When a horse gets frustrated he gets sour. When he gets sour he starts demonstrating what we would call poor behavior. This behavior is an attempt to stop the source of his agitation. His behavior of course now becomes a problem and a learned experience he will revert to in order to stop his agitation. It can be anything that starts this cycle. When watching people round pen colts, it is easier to see because the results are so dramatic. Later, in training, as maneuvers get more refined it can be harder to see and articulate. If we stick with the colt in the round pen to describe the principles of “moving on”, it is easier to grasp this concept. Here is a scenario I have seen to illus
Why snub a horse? Good question, glad you asked! When many people hear the phrase “snubbing horse” it conjures up images of a 1915 era cowboy climbing on a blindfolded bronc. That bronc is snorting fire and fear while the “snub horse” is laying into the halter rope. With this image burned into their minds eye, a person may be quick to associate a snubbing horse to treating a horse roughly and without any concern for him. Contrary to the image of rough handling, I think the snub horse is a great asset to starting colts smoothly and quickly and they also help the colt process information. A good snub horse can handle the pull of the halter rope. They can also rate colts and put up with al
Having been in the saddlery trade for over twenty years, one of the more basic and often asked questions is how to price used saddles. While this process is certainly far from an absolute science, there are a few guidelines that will help you determine a value. First, however, let me share two perspectives I have as a saddler before I apply these three guidelines. The first perspective I have is that it is a piece of equipment. Simple enough, but surprisingly I often encounter customers who think that the saddle will hold that new price value for years. Reality, however, is that no other piece of equipment ever holds the new price value because its purpose is to be used. In the course o
