A picture exactly like this one, on the cover of a comic book got me grounded from my horse for a week, and chastised to "back off the Roy Rogers crap for a while", when I was 9. I rode my horse in a grazing bit with short curved back shanks, which allowed him to graze without the shanks of the bit interfering. It had a curb strap made out of hay twine, of which I did not know the purpose. One day my Uncle Ralph cut the twine off, and put on a high line leather curb strap for me. I asked if I should tie some rope on the end of the shanks like the silver bar I had seen in pictures of the King of the Cowboys. Uncle Ralph said it wasn't necessary as the shanks were short. Late every afternoon I kicked into "Rowdy Yates/Rawhide" mode and took it upon myself to go out and "drive" the cows in for milking. They were already on their way in, but I liked doing it, and Uncle Ralph said it was all right, as long as I didn't chase them and just walked with them.
When I was putting the bridle on Dynamite I just knew my Uncle, who had trained horses his whole life was mistaken with the curb strap and where it should go, so I took it off and put it on the end of the shanks like Roy's fancy silver one. When I was bringing the cows in, I discovered Dynamite had a thing called "cow" when he started chasing them. Hard as I pulled, try as I might, I could not stop him. We ran those poor cows into the barn yard, through the barn, out the other end, and into the south pasture and up and down the fence. Luckily Uncle Ralph had Bird saddled and was able to ride out and catch me. As I dismounted, he asked me what the hell I was doing. I told him it wasn't my fault, the stupid horse went crazy. That's when he noticed the curb strap on the end of the shanks. He said, "did you put that strap there!!!" If I had been smart, I would have just said yes, or blamed it on my brother. Because I wasn't smart, I said, "yes, because you put it in the wrong place, and thats where Roy Rogers has a thing on Triggers bit. He gave me a quick, angry clinic and explained the shanks on my bit were not long enough to hook/tangle on a lariat, especially since I didn't have one, and that the curb strap applied pressure to Dynamites chin groove, pushing the bit up into the bars and that's what whoa is, not me saying it.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Knowing the function of each piece of equiptment and what you want to achieve with it.
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Wade G. Burck
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Cute story. I did one only I was much older. Had qualified a wonder Arab stallion for the National Finals in the Park class and we were a shew-in for top ten. Wanting to be classy I put new brow and nose band on my show bridle. Off to Oklahoma City and the big event where we ran into cold weather and being California born and raised I immediately thought my horse would freeze so on went the Baker hood. Never having had to use a hood I failed to connect the hood to his blanket to keep it in place and I found him the next morning with it draped over his head for who knows how many hours. Needless to say he wasn't a happy camper being under blindfold for hours resulting in his not wanting me to touch his head. Well the time for the class came and remember the new brow and nose band I put on his bridle, well it cost me a Top Ten if not the Championship that year. Everything was new and stiff and unwelcome in the eyes of that stallion and he immediately refused to go up into the bridle. It was devastating and I never forget the lessons of correct use of equipment to the extent that my horses go into their show equipment two weeks before the event so that all quirts are worked out. I think no one can give this knowledge to new trainers, it's a learned behavior.
Madame Col.,
That's why I cringed the day you told me to put a flash on Satins cavasson. I knew it worked kinda like the curb strap, but I wasn't sure exactly where and how tight. If you recall, when you walked in and I had her tacked up, you asked "how does that work for her?" and I said, "I don't know, we have been waiting for you to come so you can check it and see if I have it on right." LOL
A member of the wild animal training fraternity was given the opportunity to work an old liberty act for 2 years on a show she was with, plus sit a "rearing horse." That combined with the fact that she rode some barrel horses when she was younger, made her assume she was Crystal Krone, only spoke English. One day she walked up as I was looking through a Schneiders at spade bits and when I said that's a nice one. She said, "That's why I think horse training is cruel except in the circus." I said, "WHAT." She said, "we only use a bit with the rings on the side". That's what she called a snaffle bit, can you believe it. She said, "you are always telling people to be gentle, and I can't believe you would use something like that." I said, "I wouldn't because I'm not qualified, but what's wrong with it?" She said, "they use it to cut the roof of a horses mouth, to make him stop." Can you believe that. I told her, "that bit doesn't go in his mouth until he has been schooled for at least 8 years, starting with the "bit with the rings" you mention to teach him left and right. After a couple of years when he is good at that he is put in a bosal along with the ring deal, and continuing with the left and right, hes taught how to rate himself and start to collect. After a couple more years, he is given a spade bit, and the spade just rests against the roof of his mouth, and you have one of the finest examples of horse training in the world, a California Bridle/spade bit Horse. She said, "what's that." I said, "that's when the reins are loose, and he is controlled with with legs and a slight twist of the wrist to neck rein. That bit is balanced to such a fine degree, and he has become so smart after 8 years of steady training that his nose stays down, and he stays off the spade." She said, "I still think it is cruel." I knew the horse she rode for the rears, years before, so I said, "what did you use on your "rearing horse?" Her words exactly were, "I didn't even need a bit. I used a mechanical hackamore!!!!!" LOL
Wade
Addendum to Dianne,
I can only assume that the sweat/heat generated by that hot park horse trying to get away from the hood, kept him reasonably warm that night, while he "parked around in his stall." LOL
Wade
I hope any eavesdroppers on this blog, realize that I am not casting aspersions on individuals, when I relay these tales, but just trying to point out the wrongness of pointing a finger at another profession, when you don't understand it, like the public does to us. I have looked for rodeo blogs and horse racing blogs to see if I can find reference to "leave us alone, look at the circus," but I haven't found any.
