Trigger and all of his doubles were trained by the great horseman, Glenn Randall, Sr. Rex had the honor to learn from this master horse trainer for nearly two decades. Glenn could train a horse to do anything, including “empty out” on command. This video is a great tribute to the legendary horse and his partner.
I have been watching old John Wayne and Roy Rogers movies and recently found this hilarious video on youtube showing the Cowboy is everywhere.
There are many ways to teach a horse to drive, but the fastest and safest is to put the novice horse in between two seasoned driving horses who will tell him what to do. He will have no choice but to turn when the others turn, stop when they stop and move forward with them. They quickly learn the best choice is to get with the program. Tyler, Ryan, Rex and I drove across the valley in Tehachapi. Click here for more information on how to train your horse.
These snow storms are allowing me more time to create fun videos, here is a teaser to the new book, WHOA MEANS WHOA! which will be available April 1. Let me know what you think!
You can see how Cache Jr. is gaining more and more confidence walking the plank, he is very careful to put his feet on secure footing. This kind of extreme training takes hours of practice and patience….it is amazing what you can teach your horse if you take the time to explain to him what you want and give him the opportunity to learn to have the confidence.
Click here for the link to an interesting article about the making of Avatar. They used real horses to create realistic movements for the six legged equines in the film. The director, James Cameron, was determined to create as accurate a rendition as possible. This is one of the most successful films every released. It contains an important message and is a must see if you have not already done so.
Harbor Mist affectionally known as T, has a pivotal scene in the new HBO film, Temple Grandin. Don’t worry if you missed the premiere, just check the schedule on HBO for listings. Claire Danes gives a stellar performance as Temple Grandin. The story of this remarkable woman is fascinating and a must see for anyone interested in the humane treatment of animals. Rex worked with T on the film for a pivotal scene where the horse called “Chestnut” is wild and fights everyone until Temple meets him. Later in the script “Chestnut” dies and Temple is very upset when she sees him lying under a tarp. You can see him rear, fight and play dead. T lies absolutely still, fooling everyone on the set. T was discovered on the racetrack where he won three races in his career. He was cast as the lead horse in Dreamer. T is a remarkable Hollywood horse who always delivers a solid and convincing performance.
This is a lovely horse for someone looking to move up to Prelim or who wants a solid training level horse. Chloe is Dutch Warmblood, 15.2 hands, perfect for a young rider or adult wanting to be competitive. Chloe scores in the leaderboard in dressage and is an honest bold jumper.
I highly recommend a new film called Temple Grandin on HBO this Saturday at 8pm. The film is about the remarkable work Temple Grandin has done in the field of livestock behavior and humane slaughter. Rex worked on the film with Harbor Mist, also known as Mr. T has a pivotal scene in the film. Friends who have previewed the film say that it is very powerful on many levels and is worth watching. The film has an excellent cast with Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, with supporting roles played by Julia Ormond and David Strathairn.
One day of filming required Mr. T to play dead and lay perfectly still under a tarp. This would not have been easy on a quiet set and was especially difficult because the scene required Mr. T to lie absolutely still while Claire, as Temple, has a fit standing over him. As you know horses are highly sensitive to energy and it is remarkable how Rex was able to convince Mr. T to lay perfectly still during the sequence. This is the result of many hours of training and a tremendous trust between horse and trainer. Mr. T also has several other scenes where he has to fight and rear as well as being gentle with his co- star.
I also recommend you read the review about the film in the New York Times today.
Does your horse stand quietly in the cross ties, does he wait patiently at the mounting block, does he step off only when you ask him, is he on your aids when you ask him to go, whoa, move laterally? If not, come to a clinic this Spring and learn how to teach your horse to be so obedient, even a monkey could ride him. Check the web site for dates and availability.