(A word about breaking Quarter Horses when they are two: If there was anything deleterious to the horse’s health or soundness in doing so, millions of Americans would not put at risk their expensive, prized animals by doing it.) Bob has been breaking horses since he was a young man, and always with a common-sense method combining patience and gentleness with discipline. As a small child, I watched my father train young horses and saw him treat them with affection at most times but a firm hand when necessary.

My father starts all young horses in a bosal; I can’t say that I do the same, as I feel that most of my customers who will be riding the horses I train do not have the experience and capability to use a bosal properly, and I therefore prefer to use a snaffle. However, all the young horses started by my father are very well trained in the basics and are quiet, responsive, and slow-going. My father also starts right from the beginning, during ground work, using what he calls the “dooey-dooey”, a method of fashioning a type of halter from a lariat. Pressure halters (head collars) are being marketed as a new invention, but the concept of teaching a horse to lead and obey through pressure on the poll is an ancient one that has been passed down through time; and my father learned long ago from other wise horsemen this method and the correct way of using it, which is essential to know. (A warning here to anyone who uses a pressure halter: If you are not very experienced with horses and do not know how and when to apply and release the pressure, DO NOT USE ONE. It can be very dangerous for the horse and can lead to horses flipping over backward in the hands of a non-expert.)

It would take my father only a short session of working with the horse with the “dooey-dooey” before the horse would be following him anywhere and everywhere, including into a trailer, across a stream, or over any obstacle, and they would stand tied without ever thinking of pulling back. Horses trained by my father can, after only a month, be ridden out on the road, around cattle, and anywhere one choses to go. I am very proud of my father’s capabilities in training horses for more than 50 years, and I use many of his methods in my own training programme to produce quiet, disciplined, well-rounded horses who are willing to give much because they know they are loved and appreciated.