Wade
Is This Where American Horsemanship is Headed?
A couple of weeks ago I attended a horse expo in Southern California, one of the biggest in the country. While there I watched a few breed demos, a horrifying presentation of the Andalusians for one. Two of the horses were in a state of run-aways, two were Mexican Charro horses that did a beautiful piaffe before they went into the arena but failed to demonstrate anything in the arena but a state of panic. Another was a two year old, too young to ride, led around doing leg extension after leg extension, about two inches off the ground when they did get them, wearing a huge curb bit guided by reins over her neck.
Another demo was an older gentleman with baby horses, he was selling DVD’s and a whip with a ping pong ball on the tip end. He had a ring full of large bean cushions sitting the colts in a chair. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see the baby horse sit as after 45 minutes of horse nonsense my patience was stretched to the limit and I sulked off into the shadows.
Another demo was a “clinician” giving a lesson all the while harking his two training sticks to be held in your hands supposedly representing the front legs of the horse while your legs were the hind legs of the horse. In this manner you could cantor around the arena acting like a horse. I think I did this in grammar school however the game did not require buying sticks for horse legs, we had enough imagination to figure that out. I thought at first it was maybe a comic act but no they were deadly serious.
Next came in an Arabian stallion that a few years back was used as one of the key horses in the big race in the movie Hidalgo. Clinicians give lectures at these horse expos, educating ( I speak gently) the audience while at the same time trying to sell their particular DVD’s and training equipment. This particular lady was selling a “nipbuster” for people who didn’t like their horses nipping after feeding sugar and carrots. (a direct quote by the way). Since all clinicians now days have to have a tag after their name (to show they are just like the Horse Whisperer) this particular lady called her training program “HorseSpeak, the secret of Horse Whisperers. This is a quote from her literature.
Quote: “ Marybeth has a special connection with horses, the innate understanding of a natural-born horse whisperer. She describes herself as an INTERPRETER, FLUENT IN THE LANGUAGE OF HORSES and providing a bridge for communication between horses and their people.” unquote.
Now along with this knowledge Marybeth does celebrity demonstrations with this famous horse, ( was there another besides the cowboy’s Paint?” The demo was incredibly bad with the horse rearing while she flailed the whip around in a wild manner. Picking up an magazine with her and the horse on the cover I was horrified to see a full page color picture with the stallion having a full erection. Now we can blame the editor or certainly if I had an article going into a magazine I would be proof reading and presenting pictures I wanted to use. The comment from a friend who hires acts for shows commented she couldn’t use her mainly as the performance was bad but that she has to be dumber than dirt to allow a picture like this to be plastered on a 11 x 17 page magazine.
This is the horse training displays going around the country. Yes, I am sure there are a few good clinicians, I have enjoyed a few but the majority are amateur’s of the worst kind, blind leading the blind. I have heard you can ride your horse without a bridle, train your horse to rear like a wild stallion or even train your horse as smart as Trigger in the movies ( there I exaggerate as most likely they are unaware of who Trigger was). Not only are the clinicians amateurs but the producers of the expos are the same, so the blind also hire the blind. Since I say hire loosely this is the deal, come for free, the expo will give you a time slot to present a clinic and maybe a table or a chance to sell your wares but not before paying for stalls and the costs of weekends in motels and gas stations. These expos also require that you perform in a Saturday evening performance with your horse (good, bad or indifferent) while the expo collects at least a $10.00 gate fee from each audience attendee.
