HARRY WHITNEY at Seven Oaks Ranch

Spring Hill, Kansas

by Roxanne Hill

Last night I went to watch Harry do a demo in Spring Hill, Kansas. He usually does colt starting, but last night he worked with an older troubled mare. I liked that better because I learned a lot watching him work through something with this mare and also the horse he was riding.

He first worked with his horse named Potlick, to get him where he needed to be so he could work the mare off of his back. He was working on getting him soft off of the rein. He says he likes to get the horses responding off of the reins first before supporting it with leg. He wants to get it so when you pick up the rein that the horse softens at the poll and causes the horse to relax. Then when you place the rein determines it you are directing the front feet or the back feet, with softness. The key is getting the feet connected to the reins. Then when you have the softness add the leg. By teaching the horse to soften and relax, then when you add the leg and it the horse gets tight you can go back to getting the relaxation from the rein. This will help him understand the leg is a support. He showed how to have the horse soft and arched in the circle. That the rear inside leg should be stepping in the same track as the outside front. He did this all with rein no leg. The object is to get the horse so he is not like riding a 2x4. He showed how you need to get the mind connected to the reins and then the feet will come.

He did a very good job on explaining this. It helped me get a better idea on what I need to be looking for as I go through and do this different prep exercises. I have been doing them because I have been taught them, but did not have as deep a knowledge of what I was wanting to achieve doing them. Someone asked a question about asking a horse to transition up. His answer was you want to do the least but need to do what it takes. He showed on his horse. He prepared to go and then asked. The horse did not prepare and did not go off of the slight hint of going. So Harry laid in a kick hard and the horse started off in a jump and then bucked. The next time the horse was preparing when Harry prepared and went on the slights indication. If you get where you nag, your horse gets dull instead of light.

Harry then worked the mare from the back of his horse. He was going in circles, asking the mare to soften up and disengage. What was interesting watching her disengage but not soften and relax at it. So you can get the horse to do what you are asking but it would be more of a reaction than a response. It you quit at when she was disengaging but not softening then you would get a stiff horse disengaging. Boy, that was an eye opener for me. Then when he had the hindquarters he would ask the forequarters to come around. It did not take long for this mare to respond. Harry then started to saddle her. As he was putting the pad on he notice her come forward and back was sticky. When he would ask her, her head would go up. He just worked her forward and backwards till the stickiness was gone and the head stayed down. He then got her saddled and worked with her on the ground, on line. She would kind of hump up and he would step in to bread that up so she would not think about bucking. He then turned her loose. He asked her to move out and she did get scared and bucked a little bit. She then did relax out. Harry then got on her back and rode her. He would ask for one step and then let her go 10 steps and not pull on her head. If you direct them to much they will get frustrated and stop trying.

He talked about how you keep doing this and work on getting it narrowed down to where they will be willing to go where you ask them to go. Harry got off and had my friend get on. He lead the mare around first from horseback and worked them I circles, with my friend petting her the whole time. He said it is real important to always let the horse know you are still there. He then took his rope off. My friend had the reins but letting the mare walk around with Harry and his horse. The mare's feet were a little stuck. My friend had a lesson today with him and they were going to get her moving more freely. It was the best $10 bucks I spent in a long time.