Hackamore training

Cheryl Newbanks (cnewbank@mail.cybertrails.com)
Mon, 27 Jan 1997 17:38:25 -0800 (PST)

I've been reading this thread and it comes to my attention that the pro for
hackamore/halter people and the con/against hackamore/halter people are
missing the point here. Its not about better horsemen, bigger bits, better
horses, its about proper training. Any horse person with ANY sense should
know that you don't take a horse out on any trail with just a halter UNLESS
you've done the proper ground work and have taught them to give to pressure.
ALL horses are trainable to do this, I just watched a video of 30 horses all
riding around each other doing various tasks asked of them bridleless. Some
were jumping jumps, others were doing flying lead changes, and others still
were laying down and their rider was standing on them, one was even laying
down eating grass while his rider stood on him (he wasn't stressed:} BUT you
have to know what you are doing, research the methods, take some clinics and
classes and learn from a quailifed instructor before you try this.

The point is that we are trusting a 1000 lbs animal with our personel
physical beings and you'd dang well better make sure that neither one of is
going to get hurt before you try something new. The only way to do that is
to learn how to do the job right, if you don't feel confident that you can
do this with your horse, then there is the right answer for you, don't do
it! It is basic commen sense. I can see how some of you would advoid
haltered riders for safety sake, but you must remember that there are some
riders out there who did do the ground work and who's horses are safe to
ride this way. My trainer rides half her horses this way, and the other
half have a bit. I am not planning on starting Jihad this way, that would
be crazy, but maybe a few years down the rode we may work on it. So folks
remember its not which method is better, it is about basic commen sense.
And remember if it ain't broke don't fix it!

Cheryl Newbanks
~~^** Just In Time Ranch
~~}_ _~~ /\| Buckeye, AZ
( )__, ) ~ cnewbank@cybertrails.com
// \\
\\ //
** **