--- In bitlessbridle@yahoogroups.com, "dairyfarmertoo" <alixkru@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi everyone, I hope that some of you are having some spring weather.
Here in upstate NY
> it is slow to coming. I've been recovering from dislocating my
shoulder falling on the ice
> but should be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks....This has
given me some time to
> watch other riders at the stable and observe many horses suffering
through the bit...and
> some owners who are getting so frustrated at their 'bad' horse....
> One such incident that I wanted to share...I was watching a barrel
racing class and this one
> horse, fairly green, and novice rider were in the class...I could see
the situation unfold and
> worsen before my eyes...her horse kept 'acting up' and i could see
that the horse was
> getting more and more frustrated with the bit...and of-course the
'worse' he was the more
> the rider pulled and tugged....one of the training techniques that has
been taught at this
> stable is "to spin your horse" when it acts up....this involves
pulling the horses head
> around toward your knee and kicking furiously at the same time so the
horse is
> spinning...(smilar to the one rein stop that Cathie shows in her BB
video but remember
> Cathie doesn't kick, kick, kick as a 'punishment' and is not pulling
on the horses mouth
> with a bit).....so this rider has 'spun' her horse numerous times,
with the trainer's blessing,
> and each time I can see the horse getting more and more out of
'control'.....at one point
> the rider pulls so hard that the bit comes out the other side of the
horses mouth....so here
> is a terrified horse and a terrified novice rider....not a good
situation.....Anyway, it was
> horrible to watch and afterwards I heard the rider say that she was so
scared when the bit
> came out because she "had no control"....I felt like saying...that she
NEVER had 'control'....I
> know that since I've been using the BB, I feel more confident and I
never get scared or
> nervous....the worse thing that I know can happen, and it has, is that
my horse gets
> spooked...but after watching the BB video....I calmly do the one rein
stop....no pain, no
> added stress to the situation....and i stop....further more since
using the BB I really haven't
> had a "bad" horse....Happy Trails!
Thanks Dairy Farmer, I'm glad you are getting something out of my DVD. I
use to do what they did, becuase that is what we are taught.
I still give a punishment like that (Kick and spin usually three times
in a row)when a horse is trying to buck or rear, when I'm working with
someones problem horse, but I refuse to do it with a bit in their mouth.
I use a rope halter on a horse that has picked up undesirable traits
(mostly cuased by bit's in bad hands so not thier fault) because I do
discipline that behavior. I do not ignor it. Problem is people let their
emotions take them too far, they don't forgive the horse, and the
behavior usually escalates., till it gets really ugly. It is very hard
for me to watch.