Mark Jones Training Stables

Mark continues to help me improve my riding and provides valuable advice to help me work with my horse in a way that makes us both feel confident. Mark understands my goals and what my horse needs and he sets us up for success. I'm looking forward to kicking some goals in the near future with Mark's help!

Mark helped me with a very large (18.1) and nervous warmblood who literally had zero respect for people.Mark was kind enough to come to me for our first in hand session, then we participated in a clinic at Marks property (do it whenever you get the chance, pushes all boundaries in a safe space, a great day out).It was like floating home a new horse at the end of the day and we’ve not looked back since. If you want a good horse, work with good trainers. I’ll be going back regularly to keep him fine tuned.

I sent my 3 year old Arabian gelding to be broken in by Mark and I couldn't be any happier dealing with Mark and with the results. He done an awesome job with my horse, taught me a lot, and it was always a good time

Mark worked wonders for my horse Ruby. Before mark worked with her, people had told me I would never be able to ride her. Mark did so much work with her on the ground trying to change her mindset and overall behaviour. Now I’m taking her home and I am confident when riding her. It’s like she is a completely different horse. Mark also taught me how to do all the ground work and exercises with her. He has helped me to feel confident that I can work with her safely. He taught me and Ruby how to work together as a team. I truely believe that without Marks training Ruby would not be the horse she is today and I wouldn’t be the same rider. I have huge respect and appreciation for Mark and all the work he has done with Ruby and myself.

I contacted Mark because I was having trouble with my young thoroughbreds behaviour. I wasn’t enjoying riding anymore despite still loving the horse. Mark helped me immensely. He gave me the tools to rectify any given situation. I now have the confidence to ride again and for the first time on this horse I feel like we are heading in the right direction. When you have a lesson with Mark it’s not based on time, rather than what you are hoping/wanting to achieve. Mark is with you all the way and incredibly supportive. Mark doesn’t clock off and take your money and that’s it for the hour. I can’t recommend Mark Jones enough.

I have been having riding lessons with Mark for a couple of months now, as a complete beginner we started from basic ground work and simple horse care and safety around horses.I'm slowly building my confidence and fighting through my fears and looking forward to taking my boy JJ home, knowing that I will have all of the tools I need to be safe and happy.Thanks Mark and all of the friendly and helpful people for sharing advice, knowledge and especially patience, it's been a very enjoyable journey!

After losing my much loved horse Duckie halfway through last year, I bought a 3 y/o, unbroken WBxTB, named Maya in September. Whilst Maya was brave, clever, and generally pretty friendly, she was young and could be very bolshie and difficult to handle, particularly when she didn’t get her own way.I was very fortunate to have had my coach, Tim Calkin, help me with Maya until came the time we decided she really needed to be broken in and professionally trained elsewhere, so Tim recommended Mark to us. We organised a time for both Tim and Mark, as well as myself and Maya, to meet up for a ‘crossover’ lesson, where a plan was discussed. It was decided Tim and Mark would work closely together and ‘pass the ball’ to and from each other at certain points of the journey, with Tim predominantly being my ongoing coach once she was broken in, and Mark handling the brunt of the groundwork training with Maya, and those early ridden stages - an exciting experience, where two coaches from different disciplines and backgrounds but with similar values work together, isn’t something you see every day!From the beginning, Mark was extremely helpful and gave both Maya and myself lessons at our agistment, until Maya could go to his property where her ridden career would commence. Although Maya definitely needed training, I really needed it too. My confidence in handling her was low, and I lacked the skills to appropriately address and correct her ‘difficult moments’ - which usually consisted of rearing, striking, kicking and trying to run me over! All in all, Mark definitely had his work cut out for him…Right from our first lesson in late November, Mark provided a comfortable learning space where mistakes were allowed, and he’d assist in correcting and explaining them in a positive and engaging way. Throughout this time, his guidance has been invaluable and he has taught me lifelong lessons that’ll stick with me forever. He has given me so many new skills that have challenged and changed me for the better, and he has helped transform Maya into a completely different and improved version of herself. Mark’s way of training and how it is focused on fairness and rewarding the horse for their efforts, paired with his aim of providing clients with a soft, relaxed and safe horse, was visible during the entire process. It’s seriously hard to believe I’m working with the same horse! Before bringing Maya back home, we managed to squeeze in one of Mark’s clinics as well and she was so well behaved, especially considering she’d never been surrounded by so many ridden horses before! It was such a golden opportunity and I was so grateful to have it, I look forward to doing another one.Ultimately, a huge thank you goes out to Mark for helping us in ways I could have never imagined. Being a part of the whole process was such an irreplaceable and fantastic experience, I’m so proud of what Mark and I have accomplished. I highly recommend Mark for anyone wanting to train their horse and improve their own horsemanship skills, you’ll have an amazing time and won’t look back.

Couldn’t recommend MJTS enough. Mark has been my help and support with my young Friesian ‘Galaxy’ since he was six months old and have had frequent lessons to help aid him into becoming a versatile riding horse. Galaxy has just returned home after being at Marks to be started under saddle and he is just awesome. Mark put in a lot of time and effort into Galaxy whilst he was in his care and has come home and been fuss free, easy to do anything with. It will be a long, slow and steady road but with lessons and clinics upon the horizon Galaxy will be a ripper horse and can’t wait for his future. Big Thanks, regards Lauren.

I completed a ground work clinic with MJTS with my green horse. I then had a few lessons with Mark to follow up on what we had learnt at the clinic. I decided then to send my horse to Mark's property for several weeks of training under saddle. Mark has put some great education and miles onto my green horse. He has given me clear techniques and tools to trouble shoot with my ground work and riding. Whilst at Mark's property my horse was well taken care of, I had good communication about my horse and the team were very approachable.

We spontaneously bought a young horse, and as our first horse, we were green too. Quite the project package!! I wanted to make sure that both horse and owner had the right foundations to begin a fruitful, fun and safe journey together. Most importantly safe- being that we have two young children. Our young horse Stella has a kind temperament but she is a solid horse, pushy, all up in your space and would walk through you to get to something or somewhere she wanted to. Mark has begun to teach me the basics in a serious, no BS, yet jovial way, making these early lessons fun and a safe space to be SO green. He has worked with Stella for 4 weeks and I have seen Stella develop and be engaged with the work she was put through. I was especially happy when I visited the first time and saw her very relaxed and calm as she was being put through exercises. Despite her stubborn and pushy ways, she was obviously being treated with the right balance of respect and authority that she needed as a young horse, while nurturing her character. I look forward to continuing the groundwork exercises, working our way towards starting Stella under saddle... and in the meantime learning how to ride, eeeeek! Mark might just make a Jillaroo out of me yet, lol.