training question/tailing

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>Can anyone give me pointers on training a horse to tail? Or tell me
>were to >find it?

No problem, to find it, the next time you're sitting over your horse,
turn slowly around and look over your shoulder...there it is!  Of course
if you've cross trained in reining you can get a better view of it by
spinning REALLY fast. >g<

Oops, you meant "tail" as in "verb"...O.K.  First, it helps if your horse
has one.  This disqualifies quite a few Appaloosa owners (I was one of
them).  

Once I bought a horse that had a tail, I simply waited until we were on a
real climb, that was a defined trail (so he'd know where to go), with
horses in front of him.  I got off, and he let me tail.

A few notes of precaution.  I don't recommend doing this in areas with
yellow jackets (or killer bees). 

 I recommend that  you mention to the people in front of you that you're
going to do it.  If they have *any* claim to deafness, DEMAND
conformation that they know you're getting off before you do.  It is VERY
difficult to run fast enough to attempt to pass the horse you are tailing
from should the idiot up front take off at a gallop when he hits the
flat.

NEVER attempt to haul a horse to a stop by his tail, unless you meant to
plow a double furrow in that trail anyway.

TRUST NO HORSE to wait for you.  Unhook the off side of the rein and run
it through the stirrup on the near side to use as a driving line. 
Congratulation, you can now turn LEFT.  Word is that you can make a horse
go to the right by pulling his tail to the left...this should prove to
you just how cooperative they are. The accepted commands in this part of
the country are GEE!  and HAW!...I believe these are descended from the
exclamations..."JES__" and "WHOA!"

I've only known of one person who attempted to train his horse to do this
on the flat and he honestly got a pair of double hoofprints on his chest.
 Keep him on a hill so he can't lighten them up so easy.

Angie McGhee
Wildwood, GA.  

 

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