We Ride Sport and Trail Magazine March 2017 | Page 17

Remember last month when I said horsemanship is simply the ability to “run with the fox, and bark with the hounds”? The trick here is to work in cooperation and harmony with the horse—with the intent to change an unbroke horse into a useful riding horse without them knowing it. I consider success the ability to turn out a horse that is safe, confident and knows its job. I gave away more useful information last month than I should. If you didn’t catch it, you better make like a chicken on a June bug and go after it.

I told you about how I get an amazing amount of training accomplished in a very short amount of time. My secret weapon, I told you, was using a “pony horse” while training. For me, that unwept, unhonored, and unsung hero involves a Morgan gelding named David, a horse I've built my training program around. I’m going to show you this month how the qualities of a pony horse can help keep your teeth in your head during training sessions, and how you can empower your own horse world with experiences that will leave your friends drooling for your secrets!

The information trail nowadays is noisier than a new leather saddle is. If you have a desire to ride more effectively and train faster than all your friends do, then read on through this month’s article. Again, it is an amazing bit of free information.

First, there are specific qualities that need to be in place (your job to do) in your pony horse for you to be successful. Each specific quality of a pony horse dictates your success, but this first one has no margin. Your pony horse’s first priority is simply for them to know their job. It’s not a hard job, but one that dictates safety. Here’s where your $1,000 horse becomes a $100,000 horse.