"you are trying to work the naturalness the horse was born with. You are just trying to put
it to use for you." Tom Dorrance.
The first mentioning of natural horsemanship was after Tom Dorrance's book was release, "True Unity" in 1987. It
has grown rapidly over the years. Some people say it dates way back Xenophon who lived around 300 - 600 B.C.
I don't know, I never talked to him or read his book, so I can't expand on this. But, basically some really great
horseman started taking Vaquero horsemanship adding a snaffle to it, more extensive ground work and
relationship building on the ground and developing a horsemanship for a wider range of people to work with
horses.
In natural horsemanship a great deal of emphasis is placed on ground work or play. They did do quite a bit of
initial ground work before they ever backed a horse, in order to gain respect, develop a relationship, and
desensitize a horse. Natural horsemanship goes way beyond that initial groundwork, even using extensive
groundwork after the horse is under saddle..
A lot of the natural horse system is based on alpha horse dominance, where the human is taught to be the
horse's leader. I don't pretend anymore to be able to read a horses mind, just what he saying to me. So, I don't
know if I really believe he will ever really see me as an alpha horse. I know horses know I am not a horse. And that
when the day is done I don't go back out to the herd with them. But what I do know is they need leadership and
they need to know when we are together I am the leader and this is without a doubt the best method. I know there
are natural horseman who say that punishment doesn't work with horses at all. I don't believe that. I believe it is
the kind of punishment you use that makes a difference. They themselves are using punishment it is just alpha
horse type punishment and not predator type. Which takes time to understand the difference.
Horses are slowly transformed from what we use to call in the old days (I think I am old enough now to have "the
old days") a flight mode horse and thinking horse. Now it is called a right brain horse and a left brain horse. I don't
know who came up with the new terminology, but terminology is just that, terminology. I don't know how they know
what side of the brain does what.
The horses are ridden in a hackamore, but the hackamore is rope halter with mecate reins attached.In natural
horsemanship after using a hackamore for a time period, the rider moves the horse into a snaffle bit. The snaffle
bit has wide leather straps called slobber straps that attach the mecate reins to the bit. The slobber straps add
weight that help the horse find relief quicker from the bit upon the release of the reins. But, that's not actually why
they were developed. Originally the Texans that started the snaffle bit use, wanted horses as light and responsive
as the Vaqueros, but they wanted a quicker way to get it. When they used the snaffle slobber from the horses
mouth would start to ruin the horse hair mecates. So, they developed slobber straps to attach the mecates to,
rather then the ring of the snaffle, to keep the mecates away from the mouth. Later down the road the horse can
moved into a leverage bit. I would never take this horse into a spade or signal type bit, simply because I don't
believe the mental lightness is as developed as in the bosal style hackamore training of the Vaqueros. But, it is
still a very light and a true partner. That instead of being forced into submission is over time developed into a
willing horse who wants to do.
The thing about natural horsemanship is it has become known as only a training method. I believe it has to do
with every aspect of being and caring for a horse. Example: I am not a big fan of imprint training. I like my horses
to wean naturally and be aloud to gain a true horseanality in its first couple of years, that they can only truly get in
a herd and learn herd manners. I don't like horses stalled or worried over. I like them weathered and a natural
immune system built. We rarely have vet bills, we don't de worm, and never have worms. Because our horses are
left in the pasture to fend for themselves in whatever weather that comes. This is how God made them, and I can't
even pretend to be smarter then Him. Our horses stay in the herd until it is time to bring them in to be worked
with, around their 2 or 3 year. I rarely wash or brush a horse except were I am going to put a saddle on him.
Horses like being dirty. It helps keep them cool in the summer and warm in winter. It also helps them disguise the
feel of flies and bugs on them. I also am a big fan of the barefoot horse. For info on this go to
www.barefoothorse.com
The real point of it all, is to use what is natural to the horses to gain a relationship with him, and then like the
vaqueros give him the time he deserves to learn.
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