William Conquerors His Demons
In the fascinating world of dressage, horses are asked to perform extremely complex maneuvers that require many hours of practice and extreme concentration. Adding to this equation are the physical demands. One weak link can lead to failure and frustration. On the planes of war, where dressage originated, this could lead to injury or death. In our world today dressage horses must maintain a high level of competency or they will not progress to the next level. One such horse came my way some years ago. His name was William the Conqueror, but the only thing he was conquering at the time was his owner’s confidence.
Late winter in Colorado can produce all kinds of weather. As the saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” One minute it’s sunny, warm, and comfortable. The next minute brings wind and cold and snow flurries or much worse.
I received a call one sunny morning by a very frustrated woman. She’d purchased a very high-end Dutch Warmblood only a month earlier in Holland. The horse had been flown to the States, and then shipped to Colorado. He’d been at High Plains boarding facility in Castlerock for a couple weeks and just hadn’t settled down. In fact he was a completely different horse than she’d ridden and subsequently bought only a month earlier.
“He’s just jumping right out from under me at the slightest provocation. I injured my back last year and cannot afford to get hurt. My trainer who helped me pick out this guy just doesn’t have time to settle him. He’s better for her, but still a case,” Kay Streeter added.
That told me a lot. If the horse was better for the trainer, then the part of the equation that had changed, the owner, sure needed help. We talked about his stabling and feeding program. I was very certain to address both these issues as sometimes a change of diet and more time outside expending energy can make a huge difference. He had a stall and run at the rear of the facility where it was very quiet. I suggested moving him to the front where he would be exposed to more activity- cars, tractors, and horses coming and going. That might keep his mind more active as he digested the plethora of changing scenes at this busy facility. We set an appointment for later in the week, when unfortunately the weather had turned nasty.
Face to Face with William the Conqueror
Kay Streeter was perfectly built for the activity she so wanted to excel in. She was medium height, about 5’6” and didn’t carry an ounce of excess weight. I guessed she sat the horse well and that it was a good fit. Enter William, a good-sized and perfectly proportioned draft cross. The other side of the cross is quite often the thoroughbred. This lends energy and athleticism to the mix. Sometimes one side is a bit lopsided and the cross just doesn’t work as well as intended. William was about 16-1 and dull black, almost charcoal. He was a big boned well filled-out perfectly proportioned horse who reeked of athleticism. He had a striking blaze on his face and two white sox in front. He had an intelligent and eager look, but with a glint of mischievousness in the blend that exhibited itself immediately as very bad manners. He walked all over Kay as if she didn’t exist.
“You see what a butt he is Frank?” She pleaded as he led her down the alley away from me. She was holding the lead just under his chin and had no way to correct him. I could tell right from the get-go that Kay needed a lot of help with William.
I hurried down the alley and took over. “Now watch closely what I do Kay,” I instructed. I took hold of the lead about three feet from the snap, as he was still walking away with Kay and jerked back hard several times while making a progressively louder shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh noise. William’s head shot into the air and he stopped abruptly. The noise stopped and he stood wide-eyed, and then licked his lips. “You can’t lead a horse under the chin. You have no way to control him. Look where I’m holding the lead; back a few feet. Slack is my friend. This way if he acts up I have some leverage. Here Kay, hold the end of the lead.” Kay took the end. “Now hold it tight, real tight. Okay?” She nodded. I began with a light jerking motion then increased gradually until her whole body was bouncing around, and then stopped abruptly. “You see how this works? Got your attention didn’t I? You’ve got a thirteen hundred pound horse here that will only listen to one thing, pressure . . . and release. And you cannot apply more than a few pounds when hanging on under the chin.” She nodded as wide-eyed as the horse. Inside I was wondering what ‘her trainer’ taught her and how ‘her trainer’ led the horse. I then led William up and down the alley a couple times, stopping abruptly here and there. Before long he was paying very close attention to my shoulder and only moved when I moved and stopped very decidedly when I did. “Okay now you try it Kay.” This quite timid woman took William as I instructed and started down the alley. He immediately took over and began leading the dance. “Now jerk him back Kay. She did try, but wasn’t forceful enough, so I took her hand and actually operated the lead with her. Of course when I entered the picture again William saluted me and was a perfect gentleman. But after a couple laps I backed off and she began to get the picture, as did William. “You’re going to really have to work at this and believe me your assertiveness on the ground will carry right into the saddle. Okay?”
