Lyle and the Cowboy Hat

Dear Reader,

On August 31, 2011 Dr. Stoll put my beloved stallion Nipper to sleep because of an advanced cancer that was not treatable. Today is the first day since then that I have had the heart to ride again. Lyle and I continue to work so that he may become a good horse. The bad trainer who started him had made Lyle into a run away. That is the problem Lyle and I are addressing now.

Lyle and I are riding in semi open country now. He attempts to run away. Each time he does this I correct him by turning him using the bosal and my heels. I do NOT wear spurs because Lyle was badly abused in spurs. This is why I refuse to wear them while riding Lyle. But I keep my knees off of him and only use my feet/heels to guide him along with the bosal. My foot cue is the pre-cue and the bosal follows. I am using turns to stop the run away behavior. I am also using the technique of having him cross his front feet so that he can not run off. And I am also using an old time cowboy trick called "fanning the horse." By this I use my hat to enforce a turn. All of these methods are NON painful and all of them do NOT frighten the horse. They are simply aids to help Lyle change his behavior.

You may not believe this. But I will write it any way. Lyle is very kind and very patient. I am not a good rider and I MUST have a kind and patient horse. Proof of this is the fact that Lyle has allowed me to continue to retrain him. One day he will become a good horse. I am only an old fool. But even an old fool can help a horse as long as her heart is good.

Sincerely,

Penny Johnson

Bonners Ferry, Idaho