thewhisper
Show me your horse and I will tell you what you are
a newsletter of sorts
Dear helen,
Ever had this horse problem?
You go to ride your horse. First, you have to catch him.
With halter in hand he walks away as you approach.
Who hasn't had this problem?!
Instead of catching your horse, why not teach him to catch you? Wouldn't that be somethin'!
Here's how.
Put your horse in an arena or large corral of some sort.
Get two or three friends to help you. Make sure they're patient people.
Have each person carry a lead rope with a halter.
You get on one side of the arena.
Have your friends drive your horse to you by swinging their ropes toward the horse.
When the horse comes toward you, your friends stop swinging their ropes. If the horse stops (which he likely will), they swing their ropes again to drive the horse to you.
As your horse gets close enough to you AND he approaches you, you start backing up - but back up slower than he comes to you.
When you back up, the horse senses an opening. It's also not as threatening and it actually gets him to lock onto you.
Now here's the crucial part...
Watch your horse's body language. When he's telling you he's looking to you, then don't back away any more.
Just stop, and let him come to you.
DO NOT catch him at this point.
Simply pet him.
Let him stand there and kick back for a bit before you halter him.
At this point, you can either stop for the day or release him and see if you can catch him.
If you catch him by yourself, then quit for the day. You will be shocked how much impact that'll make on him as he thinks about it over night.
If you can't catch him again, then repeat the process I layed out.
Ultimately, you want your horse to think of you as the best place to be in the arena. You want him thinking that with you it's relaxing, comfortable, and peaceful.
Be sure your helpers are especially watchful of the horse. It's crucial they release the pressure of the swinging ropes when your horse moves to you.
Likewise, it's important they drive him to you when he stops short.
Adios until manana.
Sincerely,
Andy Curry
Ever had this horse problem?
You go to ride your horse. First, you have to catch him.
With halter in hand he walks away as you approach.
Who hasn't had this problem?!
Instead of catching your horse, why not teach him to catch you? Wouldn't that be somethin'!
Here's how.
Put your horse in an arena or large corral of some sort.
Get two or three friends to help you. Make sure they're patient people.
Have each person carry a lead rope with a halter.
You get on one side of the arena.
Have your friends drive your horse to you by swinging their ropes toward the horse.
When the horse comes toward you, your friends stop swinging their ropes. If the horse stops (which he likely will), they swing their ropes again to drive the horse to you.
As your horse gets close enough to you AND he approaches you, you start backing up - but back up slower than he comes to you.
When you back up, the horse senses an opening. It's also not as threatening and it actually gets him to lock onto you.
Now here's the crucial part...
Watch your horse's body language. When he's telling you he's looking to you, then don't back away any more.
Just stop, and let him come to you.
DO NOT catch him at this point.
Simply pet him.
Let him stand there and kick back for a bit before you halter him.
At this point, you can either stop for the day or release him and see if you can catch him.
If you catch him by yourself, then quit for the day. You will be shocked how much impact that'll make on him as he thinks about it over night.
If you can't catch him again, then repeat the process I layed out.
Ultimately, you want your horse to think of you as the best place to be in the arena. You want him thinking that with you it's relaxing, comfortable, and peaceful.
Be sure your helpers are especially watchful of the horse. It's crucial they release the pressure of the swinging ropes when your horse moves to you.
Likewise, it's important they drive him to you when he stops short.
Adios until manana.
Sincerely,
Andy Curry
No between a horse's ears - the wind of heaven
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