Horse Talk

Training horses can be difficult and challenging, yet I love the process of developing trust and communication with these giant beasts. I had an experience a few months ago that is well worth sharing. The horse in training was an older buckskin named Cisco. Buckskin refers to the color of the horse. It is a creamy color with black legs and mane and tail. He is named after the horse in Dances With Wolves.

While most horses in training are young, Cisco is about fifteen. This age is not that old for a horse, but he is definitely set in his ways. Even though younger horses are often more spirited, they are sometimes easier to train than older, wiser horses. Cisco was a new addition to our barn, and the previous owner said that he had been ridden a few times, but was still not very broke. This turned out to be quite the understatement.

On this particular day, I was teaching a lesson to a group of beginners while Rusty and Pam were attempting to ride Cisco. They manage to get the saddle on him, but he is refusing the bit. The bit is probably the most important part of tacking up a horse. The bit goes in their mouth and enables the rider to have control and communication. Rusty begins to get frustrated because Cisco is not behaving. When horses are confused they often get scared. This fear causes them to buck, kick, rear, or even bite. Trained horses very rarely, if ever, act this way towards humans. Cisco, however, had begun to sweat and was trying to run in circles. Rusty tied Cisco to a tree, hoping he would calm down. He continued to paw out at the air and neigh very loudly. There were several people watching and wondering what would happen next.

I finished teaching my lesson and walked over to Cisco. He jerked his head up and looked at me with wide eyes. I untied him from the tree and walked him to the middle of the field we were in. I had the bridle in my hands. I slowly reached my hand over his ears and tried to get the bit in his mouth. He jerked his head up so fast that both of my feet came off the ground! I knew what to try next: twitching. Twitching means to grab a horse's ear and gently, yet firmly, twist it and hold it. It doesn't hurt the horse, but it calms them. It releases endorphins and relaxes them into submission. It is very similar to a mother cat who picks her kittens up by the scruff of their neck, causing them to go limp. I had to have Rusty hold his ear while I attempted to get the bit in his mouth. It worked!

Next, I had to try and get on Cisco. He was prancing around and still neighing very loudly. I decided to lunge him to get some of his energy out. Lunging means to let the horse run in large circles around you by attaching a long rope to the bridle. Cisco was not very good at this, and I had to keep trying over and over again for him to understand. He kept looking at me with that wild eyed look of panic. If he could talk, he would have said, "I am so confused. What am I supposed to do?" Finally, he got the idea and began to lunge correctly.

I took the lead off of him, and put my left foot in the stirrup very slowly. Just as I attempted to swing my right leg over, he reared straight up in the air. I managed to get my foot out of the stirrup. We repeated this several times. He continued to get frustrated as I did. I stopped and took a deep breath. I knew something had to give or we would make no progress. I walked over to Cisco, and I looked right at him. I put my hand on his head and began to talk to him very softly. He looked wary at first, but then he turned his head and looked right back at me. As I continued to stroke him, he slowly lost the wild-eyed look. I squatted down to the
ground, and he lowered his head towards me. I felt hopeful.

There is a horse term called "Joining Up." Joining up is a natural approach to training horses. Basically, it is when the horse finally realizes that you are in control and also understands that he needs you to be in control. It is similar to becoming the pack leader in a group of dogs or in a herd of wild horses. The horse undergoes an enlightening moment of trust, and he will do anything that you want him to. I, personally, had very little experiences with this concept, but I could tell that I was very close to making this happen with Cisco.

I stood up from the ground, and he didn't move a muscle. I put my left foot in the saddle, and I swung my right leg over. I was in the saddle! Cisco tensed up, but he didn't move. I got right off and gave him lots of praise. Then I got back on and off several times, ensuring that we had made progress. I got off of him and let go of the reins and started walking away from him. He followed me! When I turned, he turned. If I stopped, he stopped. It was amazing. I got back on him, and I rode him around for several minutes, practicing stopping and turning. I even layed across the saddle, and he stood perfectly still.

I have ridden horses for many years, and this experience was one of the greatest equine moments of my life. To see a horse like Cisco undergo such an intense change in less than an hour, was a sight to behold. He was truly like a different horse. It reminded me about the beauty of communication and loyalty between animals and humans. As soon as Cisco understood what I wanted, not only did he comply, but he transformed into a loyal and loving friend.