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Coyote Run Clinic Photos Mason, TN Two local horses were used to demonstrate how Kevin starts a young colt and how he gets a horse through a problem that has developed. Along with about 50 other participants, the 2 participating horse owners attended the clinic Kevin conducted on January 19th at Coyote Run Arena in Mason, TN.
Horse owner Bob Buford brought in a 22 month old stud colt he calls “Badger”. He was halter broke but had never been saddled or ridden. When he was brought in, he was pushy and disrespectful of people and even aggressive. Kevin said this horse was very emotional, even sweating before he started to work with him. He charged, reared, struck out, and kicked atKevin in the round pen. He said the colt was a challenging horse to get to a learning frame of mind, as he was so worked up in the environment and was so set on being dominant. His instinct to fight was very high, so Kevin noted it was especially important to be able to direct, not restrict, his movement. Taking away the ability to move or even flee would have been counterproductive and increased his tendency to fight.
Kevin spent much time working with him from the ground to prepare him to accept leadership from another. After patiently and consistently establishing a foundation of good ground work, Kevin explained and demonstrated the Jeffries method he routinely employs in starting colts, especially the more high strung ones.
By putting weight on and lying across the horse before saddling and using approach and retreat methods, he finds this aspect of the Jeffries Method helps to calm a horse and help prepare him to be ridden.
Despite the aggression and resistance the horse showed, Kevin said nothing the horse did bothered him as he was just being a horse and fighting for the position of dominance the young stud wanted. While he gave quite a display once saddled, “Badger” accepted his first ride without bucking and was calmer and more confident than many in the crowd predicted.
If you have a colt you would like started or a problem horse with issues to work through and would like your horse to be used in one of the Hosea Horsemanship Clinics please contact Kevin Hosea at 731-607-7239. Or email him at Kevin@HoseaHorsemanship.com
Problem Solving
Horse owners Randall and Wanda Bomar watched in amazement as Kevin Hosea repeatedly opened and closed an umbrella from the saddle on their two-year-old problem horse “Smokey”. The Bomar’s 2 ½ year-old walking horse “Smokey” had recently had 120 days of training but came home with a problem spooking at movement on his right side. He said he could quickly tell during his work off saddle that the horse was eager to comply with clear direction. He just needed someone to present fear of movement on his right in a way he could understand and overcome.
The Bomar’s said they were surprised to see Kevin spend so much time working with their horse off saddle before getting on board and realized how important the groundwork basics are to developing a good horse.
In working with the horse, Kevin obtained with patience and consistency the horse’s respect. He presented new situations to the horse using approach and retreat methods. With a rider aboard, “Smokey” calmly accepted a lariat rope thrown from his back, cracking a whip from the saddle, and repeatedly opening and closing an umbrella all with the rider aboard. Kevin said it is a horse’s nature to spook at novel things and the horse owner’s job to teach them, not force them, to get past this. While the potential to flee is always there, good leadership and preparation can greatly reduce this.
