Dropping the head.

["Raymond O'Donohue" <rayo@cfw.com>]

Folks,please give me some opinions re my recent post about head 
dropping to evade rating. I need all the help I can get. Wisdom & caution 
say to replace this horse,but if you saw him or rode him you'd see why I 
can't bring myself to part with him,and this is after he came within a 
hair of paralyzing me last Jan.(We fell together at full gallop,and I'm 
48 and a fairly new rider.)Now:several people have suggested I ride less 
and do more groundwork -I've only just begun to do any-in the apparent 
belief that a more dominant "herd position" is what I need with him. But 
he is submissive as hell on the ground now,and follows me around,etc.And 
 there is no question that he knows what I want when he disobeys under 
saddle. So,why should groundwork exercises& rituals carry over to,and 
help me in,riding situations? I believe he has simply learned that there 
is nothing I can do in that situation but hang on.I'd like to see 
somebody one-rein him or turn him in that situation-I don't think there 
are many riders who could.Besides,it almost always occurs in the middle 
of a group of horses.I'm reading Pat Parelli's "Natural 
Horsemanship"-with several grains of salt-and would like to hear 
suggestions on other sources of groundwork information-if groundwork 
really is the answer. It's safe,at least,and fun. Thanks, Ray O.