Category Archives: Training Horses

How to Rein a Horse with a Feather

Equitation, Philosophy, Stories, Training Horses

Tom Lea, the famous artist and author from El Paso, Texas, tells about a horse trainer in his book, The Hands of Cantu. This was a bronc starter of the old-school, probably the late 19th or early 20th century. In those days, a horse was “used.” They had no infernal combustion engines, cars or trucks, so everything was done horseback or horse drawn. The “pure-quill” horse trainers were usually divided into amansadores or “gentlers” who did the initial training, and arrendadores who were the reinsmen, or finishers. The end result of the old Spanish method was a trigger-light stock horse. It could be reined by taking a hair of the mane, tying it to the reins and galloping to sliding stop, or a spin, while holding only the hair between the thumb and forefinger.

In this book, the trainer tells  the young amansador,

“There are only four qualities that a horse trainer must have, they are: perception, judgment, fine hands,and patience indestructible! To lack one of them is to lack them all!”

I have seen a few followers of this art; some still exist among the hackamore men, especially those west of the Rockies who train for the spade bit. It is an arduous long drawn-out process. It takes at least two years to get a horse in bit. That’s starting with four and five-year-olds. Then finishing can take a few more years. But those horses are as light to the rein as a feather. It’s like one trainer said, “Don’t wear a wrist-watch when training horses.” Probably you ought not to even use a calendar, especially if it has a horse show on it as a deadline.

The Homegrown Surprise 

Stories, Training Horses

The sweetest surprise for a colt starter is to find a colt who is smart, willing to learn and doesn’t buck! This week that surprise was a homegrown Azteca filly named, apparently inappropriately, Habanera. (Named for a very “hot “chili pepper) we might ought to have named her Sugar Bear! Her daddy was our Lusitano,Trovador, and her mama a quarter horse mare named Jodi, who traced her lineage to such famous cutting cutting horses as Son’O’Sugar, and PocoTIvio , with some Driftwood and Hancock thrown in. Jodi’s daddy was called “Bud” and he was the nicest, calmest stallion I’ve ever ridden or known. He lived with Charles and Kelly Prude, in Fort Davis, Texas. When Habanera was born she was plain brown with no more white markings than seven and a half hairs of white on her forehead, which was wide, flat and handsome. She grew up out on the range, but always came to be petted and scratched when we went to that pasture. Now a fine stout bay mare we’re starting her under saddle, I suppose she’s been ridden a dozen times. Much of the time I have to devote to “outside” horses, so she’s had intermittent education at best. I was loping circles with her the other day when I noticed Sallie trying to move a group of cows. The cowhounds( catahooligans) had them bunched, and with only one horse she couldn’t get them to budge. So, I rode this green filly out of the pen to help, her first time outside the round pen. I guess It’s just a cowboy thing, I just shrugged my shoulders and said “well Habanera, let’s go help!”

This should have been a formula for “disastrophe”.The filly walked out of the pen, through the arena, and out to the field with bawling cows, and baying hounds as if she were going to Sunday school! The filly showed no hesitation as she pitched right in to help move the cows, sometime loping and stopping to turn a cow. It was as if I were mounted on a twelve-year-old ranch horse. Sometimes when you breed you get sevens and elevens, sometimes you throw snake-eyes, so when you get a good one you celebrate! This time a good daddy, a generous grandpa and a fine mama produced a princess! She sure ain’t leaving here!

Anger Management 

Training Horses

Charlie Araujo, who worked with and rode the famous cutting horse, Poco Tivio, once said “Yeah, he’s a whale of a cutting horse, but about once a year he’ll develop an attitude. Then you have to take him out behind the haystacks! And you’d better take a lunch because you’re gonna be there a while!” I’ve concluded that the human brain involved anger as a mechanism for dealing with overwhelmingly scary situations. I guess the problem is that some of us whelm more easily than others. With horses, you’re dealing with a big powerful quick-reacting animal. You can’t afford for him to be the leader. So you create the illusion that you are his commanding officer. Sometimes this requires the use of controlled anger. Maybe only once a year, but when the time comes, I follow John Lyons’ advice, and, just like a horse would do, I allow myself three seconds to make him think I’m gonna kill him. Then I make myself quit and immediately go back to caressing and educating. A friend was in the barn one day a long time ago, when, while working with a raunchy colt, the colt attempted to kick me. I reflexively reared back and threatened to kick back at him. He of course, jumped, I missed, slipped, and landed on my back under him. My friend said, “I guess you showed him ,huh?”

Starting Colts Under Saddle

Training Horses

I’ve probably put more first saddles on horses than most horsemen. But, then that’s only because one of my chosen professions, since my adolescence, has been colt starting. It’s an adrenaline producing activity, with a lot of risk. And in an age of infernal combustion engines, one has to question its reasoning. Nevertheless, I’m addicted, so I do it. A friend asked the other day “So how do you start colts, saddle’em up and buck’em out? ”

Some do. And those who chose that method have got even more of an “organ recital” than I have, with broken bones, concussions, etc. I have been fortunate to learn from a lot of people who really did know what they were doing. We actually spend a lot of time working in a small area, at liberty, developing trust and bonding. By the time I put the first saddle on a colt, I usually do it without a halter or any form of restraint. But, then when I fasten the cinch, I don’t do it halfway. I make sure it’s buttoned on to stay. The reason is that the next few minutes can be pretty hairy! This week’s colt really put on a show! It reminded me of how I behaved at age five, when the nurse was going to give me a shot in the butt! When ol’ pony finally came out of his blind panic mode and accepted the saddle, we worked for a while and then it took off. Tomorrow we’ll do it again. The old vaqueros used to say “A colt ain’t got no work in him if he don’t buck with the first saddle. But he ain’t got no sense if he does buck with the second saddle! “He bucks the first time to get rid of the puma on his back. When he learns he can’t get rid of it, and he’s not harmed by it, the second day, he knows it’s no use. The first day was driven by instinct, the second by learning! if only I could learn so well and so fast!