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What a wonderful story, Barbara!  You found a way to give him the 
support and direction he needs without nagging at him.  I've found that 
lots of horses need us to support them in order for them to feel 
comfortable and confident.  Congratulations!  Sounds like you have a 
wonderful horse and he has a wonderful owner - someone he really can trust.
Laney

Barbara McCrary wrote:
> Another Banner story.  If you're not interested, just delete.
>  
> I've had my current horse Banner over three years now, and a number of 
> issues with him have turned out just fine after a long effort of working 
> with him.  First he had to learn to trust me and that was followed by 
> his liking me.  We've bonded nicely and he is a joy to ride most of the 
> time.  I say most, because it was only his walk and his canter that was 
> a joy.  His trot was elevated, springy, and difficult to ride.  It 
> wasn't comfortable and it seemed like I was always trying to stay on.  I 
> held onto his mane, I held onto the shoulder strap of his breastplate, 
> and I have held onto the front of his saddle pad.  He can spook pretty 
> suddenly and violently when he has a mind to.  I've only had him unload 
> me once in three years, so I guess I'm fairly lucky at that.  Still, his 
> trot was the one thing about him I was truly disappointed in, and I was 
> about to give up and figure that I would have to live with it forever, 
> because this horse is so smart, so cautious and careful, so responsive, 
> I wasn't going to give up that......I trust him to take care of me and 
> I've ridden him on some single-track trails that would have given me a 
> panic attack with almost any other horse.  But all the time, I was 
> missing that lovely feeling of a horse that is collected and driving off 
> his hindquarters and just cruising along at a nice ground-eating trot.  
> So.....yesterday I tried something totally different.  I have used a 
> rope halter, two different snaffles and a nice Myler shank bit that he 
> seems to work well in.  With the Myler, I never put much pressure on his 
> mouth and just rode with a relaxed rein.  Yesterday, I tried the one 
> type of headpiece I had never tried on him.....a sidepull with a rope 
> noseband.  I've used this on one of my older horses for 16 years and 
> that horse still goes in the sidepull.
> Yesterday, I put Banner in the sidepull and started down the road.  I 
> did a few stops and a backup, just to make sure that the brakes and 
> reverse were working.  They were, perfectly, so we went on.  When he was 
> well warmed up and we reached a nice long uphill grade, we did some 
> trotting.  Banner has never liked trotting uphill.  He always felt like 
> it was an effort and he would either drop to a walk or break into a 
> lope.  I thought I was doomed to ride him this way forever.  His uphill 
> walk is very strong and fast, so that wasn't too bad, but sometimes, 
> when the grade isn't too steep, but just continuous for a couple of 
> miles, one wants to trot.  And Banner did not want to trot steadily.  
> It was as if he couldn't collect and really push.  Yet he could push at 
> a walk.
> So...back to the sidepull.  This was a piece of equipment that I could 
> put some pressure on him without putting it on the bars of his mouth.  I 
> thought I would give it a try and see if I could exact some collection 
> from him.  To finish the rest of the story quickly....it worked, 
> amazingly well.  He trotted up hills and stayed in a trot.  He trotted 
> on the flat and didn't spook.  We've reached a point now where I scold 
> with my voice if I feel him even thinking about spooking, and he 
> understands and straightens out.  So here I was, riding at a nice brisk 
> trot, with both hands on the reins, putting a bit of pressure on his 
> nose and he, yielding to this pressure, collecting, and just cruising 
> along.  It was very exciting, after over three years of just trying to 
> hang on.  I was pushing him forward with my legs and heels, and 
> steadying his head with my hands.....and his trot was steady and 
> comfortable, for the very first time.  I had often said that he had a 
> very uncomfortable trot, but no longer.
> When I bought Banner, I was told he needed someone to trust, and it's 
> been a long hard time trying to be that person for him.  He did learn to 
> trust me, to like me, but there was something missing.  I now believe 
> that something was the bit of pressure and collection on his head that 
> told him where he was to go and how.  Before that, I was riding with a 
> relaxed, almost loose rein, and he apparently didn't have enough 
> direction from me.  He was left too much on his own to decide what he 
> was supposed to do, and sometimes his choices weren't acceptable.  It 
> will take a few more rides to determine is I have really hit on a 
> solution or whether that was a fluke.  But I think I'm really on to 
> something.  A better equestrian would use a snaffle and achieve the same 
> results, I think, but I am not accomplished with a snaffle.  I hate 
> hurting a horse's mouth.  The rope noseband seems to give me the same or 
> similar results without hurting his mouth.  Whatever, if the use 
> of the sidepull truly makes a permanent difference in Banner, he will be 
> the most amazing horse I have ever ridden.  He is very 
> affectionate and has so many great qualities that I love.
>  
> Barbara
>
>  


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