“Well this is a whole new deal for me. I paid a lot of money for William and expected a well-behaved horse,” she wined away.
“Kay, all horses take advantage of all people. Period. You learn this with him and you’ll have it with all horses in the future. Do your other horses take over?”
“Not like him.”
“Well now you know how to do it right. I am a bit amazed Nancy doesn’t spend a little time teaching proper leading. This is foundation stuff. Well let’s get on with it and get him saddled up.”
Kay put William into the crossties, brushed, and saddled him; then slipped a snaffle into his mouth. She led him (properly) out into the indoor arena and up to the mounting block and got right on. Her reins were slack as she mounted and he walked right off with her before she’d even found her stirrup on the offside. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. She walked him out and did a variety of loosening up exercises typical in this discipline, then pushed him up to a trot and began working some figure 8’s. The stormy day outside had the whole building creaking and flurries of snow were settling into the arena at both ends. At the far end of the arena William spooked by the big overhead door that was cracked a couple feet. Away he went with Kay Streeter as she pulled back with everything she had. At the opposite end she gained control and rode over to me. “This is exactly what’s been happening every single time I ride him. If it’s not the doorway, it’s something else. I don’t know what to do,” she sighed in exasperation.
“Well Kay this is like a good news/bad news joke. The good news is that there is a whole lot you can do. The bad news is that you’ll either have to learn it or sell the horse,” I gave her the facts, just the facts. “I have a sequence of exercises that I use on every single horse I encounter that builds confidence, establishes my leadership, and flushes out problems on the ground before they find you in the saddle. Get off him and I’ll run through my program, and then ride him. I’ll also send you home with my foundation video on my 7-Step Safety System. It’s called “Discover the Horse You Never Knew.” If you can learn this well, I believe you’ll be able to do whatever you want with William. But you’ll have to learn how to do this and it does take some work really honing these ground skills.”
I could tell William was just looking to get into trouble, a bit like a teenager. I removed the headstall and slipped my rope halter on with the twelve-foot lead. I ran through the first three steps of my program, bonding, take and give, and intimacy quickly and William happily complied. He was as subtle as can be and readily gave and trusted me. He knew I meant business and would be fair, yet firm if necessary. He caught onto the fourth step; the dance begins quickly and was ready and eager to move on when we found his sticky spot. I produced my extendable wand with a noisy plastic bag on the end and he immediately melted down. This was downright scary to him and he didn’t want to have anything to do with it.
“This is great Kay. Finally found something that really bothers him. If I can help him through this, his confidence will blossom and doorways won’t be such a terrifying deal, nor will a whole lot of other scary situations.” I put the wand away and got a plastic bag from my tack duffel. I squished it into a tiny ball and offered it to him with my outstretched hand. He extended his head and neck waaaaaaaaaaay out and took and sniff and a loud snort. “Come on William, big bad warmblood drafty guy. You can handle this,” I soothed convincingly. I moved to his side and with a tight hold on the lead tipping his nose into me I began slowly rubbing my hand with the concealed bag on his shoulder. We began to circle and the bag began to slowly open as I rubbed it on his shoulder, neck, and withers area. “Eeeeeeeeasy now Big Boy. Eeeeeeeasy now William, Just a little plastic bag,” I repeated softly over and over as the bag grew larger and larger and he handled it. When he could handle the full bag moving all over his back, I stopped and retrieved my wand. The sight of the wand brought another loud snort as if to say, “Well that’s a different deal now.” And it was, just slightly. I shortened the wand and tightened the bag so it was as small as possible, then moved into him, again pulling his head into me. We began circling and I eased the bag and wand onto his back. He bolted forward, but I left the bag on him and circled him back down to a stop, soothing his withers the whole time; then we started again. I kissed a couple times and he walked off impulsively, but at least didn’t bolt this time. Around and around we went. He’d speed up a notch or two but gradually began to maintain his cool as the bag slowly became larger and larger and gradually explored his saddle area. “What a boy William,” I complimented him with gusto. Within a couple more minutes he was handling the extended wand and bag all over his back as well as on and off him, as it came down from overhead onto his saddle area. Now it was time for him to handle it right in front and then the other side.
