Real Life Situations

A Creative Solution for a Hard to Catch Horse
Have you ever thought; “If I only had a round pen?”

Until very recently, I’ve not had a round pen at my place for over 6 years and I have gotten along just fine. I’ve always kept an open mind about using a round pen. I do have some reservations about a few of the techniques used in a round pen because a little too much unnecessary pressure can be put on a horse when we forget about the release and draw. If we are not careful a round pen can bring out the predatory tendencies in a person which will not benefit the horse.

I’ve read a lot of horse training books on harmony and feel with horses. I’ve watched my fair share of videotapes on gentle horse breaking. I studied educational psychology in college and can see how some of it relates to the horse human relationship. I’ve attended quite a few clinics of popular clinicians both as an auditor and rider participant. I’ve learned so much from the hundreds of horses I’ve worked with through my students and the many clinics that I teach. After all of these experiences I can see the benefit of a round pen when it is used properly. But what if you don’t have one?
Many of you don’t have a round pen at home and many real-life situations are not textbook or clinic examples, so you have to be creative and figure out ways to deal with what you have. If you don’t have a round pen don’t be discouraged, just take time to think about horse psychology and the training principles you know then apply it to your situation.
Here is an example of a real life situation that I encountered recently. A client called me to help her catch a hard to catch mustang. The problem was, he was in a pasture with no round pen available and there was not even a smaller square pen which we could chase him into. A pasture several acres in size was the only available place to attempt catching this horse not to mention that there were three other horses with him. I knew that chasing this horse around until he stopped was not going to work. Bribing him wouldn’t work either, that had been attempted to no avail. The little mustang had been winning the “You Can’t Catch Me” game for some time now, so I knew I needed a game plan before arriving. Of course His favorite tactic was to hide behind the other horses. In order to solve this dilemma I started thinking about how we could use the concept of moving a horse in a round pen until he turns toward you without the advantage that real panels would provide by keeping the horse confined.
Working with what I had available I planned to see if I could catch the other horses first and tie them on the outside of the pasture, preferably in a corner. I figured that the mustang would run over to be with his buddies in the corner. I presumed that when I made him move out he would circle back so as not to get too farm from his friends, creating an invisible round pen. This was my game plan and it worked with a few alterations. Remember always have a plan but be flexible to change it when needed.
With my play book in hand I drove to the clients place. When I arrived it was raining, not buckets, but enough to get us nice and wet. We had on slickers which added another unforeseen and interesting element which we suspected would cause concern for the horses. I suggested this is a real life situation where we can't always be in a textbook clinic type environment, so let's make the best of it by using our creative thinking. I reached into my quiver full of savvy skills and principles drawing out the ones I thought we could use to set this experience up for success.

As we walked in the pouring rain and very tall and wet grass to find the horses I advised my client to not even think about catching her horse. I told her not to look at him, to ignore him completely as if he wasn’t even on the planet with us, and above all breathe. Don’t hold you’re your breath because it will create brace in your body which will cause an unfriendly appearance. Wouldn't you know the herd was in the farthest corner from where we began our journey?

When we approached the herd they snorted at our rain gear just as we thought they might. I reminded my client not to put any pressure on them, that all we need to do is blend in and become a part of the herd. It worked. The young Arab couldn't stand it, she was so curious she had to check us out. As I stood still breathing very relaxed she came up to sniff me. Then she turned farted and ran off bucking. The others followed suit but didn't go far before they circled back around us. We began to blend with the herd again. The other two mares came up to greet us, but the mustang never approached us. I suggested some other ways we could look more inviting.

After petting all three horses, we kept ignoring the horse we really wanted to catch until he finally got curious enough to come smell me. But he still said “No touching allowed” as I reached my hand out to his nose. After he quietly left I again acted like I didn't even know he was in the country. We continued to love on the other horses except the Arab who had decided I was indeed the boogie man wearing that long black slicker. So I took it off, threw it on the ground and continued to love on the other two horses. It was so funny when the Arab and the mustang started stomping my rain coat. The mustang even began eating it. While this was going on we haltered the two mares. By this time the mustang was entertaining himself with the stick on the ground, he was chewing on the handle. We laughed when he picked up the string and drug the whole thing around.

