Cloud Walker

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A knowledgeable horse woman on the north end of Albercurque had a four year old Tennessee Walker gelding that has serious meltdowns when the farrier even approached, let alone went for the back feet. I rolled up my sleeves in anticipation of what sounded like an interesting and always welcome challenge. You see I love to help horses.

My friend Bobbie Stacey accompanied me the short distance to Diana Zenk’s home just west of the Rio Grande River. The tidy home, barn, and paddocks were nestled neatly against a mature grove of massive cottonwoods, providing welcome shade in this arid climate.

Diana, a middle aged woman with obvious horse sense explained, “Walker just loses it at the appearance of strangers, especially men. And if shoeing tools are anywhere nearby, well it turns into a real circus. I mean it becomes downright dangerous. I can’t find anyone with the skills nor patience to take Walker on.”

Diana had Walker in hand and his snorts were literally shaking the very ground we stood on as we talked. His head was sky-high in a sure sign of suspicion of the next new stranger . . . me.

Cloud Walker was a well proportioned striking horse of about fifteen hands. A dark chocolate Tobiano with truly magnificent markings and an intelligent, though very wary eye. His snorts literally obliterated our ability to discuss his challenging demeanor.

“Let me make friends and slip my own halter on him. Magic halter,” I winked at Diana.

I removed my sun glasses, handing them to Bobbie. “I don’t want any glass close to my eyes with this guy or in any situation like this,” I explained. “He could flip that head and my face/eyes are all cut up.”

Diana held the lead as I changed over to my 12’ rope halter/lead combo that serves me well with all horses, easily the most valuable tool I have, beside my two hands.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeasy Big Boy. I’m here to help you now. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasy now,” I cooed over and over as he snorted his mistrust over and over, back at me.

With my halter secured I concentrated on settling him with gentle but firm strokes on his neck and withers. Then I began searching his face for his pleasure zones. But he wasn’t buying my program; not one bit. He was so tense and distrustful of me, a man, and an unfamiliar one at that. I ached for his horrible journey to lead to this extreme distrust of the human. And I sensed it was gender specific distrust.

I then asked him to drop his head with constant downward pressure on the lead and he did give in a sign of understanding, but that head shot sky-high the moment I released him. And guiding his head to the side was about the same, tiny gives to show me he got it, but wasn’t really letting down and giving into me. Okay by me. His tail? Tight, clamped, full of distrust and nervousness.

Gaited Horse Tradition

Walker was not a mean horse by any means. He just probably had a harsh introduction to training, not so uncommon in the gaited horse community. These horses were expected to comply . . . period. No nonsense about it. And that seems to be the common denominator with so many of the gaited horses I’ve encountered. They’re intimidated into submission and compliance; not my idea of evolved training. At the opposite end of the scale, only a week later I met perhaps the most trusting well-adjusted Tennessee Walker and horse in general, in my career of over twenty years. So there you have it. There are obviously wonderful gaited horse trainers with warm hearts.

I decided at this point that expending some of that quantum energy might be the place to go from here and asked Walker to move forward in the driving procedure I call “the dance begins.” Again he was snorty and unsure, but with some exceedingly obvious signals, finally he was moving forward around me in a circle. That accomplished, we went around a half dozen times or so, then began winding down, like a snail to a stop, culminating with his head at least partly giving to the side as he finally stopped. I wanted to show him a way to get stopped quietly and for the first time in our interaction he didn’t snort. I loved him up thoroughly and slipped my fingers into his mouth. He followed by licking his lips with gusto and dropping his head a tiny notch. Success.

From his off-side I drove him out and this time he seemed just a hair more relaxed, so I upped the ante a notch by swinging the lead in a jump-rope fashion to give him just a bit more to deal with. At first his eyes widened and he tried to stop abruptly. But I pushed him right through it and then he actually licked his lips for a fraction of a second. Voila! Movin on up.

Again I wound him down to a stop but this time tossed the lead over his back as I helped him find that safe, loving place on the off-side. He lurched at the sight of the flying lead; then it landed on his body . . . but he made it and gave to me with a release of his head to the side and a sigh of relief.

We repeated this valuable exercise again and again as he improved and let down noticeably giving to me with each succeeding repetition. Then I deliberately tossed the lead so it would hang on the opposite side and desensitize his hind legs. While at first this was a very big deal, my hand on his neck in support helped him find the way.

That accomplished, I settled him down and ran the lead under his neck and then around behind his haunches, then encouraged him to unwind away from the lead on his back legs. He shot out quickly, clearly nervous. But I again wound him back down to home base with his head around to the side and we practiced that exercise several times in each direction until he was calm about it.

This unwinding exercise pays huge dividends for all horses because it accomplishes so much, including:

• The horse has to move away from that pressure behind his back legs
• He changes eyes with each unwinding as he comes out the opposite side
• The back legs become progressively more desensitized as the horse gets used to that feel of the rope on the opposite side
• The horse must disengage his hind quarters, stepping underneath himself to move away from that lead and pressure

As Cloud Walker’s confidence and trust blossomed, I sensed he was ready for the next challenge, dealing with the plastic bag attached to the end of my extendable wand. I first allowed him to take a sniff. He reached his head out front and took a wary gander. Then I moved the bag onto his back, right in the saddle area. He stood still frozen and nervous about his challenge. I gentled moved the flag over his back and down his back legs, then over his sides. He handled it, but not happily. He was extremely suspect. Time to move out. This exercise doesn’t prove anything until the horse moves forward rationally. And that is my goal completely- rational forward movement. With a cluck and a tapping motion on this rump, he shot forward abruptly. I maintained the bag on his back as he hesitantly moved forward in a very unsure, impulsive manner.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeasy Big Fella. I’m not going to hurt you,” I repeated in a soothing tone again and again until he let down. When he tried to stop abruptly, I pushed him right through that abruptness and kept him moving until he could stop gracefully. Time after time I helped him progress to relaxing with the bag and moving out rationally, when he decided to, not when his emotions shouted, “Get out of there!” Within a few minutes he was Mr. Rational and handling the bag all over his body and from up above while he walked out quietly. Bingo!

