This article is in the Summer 2002 issue of COWBOY MAGAZINE on page 9. Since I was raised on and have worked for cow outfits all my life, there were a lot of things about cattle and horses and their handling and care that I took for granted. I didn't realize how much until the last few years since I've traveled around the country and helped people with their horses.
When a cowboy signs on with an outfit, it is taken for granted (kind of an unwritten code) that he will ride whatever horses they lead out to him without complaint or comment. In most cases, the wagon boss will tell a new puncher very little about a horse. I guess they figure if he's much of a hand, he'll figure it out for himself pretty quick, and, if he ain't, it's a waste of breath to tell him anyway.
I remember my daddy telling me as a very young button, "Son, if you're gonna cowboy, you're gonna have to ride a lot of different kinds of horses in your life. All of 'em ain't gonna be good or gentle. But you'd just as well learn to be in the right place at the right time and hold up your share of cattle on whatever they lead out to you. No excuses." This was the mentality I grew up with.
When I got out amongst the general public, I soon realized that quite a few folks weren't getting along with their horses very well. There are some problems in communication and understanding between horse and human. Some of these deals are minor, and some are already out of hand. The worst thing is that, until something changes, these problems are going to continue getting worse instead of getting better. The "getting worse" part often becomes dangerous to the rider/handler and/or whoever happens to be in the vicinity. In my opinion, the "something changes" part is the responsibility of the human. We're supposed to have a bigger brain and the ability to reason.
One of the most common scenarios I see is the inexperienced rider who has "too much horse." This fits a couple of categories-he could be a young horse without much training or experience around humans, or he could be an older horse that has learned some bad habits, either from the present rider or someone in his past.
I don't know how many times I've heard "I bought this colt so we could learn together." Talk about a wreck looking for a place to happen !
The young horse hasn't learned that he doesn't need to be afraid of the human. He hasn't learned to trust the human enough to let the human support him in strange situations. He doesn't maybe understand what the human is asking him to do. And the human, due to his inexperience, doesn't know how to present things to the horse in a manner that fits the horse, to help him understand and trust, or to support the horse when the horse gets unsure.
In this situation, one of two things usually happens. The horse gets scared and his instinct for self-preservation takes over, in which case he does whatever he thinks he has to do to save his life (kick, paw, buck, run away, etc.). Or the horse learns to just take over from the human and become very disrespectful. In either situation, the human loses.
In the horse's mind, it is not a "win or lose" situation. It is a matter of survival. He doesn't see it as a contest, as the human often does. But if the human isn't careful, he creates a "contest" which the horse "wins" because he is bigger and faster and stronger. Now the human has taught the horse something that he didn't want him to know.
In a worst-case scenario, the human gets hurt or scared, or both, and gets completely out of the horse business. What a loss! The horse can be (and wants to be) a great friend. And for folks with children, it's a heckuva lot better than television. But keeping and riding "too much horse" can ruin all that.
A middle-aged lady came to a clinic I did a few years ago and brought a Suffolk/Quarter Horse filly that she'd just bought. It was three years old, weighed about 1,200 pounds, and was maybe sorta what you'd call halter-broke. I worked her and got her saddled the first day, but she was pretty unsure of things and a little snorty.
The next morning, I had to saddle the filly for her again. We worked on some things around there for an hour or so and got most folks ready to get on their horses. I kept this lady until last so I could hold onto this filly awhile and maybe see how things were gonna work out. When I finally asked if she was ready to try her, I heard her say, "I've never ridden her before." And I thought to myself, "Well that's the idea, to get things started." But I could tell she wasn't too enthused about getting on this filly, so I suggested that maybe I should work her a little more and see if I could get on her later. She readily agreed.
During the day, my wife, Sheryl, got to visit with this lady. After we were through for the day, Sheryl came to me with a "troubling" report. That lady hadn't said, "I've never ridden her before." She'd said, "I've never ridden before."
Scared the stuffing out of me! What if I'd talked her into getting on that horse? What if ?
By the end of the clinic, the host had lined her up with a stable which had someone who could ride her filly and give her lessons on a gentle horse.
Then there are older horses who have learned bad habits from previous riders/owners. Now, these previous riders never meant to teach the horse these bad habits, but that's what the horse learned. These horses fill in for the human as long as they can, or as long as it suits them. Then they just take over and either do as they please (balk, graze, refuse to go, refuse to stand still for saddling, mounting, etc., return to the barn, refuse to leave the barn, and so forth) or do whatever they feel is necessary to save their lives (buck, paw, run away, kick, pin their ears, etc.).
Most of these bad habits don't start out to be dangerous to the human, but they can escalate in that direction very quickly, especially if the human decides to punish the horse for "bad" behavior instead of heading off the trouble beforehand.
In either of these situations, the young horse or the one with bad habits (I say habits because these horses rarely have only one bad habit), I wish there were some formulas I could give you to fix the problems. Unfortunately, with horses, you can't just do A, B, and C and come out with D. It takes a lot of mutual respect, understanding, and communication between horse and human.
This deal, the human with "too much horse," is one of the toughest things for me to talk about when I'm trying to help someone. It's real easy just to say, "Just get rid of him." But you see, I can see both sides of the coin. I can see what's going on, which isn't good, but I also know how good things could be with some changes on the part of the human.
In most cases, the human really loves this horse, and the last thing he wants to hear is, "Get rid of him before he hurts you." But, in some cases, this is the best advice. So, what's best for this human?
And then there is the horse. He's trying. He doesn't want to be in trouble, but he's in trouble and I'm supposed to be here to help him. In some cases, it seems that I'm the only advocate he has. So, what's best for this horse?
So, Human, YOU have a decision to make. What IS best for you AND your horse? Be honest with yourself. If you have "too much horse" for the experience, knowledge, and ability that you have right now, you just have "too much horse." Facts are facts.
You can either sell this horse and get one that better suits your abilities, or you can keep him and work on changing and educating yourself so that you can work through the difficulties. In either case, my advice is to seek the help of a professional.
There are reputable people who can help you find a more fitting home for the horse you have and help you find a horse that better suits your experience. Believe me, if you choose this route, you AND your horse will be happier.
Should you choose to keep him and work through your difficulties, you are embarking upon an incredible journey. It will not be short, cheap, or painless. It takes a lot of "try." You have to make a commitment. You'll have to pay for your education, one way or another. And there WILL be bumps along the road. But there will also be rewards. Most of them will be of intrinsic value that only you and your horse will know. They're the best kind.
I hope maybe this will help you out. The main thing is to enjoy your horse. Just whistle and grin and keep a leg on each side and your mind in the middle.
Horse trainer Buster McLaury can be reached at Box 105, Paducah, TX 79248; 806-492-2711.
Call us at: 719-742-5250
