71 days until showtime

This morning Braydon was up early fed the horses
watered and got everything ready to go and was ready to start in on a cool
morning after a well needed rain. We worked the bay horse first. This horse is
coming along nicely however he is still hesitant to move forward as we need him
and he is still hindered by his own self-preservation. I worked him on the
ground with saddle on first. He is resisting staying in my boundary. He is very
strong physically and is bold mentally. He is tough. Braydon has been ridding
him for several days now while I work him from the ground. Today we will
transfer motivative force from me to braydon while he’s riding. You see it’s one
thing for a horse to be motivated by a person on the ground but it is quite
another for him to take direction from a passenger on his back. I keep reminding
braydon to squeeze first with his legs then follow up with a tap on the rear
with a bridle rein. Using this sequence the goal is to transfer meaning to the
riders legs. In a horse like this particular individual that is more concern
about saving his own life than he is about taking direction from someone hes not
sure he can trust yet. It is a moment in time that will stretch best of horsemen
to get beyond. Braydon will have to \trust what I tell him and believe what I
say and learn to overcome the fear he will experience in these next few
moments.  When you are setting on
an animal such as this and you squeeze on him to go you can feel the power that
he has and your own self-preservation will be screaming to you to quit. This is
a spot that horses will take their riders instinctively so they can have their
way. If you agree with the horse and quit doing what you’re doing. You will have
  successfully trained them to be more rebellious and it is a spot that causes
people to get hurt, and horse to become broncs. However braydon is armed with a
  willing attitude and my voice of experience so we will proceed on. I will
  attempt to give you a glimpse into conversation. Okay Braydon just squeeze with
  your legs and tap him on the rump until he moves his feet is what I said to
Braydon, but the voice inside of braydon said if I tap him he will buck me off
see if I tap him he kicks up. I said I know so hit him harder he will go forward
in a run if you hit him hard enough he will run forward. Again the voice inside
of Braydon said I am afraid because I feel his power in his resistance, then
again I said I know now look forward and squeeze with your legs  and
tap him on the rump this time the horse kicked up and then began top run. The
running freed the resistance, and started to give braydon the confidence that he
could listen to me and everything would be alright. We did this in both
directions until the horse had a relaxed attitude and was willing forward motion
from a slight squeeze of Braydon’s legs. Now we are at a spot that feels good to
both horse and rider. It was a growing experience for both of them , and I am
proud of both of them. There are not many at that particular spot that are brave
enough to believe. The other to horses are advancing  as
well. The race is on. 


“Success is not measurd by what a person accomplishes, but by the
  opposition they have encountered, and the courage with which they have
  maintained the struggle against overwhelming
odds.”

Orison Swett Marden