We only had two halters so we left the Arab loose. Remember my plan was to tie the other horses on the outside of the fence in the corner. But since we didn't have enough halters, the other horses didn’t belong to this gal and it was barbed wired with a bunch of farm equipment around it, we decided to not take a chance of any of them getting hurt. Instead I had my client hold the two horses we had caught about 60 feet away from the corner creating an imaginary round pen.
After putting my slicker back on I began to play with the two loose renegades. It wasn’t long before the little mustang decided to catch me!!! If you have a hard to catch horse you need to quit thinking about catching him. Use some reverse psychology. Take the attitude that you want the horse to catch you. It was amazing how well the imaginary round pen worked. The smart mustang never left 40 feet from the horses in the middle.
The Arab tried to get in our way a few times, but she was easy to move around when needed. I never once thought about catching this horse. I stayed between him and the two mares in the middle of our imaginary round pen. I mirrored his every move. I was very careful about staying in the neutral zone. I stayed in the proper position so I could still keep him from joining the two mares without driving him away. I only put pressure on him once when he tried to drive me away so he could join the two mares in the middle. It took very little energy from me to let him know he couldn't push me around. I didn’t even need to raise my hand. I just gave him the teacher look “You’re in trouble now Buddy”. I did not have a stick in my hand. I did not use a rope or the lead to direct the horse because my purpose was to draw the horse in to me not drive him away. The halter was draped over my arm in a casual way.

We were surprise that the mustang never even tried to leave the imaginary round pen. It was magical. Every time he stopped or gave the slightest indication he wanted to be with me, I walked a little toward the two mares in the middle. I was a little amazed myself how well it worked. It only took about 20 minutes before the mustang joined up with me. I still had not tried to catch him or halter him. I sent him out about 3 or 4 more times as a test to see if he was truly caught and wanted to be with me before I put the halter on without the lead. After that he continued to be with me on his own accord.
Before leaving I helped my client come up with some alternative techniques and strategies to set her up for success when she is by herself. After putting together her game plan we went to
her house to dry out and eat some lunch. It was a very successful and fun morning playing with horses because we used some creative solutions to catch a hard to catch horse even though we didn’t have a round pen, or a perfect setting to apply the principles. So the next time you are bemoaning the fact that you don’t have a round pen or a real life situation presents a less than perfect setting put on your thinking cap and experiment with the principles and savvy you have worked so hard to learn. You might just be pleasantly surprised at the result!
There is a very happy ending to this story. The next day it only took the owner 10 minutes to catch this horse using the strategies we set up for her and only 3 minutes the next time. I know that it will only get better as these two continue to develop their relationship and savvy by using creative solutions for real life situations.

My Horse Won’t Turn Right

And Oh Yea He Bucks Too!!

