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Frank Bell's Gentle Solution Revolution™ Natural horsemanship clinics, horse training techniques and unique horse training products using Horsewhisperer Frank Bell's acclaimed Gentle Solutions. Frank's Safe and Simple techniques for training horses can achieve instant results - even with problem horses! Making it Simple! Making It Safe! Get There Now! |  |
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This year the workshop took place in Tooele, Utah from September 14-21. It was deemed a great success not so much by adoption standards, but indeed by the thoroughness in the gentling of about three dozen horses. A record number of trainers demonstrating varied techniques was a real boon to the participants who observed wide-ranging philosophies. All participants got their hands on lots of mustangs with dramatically differing personalities. By week’s end we had more quiet horses than ever. There were several happenings of note including Robert Denlinger’s Navajo Ring. Robert specializes in creating a human round pen. Typically a dozen people will surround the horse and offer little pressure, but obvious boundaries. As the horse settles his curiosity pushes him to take a sniff here and accept a rub there. Gradually the circle closes until loving humans with nothing to offer but gentle touch surround the horse. At the end of the week, Robert and his crew had wild horses playing kickball in the round pen! Willis Lamb saved the day late in the week as a wired up black stallion had several of us swiftly climbing the fences to make room for this over-charged animal. Willis introduced poles on the ground and balls in the pen to force concentration. He allowed the horse to settle and focus, and then entered the 24’ square pen. Willis hugged one side and stayed very visible performing jumping jacks and exhibited much activity to get the horse used to an active human. It was remarkable to watch this hyped stallion settle, focus, and finally accept Willis' gesture of an extended hand. Willis exited when black beauty had taken a good sniff. The next day a completely different horse entered the pen. Within minutes Willis was making contact, followed by several participants then Barbara Bourgnone www.equinestressbusters.com performed her incredibly effective skull tapping technique to help settle this magnificent creature. The results with that stallion as well as a variety of other distrusting and slightly freaked horses were equally as impressive. The very accomplished Hue Simpson of the Tellington Touch School introduced the focusing technique that Willis employed in past years. Hue has helped us all understand some evolved methods of gaining ground with the less focused wild ones that can challenge even the most seasoned of trainers. Mid-week I was asked to do a trailer loading. I had a good sized gentled and adopted three year old bay to work with, but immediately noted the high step-up of the stock trailer. After about fifteen minutes it became apparent that this was a difficult set up. The horse fully understood what I wanted, but couldn’t rock back onto his haunches enough to lighten his front and get a foot up. Instead of trying to bull my way through the loading, I stopped and deferred to the whole group. With a dozen seasoned trainers we had a wealth of knowledge to draw from. Our senior charter member, John Sharp, made a few suggestions including driving the horse over poles to teach him to lift his front feet. More to the point John suggested lowering the back of the trailer by either raising the front end or shoveling out behind the wheels and backing into the depression. He drove his cart over to the front of the trailer and within minutes Cliff Tipton had the back lowered by half to where it was only about 8" above the ground instead of 16" . I started over and within a few minutes the bay gelding had a foot, then two in the trailer. With lots of praise he finally went in comfortably and happily. A half dozen round trips in and out and he was practically begging to go home with his new owners. The benefit of this procedure cannot be underestimated. Far too often we get into our heads ‘the way’ to do something and it just doesn’t work. Sometimes the horse just isn’t ready. Sometimes we’re handicapped by the set-up, as we were that day. Taking the time to think and regroup is a valuable, necessary element to all horse training. It was a valuable learning experience for everyone in attendance including yours truly. A hearty thanks to John Sharp whose experience helped us all see a different way to help the horse into the trailer. The second day Brent Huyett sent an attractive yearling sorrel stallion my way. Brent had a hunch that my technique of gentling with the pole followed by the chute could bring this one along quickly. I eased in and tried something new to me. I lowered my stature, extended my face and whistled into is nose. He greeted me eagerly and seemed curious enough to extend his head towards mine. Within a few minutes I was stroking his face and neck, then practicing a little give and take as I suggested he bring his head into me from the side while using his nose-handle. I then drove him into the chute and with the help of my A-Team, had him happily accepting human touch all over his body. With the halter on and the little sorrel understanding the basic principals of leading and backing, I opened the chute into the 24' square pen. Within a few minutes this exceptionally bright yearling was doing ballet on the ground like a seasoned ballroom dancer. I vowed to not allow him to leave the premises without someone paying a pretty price for him. That pretty price was not paid at the auction, so I am the proud owner of my first mustang. He’ll be arriving at my home in Idaho in late October. For a thorough description of gentling horses using the pole, read Fishing for Mustangs. |
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