TRAINING TIPS AND ARTICLES

FROM THE WOLFE RANCH

We frequently are asked how we trained a horse to do a particular maneuver or accept something very un-natural.   Many people are amazed that we have two and three year olds that are perfectly behaved and ride quieter and have better manners than many older horses.    Since this web site is visited by a lot of horse enthusiasts we thought it would be the perfect medium to visit with people about training techniques and problems.  

please e-mail us at wolfeden@brightok.net and let us know if you would like us to address a particular subject or problem.    Over the years, Cheri has had over 30 training articles published in magazines like the Quarter Horses Journal, Western Horseman, Horse and Rider, Foundation Quarter Horse Registry Magazine, Arabian Horse World and others.  

ACCEPTING  'SCARY' OBJECTS

We have been asked several times how we got Tabs Thistle, (now sold and located on the 'congratulations' page, to accept having a big blue tarp 'flown' from his back without fear.

(The photos below are 'thumbnails'.  Click on the photo for a full size picture)

This, like any other new experience that can frighten a horse, should be approached gradually and NEVER when a horse is 'fresh'.    We always 'sack' every young horse out when it is tied securely.   We take a soft braided 25 foot cotton rope, tie it low around a horse's neck and flop and flip it all over the horse, pull it around it's hind legs and between it's legs.  We rub a saddle blanket gently all over the horse.   The object of sacking out a horse is get it accustomed to everything, not to try to scare it to death.  If it is scared of something or reacts very negatively to something, we don't fight with it, we just persist and 'outlast' it.  Young horses that haven't been spoiled (particularly if their bred to be sensible) just don't fight or fear anything for very long when they find out it isn't going to hurt them.

It is very important that they are tied securely in a safe place.   The worst thing that can happen is for a horse to break something and get away.  This reinforces all the wrong things - that they should be afraid and that they should 'get away' from it.  It also guarantees that they will try to break other halters, sometimes for a long time to come.

This done, we continue training.  After a horse has been ridden a few times and is coming along nicely, it is time to put on and remove a jacket, carry objects, swing a rope, drag things from the saddle horn, etc.  The key to doing these 'new' things is to do it when you have the advantage.  For us, that involves two main things. 

1)   Always do it at the end of a long ride or day's work in the pasture, etc.   NEVER do it when a horse is fresh, 'goosey' or looking for 'boogers'.   When we have taken a long ride and a horse is settled, a little tired and working quietly, then try something new just before you quit for the day and unsaddle it.  Every time we get back to the barn with a young horse, we take advantage of the situation by pulling out a rope and swinging it, dragging a rope on the ground along side of the colt, letting a rope get behind it and around it's legs, etc.   Our motto is  "always take your best hold" !  Take advantage of every situation.

2)   Always try to eliminate as many 'escape' routes as possible.  That means do it for the first time in a small pen or at least against a fence.  If necessary, put a lead rope on the colt and have a second horse or 'pony horse' to trap the young horse between it and the fence.  With no escape routes and no runaway wreaks, the colt will accept almost any new, scary situation with little resistance.  We have found that horses 'bred' to have good, quiet minds usually don't do more than give the new item a second glance.  

 When the above photo of Tab's Thistle was taken, I had just asked someone to hand me the tarp and we were taking out first walk with it along the fence.   He was looking at it but obviously not in a panic.  To be safe, I did it along a fence where he could not shy away from it and talk himself into be frightened.  I also did it after I had ridden him for at least an hour leading colts.   When the the photo of Call Him The Flash was taken, he was 22 months old and had been ridden fewer than 10 times.  As you can see, he is really upset dragging the heavy truck tire.  The gray colt was being roped off of for the first time (before his 3rd birthday) and probably drug 30 or 40 calves to the branding fire that day.  Holidun Doc had worked hard for 2 hours.  He had his first yearling cattle roped off of him that day and roped and drug the barrel around just before being put up.   "Take your best hold".

We have roped and doctored calves in the pasture when we were riding colts that had less than 2 weeks riding time on them.   We expected them to behave right and they did.   

 If you have other subjects that you would like to see on this page, let us know.  

We appreciate all the people that ask us to ride their horses but, we're sorry!   We do not take in outside horses to train.  With health problems and too many of our own to ride, we just don't have time.  But, we will help you with yours when we can or we can recommend someone that uses our techniques and uses young horses for ranch work.

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