QUESTION:
My horse will not turn right and I am planning to try out for rodeo queen in less than a month. She also bucked me off not too long ago. Please help!
ANSWER:
It sounds like you don't have much time to fix this problem. Unfortunately there is not a real quick fix for the issues you are having with your horse. There are a lot of reasons a horse may not turn right or bucks, but aside from a physical ailment then I would say your horse has some holes in his foundation. These issues are just symptoms of a much bigger communication problem. However, if you work real hard and smart you may have enough time to improve before the competition. First you will need to break the problem down into pieces then fix each piece before putting it all back together.
CAUSE:
It is wise to start with trying to figure out what is causing these issues,
1. Physical: (Is the horse in some kind of pain or lameness? Is he too tired?)
2. Right-Brain: (Is he afraid or misunderstanding what you want?)
3. Left-Brain: Is he argumentative? (Doesn't want to go forward or turn right?)
4. Adrenaline: (Does the horse have too much energy, not paying attention?)
5. Bored: (Does the horse lack motivation, and not see a purpose?)
SOLUTIONS:
Quite often the solutions to many problems you have with a horse involve:
1. Improve ground skills before riding. (Do exercises on the ground which will directly transfer to the saddle)
2. Improve your independent Seat: (Riding with more fluidity by moving with the horse NOT against him. Make sure your weight is level and on your balance point. Check that you are NOT leaning forward and keep your legs loose, NOT gripping, etc.)
3. Improve your Communication. (Have crystal clear intention with a strong focus, soft feel, and timing with release which is meaningful to the horse)
4. Improve your ability to read the horse. (Observe behaviors quickly, assess the situation and provide an immediate and appropriate response before things get out of hand.)
5. Improve the learning frame of mind of both you and your horse. (Think things through and learn how to get and keep your horse’s mind. Let him think and solve problems. Help him find the right way.)
GUIDELINES:
1. First check for any signs of physical lameness or injury, especially on his right side?
Don’t look only at his legs and feet; also look at his rib cage, shoulders, neck, teeth, or even an eye sight problem. If you find anything suspicious then have your vet inspect your horse. You can’t blame a horse for not turning right or bucking if his saddle fits poorly which causes pinching when you ask him to turn right or move out. If there are no signs of physical ailments hindering the horse from performing then it is time to look at your horsemanship skills.
2. Do you really have your horse's attention when you are riding him? When a horse is NOT being attentive to us he is thinking more about the other horses, the barn, the next bite of grass, the wind blowing something in the trees, etc. When this happens you need to stop and bring the horse’s attention back before you ask the horse to do anything. Remember you need to be doing things together.
You can do this many ways, (a shift of your weight, a bend of the head, a step back, a tap of your foot, etc.) If it is really bad you may have to get off and do some ground exercises to get his attentiveness. Sometimes it is easier to gain it back on the ground first then mount back up.
You know your horse is paying attention to you, if he has an ear on you, he is feeling of you, being responsive, and asking you questions like, "What should I do next?" (You can see this in the horse’s expression and feel it when he hesitates for further instructions.) If the horse is not able to stand still and is taking over going where he wants when he wants then he isn't paying any attention to you and you need to get this fixed before you worry about trying to teach him to go to the right.
3. If the horse is scared or worried this would be a sign of lack of trust between you and the horse. It is your job to help your horse feel ok inside with what you are asking him to do on the outside. Your horse may be unconfident about having things on his right side or traveling in that direction, so you need to slow down and help him gain some confidence about doing things on this side. The best way to do that may be starting with some ground work from his right side like: (desensitizing to all kinds of objects, lateral flexion, shoulder yields, HQ yields, side passing, and circling). Until the horse is real confident with you doing things on that side turning may continue to be difficult.
By doing these exercises from the ground you can help your horse be more calm, willing and attentive whenever you ask anything of him while on his right side. After these things are easy to perform on the ground then start to transfer these same kinds of exercises into the saddle. The most important being desensitizing, lateral flexion, and shoulder yields.
4. If your horse is misunderstanding your cues this would be a sign of poor feel on your part or lack of clear communication. You need to learn how to have better feel in your whole body and reins that says, “I'm going to the right. How about you, will you come with me?” Instead of you need to go right even if you don’t understand my cue. The horse needs to give well to the bit, and you need to know the difference between a direct and indirect rein. I would start over riding with two hands until the horse is responding well before I go back to asking with one hand.
If you are NOT crystal clear about how you direct your horse to the right, and if you don't wait patiently for the slightest try releasing him as soon as he makes any effort, then you are creating a situation where you are frustrating the horse even further. Being very soft, patient and consistent with your cues which are progressive adding more support and intensity when needed will go a long way to helping your horse understand what you want. Demanding too much, being too quick and harsh, then quitting before the horse is clear about what you want will cause non-compliance from the horse.
5. If your horse is argumentative even though your cues are clear and you are sure the horse understands this could be a sign of lack of respect. You can't blame the horse for this, because you have to earn respect. If he is used to pushing you around on the ground then it won't change when you get on his back, in fact, it usually gets worse. Or maybe you haven’t earned his respect because you act like a dictator who keeps telling your horse "no don't do this or this and not that either", instead of here let me help you find the right answer to what I am asking you to do, then when you get it I'll reward you.
If your horse is simply unwilling even though he knows what you are asking, then it is your job to figure out a way that motivates him to want to comply with a willing heart. The best way to do this is to help him feel better about what you are asking him to do. I think of releasing the horse into the movement and then rewarding him as quick as possible. (Some rewards may be getting to stand still and do nothing, cantering about if your horse likes to run, a scratch or pet in their favorite place, turning towards the other horses or barn where he wants to go anyway, a treat on a barrel, or a munch of grass with your permission). You have to create a situation where there is something in it for the horse if you want him to be 100% willing. Sometimes when a horse is attentive, there are no physical limitations, he is confident, the cues are clear, he understands exactly what you are asking, and he respects you and wants to please, he may not see any reason in going to the right. Maybe he isn’t willing because he is bored with the, “Same OL’ Same OL’.” You need to become more provocative and interesting to the horse. Help him see a purpose in what you are asking him to do. An obstacle to go around, a gate to go through to the right, a corner to follow, a ball, another horse, or cow to go with or a pattern to perform can give your horse new motivation. Patterns or obstacles give your horse a reason to perform and security about what is expected. But if a pattern is over done it can become drill, well when this happens then it can work against you too. It is all about balancing your act with your horse, according to his point of view.
6. If you are locked up or bracing on one side of your body, you are preventing the horse from turning or may even be causing the bucking. If you are squeezing your thighs together this causes your seat bones to be disconnected from the horse through his back. Bracing in your body can also prevent a good feel in your hands creating a disjointed feeling to the bridle which is your connection to the feet.
It is also important to think about footfall when turning your horse. Asking for a right turn just as the left front foot is hitting the ground and just as the right front foot is leaving the ground will cause the turn to be easier for the horse, because you are actually placing the right front foot to the right as it hits the ground. Asking when the foot is already under the horse makes for big bracing strength against the rider.
CONCLUSION:
Start with getting your horse attentive, calm, and in a learning frame of mind, next get him bending soft laterally and giving to the bit willingly, then make sure you are not bracing in your body and that you are using your core not just your reins to turn the horse and lastly get in time with his feet. Oh and don't forget about impulsion (meaning your horse goes forward real nice). When all these things are in place you will set your horse up for success turning right or doing just about anything else you want him to do and he’ll most likely also stop bucking.