Now every young person thinking they are the next “coming,” tag’s a quote after their name and enters the market since free in the only requirement.
The gullibility of the attending audience is amazing and makes me wonder if really out “audience knows the real deal”. What you think Wade?
Dianne,
I am sure you have been told you should do these types of "clinics" as many times as I have. I know for a fact, I could only do it for about an hour, before I would start laughing, and I would have to tell then, "This is such shit. I appreciate you sitting here, but I need to go. Help yourselves to the carrot sticks and whizzers when you leave so I don't have to load them back up." I have never been to a horse expo, unless you count the Nationals, and don't intend to go, until such day I am promoting my National Champion Arabian Stallion.
There are so many of them now, and they have all run out of stuff to clinic because they are on RFD almost daily. The originators like Lyons and Parelli, have become preacher and candy ass circus liberty trainers. I used to watch Parelli to look at his hot wife then she got a big butt. I enjoy Clinton Anderson when he does something with Diaz or Mindy. But he has run out of material also, and I will occasionally tune in to Chris Cox. But you can watch hobbles being put on just so many times, before you get point.
My favorite is Meridith Hodge, because I had a mule and they are a piece of work. He did a good one the other night where she was showing how to stop a mule from kicking. She tied his head right down tight to the hitching post, went behind him and touched him in the hocks with a buggy whip. He fired, and she cut him across the back legs with both hands. They even put it in slow motion so you could appreciate it better be a good hit, or your wasting your time. She did that 4 times, just as hard, and the mule finally said, "I believe I'll have that hand full of grain you offered me earlier." But I watch Tommy Garland religiously. He is a hell of an Arabian Western Trainer, and does very informative shows.
Wade
The comments on the horse expo were priceless.
Thanks for sharing them.
Regarding mules, I had always heard about Francis The Talking Mule. I recently watched one of the movies. Was Bored to death. Don't understand what the big deal was with Francis. Was she before or after Mr. Ed?
Jody,
I believe Francis was the forerunner. I am not sure, as neither Francis or Mr. Ed were my cup of tea. A lot of silver, and
garcia roweled spurs is what caught my eye.
By the way, Madame Col. gave me a brilliant idea. If the lady with the Arabian Stallion can make a buck, with one of the horses from the Hidalgo race scene, I am going to see if I can rent Amir Jamaal for a couple of years, and clinic him as a decedent of the white horse Phantom, Don Diego Vega used to ride when he went to town, instead of Tornado so he could keep his Zorro identity secret. I never knew where Phantom was kept, as I only saw him when he was ridden to town, and only Tornado was kept in the home/stable. It should be a block buster clinic. If I can talk Dianne into letting me use Robin for the really big Expos, I can ride in as Zorro and it will rock them and we should make a killing. We could sell masks and piaffe foils complete with sheaths . I would give them the "nipbusters" as a free bonus. It's called an elbow. It's always there, you don't have to look for it or pull it out of your pocket. And you don't have to use it much, if it is used right.
Wade
Wade
Wade,
Sounds good. We can test it out in Texas. I'm starting to book some clinics at my place. I'm game if you are. Maybe we could even get Dianne in on the action.
Actually, I am really booking clinics. You and Dianne should put something together and come out here. I'm looking for something different that the Parelli, Anderson, Cameron, etc.
Rex Peterson clinic is in the makings for November.
In this neck of the hills just about everybody either barrel races or calf ropes. It's time to get something here that I'm interested in. Think about it.....
Hey JC, is this a comic act you want from Wade and I? Wade came up with some good ones, he can use Robin as Zorro but that's kind of old now. Well, we could bring back the good old days of cowboy heroes. I am making a new costume of Iron Man for the state fair, I know he didn't ride a horse but it would be all over by the time they figured it out.
Kidding aside glad you enjoyed the ramblings from someone who has seen the horse industry bastardized and is sick about it. You know what, it was all true and I just touched the edges.
Dianne
Not just an act. A whole training clinic. A clinic using comedy would be something different, people would remember it and learn by it. Wade could, in a legal manner make fun of the other methods out there that are being used. Give it some thought.
You as yourself........
Wade as stooge.........
Need an agent?
Jody,
STOOGE!!!!!! I thought this deal was going to be Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. When did it go south and become Dale Evans and Pat Brady????
Wade
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