Be Tough But Fair

By Glenn Stewart

Wow what a day! I didn’t know what I was going to write about today. We don’t need to be tough on horses but we do need to be fair. We should be toughminded or strong in our resolve or direction. Then I got all the inspiration and more when one of my students shared his story around the morning campfire during Horsemanship Camp here at The Horse Ranch.

Every morning we get together to talk about what we learned the day before, answer any questions and prep for the day’s class ahead. Some amazing things can come out during these discussions and this morning was one of those days.

Some of you know about my horse “Dealer.” This horse is black gold in my eyes and is one of my demonstration horses. He is a dream to ride: smooth, athletic, strong and is soft and beautiful doing it. He wasn’t always that way. When I met Dealer, he had been to a trainer for 3 months and the trainer gave up and said he can’t be trained. A friend of mine new about the horse and he suggested to the owner to call me to see if I could help. We set a date and Dealer was brought to Grande Prairie and put in a stall. When I went to get him the first day, I barely could get him caught in a 10’ by 10’ boxstall. He would spin, put his head over the stall and do anything to keep from being caught. After a bit of coaxing, I got the halter on and tried to lead him to the arena. Every step I got forward he would back up two. You couldn’t catch him and he didn’t even lead after 3 months with the trainer. We finally got to the arena and started to fix things. He absolutely hated people and didn’t trust us, or anything we brought around him.

When I got him to allow me to put the saddle on he decided it was time to get the saddle off and bucked so hard the dirt from the bottom of his foot hit the arena roof and is still stuck in the insulation. I had other horses there I was starting but Dealer got the longest session and after the second day I started to give him two sessions a day. He would buck until he played out, then walk around, catch his breath and go again. It took me 2 hours of warm-up and ground prep the first day to manage a 2-minute ride. By the end of the 5th day, against my recommendation, the owner took a ride on him, the ride went well but there was lots left to do and the owner said why don’t you take the horse. I said I appreciated it but no thanks. The work it would take to bring him around would keep me from riding all my other horses and I could get 4 regular horses going in the time I would spend on Dealer.

I have a habit of taking horses that have had a real bad deal along the way and try to help them out the other side. I already had ones at home that I had said yes to that were a real handful. So we decided to put another 5 days on him to see how much more could be done. By the end of the second week, it took about an hour and a half to get him ready for a half hour ride. I worked him off another horse with lots of groundwork and worked on his confidence all the while trying to get him to see that he could trust people. I remember he never moved his lips the whole first week. They were pinched tight. He had a hard look in his eye and hardly ever blinked.

The second week things were getting better but still had a long way to go. The owner said, “you know Glenn, you should take this horse home.” I have to be honest, I had considered it the first week, but I was trying to be disciplined and not take any more tough ones on and just ride some of the horses I had at home. I was proud of myself when I said no thanks again. So the owner asked me to take him home and put another 10 days on him. It was getting into spring, so

I thought it would be nice to get outside and ride. I was getting pretty fond of Dealer and was having a lot of fun trying to figure him out, trying to do the right things, and trying not to get bucked off. He was making changes for the better but he made me work for every little bit of improvement.

After 10 days, the warm-up was down to 15 minutes and I could go for a nice ride. But you had to do it right, leave no stone unturned as they say, or you’d be looking like a lawn dart. The owner came by, seen the progress, and watched as I loped across the field, but still said, “Glenn you should have that horse.” I had been warned earlier before he arrived that I was not to take that horse. I couldn’t resist, he looked and rode just like black gold. Yes, it was going to take some more work but he’s all horse and, honestly, he was teaching me. Every day, Dealer reminded me “get it right or you will eat some dirt.” I never did eat any dirt and Dealer went on to be one of my favourite horses. So, whenever a student thought they had it all figured out at The Horse Ranch, I would ask them to go catch Dealer. They’d come back hours later with an empty halter. Farriers would come to trim him and he was fine if you were polite but if not, he would let you know. Three different farriers got a gentle kick in the pants.

Time goes by. Dealer hasn’t done much for a year or so and I needed a lease horse for a fellow coming from Manitoba this spring. The fellow has been here before and has been tough on himself but fair. He is always working hard trying to improve and understand more about the horse. I think to myself this fellow deserves a gift, and Dealer will be his gift. The fellow, Glen, who happens to have the same name as me, will get to feel the softness, willingness, responsiveness, and athleticism of what black gold feels like. Dealer gets to teach again. I also think to myself, this will also be a great gift for Dealer. Glen’s kindness and willingness to be tough on himself, but tries very hard to be fair to the horse, is a gift I can give to Dealer. Both Dealer and Glen have earned a gift. Dealer has always been tough but fair on the people that handled him. He gave them no more and no less than they deserved.

Now to the best part of the story! Glen’s first attempt to catch Dealer took 4 and a half hours. Each day he went out to catch Dealer it got easier and took less time. On the 8th day, Glen walks out to the pasture and Dealer is laying down. He watches as Glen approaches but doesn’t get up. Glen cautiously gets nearer to where he can get a hand on him, kneels down next to Dealer in the grass and pets Dealer just like he has every time he gets near him. Dealer relaxes, so Glen puts the halter on and Dealer still lays there. Glen continues to rub him and Dealer lays out completely flat and allows Glen to just hang out with him enjoying the morning sun trusting completely in his new friend. We put halters on lots of horses while they are laying down at the ranch and in the mountains but Dealer is not an everyday horse. Over the 8 days, Glen had earned the trust of Dealer and they both have given each other a unique and powerful gift.

Some of you know Dealer and some of you know Glen. Some of you know both or have tried to catch Dealer, so the story will mean more to those of us that have experienced it. It might sound corny to some, but it has great meaning to many of us. I know what it takes to get into Dealer’s good books and, Glen, with much respect, I say well done!

Dealer was, and is, Tough but Fair on the people that have handled him and has taught many lessons to more than a few people.

Glenn Stewart

Glenn is offering year round educational horsemanship programs at his facility near Fort St John BC and is available to travel and conduct clinics. For more information on Glenn and The Horse Ranch visit www. thehorseranch.com.

(See his listing in our Business Services section under TRAINERS)