Riding Betty: When to Go with Your Horse (Episode 222) - Herm Gailey: A Lifetime with Horses 

this was kinda thrilling.....lol. The mare let go and trusted... you went with it. A wonderful beginning! Please post many more videos of your journey!

I may be wrong but I think her skin tension changed significantly when she did the stop and reevaluation. Her whole body relaxed at the stop but her skin did something I have only felt but happen before not seen. Quite literally, to my eye her skin smoothed from one breath to another. Very subtle but the reflection on the planes of her coat changed and the areas of shine reduced. As I said I have felt that tonic relaxation but never got to watch it happen. This was not a boring video AT ALL. And getting to see the way Betty uses her tail in conjunction with her overall behavior was marvelous. I am very glad you decided to BE A CAMERA as well as a narrator extraordinaire.

Thanks, Herm. I just watched you and Betty in the previous video and this one back to back, and it was not boring! Although my wife and I have owned horses and kept them on our property for 20+ years, I still consider myself green when it comes to riding, as I only saddle up about once a month. I recall a "moment" several years ago when my rescue mustang (also pretty green) and I were out for a short ride in the neighborhood. Up until that point, I had felt like I had to micromanage his every movement in order to stay out of trouble. We had stopped to rest. After a minute or so, I just thought, "Hey, let's go." I don't recall giving any physical or sound cues, but he started walking. It startled me that he had apparently read my mind. But I figured out that somehow we had made a connection and since that point, our rides have been much more enjoyable.

I've got a quarter horse(gelding) that I quite literally rode him over 1,000 miles before he finally decided he was going to be OK and just relaxed. I still remember the day it happened, I thought he might have been hurt somehow. so, I stopped and made sure he was OK. It was several years worth of riding sometimes five days a week. He was never a bad horse just very forward and anxious and wouldn't fully relax under saddle. Now days he still gets a little tight at the start of riding season but after a few consistent rides he settles right back down. I tried bending him down hundreds of times, focus for relaxation on the ground works amazing with him but under saddle he just always carried a little bit of worry and tightness until that one day, where, poof he just didn't and finally relaxed. He was 17 that year and he is 19 this year. Longest holdout like that I have experienced in 46 years of riding. I liked that you stopped when you did, you keep doing that and stopping on a good note without asking too much and she is going to be an amazing horse for you, I can see it in her already. Looking forward to hopefully seeing a lot more of her in your videos.

Nice work Herm. Betty is making you a nice ride. Tails tell all!

Not boring at all. And a great example of the first steps of Tom Dorrance's mantra. And yeah, it was Tom, though most good horse trainers who've learned from Tom and Bill and Ray and Buck have heard it and like you, repeat it to their students. Before I left the states, i had it on a plaque on my porch. I'm in my 70s now, so I take all the time I need to get to the last part - going together.

I loved this!! Warms my heart for u both

I think you really nabbed the right girl from that ranch! I looked at the site and you got top pick. You look good together.

Betty has moves! Very athletic horse! You're kindly supportive ,Herm. Fortunate horse!❤

Amazing to see how she suddenly changed! Thank you for sharing this magical moment!

Holy poo that was amazing Herm!!!❤ luv this n thank u

Keeping it simple means so much more to the horse. Thank you for another great video. You are never boring Hermand you are so humble. Rather rare these days. Cheers from Nova Scotia.

I looked it up. It was Tom Dorrance. But Ray Hunt probably repeated it regularly!! This was a great video Herm. One question: what was that noise in the background? A chain saw? It didn't really take away from the video -- I could still hear fine -- but I found it very distracting. You're probably very used to it, but perhaps it set Betty on edge.

Black bettie

Crossfireing , when go to the left...

Maybe I'm showing my ignorance, but why do you have to wear spurs when you obviously communicate so well without using them? I am a novice learning so much from you. Be patient with me:)