I knew full well that this would probably be the horse’s biggest hurdle and when he could accept me riding him with the bag, his whole life could change for the better. So we stayed with it until he was rationally moving around me as the plastic bag cracked all around him and on him. “That’s just great. I believe I’ll take him for a short ride, and then call it a day. A good first day for old William, don’t ya think Kay?”
“Wow. I can’t believe how you worked him through that. He was terrified of that bag. I’ve been riding for thirty years and never seen anything like this. Is this what they’re calling Natural Horsemanship Frank?”
“Sure is. You see if you avoid issues, they’re like time bombs just waiting to explode. But if you address problems, you heighten the horse’s confidence as well as your own. “Heck, I look at problems as my friend; my opportunity to build the horse’s confidence. As well as he handled all this, I believe you’ve got one very bright, but slightly immature horse. He just needs to grow into himself more mentally than physically. I like him, don’t I William?” I assured soothingly as I rubbed his left eye. He leaned hard into me in sheer delight. “This is going to be a fun project for me.”
“How long do you think it will take Frank? I’ve already got $100,000 into him, buying and shipping him over.
“Oh not more than half that,” I replied with a wink. “I’m guessing about a week of confidence building will have him in a good place. Then you’ll have to learn how to keep it going. Won’t do any good if you don’t continue with this. You do understand that don’t you?”
“From the change I’ve already seen, I’m ready to learn how to do this Natural Horsemanship stuff,” said Kay with a newfound confidence.
William was a perfect gentleman for me, though I did feel a sense of hesitation and lack of confidence at certain spots in the spacious indoor arena. He just wasn’t moving out freely; not like the Conqueror he should be. I left him in a good place that day and as importantly I left Kay feeling good about it all as well.
As the spring weather deteriorated over the next couple days to the point of not being able to drive anywhere, Kay and I had some interesting phone conversations. She’d been riding for years, but always well-schooled horses. She always advanced them from a solid level of training into higher levels of dressage. She’d never faced a truly challenging horse that could easily hurt her.
“Well I’ve read over the Western Horseman articles on your work and watched the “Discover” video at least four times. I guess I’ve always kind of jumped into the middle with horses. This system you teach is really foundation type work isn’t it Frank?” Kay opened up.
“Yes. That’s exactly what it is. You see when a horse and rider really have my 7-Steps down, cold, to where it’s rote, like your foot finding the brake in your car, then the whole world of ‘riding in confidence’ as I call it, opens up. When the horse and handler understand there is a safe loving place to regroup at any time, then a real partnership can flourish. I’m guessing you won’t believe what you two will be accomplishing in a couple weeks, let alone months,” I predicted. “Tomorrow looks like a good day, so I’ll get over there after lunch, around 1:00. See if you can make it. The more of this you observe, the more you’ll understand how to build this foundation solidly under William.”
As it turned out Kay had a doctor appointment and didn’t make it, but William and I had an eventful afternoon. I did my ground exercises with a special emphasis on the flagging. While it just wasn’t easy for him, he did again finally accept the flag all over his body as he moved around me rationally. Then I drove him in some circles and slapped the lead hard on my western stock saddle. He was pretty concerned at first and we had to regroup and reassure a couple times before he finally realized this was just part of the whole program. Eventually he made it and invited the ride, so I obliged him. I rode him with my rope halter/lead combo instead of a snaffle, which he seemed to enjoy and relax right into.
I began as always by teaching him the exercise I call ‘ballet in the saddle.’ This not only firmly establishes the one-rein-stop, but turns it into an art form, a dance that heightens both of our safety. The highly athletic William took to this like a horse to a grain bucket. His turns on the forehand were followed by turns on the haunches with glee. He rocked back and just shot out as his powerful hind end propelled him forward. We were both smiling away as we used his energy in a constructive manner. But this was just the warm-up. The true litmus test was about to take place.
