Mahout and elephant are seemed like father and son that they have to live with each other almost forever. Beginning when the 4-5 year-old-elephant baby weaned, this is the perfect time for training because it has a strong enough body and it learns easier than adult elephant. At first, mahout will start to get familiar with elephant by taking then to take a shower and teach it to lift its leg for letting mahout to ride on its neck. When they get familiar with each other, elephant can understand and do as what mahout said. Mahout has to notice elephant's growth, irregular things always as if it is his own son. The relationship that happens between mahout and elephant is incredible that elephant can understand human language. Elephant have a life span in average at 70 years just like human.

At Mae Ta Man Elephant Barn, most of mahouts are inherited by their generation. Each mahout is descended how to train elephant from his ancestor. The mahouts start working at 6 o' clock in the morning by feeding, showering, training, and working especially in the morning because elephant doesn't like heat so the mahout shouldn't let it work against the strong sunlight. The mahout and elephant will take a rest in the afternoon.