Training Them Old School

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Carl, Great pictures to demonstrate the continuing training of a nice looking horse. Let me suggest what strikes me in your photos. Your eyes, and I believe your awareness, are focused on your horses head. I mean focused intently. If we had a video I am sure we would catch you glancing at the ground ahead or the log behind; but it is clear to me that you are watching her head to see were she is going both mentally and physically. You are both relaxed and comfortable, but as a teamster and a trainer you are still alert. That alertness is what allows you to “lead” the horse while it learns the intricacies of its work. Thanks, Donn

[Plowboy]

Going back to Carl’s post about his mentor’s not handing him the keys. As I thought about it more nobody took me through it either. We got together with many of them often with our large local group. We plowed and planted in the spring, hauled roundbales in the summer ,Harvested crops in the fall and got together to skid logs in the late fall and winter wherever someone of us had the need. No single person led me through the process I was just allowed to hang around or ride along and drove alot of good horses along the way. It was in my blood from generations of horsemen in my family but my Dad had a 30 yr void in his life where he didn’t have any draft horses. When he was nearly 40 he got back into it and never looked back. He had some relearning to do about some things he couldn’t remember. We did have a large support network but old horsemen aren’t classroom teachers. They’ll help you out but respect you more if you give it a go and get through it. Then they’ll tell you a better or easier way at lunch. Most of my learning was done by paying attention to see how everyone else did it and how the best did it easier. Just having the old boys to fall back on was a good safety net. One of our mentors that passed away in 97 had a herd of registered farm type Belgians and a herd of registered Percherons totaling over 100 head in all. In the winter we used to go over and watch them hitch colts and learned a lot. His herd was responsible for repopulating the area with draft horses in the early 80’s when the “comeback” occured. In the spring the belgian foals sprang up between the dandelions in the pasture behind his house. It was an amazing sight for a kid that was all about draft horses to see that many in one spot. That farm was where alot of my education took place because he hosted many of the events. Sometimes when I’m out in the field and something arises I can almost hear his raspy voice again reminding me of something he told me 20 yrs ago. Too bad I didn’t think to write all that stuff down then.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Good teachers have an impact long after the session is over… becuase they don’t just teach you how to do something – they teach you how to learn (to think).
That’s what I was taught is an ‘Elder’.

[Plowboy]

Just a little update on our training projects. There were alot of negative comments made about how my friend was training his horses. I was there again Sunday and they are shaping up real well. As I was driving them up the road I analized each one’s attitude as we went. They all walked off ears upright and forward pulling steadily with there experienced team mate very light on the lines just like I like them. None of them appeared stressed or scared just willing and increasingly able to start doing some real work. Maybe we really aren’t Barbarians after all. All I saw was some relaxed horses learning the ropes. No rodeos, no runaways,no fighting the bit so I guess they weren’t terrified too much. Most of them are even starting to stand well for rest breaks. Maybe the Old School that I refer to ain’t so bad after all.

[Ronnie Tucker]

i am very old school your freinds methods are time proven the only way to break a horse to work is make wet collar pads his colts will be earning their keep long before those using socalled better modern ways that are now all the rage ronnie tucker tn logger

[rdgfrm]

Hi all, this dissucion seems to come around every so often .(training) There are as many different aproaches to training horses as there are people trying to do it. What many people buy into is the fact that horses can only be trained certian ways. I admit that there are extremes, from the way my grandfather did it to some to day that even after months and years can’t use there horses the way they want. The relationship that we have with our horses comes about because of what we want not because of what the horse wants as has been mentioned, if the horse had his way instinct would rule. We all continously are learning along with the horses we are training. I will not train or teach the way that I did 20 years ago or even yesterday because I will have experinced something today that will change how I think. Those that have lots of experience I think will make smaller changes , those that are new or green will make larger changes in how they do things. The thing to remember is to try and accomplish the task as safe as possibe for all involved. rdgfrm

[Plowboy]

Well I’ve figured out it is impossible to desensitize an animal to everything. While driving some horses last week we encountered a neighbors flock of emus turned out in their pasture and up the road we ran across some semi feral hogs rooting in the brush along the road. Somewhere between the two anxious moments our host shared a story about a well broke mare that had a problem being in the same area as a camel at the fair. I guess no matter what you do it pays to be on your toes in the case that something unusual happens!

[OldKat]

@Plowboy 7705 wrote:

Well I’ve figured out it is impossible to desensitize an animal to everything. While driving some horses last week we encountered a neighbors flock of emus turned out in their pasture and up the road we ran across some semi feral hogs rooting in the brush along the road. Somewhere between the two anxious moments our host shared a story about a well broke mare that had a problem being in the same area as a camel at the fair. I guess no matter what you do it pays to be on your toes in the case that something unusual happens!

