Welcome to my online guide to a happier horse.

TRUST
by
Bill Holman

Forgive me if I reared, I was confused and I was scared. I approached something scary or I protested to leave a spot I felt secure.

You never reassured me! I didn’t know my cue! You started my lessons in the middle! You skipped lesson one and lesson two!

All the brushing and the petting in the beginning took too much time, so now I don’t trust you on the ground or on my back! The friendship in the beginning and the bonding is what we lack.

Teach me from the start it is ok to leave my friends, for it is you that will comfort me around all the spooky bends!

It is you, your calmness, and your trust I will depend on in daylight and in night
because from the beginning you taught me out of TRUST and not out of fright!

Through the eyes of a young horse he will see you the first time as friend or foe! Remember this when you are teaching your colt.


(Bill)

Below are a couple of my favorite stories.

Two years ago I had a phone message:

“HELPPPP I HAVE A HORSE WHO WAS GOOD BUT NOW YOU CAN'T DO ANY THING WITH HER.”
I called the guy back and he explained that she was once a racehorse with a record as a 3 year old (only 4 at the time of conversation) She had become vicious in the stall chasing him out with her hind feet. He could no longer get a harness on her.  He said, "they tell me you fix problem horses can you fix her?” I said I don’t know with out seeing her but I would like to try.

I picked her up and started with her the next day. I put her in the round pen to see where she was at and see what she could tell me. This once nice racehorse was terrified. I caught her with a little feed, seeing she needed to be reassured that I was no enemy. I put her in the stall and hand fed her and brushed her for a week. I then showed her all the equipment like she had never seen it before, step by step as to not shake her up or alarm her.

The guy went on vacation for a month and when he returned called me. “How is the filly?" he said.  I replied, "I raced her for you 2 days ago, she raced good and finished 4th. All she needed was a little reassurance."  He then told me she was in an accident and busted up the cart and harness after that she became worse and worse! Some times we just have to put ourselves in their place to see what they are telling us.

This next story is a story that led to two different cases.

A girl had come to see me asking me if I could fix a horse that has turned bad. She is running me out of the stall and the lot. She came from a good stable of trainers and they told my girl friend to get her out of there. SHE’S DANGEROUS! I said I don’t know if I can fix her or not, but I will be glad to try. I went to their farm to pick her up and sure enough this mare was running her out of the lot, mouth wide open.

I went and got a bucket of feed and stood in the middle of the pasture and stirred the grain to make her know I had feed. She first took a dive at me and I stood my ground and let out a simple gesture as to tell her she’s wrong, I said HEY in a strong voice and she came again ears back but head down. I stood a few more minutes this time with grain in my hand. She took it and moved back. I repeated and this time she ate it and stayed. I then kept it in the bucket and let her come eat out of the bucket but I did not try to catch her or grab her.

The next time she approached I moved the grain away from her and made her turn around with me if she wanted it. Then I walked away from her, but REMEMBER ALWAYS KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU! KNOW WHERE SHE IS AND WHAT SHE IS DOING TO AVOID GETTING KICKED OR CHARGED, or BITTEN. She had her ears up so I let her follow me for a while if she wanted the grain. I eventually stopped and gave her a couple bites. I then caught her and loaded her, as she followed me right in.

This mare had been attempted to get broke and turned very bad.  I had to figure out why. Several trainers and riders had been thrown, before I was called. The last guy that attempted to ride her was thrown and the bridle came off. He started beating her with the bridle. This is when she became defensive.

I put her in a stall for a week. I set a bucket of feed by her stall and when I would go by her stall I would give her a hand full of grain. She had to come to me to get it. I brushed her all week all over witch she started to like the companionship and brushing. I put a board above her stall and sat on it for a half hour or more a day. I fed her grain from above her head. I do this because most horses buck because they are not use to things above their head. You are above their head you are a predator on the attack. If they are use to this they very seldom buck.

Next I got her use to my weight on her back as I brushed her. Let her get familiar with a good thing. Next I lowered my self on her back and brushed her from up there every day for several days. You could see the change in her attitude day by day. After she was use to me on her. I then got her use to a saddle. (Do not cinch it up the first day and do it a little tighter day by day we don’t want her to regress) eventually she took it full cinch and with me getting on and off. She was ready for the round pen first just the saddle then with me.

In two weeks the mare had done an about face, she was no longer vicious and was learning her gestures to trot walk and canter. The girl became pregnant and wanted to sell the horse I sold her to another client and she went on trail ride after trail ride through rivers and over mountains.

Start horses out with a little kindness and respect. Just like your kids with respect you will get respect. Let's not assume horses were born to ride. Take your time become a friend and companion to them before you start throwing your demands upon them. Vicious behavior from you can often turn an animal into a very dangerous thing!  Use trust, kindness, and commonsense, and have a great time!

Happy trails!!!