31 January 2012

Using the Rope to Stop the Brace


Yoshi's been too lame to get the rope out. Not so today. I brought the 60' with me and turned Yoshi loose in the round pen. He stayed close, hooked on nice - until I started building a loop.

25 January 2012

A Better Set of Rules...


I got on and off of Bravo several dozen times today and began fixing all the rules he's generated about this exercise:

Move very slowly
Move very smoothly
Don't bump me
Don't move around up there
Don't touch me with your calves
No barking puppies
No breeze blowing, including falling leaves and waving palm branches
No GOATS!

My answer:
I have a better set of rules.

23 January 2012

Fearful Humans = Fearful Horses

Something happened between the horse and the handler. Perhaps it occurred long ago...

Who knows...

20 January 2012

You Want Me To Be Your Friend...

I don't leave it up to the new arrival to decide to befriend me. It's my job to convince the horse that I am worthy to be the leader.

When Bravo arrived, he wanted nothing to do with me. That doesn't work well in a training scenario. Fortunately, my herd took care of the problem for me. They would not allow him in. That left Bravo looking for a friend...

19 January 2012

You Can't Catch Me!!!

Bravo arrived yesterday. He's a black Tennessee Walker gelding who's in for trail ride training.

I started Bravo's first session by gathering Ziggy out of the pasture, saddling him up and then leaving him tied in the barn - I just had a feeling...

Halter in hand, I went back out to the pasture on foot and attempted to make a connection with Bravo.

He wanted nothing to do with me.

10 January 2012

Regarding a Quiet Seat and Hands Through Movement...

A great horseman - Bruce Sandifer sums it up like this:

"The only way for a rider to get a quiet seat and hands is through movement not stillness."