Okay, This...

Woman is catching a horse out of a herd. The rest of the herd objects. I've had this happen to me.

This is not, quite, exactly how I would have handled it. I prefer to use my shoulder (body check) over pushing with both hands, which exposes your hands and the long bones of your arms to danger. If I know there's a horse inclined to behave like this in the group, then I don't go in there on my own - if I have to, I take a whip. You can move a horse away with a whip and your body language without needing to touch it, if you know how to use the right "alpha" body language.

What she did right was to deal with the aggression instantly, clearly, and without any hesitation or "niceness." You can't be nice to an aggressive horse. Furthermore, human "niceness" is equine "weakness." I'm not saying beat the crap out of your horse, but you have to show strength.

NOT A Fail

Self taught rider. Cantering for the first time. She calls it a fail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JjCODC_zt8 (Refusing to embed).

I think she's doing really, REALLY well myself.

Oh Dear...

Chuck wagon racing in an arena that is frankly too small for the race. It looks to me like the two wagons collided.

The driver is expelled and the horses just keep running.

This is a great demonstration of what TO do when something like this happens. The second team is pulled safely off to one side...people are looking for opportunities to stop the runaways, but they don't dogpile them (which could easily have got somebody killed), they don't chase them (which would have made them keep running longer). They make several attempts to head them off, without getting in their way.

It does take them a long time to stop, though, and eventually the second driver uses his team and wagon to come up next to them and tries to get the lines that way. He at least manages to herd them away from the people on the ground.

Finally, a frustrated idiot tries to jump into the moving wagon and faceplants...and eventually a second guy gets on board and gets the lines.

I don't think I've ever seen a runaway last a full five minutes - the team must have been setting each other off.

Saintly Donkey

It's not terrible, but the "obstacle course of ears" made me laugh. I'm also told you should hook the traces on first, so if the animal moves...something this donkey seems far less than inclined to do...they don't walk right out of the shafts and force you to start over.

Other than that, not a bad demo of how to harness a donkey. And a really nice demo of just how nice (or lazy) "Doodle" the donkey is. And adorable.

Western Pleasure Done...

...right. Well, mostly.

The video focuses on the palomino, but I like every horse in here except the solid chestnut.

ONLY the chestnut is four beating. The palomino lacks gait purity right after the transition to the lope, but does pick it up later. In the walk, he is tracking up nicely, he has more issues in the jog but that could be his natural gait. Yes, it's slow. They're supposed to be slow. They're supposed to carry their heads low - and I ride a couple of horses who do that naturally, it's the way they put their heads when they're relaxed and on the bit.

And these horses look relaxed and happy, not sour or stressed. I'd still like to see a bit more forward in the lope, but it's way better than you normally see.