Compliance

With exception of his frequent panics, our own big Rodney most generally is on his best behavior at the farm, and, quite luckily so. 20-25 horses over the years, have I had one this easy in terms of doing what he's asked? This most excellent demeanor on Rodney's part unfortunately is unlikely to last. Rod is giving every signal of full stallion mode, and likely his first sniff of the girls at the race track and this particular horse may well become uncontrollable.

I've had various problems with horse behavior over the years. It began with my first filly, a very talented horse that was essentially a refuser. I have the Secretariat jock, now deceased Paul Feliciano to thank for that. Feliciano broke her and rode her for a year. He simply refused to use a whip. The horse figured this out, and toward the end of her little run would stop galloping at the 6f pole and a pony would have to come out and get her.

I've had colts later in their career go through all sorts of machinations trying to get them from barn to race track and into a gallop once they got there. For us and the particular horses it was a combo of a ship in problem and the older horse simply getting wise to declining to work. Weirdly, both of those once they got to galloping loved it. Getting them into it from age 8 onward became more and more of a problem.

The big outfits solve most training problems with young horses by doing everything in company. How big an advantage is it e.g. reading Preston Burch's book to see photos of his early yearlings, about 10 of them lined up with 10 riders on a large race track being put their their paces? Good lord I have enough trouble getting one rider to show up in the 4 hr. span of morning training, much less two riders at once. The rider problem has become very serious, and likely is one of the reasons even for the top trainers we see so much basic training negligence. The riders are problems in terms of showing up, and problems once they get up.

Nevertheless, if we're able to pull off the riding in company, that's the easy way to train the horse. With the horse going at it alone things go slower and your method better be spot on or many of them quickly become misbehaviors.

What methods do you use when alone? The best success generally comes from going with the horse. If you can get them thinking what you want done is their idea you're most of the way there. Misbehavior simply put has to be immediately nipped in the bud. I do believe in corporal punishment in two limited incidences, although that's never available in a public setting--1. if the horse in some way is a danger to the rider, and 2. I never let 'em waste my time. As an e.g. of the latter, if I'm loading mine at 5:30 a.m. for the race track needing to be in Court in downtown KCMO at 9:00 a.m. the one protesting the trailer loading is going to get whomped. This little outfit simply puts lacks the luxury being able to permit that sort of misbehavior. When you're by yourself dealing with them in numbers, unless you have unlimited time, certain aspects of the operation require military precision. Luckily acts of such overt misbehavior are rare occurrences if the stable hand otherwise uses common sense.

Another common problem on the farm is the horse refusing to be caught. The Monty Roberts horse whisperer join up method is always successful in this, although I use it only as a last resort. Frankly I'd rather club a horse a couple of times than break their will al la Monty Roberts. They understand the former so much better. When very energetic I've even used the Monty Roberts method on the 15 acres of pasture. You run and run and run, and about 45 min. later they finally stop and let you join up. I did that with Rollin' Rod and have never had a problem since. Again, I dislike the method. It takes a lot more running away than Roberts advertises.

The biggest problem is the danger to rider problem, usually occurring by refusal getting onto the race track or refusal once you get on there. Being myself the rider I always did eventually solve these problems, but only with great difficulty. The best e.g. of a good solution is a scene I witnessed with my Jeckimba Bay at Prairie Meadows in 1990 on the one day (it was the last day), I had the infamous quarter horse idiot Thad Leggett on him. JB was protesting something coming off the track, and the image of Leggett on a rain swept day raising his whip high in the air so it was pointed right at the clouds and smacking this horse on the butt as hard as he was able--I've never seen a horse straighten up faster, and JB never ever gave anybody any more trouble after that one event. Only thing Leggett ever did that impressed me.

Unfortunately, when I get on, I seldom have the courage of this sort of swift response. Correct application of a quick whip strike is more difficult than it looks because you never know exactly what the horse will do--ie. kilter off sideways, rear, flip etc. When I'm on and one is seriously misbehaving--at the farm I can generally pull it off. If the one whip smack is hard enough, the horse will straighten out. Having the courage to apply enough force is the rub. When you're at the track unfortunately I always carry with me that image of the young lady rider part of whose skull was embedded on a concrete barrier just off the shute at the Woodlands when the horse reared on her when she was trying to get it onto the race track. I witnessed that event, and ever since I've been too shy in applying the well timed whip smack.

And so, I've relied on other methods. Without writing a book these involve various methods of cajolery. Changing the route, distracting the horse, riding onto the track glued to another horse's rear etc. These common problems are all solved by training with company, which, if you can pull it off is really the way to create the race horse.

Tues/Wed. July 26/27: 10-15 min. riderless w/os. both days with a couple of 2f spurts both days. My left leg was more stable shoeing a rear this morn. Progress.