Caib and Jack

This is Caib's second horse to break.  If you can call it that.  I think a better way to say it would be to teach.

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I've sat by the round pen many times and watched my cowboys teach the colts how to trust them.  They begin by making them run in circles.  The horses natural instinct tells them to run from danger.  The horse will run but it also wants either another horse or person to turn to to keep it safe.  So they begin by running the horse in a circle pen for awhile.  when they stop the horse, if the horse turns and approaches the cowboy he will pat and reward the horse, soon the horse learns that the cowboy can be trusted and he shows that he is ready to trust the cowboy.  the cowboy then teaches the horse about a bridle, then a blanket and saddle. Each time the horse jumps or shows fear of the item the cowboy runs him in a circle until the horse starts to show submission and ask for help.  They stop the horse and the horse will turn to the cowboy for help. They soon realize  that the cowboy or bridle, blanket or saddle wont hurt them and by the time the cowboy climbs up on the horse there should be enough trust from the horse that he really is just more curious about why the cowboy's on his back then scared of the cowboy.  

Sometimes a sharp slap on the rump let's the horse know that he needs to move.  The horse eventually learns that a quick kick in the side is the signal to move.

 Learning to turn

 Tucking the head

Circling the ring.

I thought it was fun watching Caib on this particular day.  Caib started out in a bad mood for who knows what reason.  Jack, the colt,  could sense Caibs mood and started acting ornery and ill tempered a bit himself.  I told Caib that I really knew nothing about breaking horses (I've never done it) but that I did know a little about animals and I knew that they could feel or sense the mood of a person and would respond that same way.  Caib finished with Jack in a much better mood and Jack calmed down and even calmly let Caib try spurs out on him for the first time.  

I sometimes wonder who's teaching who what?

Or, if both the horse and the boy really need each other.  I think so.  =)