To Spook or Not to Spook, That is the Question 2

When she pulled in the following week I was at the far end of the arena, visiting with K while I aired up a barely broke youngster.

"Well, check it out," I said, "not only did she show up, but she's an hour early."

"Maybe she's a keeper," K said.

"She's gonna need to dig deep this is one hot mess." I walked the tired baby in a slow zig-zag back to the tie rail. I held my rein high and wide until I felt him step under my hand, then released and moved to the other rein.

I hollered a hello and got a cheerful wave from my student. I kept half an eye while I saddled my next horse. The student went through pretty much the same routine as the week before. Her horse was every bit as skittery. I got another one loped while she played show and tell with her gelding, petting him and talking softly every time he spooked. The paint was in a great mood, he pulled her here and there, grabbed at grass, snorted and raced around her at the end of his rope, tail flagged and head in the air.

By the time she headed to the round pen I was able to saddle something a little more broke than the last few. I rode through the indoor and slid the back door open. My student stood two fences over, in the middle of the pen, clutching her longe whip while her horse trotted around her. The paint spooked at the sound of the arena door and cut kitty corner, almost stomped my student and then swapped ends with a fart and a buck.

He slid to a stop, got his head over the top rail and nickered at my horse while I worked my way through the gates. Student put her game face on, hit the whip on the ground and got him going again, but now he wanted to visit. He'd trot off for half a loop, then cut across, each time close enough to make her step back. Then he stood at the fence and sweet-talked my horse some more.

"He was doing better before you scared him," Student said.

"With the door or my horse?" I asked.

She didn't have an answer, so I assumed it was both.

"Can I show you something?" I  tried again.

"Sure." Student looked relieved.

I dismounted and motioned her out of the pen. She came out and took my horse's rein.
"Go ahead and sit on her."

Student flashed the whites  of her eyes at me, but stepped up onto the horse. She picked up the reins in nervous hands and the mare started to back. A look of horror crossed her face and she began to try to reel in the eight foot reins by the handful.

The mare was backing in a circle now, in response to a cranked left rein, and began snapping her tail. Student turned purple trying not to scream.

"Let loose of the horse," I said.

Student looked at me glassy eyed as the mare bumped into the fence and began backing her way into the cow pen.

"Let your reins loose," I said.

Student grabbed up some of the slack in the right rein.

The mare sighed and stopped, her head yanked to the side, snaffle run through her mouth and all. She rolled an eye at me.

"Let go of your reins," That mare was a saint.

"She'll bolt again."

"Um, well, she didn't bolt, she thought she was doing what you wanted."

"I didn't do anything!"

"...and as soon as she sorted that out, she stopped, now let go of her head."

Student finally released the mare. I stepped to her head, got her bit straight, loosened up her reins, crossed them over nice and flat and handed them back to Student.The mare dropped her head and cocked a hip.

"Leave her reins alone, she won't go anywhere or do anything. It would be better for you to let them lay on her neck and cross your arms than fidget with them. Can I get in with your horse now, will you be all right?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, why do you people use these long reins?"

Since I had lost the habit of answering any question that began with "you people," I went ahead and climbed the fence into the pen. I grabbed a halter and lead off the fence, walked to the middle and threw the whip over the fence. The gelding spooked and started to run around me.

I spent a few minutes making him stop and turn by holding onto the lead rope and chucking the halter at his shoulder.

"Now watch me, look where I'm throwing the halter."

The gelding came off the fence and veered towards me. As he passed I hit him with the halter and lead rope as hard as I could. Student screamed, gelding got his ass back on the rail.


I let the gelding rest. At first he watched me, then, he started looking around.

"He's looking for trouble," I said.

"He's not doing anything," Student answered.

"He's quit wondering what I'm going to do and is looking for something more interesting. So I'm going to get his attention back."

I raised my hand with the halter and he trotted off two solid strides and then cut loose with a buck and a jump. I tossed the halter again and whapped him on the rear, sending him out at a run.

I chased him around a few times, stopped and turned him and then stopped again.

"I didn't intend to spend the day roundpenning your horse. Come in here and practice what I was doing. Yes, you can use your whip, but be aware of where that tip is pointed. I've got to switch horses, when I get back I'll show you what we needed to get done today.