If you don't know how to do the things listed above I suggest you get some professional help for YOU! I don't mean send your horse to a trainer, because it is a mutual learning experience for both you and your horse that will benefit you the most.

PS: Our Friendly Warning: There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Horses can cause serious injury. Be sensible and don’t attempt anything that is outside your comfort level. Any information in this article or that we present through any of our programs are intended to illustrate how we apply our training techniques with success. However you are responsible for using this information wisely. If you don’t feel comfortable with your abilities or an exercise, don’t do it! Seek advice or assistance from a professional before attempting things beyond your skill or confidence level. Stay on the "high side of trouble".
Keep it natural and above all KEEP IT SAFE!
Warmly,
Sherry

Count Your Blessings!!!!

I’ll bet you have heard someone say, “If you have never fallen off your horse you don’t ride very much.” There may be some truth to those words, because you just never know what might happen. Any way we look at it, horses are risky business, which may be part of the lure for some thrill seekers. However, I am a firm believer that by using our natural powers of observation with the knowledge we have gained through study and experience and the better we develop our skill and relationship with our horse the more likely we will be able to avoid catastrophes. Many so called accidents are caused by our own lack of awareness, laziness, ignorance, or attempting things without the prior and proper preparation necessary to perform the task. But other times something happens which can qualify as a freak accident. It may or may not have been avoided. Horses, while predictable the majority of the time, are unpredictable the rest of the time. In a split second things can change, therefore we need to be very diligent at paying attention.
I recently read that Linda Parelli had an accident on her horse Remmer. She was supposedly cantering in a pasture when he tripped and fell head over heals. She ended up in the hospital for a couple of days. It is reported she is at home and recovering well and Remmer is also fine. From all reports it sounds like this could have been one of those “freak accidents” that may not have been preventable. One never knows. I had a gal come to one of my clinics this spring who told me a few months prior to coming to the clinic her horse had stepped in a hole and went down landing on her. From the information I have both of these horses tried hard to save themselves and their riders. But the force of gravity was too great for them to overcome, once the unbalanced movement had begun. I am not writing these things to put fear in anyone, but rather to remind us all to count our blessings and ride with as much wisdom as we can, continue our education and stay alert so we can reduce the risk, stay safe and have more fun.
Hope to see you on the trail this summer or fall! There is still some room in the Sept. Women’s Camps, so sign up now!
Thank you for celebrating with us the love of horses. Thank you to all the new people who have taken lessons from me this year, the people who have entrusted me with their young horses, and to all the regular students who have stuck with me over the last 4 years so faithfully. It is a real blessing serving all of you and helping your horses feel better about what we are asking them to do.
Until next time,
Sherry Jarvis
"Hope springs eternal" --Alexander Pope
"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."--Will Rogers

The Benefits of Walking

You can get a lot accomplished with your horse at the walk. A good walk should be an obsession with every great horseman. A good walk is something we ought to think about every time we go somewhere with our horse whether it is on the ground leading him or riding him.
I remember well the words of one of my mentors:
“If you can’t do it well at a walk don’t even think about doing it at a trot or canter with success.”

