First steps to Trust and Respect

I generally like to start in the roundpen on the ground although I will start some from another horse and a very small percentage outside of a roundpen on a lunge line but lets not get ahead of ourselves. In the round pen before I turn in my horse are my physical tools. My saddle (my rope is usually attached) on a stand with the bosal over the horn.(Some of you probly prefer the snaffle and this is ok.) my blankets over that, and my halter laying on top. ( I use a cowboy halter or rope halter with a 12-16 foot lead rope. I also have another cowboy halter with a long lunge line tied in laying under the saddle rack so as not to entangle the horse.) I have my lunge whip(rarely used)lying flat on the ground, beside my sorting stick.(Simple fiberglass pole used for sorting cattle with a rubber tip. This is not one that makes noise with a paddle on the end.) Some of your horses will be somewhat halter broke. Others well you get em in the pen. You can start without all the tools in the pen on a really rangy colt but I like having them there. I'll let the colt in the pen and just let him work himself a lil bit say 15 min to half an hour. If he wants to play with my tools great. I want him/her comfortable. Horses not haveing much human contact before I get them in may first learn of me while I am standing at the gate watching and studying them. I won't look them in the eye. Only a predator will try to stare them down on initial contact. I'm usually also talking to someone or humming. This gets them used to my voice. Once I know the animal is not going to toss itself against the fence, I will enter the pen in a neutral type stance, being careful I am not driving the animal. I want the animal comfortable as I move into the center. With some, I have had to wait just inside the gate and take it one step at a time ,so they didn't throw themselves into the fence and hurt themselves. Neutral position I heard once referred to as "making yourself small". I think I am trying to cram myself through a 1 foot door. My shoulders are drooped forward with back slightly bent, I am watching the animals lower body but my head is down where he cant see my eyes for my hat. On occasion I have had a horse charge although this is rare. When this happens simply erect your body and come eye to eye with the animal. You may even raise your hands and make a noise or yell to convince the animal to back off("Making yourself big." has been used for this) and with your eyes up you know if and when to move. This type of animal may need more of a hand than some of you reading this are ready to be yet. With most horse who are already used to human contact I will go ahead and pick up my sorting stick here and lean on it( if you only have a whip use it. like the stick holdint the loong pooer to the whip itself. Some of you may want to only use a rope. I explain the use of this further along in the series.) I want the horse to stand and watch. If he moves off I will take the neutral position while leaning on my stick and wait for the horse to stop on his own.. I didn't ask him to move so at this point I will let him figure out I am not a threat and stop on his own. If he starts to challenge the pen or gate I will simply drop the stick and keep my neutral position ( I can wait all day I got a saddle to sit on and usually someone around to bring me a drink of tea if I need it. Otherwise they are outside quietly sitting away from the pen where they can watch). When he is calm I will ask for his attention. I will ask for attention by standing up erect and raising my eyes to his nose first. Wild colts will panic if you go looking into the eye first. If still if the horse doesn't look at me I will go for the eye but I still haven't moved my feet or my sorting stick. Ok he still won't look at me I will keep my sorting stick down in a non threatening position and take a step forward of the horses head not towards his head. If he looks at me I will resume my neutral position. Take one step back to where I was. If he leaves me I will go back to the center and start over.This step I will repeat over and over until I can get his attention without his leaving me. Anytime he looks away I step back forward in his eye to get his attention back. This usually doesn't take very long on a domesticated horse however don't negate this step. I spent years knowing how to work a horse freely and refused to do it because it took more time than I wanted. I wonder just how much better some of those horses who had great careers (Some not so great but were still good horses), could have been had I known then what I teach today. He should start to follow you with his eye and you can start taking a few steps back or to the side without him leaving you. If he follows you this is great but, the minute he goes to leave, go back to neutral in the center and start over. The minute he quits looking at you get back in his eye. Notice I have yet to raise my stick. I usually haven't tried to pet this horse at this point either as we are not yet acquainted you see. You gotta waltz with the girl before you can try to kiss her so to speak.(Sorry Buck couldn't resist.)Next we want our horse to move forward. Now up till now I have been watching the horses head or eye for the most part,an and keeping a mostly neutral position as I have moved around the pen. I now need this horse to move away from me so I will take an direct step back and towards the tail as I change my eye focus to the horses hind quarters. And I will make my erect (see making yourself big) as I step towards that thigh, Pointing with the hand closest to the horses head as I kiss( Generally the way the horse is pointed is the way I ask for in these early stages also some folks will ask for a walk, trot, ect... However if he trots off when you say walk what did he learn. If we keep it simple early without adding bad habits we can always add this later in the game), and lifting my stick lifting the stick only enough for the horse to move. Now right here some of you will need to get loud and maybe spin the stick towards the hindquarters. Others may need to stop and change to the whip not to hit the horse but to pop behind the horse. I have even used bags but I try to reserve those for use later. STILL OTHERS may need to back off immediately and take the neutral position in the middle to avoid the horse panicking. Whenever the horse gives you the slightest movement forward you make yourself small to the center and wait for a stop. Your horse wants to stop and that is his reward so to speak. One thing I have failed to mention so far is once the horse gets what you want he will lick his lips and most will drop they're head slightly. This is a herd maneuver saying "OK I got it." I look for this in between every step. I must have it before I move on. On Driving your horse which is what you are now doing. Go slow as you need to to keep the horse from panicking and trying the, fence, the gate or you. And stay calm and confident maybe even pretend you have done this hundreds of times before. My stick while I am driving at a walk is constantly moving a small low circle at a walk with my feet keeping time with the horse as we stay in the driving position. Caution here if you get to close you may get kicked so stay outside the fight zone ok!!!! When he is comfortable walking and you guys have figured out that cue you can now advance to a Trot my stick will raise slightly still pointing at the hip maybe swinging it over my hand slowly a time or two and picking up the pace with my feet. Once he gets it moving I'll go back to my neutral position in the center and wait for him to stop(SEE REWARD AGAIN) The same principle will apply to the lope or canter.Don't go too fast make sure the horse understands each gait, and you can get a lap or 2 or 3 without any bobbles at each gait. A simple change of direction can be achieved by moving 180 degrees across the pen and blocking that path making yourself Erect enough not to get run over. If you cut this too short you will send the horse against the fence or over you. Panic mode and you gotta start again. Another change harder to achieve would be as the horse stops now try stepping back, keeping your body in the neutral position and try to draw the horse towards you, Changing hands with the stick behind your back. As he comes towards your position to drive from this side and start again slowly. A horse is a two sided creature who doesn't always get what happened on the other side of his body. Also now that your horse is learning to stop when you go back to neutral central simply say whoa just as he stops. Now I know some of you are way past this. That is great. MAKE IT BETTER,. Now for a short message. 1Tim 2: 1-5 "I exhort the therefore, that , first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made to all men. 2 For kings ,and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable lifein all Godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ. "Thank you Lord for the blessing of being able to share these lessons with others as you have had others teach me." Ronnie Next I will go over first approaches.