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 Monty’s Willing Partners™ ProgramThe Willing Partners program began in 2005. It has never been a profit center in our financial statements. We do it because we love the challenge of producing thee wonderful animals. In addition, we meet fantastic people and generate relationships globally that have stood the test of time since our first sale. For those interested in owning a Willing Partners horse, we would put forth a quick look at the cost of producing a graduate. The requirements are that these horses must accept pigs, goats, sheep, llama, deer, tarpaulins and hundreds of scary objects, as well as be a trained driving horse for carriages and other vehicles. In order to accomplish all of these requirements, we have experienced a training schedule that demands a minimum of 24 months. Most graduates have logged over 30 months of training to accomplish relaxed and safe individuals throughout the testing procedures mentioned above. The average prospect comes into our program with a purchase price averaging about $4,000. The cost of training has worked out to be a minimum of $1,000 a month. It has been very difficult to produce an acceptable Willing Partners horse for less than $40,000 when vet and farrier bills are added to the scenario. The above-mentioned costs are just numbers that are easy to see. The greatest cost in the entire program has been the cost of those that fail somewhere along the line. They are basically zero on the books and often require $25,000 to $30,000 before failure is known to be the only option left. We have sold some very outstanding Willing Partners horses for far less than we have had in them. It is critical with us that we maintain a program, which values the home they go to and the person who will be connected with them. Our greatest fear is a bad phone call that something negative has happened. Feel free to come and see the operation and get to know the extent to which we work to achieve our intended goals. We care about our horses, but most of all we care about the people who will ultimately enjoy them. It is our hope that through word of mouth we will gain a reputation for excellence. Click here for contact information and directions to Monty’s farm.
See more videos about Monty’s Willing Partner™ Horses by clicking HERE
Willing Partners that Have Left the Herd
One might ask, “How is it possible that you can list dozens of horses here and then have nothing but good things to say about them. How can they all be the outstanding individuals that you have described on this list?” Please, do not hold the opinion that I have acquired each of these wonderful individuals without having a negative here and there, in fact, I am quite proud to say that I am doing better these days and that about 40% of the horses we put into training as Willing Partners do not appear on this list. I failed them like leaves in autumn. When we started the Willing Partners Program, I was successful with about one in eight and now it’s approximately about six out of ten that make the grade. I just don’t waste your time with the failures. It’s interesting that having given you the information about the success and failure rate, some of the horses that fail do so because they are too good. By that I mean, too talented or athletic, with too big a fire burning in their middle. One of my failures is a world class Reiner at this very moment. Others are competing in various high level events. Many of them are sold for very small prices to people who are given full information about their personalities. Issues regarding skeletal problems might well be donated to Therapeutic Riding groups if they are physically able to handle the light work required by that activity. If you choose to investigate the horses I have described here I believe you will be amazed at how wonderful they perform the tasks described. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: WILLING PARTNERS™Why did you start your Willing Partners™ Program? People are crying out for this. Everywhere I go people ask me where to find a horse trained for the entire family to enjoy. The aged and the young have specific needs as do the physically challenged. We had a trial horse named The Nu Dude who was incredibly successful. We worked with two other horses and sold all three to great homes. Who is it designed for? The world is saying ‘find us quality horses that we can count on’. This program is designed for you.
What makes your Willing Partners™ horses unique?
We plan to start streaming video of the horses in training on our website so people can watch their progress. We custom train horses for the owner’s needs. This is a very specialized effort. Riding and working with horses involves risk but I feel that this risk is minimized with the horses that I select to put through the Willing Partners™ Program. Do I have to ride in a specific discipline? Not at all. So far the horses have gone to people in England, Denmark and Norway, where they fulfill their owners wide-ranging needs, including competition in pleasure classes, driving, ponying racehorses on the track and therapeutic riding activities for children with disabilities. Endorsement from a Willing Partners horse owner:
Monty and his team made great efforts to find the perfect match for our daughter Rina and are very attentive to her needs. They have great ideas and imagination for training the horse to respond to Rina’s cues. They are super friendly. We feel they have Rina´s best interest at heart and we feel they are very competent.” ~ Charlotte Stjernfelt, owner of Willing Partners™ graduate STERLING, 3-year old AQH, in training at Flag Is Up Farms
Willing Partners™ horses are trained at Flag Is Up Farms by Monty and his team of trainers. Our doors are open to visitors every day of the week between 9 am and 5 pm, no fee or reservation is required. We hope to meet you there soon. Come and watch Monty’s concepts at work! for more information, email info@montyroberts.com. DESTINATION WINE COUNTRY INFO Journeys; The Horses of Wine Country, article by Gigi Meyer in The New York Times Backroads of the California Wine Country, book by Karen Misurace and Gary Crabbe |
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