What is a good walk?
1. The horse is calm, relaxed, attentive, willing and in balance.
2. It looks light and effortless.
3. It is lively, but not always increasing in speed. You don’t have to keep holding the horse back.
4. The horse is not lifeless or dull; where you are always have to keep encouraging him to keep walking.
5. The horse goes the speed you ride him.
6. You and the horse look like you are going somewhere; you have someplace to be and something to do.
7. There is a steady cadence or rhythm.
8. The horse’s head is level with withers, with a nice swinging motion in his head and neck.
9. The horse’s face is on the vertical and the reins have loose contact.
10. The horse’s hind feet are reaching forward under his belly button.

Some of the benefits of a good walk:
1. You’ll have fewer problems directing your horse.
2. You’ll have more control over your horse’s movements and individual body parts.
3. It enhances overall performance. The better your walk is the more the trot, canter and gallop will improve.
4. It is easier at the walk to develop your horse’s suppleness then when you increase the speed you will set your horse up for success.
5. It is better to improve your horse’s lateral movements at the walk then when you add speed it will be easier for your horse.
6. It is the best gait to teach your horse to keep straight, if he can keep straight at the walk it will be more natural for him to keep straight in other gaits.
7. A good walk allows for mechanical ease and energetic efficiency. It creates strength, power and stamina.
8. A balanced walk will not cause damage or strain to the tendons, legs, soft tissue or muscles.
9. A good walk takes less metabolic energy to achieve the same goals.
10. It also increases the stride length and range of movement, making the body more adaptable and adjustable.
11. It also becomes physiologically and psychologically easier on the horse due to a sense of control and well being that comes from inside of him.

I mention all of this about walking because I recently gave a lesson to one of my regular students and her horse’s overall muscle development was greatly improved since I had last seen this horse. I had never seen this horse look better. I asked her what she had been doing different with her horse. She said that she had only been walking her horse for the last several months. She decided to do this because her horse was bracing so much in other gaits. So she determined to get the brace out of her horse at the walk first, then she would progress to other gaits. Well it is paying off with great dividends.

The walk is a very valuable gait when done well. You have probably seen a horse that is walking real nice. Your eye will recognize it as beautiful, graceful, effortless movement that exudes power and strength. We all have the ability to recognize this when we see it. But do we have the patience to get it with our horses?

Thank you for celebrating with us the love of horses. Thank you to all the new people who have taken lessons from me in the past three months, the people who have entrusted me with their young horses, and to all the regular students who have stuck with me over the last 4 years so faithfully. It is a real blessing serving all of you and helping your horses feel better about what we are asking them to do.
Until next time,
Sherry Jarvis

A Report from June Women’s Camp

By Michele,

I would like to share my experience of my 4-day, Women's Confident Leadership Camp, held in June in Burwell, NE @ Calamus Outfitters.

I took my horse Atticus, a five-year old Paint with me. I bought Atticus as a three-year old – yes the cardinal sin of horse ownership was broke. A green rider and a green horse – Yee Haw.

Anyways, Atticus and I have come a long ways together. There have been many tears and moments of freedom and joy that I will never be able to explain with words.
I wasn't sure what to expect. When we arrived and began our first day, just the thought of going outside the indoor arena AND the fact of taking a trail ride in the Sandhills was basically unthinkable. How will I control him when he breaks gait or bucks?
As we were in the indoor arena, Sherry asked us to ride at the walk and close our eyes. By God if Atticus didn't break gait. I had a meltdown and Sherry was right there to assure me that I wasn't going to stay in that frame of mind and I was going to take action and pull up with one rein to slow him and change the gait back to the walk. I started to see her words work with my actions. I have had many good friends and trainers explain this to me but for some reason, now was the time the universe chose to make me understand it and execute it.

