Thank you for your insightful website!

Too many "horse experts" out there just do what they can to make a fast buck... leaving horses behind that might be great for the "trainer" but still have issues at home because their owners haven't learned anything. I looked up your site trying to find some answers to why my young horse is cold backed and will buck occasionally, and what I found was so much more! After having a bad wreck coming off a horse as a novice owner, I ended up phobic of riding. I took lessons, bought all the WRONG horses, and didn't make any progress for almost 4 years until I bought the mare I still have today. She didn't like people, but she was honest and well trained under saddle. Her previous owners were willing to part with her because they had to use trained dogs and a squeeze chute, or run her down and rope her to catch her. She would refuse food and water, if she had to, to avoid being caught, even. Turns out we were perfect for each other... she didn't trust people, and I was afraid to ride. I will have had her for 10 years this coming spring and in all that time she's never let me down, and has taught me a lot about friendship. Over the years, she's saved me from being trampled once (stood over me when I got knocked down by a herd of rowdy horses at a place we were boarding), been stung by hornets and kept her cool on a trail ride, saved me from an attacking mammoth jack (that was serious... he meant to do me some major harm, and she had to come through a fence to get to us and drive him off!). She's taken care of me after a horrible car wreck when I was battling vertigo, and could just cling to the saddle and cry. She took care of me a few months later when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and was dealing with locked up, spasming muscles every day. She killed a fearsome garden hose to protect me, once. (Just about hurt myself laughing from that one!)

This fall, though we ran into the first glitch in our relationship during a weekend camping trip, and I'm not too proud to admit it. I've had a great summer as far as riding goes... we've been gone somewhere almost every weekend. I've been riding my green 5 year old gelding some, and letting less able relatives ride my mare. Well, that day at the campground, my brother in law rode her, and she was just awful to him... chargy, herd bound and generally as obnoxious as a horse can be without hurting anyone. I got on her when he got back, and she gave me a bunch of attitude, too. She'd been getting grumpy when I let other people ride, and mad at me when I come to catch her... making horrible mare faces and standing with her back to me, or circling just out of my reach. Anyway, I suspected she was jealous, so I went out to her pen that night during the campout, sat down on a bucket and apologised for my rude, inconsiderate behavior. I told her that the next day, noone was going to ride her but me, and she could even lead the ride if she wanted. It's funny, but when I started talking, her back was to me, but by the time I was done, she had come over and had lowered her head down to my level and was looking me in the eye. The next morning, she was perfect. Met me at the gate, left the herd willingly and came back at a reasonable speed, happily led the group (that's her favorite position, but we usually ride drag behind our other mare that kicks at strangers.

Well, I was encouraged by her immediate attitude change... turns out she just needed a change of pace, and so we're probably going to go learn how to sort cattle together. It's funny too... she's gotten back to her old habit of untying herself and loading herself into the trailer again!

A few days after the camping trip I ran across your website. It was just fantastic! Lots of people have made fun of me over the years for talking to Indy (my mare) as though she were a person, but I always KNEW it was appropriate, somehow. And yes, I think she was jealous. And it does turn out that my manners had been appaulingly bad. I was rushing through my time with Indy to hurry up and get with the young horse. And when I DID drag her out of her pen, it was always to do what I wanted to do (ride) or have her babysit beginners with no gratitude shown for it. I had completely taken her for granted. After I found your site, I went out to her pen, sat down on my mounting block and told her again what I had figured out. Today, I went out to get her, and groomed her slowly and carefully, then we played some games in the yard like we used to when I was getting over my fear of riding. I also sprung the hindquarter yield technique you described on her, and she was trying so hard to figure out what I wanted... it was really great to see her so mentally engaged!   I really look forward to more groundwork this winter when it's too cold for me to ride. I have also realized that the younger gelding wasn't being "bad"... he was just reacting to the fact that we've never really "started" him. He's good natured, so we just tacked him up and rode. Poor guy. No wonder we're finding holes in his training now... he never HAD any!

So, sorry for the rambling... but I thought it was important to say how much I learned from and enjoyed your website, and how grateful I am for the reminder to appreciate those special horses in my life. I hope I can get enough interest together to have you out for a clinic sometime next year! I feel like I'm on the threshold to start learning more and improving my own skills, and can't wait to see how the next few months with horses unfolds.

Sincerely yours,
Chellie in Iowa and "Indy" a grade foxtrotter mare (and a real miracle horse!)