Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth

Book excerpt: This book is a reflection of my heritage with horses. It comes from both sides of the saddle, so to speak, because both of my grandfathers were excellent horsemen. One grandpa was Cherokee and rode with the Kiowa horsemen in the early days of Indian Territory. They call it Oklahoma today. He gave credit to the Kiowa people for our unique way of working with a mare in-foal in order to blend our spirit with the foal. My other grandpa was an early day cattleman in Indian Territory and was known for his good-minded cutting and roping horses. I was blessed to have been born into this rich mix of horse and cow savvy. As a kid I was careful to take the best of both worlds, the Indian World and the Cowboy World, and develop my way of working with horses. The horses and mules like it. The day-to-day steps of working with the foal and mare ensured a lifetime of harmony with that horse. Each of the 37 chapters takes the reader or rider through each progressive training phase, emphasizing the easy, patient way the movements should be presented to the horse. The spirit blending starts with the mare first then progresses to the unborn foal. This special attention is continued right through the birthing process with the highlight coming at two years of age when the young horse is ridden for the first time. The foal is first taught to lead and "soft" tie at one and two days old. By the time it reaches two years of age it has been taught to readily load into a trailer, stand tied, yield to rope pressure from each leg, stand tied with a snubbed down head, back on voice and body cues, and to be ground led across country as well as ponyied from the mare. I term the essential ingredient of my technique, once the foal is born, "assurance pressure". It creates a sound foundation and willing mind in a horse. It is the glue that holds the spiritual blend together. It lasts for a lifetime with your horse. Praise for Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth, An Old Way Continued Dear Mr. Wadley: I LOVE your book Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth, An Old Way Continued. It is a priceless bit of Western History, and horsemanship, and equine behavior... Robert M. Miller, D.V.M. (Thousand Oaks, CA)