Dear Reader,
Lyle and I continue to work on yielding. We have been riding in places that I know he would not like. One of these places was the old vegetable garden that has been disked, plowed up and put "to bed" for the winter. I purposely took him there because I know that he would object. And he did. He reverted back to his old habit of being "cold jawed" and he tried to run away. I did not feel like using the reins because I was real sure he would not obey them. So I used an old cowboy trick. I reached forward and turned him using the bridle itself. After that turn, which was very gentle because I had a good hold of the bridle cheek piece and good leverage, Lyle started to obey better.
Lyle and I just continue to work on yielding and over coming his "cold jawed" problem. For me there is a lesson here. It is simple: The human being must always remember that a horse is an animal and NEVER get his or her ego or pride tied up in any horse. I will continue to work Lyle because that is here my heart has called me. But there can be no ego involved here. It must only be for the good of the horse.
In the picture Lyle is about to run away. Turning him with the bridle cheek piece kept him from running off with me. I remember that Mr. Bill Dorrance spent a long time riding his mare Beauty before she became trustworthy. I have a feeling that the same will be true for Lyle and I. But we will get there.
Sincerely,
Penny Johnson
Kootenai Curly Horses
Bonners Ferry, Idaho USA
Penny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. The more time I spend with my horses the more I learn. I do not know where the technique originated but I also share with my riders to learn their "emergency brakes"...which is simply bringing their left or right rein to their pocket so that the horse slows down their momentum and they come to a stop faster.
I hope to be learning more till the day I pass over the rainbow bridge{:>
Angie
Angie,
ReplyDeleteYou are very wise to teach your students the "emergency" stop. You are serving your students well to do this.
May God grant that we both keep learning until the day that we both make our accounting before the Divine Judge. I hope that He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." to both of us.
Sincerely,
Penny
Angie,
ReplyDeleteOne last comment. Yes, I used the bridle cheek piece to get the "emergency" stop, that is the one rein stop. I used the bridle because I sensed that Lyle would not obey the rein. This has been a big part of the problem, that Lyle has been trained by his previous rider to be "cold jawed." I have an intuitive feeling that he will over come this problem with my help.
Penny