I coached my daughter through starting a 2yr old last summer. The horse has about 50 rides on him now and has been ridden with a bailer twine around his neck, a bosal, snaffle, grazing bit, a mikmar, and an Argentine. Several trips with each. Oddly enough he’s never been ridden in a halter. I guess that’s next. I don’t think it really matters to the horse what he wears on his head nearly as much as who’s hands are holding onto the other end of the headgear.
You gave your daughter a wonderful gift. I only have 1 son and he is not as "horsey" as I wish. But when he came to me saying he wanted to show horses, I got him a P.O.A.colt and told him to make his own show pony, ( with my supervision ), he did a great job. Now he is grownup =(
You've done it again!!! Bloody brilliant. Simple, making total sense. I got myself wrapped up in knots with progressive traditional training methods, but sometimes you've just got to go back to the snaffle, go back to the 5/8's, sometimes it's frustrating but it's just feeling what's best for that horse, and sometimes I know I've rushed and messed up, so I've gone back fixed it and moved on. It should have structure but not a rigid regime, flexibility is required and a big ol' mirror in the tack shed. Thanks for the videos amigo, really appreciate your time, honesty and horsemanship.
This background makes you look very cinematic don't ever feel like you don't belong on youtube you're a handsome and intelligent man bringing equestrian knowledge to a world hungry for it. Thank you sir.
I rode a horse in a snaffle for a bit and it just wasnt working great, so I rode him in a halter which he did much better in. The boss told me I needed to stop and get him back in a snaffle. I told him I had a hackamore arriving soon so I can just use that. He told me the horse needed to wait two more years til he could be ridden in a hackamore. The mindset didnt make sense and I quit a month later, for various reasons.
I'm with you, I don't have a check list either. I start all my personal horses in the hackamore, client horses usually in the snaffle simply because most people aren't familiar with the hackamore, at least where I'm at. Having learned from Martin Black the idea of changing and working on me rather than the horse or changing the tool has helped produce better horses.
My horse is 12 and I ride him in a hackamore most of the time just because he seems to be most relaxed with it. He does everything I need and is super light so why not? I can ride him in with a bit no problem but he’s not really more or less responsive with it.
I was riding a newly started horse yesterday. Took her on a trail ride through the woods. I thought about what you said. I was not scared to do this, so she must be ready.
@@HorsemanshipAsAnArt She did great. I write signs in my barn. Things I don't want to ever forget. You are now on the board. "If you are not scared , it will probably be alright"
Good evening I am happy I am not the only one thats nuts. A majority of horses I have started or bought that were supose to be broke. The first thing I put on there face is a hackamore. I have my reasons for starting them there. I have had people tell me a horse can run through a hackamore, which is true. I have had horses run through a bit also. Thanks for clarifying that I am not the only person that does whats good for the horse and not what(tradition) dictates is supose to be done. Have a good night.
That is one checklist I can follow! I was reading your book last night and in it you gave the support I needed to win the differing opinions of ground work with my wife! So thank you for the checklist and the professional opinion to back up my lack of ground work before stepping on a colt! One day I aught to find someone to teach me how to get along with a snaffle… I ride the hackamore till ready for a bridle cause I’ve yet to figure out how to get along with a snaffle🤣
@@HorsemanshipAsAnArt I don’t think we are loosing. I just agree that I only need enough ground work to be confident stepping on the first time I don’t need to get all of the ground work done before stepping on. It’s more of a better way of saying what I think. You tend to put into words what I am not good at saying.
@@danfields3341 I think I am the ultimate traditionalist. All the traditions of horsemanship are based on war. The first man that trotted over the hill to make war on his neighbor was thinking about coming home to kiss his wife and his babies and whatever it took to do that he was willing to do. I ride colts for a living and whatever it takes to see me alive at the end of the day to kiss my wife and babies is what I will do. That is the tradition. All the rest of the spade bit crusaders are tools in my opinion.
Tradition or "tradtional" is peer pressure from dead people. Know what has worked for others before you but adapt as you need to get where you want to go. It's just like teaching kids in school. the 3R's are a great starting point but some kid's need help with one of those r's by approaching it different.
There are trainers that do package up checklists & techniques so "any one can follow along and train their horse". I've come to understand nothing takes the place of a good professional trainer knowing what tool to use when they need it. Also, a good pro trainer can know the dif personalities of horses after being around so many. They are use to horses period. It's a bit over ambitious to expect a green horse and an amateur horseman to get by on a checklist, and a set of techniques with specific equipment. There should be more emphasise on what individual horse would work best for each individual. I lived somehow and learned, & somehow still have my horse, wouldn't trade him, but I vote #2 truest art form is learning to live thru devastation. Ps I should edit, "lived somehow"= by the grace of God! ☺ lots of good angels around us horsey people....
I agree with the devastation. Without re watching the video to see what I said I also agree with the observations on the "checklist" you can't just do it by the book. Regardless of what I said in the video I agree with you.
I'm trying to absorb what your saying... 1. You talk about 'training' and the flexibility to shake it up by trying multiple methods in the process of... 2. You briefly talk about the bridle horse here...thats would seem to be the goal. l have traveled a mere bit but have noticed how various regions cling to certain methods, and have notable misunderstandings of the methods used outside of their own traditional way of think how to best train, or what is a finished horse. Not to make fun of anyone so much, but I know some long time horse owners that dont know the difference between split reins and the 2 rein...they think that both are the same, and interchangeable terms. There are bits that allow for 2 sets of reins but they aren't common...thats a winding story to be sure... What's common is one's ego getting in the way, a lack of really wanting to learn, and a lot of snake oil salesman in the horse industry. l just want a good riding horse. Some horses are better than others...finding those is only half the goal...being a better horseman is the other half. Thanks for sharing. l read your book. It's worthy. Can you share what you know about the finished bridle horse, and how to get them there?