Showtime

At this point he basically said to me, “Bring it on. I’m ready for the feet now.” His courage and progress requested the next step, actual foot-handling. I asked for a front foot to which he complied. I gave him a good foot massage, then with his front foot up, reached back and ran my hand down his back leg. He flinched at the initial touch, then sighed, relaxed, and actually drifted into enjoying the stroking of his back legs. That accomplished on both sides we calmly walked over to the solidly built round steel hitching post adjacent to the barn, and tied up, but not tight. I didn’t want him uncomfortable, just some control and a situation that would replicate the farrier’s set-up.

Again while lifting each front foot I reached back and stroked his back legs without reaction. But something told me to be extra careful with this guy, so asked Diana for an implement quite useful at this stage, a length of soft cotton rope. Diana produced a fifteen foot piece of flat soft cotton line, perfect. I gently fished the line through his hind legs with my extendable wand and took hold. Walker immediately got fidgety and started dancing around. I held on loosely from behind and calmed him with soothing words. Within a couple minutes he settled as I worked the soft line gently up and down his right hind; then the on-side. Trust prevailed and with time, soothing words, and patience he settled and accepted this valuable precursor to the next step of applying pressure.

Take and Give

Now the real test was upon me as it was time to ask for a give with a few pounds pressure on that right side. I held the line off to the side about 20 degrees and waited, pulling from behind, yet out of kicking range. He pulled hard forward, jerking my arm, but not too hard, just enough to demand my patience and understanding. He struggled, not quite understanding my request. Then he finally dropped the foot back and to the ground and found complete relief and the yes answer. Within a few minutes he got the picture and gave his back legs on each side in a relaxed manner. I moved into his hind end cautiously, reached out and massaged his lower leg as he gave to me his outstretched leg. I took hold of the hoof and gently removed the line; then stroked his lower leg and pastern thoroughly, and then reached across and stroked in the V behind his haunches. Suddenly he sighed and relaxed to the fact that I was holding and pleasuring his back right foot. Right then I knew that the heavy lifting was over.

I eased Walker’s foot to the ground in the outstretched manner with his toe resting lightly. This is symptomatic of a truly relaxed horse in any situation. I walked off and allowed it all to soak in.

“I think he’s going to make it Diana. I’m really pleased at his progress.”

“I can’t believe he trusts you that much. But then you did take the time. Nobody’s ever done anything like this, you know?”

“I’m certain of it. He’s never had a better deal in his life. This isn’t my first rodeo you know?” I smiled at Diana.

Given a few minutes, my new best friend softened into his evolved acceptance and waited for the next step, actual tapping, replicating the farrier’s pounding. I picked up his near hind and again gave him a thorough massage, then began tapping lightly with the flat of my hand. He immediately tensed and I stopped and stroked his leg in reassurance, taking him back to trust; then started again. This time I tapped progressively harder, then put the foot down gently and moved to the front and loved him up BIG TIME!!

Lavish Praise Speeds up Acceptance and Learning by 60%

Studies have proved the effectiveness of lavish praise. The results are resoundingly impressive. Lavish praise at the right time speeds up acceptance immediately! I use it with gusto.

“Okay Diana your turn. I get to watch the show now. You go in and pick up the feet and progress to pounding hard. Don’t sugar coat it now.”

Diana did exactly as I’d asked her to and actually progressed to using an old aluminum ice cream scoop, shaped like a very big spoon. She pounded away progressively harder until there was a true ringing in the air... Not only did Walker accept her obnoxious banging, but he was hanging his head down and constantly licking his lips in a sign of total acceptance and relaxation. What a feeling!

Diana’s husband Neal had joined us about the time I’d moved to the hitching post and I knew he would be the next challenge.

“How bout it Neal,” I suggested?

Neal was one long tall glass of water, lean and relaxed and I did believe he was up to the task. . and was. I watched this man go in and gently stroke and talk to the animal and then lift each foot and bang on it first very lightly; then progressed to harder until he too was using the ice cream scoop to send that loud metallic ring into the cool winter New Mexico air as he pounded away with genuine relish. And Cloud Walker? Well at this point all he could manage was constant licking with his head hanging low and his eyes so soft he could barely keep them open.

Knowing just when to exit is an acquired skill and that was my que. Shaking Neal’s hand and hugging Diana, then congratulating Walker with gusto, I collected my tools and proceeded on my voyage, on west toward Cave Creek, Arizona, to the home of my friend Jane Reed, aka Ryder Reed, horse woman extraordinaire who would present to me the next plateau of my journey with the horse, a brilliant woman that Ryder Reed had talked about for years. A woman named Maree.

Frank Bell and his accredited instructors have been helping horses with their people problems for several decades. He writes interesting and educational stories about these horses and their challenges. He also helps people better understand how to communicate with these magnificent creatures by answering their vexing questions on his website.

Frank has designed a logical set of exercises that immediately places both parties on higher ground . . . without the need for a round pen. Suddenly both parties are riding in confidence instead of fear.

Frank Bell's 7-Step Safety System (7-SSS) has been featured in horse magazines and e-zines throughout the world including a three-part series in Western Horseman magazine. Frank's video " Discover the Horse You Never Knew" fully outlines " the system" and is available in the audio/video library that includes thirteen works.

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