I agree that is probably not possible to desensitize an animal to ANY possible source of problem; the ever popular “boogey monster” is always lurking, BUT that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the effort. I think the more things that the horse (or other animal) is exposed to, without melting down, the more confidence they have to deal with the unexpected boogey monster they may later encounter. 😮

If I had a 100 plus acre place available to me to drive in, such as BachelorFarmer has, I would no doubt use it. I don’t, so I use what I can. For me, in MY SITUATION (only) to hook and go wouldn’t be prudent. Glad it works for other people, and of course we each have a different situation … so if I were in someone else’s shoes, I’d probably do things differently. 🙂

For now we ground drive out into traffic, residential areas, Little League baseball fields etc & they are getting it. Each time is little better than the time before. Each trip out the gate and back is a little more relaxed than the time before. Next week it will be down to the local high school. Week after that I am off for the whole week. I will probably drive them downtown, down by the railroad tracks and also build a stone boat and start dragging it. Slow progress, but progress none-the-less. Maybe other people see this as a waste of time; so be it. Works well for me.

[Plowboy]

Old Kat, Of course it doesn’t hurt to expose a horse to anything that may benefit them in the future. I was just pointing out that weird animals like llamas, emus, camels and elephants that we don’t normally encounter can really get a horses attention 100%. They appear strange and probably have a strange odor which many horses are sensitive to. Do what you can with whatever you have available but always beware that their may be something that they’ve never seen before.

[near horse]

Anyone here get to experience birds flushing out of the brush- like pheasants or grouse? That usually startles the bleep out of me but the horses seem to just dance a couple of steps and then they’re good.

Plowboy is right about scent – I think. Deer can march up and down near the paddock and no problem but if a moose, elk or bear is in that same area – they’re on full alert. In fact, they usually tip us off that there’s something worth checking out in the area – “watch horses”.

[WVDrafty]

I wondered if anyone has had any encounters with deer fawns while mowing with your horses. How did they react to that. Seems that could pose a problem to some horses even if they were used to deer being around. Thanks

[Carl Russell]

Several years ago I was mowing with my horses in very tall fist cut, just enjoying the smooth operation of the mower, day dreaming and letting my gaze wander back and forth from the horses to the cutter bar, when I was ratcheted back to reality by a brutal screaming of a fawn that had been laying in the grass, and didn’t move……did not move an inch. In fact, on afterthought I was surprised that the mare on that side had not seemed to even notice it. Anyway, I had to stop the horses, who were not phased, catch the leg-less baby, and dispatch it from its misery.

I do have situations where my animals encounter strange and unpredictable things, but I have conditioned myself, and therefore them, to just take it in stride. If I freak out, they will.

I had a neighbor who had very obnoxious dogs, who would bark and bark and bark. When I would stop to talk with her, the dogs would run circles around the horses barking, barking,barking, and dashing in to jump at the horses, and even sometimes nip at their bellies, or flanks. I know……:eek:!!! But my responsibility was not to the dogs but to my horses, and I needed them to stand and remain comfortable. They would watch the dogs, with ears back, but rarely even flinched when the dogs approached. As ridiculous as the situation was, it was my intention that my horses and I needed to be able to maintain effective communication, regardless of the surroundings.

For me it isn’t a matter of desensitizing the horses to certain situations, but reinforcing the leadership every time a distraction occurs, whether it is a zooming school bus, a kid on a dirt bike, or screaming legless fawn,….”This is me…. I’m safe…..Trust me…..follow my lead, and all will be fine!”

Carl

[jen judkins]

OK, Carl…..that post seriously should come with a warning attached! Maybe I’m alittle fragile this week, but the screaming legless bambi image has put me off mowing forever!

[Carl Russell]

Hey, I didn’t choose for it to happen!! In over ten years of mowing hay regularly, it only happened that one time, but it could be a lot worse than that, so being fearful is not an option as far as I am concerned.

Hope you regain your composure.:)

Carl

[Michel Boulay]

Hi everybody,
this is one interesting thread, not being able to read it all at one time, I finaly finished reading all of it today. Dreaming of being in evryone’s shoes one day, makes me realise that I have quite the task in front of me. I will certainly digest everything that has been said. I am learning from every one of you, love to hear about all your experiences, but know that I will have to go through my own. I love looking at pictures that you ad to your post they complement what you are trying to say or explain.

Carl did any kind of distraction or situation let you be in a sort of panic where the horses didn’t or did freak out? Or anybody else gone through for that matter? I’ve been reading Maurice Telleen’s book, some parts more than once, gives me good info, but certainly not the hands on experience that I will have to go and get.

Being a Phy. Ed. teacher and trying to show kids how to do basic things like throwing and catching a ball, needs patience, understanding and observation of the mecanics of the said movement. So I have some understanding of what I am up against. After 30 some years in a gym I don’t consider myself the expert but a person of experience and often enough some rookie will give me great idea of what to do in some instances.

Maybe some knucklehead will give me an idea of what to do with my horse or what not to do, but it will always be up to me to decide how I will put in into practice in my own situation. I am lucky to have somebody close by that has a team of Clydes and ponies and expect to go get some experience there. I have the skidoo trail and ATV trail, crossing my property, not always in use, so I have a trail to use. We have an Agriculture Fair close by in Ste Marie de Kent, Kent county N.B. They have a horse pull, a team, four,six,eight in hand driving competition, judging of horses, cattle. That is all at the end of august.

Being far from each other this community brings every one of us closer together.
Mike

[Author]

Posts