I rode William over to the viewing area and deftly took hold of my extendable wand from the top of the fence. He instantly noticed and tensed up. His whole demeanor became rigid and his head shot high into the air. Then he snorted loudly. I was ready to unload the wand, but figured I’d try to work through this. I assertively pushed his hind end with my leg and pulled his head on the same side thereby successfully disengaging the engine, his powerful hindquarters. I circled him down, back to safety and the nurturing he so needed while keeping the flag from his view. “Eeeeeeeeeesy Man. You can make it through this now. Eeeeeeeeeasy William,” I soothingly cooed again and again, in reality to calm both of us. I was pretty shook up. This was one very very powerful horse who could have gone over the top had I not spent the time earlier perfecting the all-important one-rein-stop.
Once William and I had regrouped and were both breathing normally again, off we walked as if nothing had happened. I kept the flag hidden and pushed him with my whole body as if to say, ‘just another walk in the park William.’ We circled down into a couple more stops, and then I allowed him a quick glimpse of the flag. He took notice and gave a half-hearted snort, but held it together as I pushed him right out of the circle with full life in my body to reassure him. He’d known all along he flag was up there somewhere, but clearly trusted me.
I knew that this would be the ‘big one’ for him. When I could ride him and wave that flag aggressively, he would then be able to overcome most any challenge; so we stayed with it. I slowly began working the wand in small circles within his vision on the right, and then switched to the left. When he tensed I reassured with my hand on his withers kneading away all the while my seat and legs were busily saying, ‘It’s all just fine.’ And it worked. Within about twenty minutes he was handling the flag everywhere and riding quietly, and confidently on a slack rein. Then I started banging the flag on the walls and the fence and the overhead door at the end of the arena, the same door and area that used to spook him. He rode by without a care in the world, that William the Conqueror did.
But in my mind there was another huge hurdle to overcome. As with most dressage horses, outside riding just isn’t done much, if ever. Having no idea of his history, I figured this to be the last big confidence-building step, so out we went into the brilliant Colorado early spring day and what would become William’s greatest adventure, to date.
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
This is the name I give to every horse’s first ride out, away from home. I mounted William out in front of the barn and we went for a discovery ride. What could we find of interest? What would push his buttons? What might send him over the top? My job was to take him to the edge and then reassure and regroup with the reliable one-rein stop that was firmly cemented into our mutual psyches.
We circled around and rode by the other horses’ runs heading to the back of the barn. William’s neighbors eagerly came out to greet us as we walked by. I stopped next to one striking light bay mare and stroked her forehead, and then reached down and began lightly shaking the fence progressively louder and louder. Ms. Bay Mare shot back into the confines of her stall and watched from afar as the mighty William tolerated the rattling. I was careful to stroke his neck as I rattled. He didn’t just love this and trembled under me, but I stopped just this side of trouble and praised him lavishly. His head dropped and he licked his lips in understanding and acceptance.
Behind the building was the predictable junk that lives on every ranch. The gas tanks high in the air. The garbage bins. Pieces of metal and pipe of all dimensions were piled throughout an area the size of a couple tennis courts. We weren’t leaving until we’d checked every single challenge and he’d completely relaxed. The trick was riding him and not allowing William to stop and focus on any booger too long. So with exaggerated life in my body I pushed him in, over, around, and through that mess of humanity until he completely let down. Time for the next leg the discovery tour.
The hay shelter was located about a hundred yards in front of the barn and had an inviting look, plus was on the way to endless rolling hills preceding the front range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. We rode right into the shelter as barn cats scattered almost at William’s feet. A snort here. A pointedly focused gaze there, we weaved through the shelter and did some ballet which forced William’s concentration and didn’t allow him time to zero in on the claustrophobic conditions, nor the plethora of farm equipment from pitchforks to wheelbarrows and piles of discarded twine laying on the floor. He noticed, but kept his cool and clearly said to me in his demeanor, “Let’s go for a ride now.”
Our Ride to Remember
The rolling hills around Castlerock are scattered with scrub oak trees. The hills are mostly gentle, but some areas are quite steep and tricky. Overall the footing in superb, but the snow and mud around it can be deceiving. This country is called chaparral and offers endless riding.
