Be tough ... once

When I talked with Clancy last week I asked him "How tough do I need to be with my horse?"

The answer was "If your horse is being naughty, then do anything you need to do, to get them out of your space. The instant they have backed off, stop."

This is pretty much what Pat Parelli, and other horsemen and women, say. Except that Pat Parelli applies the 10 point scale. Start soft, and build it up. That might be fine when your horse is standing still, pretty much asleep. It's a bit different when you are trying to saddle the horse, and he is lashing out with his teeth at you.

So today when I bring Gally to the hitching rail, I don't tie him to it. I just let the rope wrap around the rail once. I put the saddle blanket on, and the teeth lash out. I retaliate with the back of my hand at break neck speed, with all the force I can muster. Gally, astounded, takes a step back. The rope slips with him. I put the saddle on. The ears go back, but no more teeth. Then I do the girth up. The teeth come at me again, and again I retaliate and Gally is forced to retreat a step.

Today, when I mount up, he doesn't try to bite me.