As the group of wonderful women decided to go outside, I wanted to grow and go too. Sherry assured me that she would be right there with me. She was. Atticus tried over seven times that day to break gate and Sherry was right there coaching me along and I was changing the "normal" outcome of such an action. Even when Sherry turned to assist the others, Atticus tried and I shut him down. I began to feel stronger and more confident as the afternoon went on. Sherry also relayed for me to keep my legs off of his sides and sit back in the seat.
Again, others have shared this but until that very day, that place in time, did I get it and execute it successfully. Sherry knew exactly what to say to help me understand what to do. This is the mark of a true educator and communicator.
I don't care if it is horsemanship or tennis – it doesn't matter. The message was timed perfectly and communicated clearly and simply. Ahhhh, just what I had DARED to hope for.

Then, the group decided to go on the trail ride. I reached down inside me and got the answer to go also. So, we went on the 2.5 hour trail ride and as promised, Sherry was right there with me, coaching me – even when Atticus bucked; I remember the words and actions to take with the one-rein stop, legs off, seat deep and back in the saddle.

I wondered why it had taken so long to find the seat combined with leg and rein cues. Oh, no bother I thought, it is working, I'm confident and Atticus understands.

We had a lovely afternoon with a group of wonderful women and a facilitator that understood me and my needs and was there for me. She was my rock or my well in which I could draw from when I needed to. Yes indeed, I'd found salvation with my horse, and a new lifelong trainer that was efficient and effective in her communications.

This instruction and direction was only one piece of many – discussions, classroom, homework, a review of a very valuable informational packet, private time with the facilitator, group time—all the adult learning principles were covered.

In my job (the one that I do each day so my horses will have a better life!) I recruit for talent and train and develop employees myself (and have been in HR for twelve years). So when I tell you that Sherry is a very polished professional with results that are measurable, I feel I can do so emphatically, with conviction and experience.

One of the most important areas to identify on any road to success is to have a coach or mentor or whatever you want to call it. I already have two (Michelle and Colleen), and I am secure in reporting that Ms. Sherry is on the list too—Sherry, thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me reach goals and break through thresholds. I've got a long ways to go, but I know success is eminent with you on my side.

The Gift of Greatness

The Gift of Greatness
Wow! What a busy three months I have had!
I have been crazy busy actually since the NE Horse Expo in March, with private lessons, clinics, camps and starting young horses. It has been a very rewarding three months but I needed a rest and it sure was nice to have three days off to relax over the 4th of July weekend. Plus the weather was fantastic. I couldn’t be happier with this nice cool spell July started off with. Some of you who know me well have heard me say many times how much I do not like the heat.

I hope all of you had a very happy and safe independence day as you celebrated the freedom we enjoy in America and that you had time to enjoy your horses. I sure did!
As I think of our nation I think of greatness and the many men and women who have made it great. Few of us will ever do anything that will be recognized or remembered by more than a handful of people, but that doesn’t make us any less important or special. I believe each and every person is unique with value and has a purpose in life. However, true greatness comes along so rarely that when we see it we want to touch it and we want a chance to be a part of it.

There are a few horsemen who are truly great! They make it all look so easy and even magical. We can see the real connection they have with the horse. It is undeniable. A truly great horseman has a way of helping the horse feel good about whatever they ask him to do. They believe in the horse, that there are no good or bad horses, only horses that have or haven’t been given the chance to develop his own confidence and abilities with clear communication and positive motivation.

When a person wants to become an artisan of horsemanship it is sort of like developing a great concert pianist. It doesn’t happen over night just because you bought a nice expensive grand piano. It takes years of foundational lessons with hours of practicing scales, chords, finger positions, feel of the keys, rhythm, tempo, balance, softness, loudness, various styles, and so much more. Eventually the great pianist will progressively begin to play more difficult scores until the sounds they can produce from the ivory keys are polished into beautiful music. Producing a beautiful harmonious ride on a consistent basis which feels good to both the horse and rider is a gift of greatness. But you can bet there was a lot of hard work, patience, and practice which went into that greatness.

The art of horsemanship means developing a horse to be more than it could ever be without you. All horses have the potential to be beautiful partners moving confidently and gracefully while being ridden. With some horses it takes a great horseman in order to find that balance, not all horses can tolerate mediocre horsemanship.

There comes a point when all great horsemen may have to ask themselves these questions: “How can I help this horse become the horse that I seek? How can I help him feel better about what I am asking him to do and who I am asking him to be? After all you picked the horse he didn’t pick you.

Hope to see you on the trail this summer or fall,
Sherry Jarvis
PS: "Not only does talent create its own opportunities, but intense desire will create its own talents."
- Bruce Lee