the right one matters because the wrong trainer can set a horse back further than no trainer at all.

First, ask who's actually riding your horse. At a lot of barns the trainer you meet at the gate is not the person putting the rides in — assistants and barn hands do the day-to-day. At Circle C Bar, Bowdee and Izzy Coddington personally handle every colt and every tune-up. That's the line we won't cross.

Second, ask what happens if it's not a fit. A good trainer will tell you within the first week if your horse isn't right for their program and refund the unused training. We've sent horses to other barns — sometimes a horse needs something we don't specialize in, and that's an honest conversation.

Third, ask to watch a session. Any trainer worth your money will encourage you to come visit, sit on the rail, and watch quietly. If they don't want you there, that's the answer.

Ready when you are

Bring your horse to the barn.

Spend an hour walking the property with us. If we're a fit, we'll tell you what we'd work on first. If we're not, we'll point you somewhere good.

Schedule a barn visit(801) 400-4872

Moroni, UT · (801) 400-4872 · contact@circlecbarhorses.com

Schedule a visit