I side-passed William over to the gate, leaned over, and pushed the long handle back. The metal screeched loudly in the cool spring air. William tensed up a bit, but my hand on his neck brought him right back to me. We walked through and secured the gate with another load groan, but this one didn’t bother William. An obvious trail led up a long medium grade that extended as far as I could see. Huge cottonwoods formed a boarder on our left next to an old irrigation ditch. Mammoth limbs littered the ground forming convenient jumps of all ranges.
I felt a tiger under me in a good way. William was confident and eager to see this new country. I was ready to oblige him. We drifted into a ground-eating walk as his frame reached out with glee. The trot was our mutual idea. His legs shot out with a snap as his back rounded and supported the ground concussion like a sponge. Up ahead loomed the limb from one of the cottonwoods. It looked like a reasonable jump maybe two and a half feet high with obvious vertical limbs on each side and a convenient open spot in the middle. As we closed in William's ears and whole manner suddenly became extremely focused. We cleared that limb by at least two feet and thus began the canter. Now there are comfortable canters and there are just great canters. Then there are addictive canters. I’d never felt anything so smooth in my career. We loped up the gentle hill through the cottonwoods and fallen limbs like a hot knife through soft butter. My pictures became his as I moved him laterally with the slightest touch of my leg as we weaved through the maize of debris. He chose the jumps and became bolder and bolder until the ultimate challenge presented itself. One of the really big trees had fallen. It had to be three and a half feet, maybe four feet high and we were smoking along at a very controlled medium canter. “Ok William. Your choice here. I felt him gather under me and collect himself, then spring like that tiger in him. It seemed like we were in the air for a minute, and then touched down gracefully as if he’d been leaping over Colorado Cottonwoods for eons. Just the other side was a ditch. We’d been so focused on that huge tree that neither of us had noticed this three-foot drop eight feet wide. Again the mighty William quickly gathered himself, bunched up, and then just glided softly through the air to the other side without missing a step or his balance one iota. We backed off to a trot and allowed our hearts to settle down, and then down to the walk.
We continued to explore the chaparral and endless scrub oak with its dry leaves, perfect for desensitizing horses to noise that time of year. Then we turned toward home. His whole being drooped as if to say, “On no not back to the confines of that place.” He wanted more and more and more, but I couldn’t give it to him that day.
“Maybe another time William, “ I assured him as we worked back to Highplains into the setting sun. Once through the gate and into the barn area, I gave him his head. He went right to exploring the same places that had frightened him not an hour earlier. He walked right up to a manure spreader and sniffed and took a long look; then to the tractor that dragged the spreader. This was a changed horse whose confidence had just blossomed and was now exploding. I felt like the proud father at the baseball game.
I called Kay that evening to report. “Yep, toward the end of it he was really acting like a three-day horse. He couldn’t get enough of jumping and over some pretty good-sized fallen trees. Heck he just soared over a ditch like a seasoned campaigner. He is really some athlete and loves it outside. Didn’t want to go home. Have you ever considered 3-Day Eventing Kay?”
“Interesting. It’s been on my mind, waaaaaay in the back. We know he can handle the dressage and if he likes jumping, the stadium part of it should be a snap. Now you tell me he’d be a good cross-country candidate,” confirmed Kay.
“Well it’s all about listening to the horse and letting them guide us isn’t it?”
“I guess you taught me about that part of it Frank and I have you to thank. I’m sure William is full of gratitude as well.”
I lost track of Kay Streeter and William the Conqueror, but the memory is as vivid as if it all took place yesterday. And that is my greatest reward.
Frank Bell and his accredited instructors have been helping horses with their people problems for several decades. He writes interesting stories about these horses and their challenges. He also helps people better understand how to communicate with these magnificent creatures by answering their vexing questions on his website. Frank has designed a logical set of exercises that immediately places both parties on higher ground . . . without the need for a round pen. Suddenly both parties are riding in confidence instead of fear. Frank Bell’s 7-Step Safety System has been featured in horse magazines and ezines throughout the world including a three-part series in Western Horseman magazine. Frank’s video “Discover the Horse You Never Knew” fully outlines “the system” and is available in the audio/video library that includes twelve works. Join Frank Bell’s Gentle Solution Revolution and breakthrough your training barriers now!
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