Newman | Opening Gates | Lesson 1 | Groundwork Matters!

This is Newman, he’s a middle aged BLM Mustang ~15’2 hands and heavy boned. He’s got a thick neck connecting from the top of his shoulder down to a sternum with a large nose. According to confirmation he is built to be heavy, pushy and dull. I originally saddle broke him about two summers ago. 
*Always take lessons. Never stop learning. Go to every clinic you can afford because this is proof of how continuing education can improve your horsemanship overtime. You’ll never learn everything at once.*
He didn’t care about much, so rode him pretty quickly and put a handful of rides on him before placing him in a good home. 🏡
Well, Here we are two years later and that same home would like buttons on him.
We had roughly 7 groundwork sessions teaching him to yield his forequarters, hindquarters, back up and send forward over, & through obstacles. Once he learned to move his body parts, I worked on moving those body parts at a trot and getting softer and softer.
I wanted to teach him to follow a soft feel. I would bump his nose around if he got too heavy in the halter. You have to keep these type of horses, honest or they will just lean on you. Your rein and your spur are the difference in a soft supple horse or a dull pushy heavy horse. Spurs are just there to bring life to what’s beneath you and get more precise positioning. 
This is ride 2 after a week and a half of groundwork.
Am I basically place every foot for him, Yes.
Is it beautiful, No.
You know what I love, A horse that is trying and a horse I can give rewards to.
Opening gates can very tricky and dangerous. Reach out to me on Facebook messenger with any questions or feel free to send me a video!

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