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How to make a horse a friend. One cowboy's partnership with horses - YouTube
Channel: CBC Docs
[4]
On the eastern slopes
of the Rockies
[6]
Jimmy Anderson is
a bit of a legend.
[15]
Jimmy's part of a new
generation of cowboys,
[19]
who've left the old idea of
"breaking a horse" behind.
[24]
He doesn't "break" horses.
[27]
He "starts" them.
[29]
Jimmy>>In the past, when we've
talked about colt starting
[32]
and colt breaking,
that's what it was.
[34]
They wanted to get a job done.
[37]
Kind of just force
everything onto this horse.
[41]
They expected the horse
to jump, they expected the
[43]
horse to rear, they
expected them to buck,
[46]
because there was
no relationship.
[49]
Talk about breaking the
spirit... and now it's almost
[52]
the opposite of what
we're wanting now.
[54]
We want that spirit,
we want that heart,
[57]
we want that desire.
[59]
Niobe>>I'm here
to see Jimmy start
[61]
a two year old
colt called Shiver.
[63]
Until now, Shiver's only
seen humans from a distance.
[67]
He's never been ridden.
[73]
Jimmy>>Now what I'm going to
do is start working myself
[76]
a little bit closer to him.
[79]
Niobe>>I've come for the
week, but Jimmy figures
[81]
he'll get a saddle
on sooner than that.
[83]
[horse neigh]
[87]
That seems a little
optimistic to me...
[89]
[horse neigh]
[92]
Niobe>>Jimmy and Shiver
aren't on speaking terms yet.
[95]
Baby steps.
[102]
Jimmy>> There...
[107]
there we go.
[109]
So, you'll hear me
talk about two eyes.
[112]
Niobe..<i> Uh huh.</i>
[112]
Jimmy>> When that horse can
start to give me them two eyes,
[115]
he also gives me his focus.
[127]
Jimmy>> Nice.
[131]
He really needs to
get used to this.
[134]
Niobe>>If he can't take that
touch, he won't take a saddle.
[136]
Jimmy>>No. We're getting him
used to an external pressure.
[139]
Tap this hind end and have
him yield that hind end.
[147]
Nice.
[149]
Tap this hind end.
[155]
There... nice.
[160]
I'm going to come up
here and see if I can't
[162]
get some petting in there.
[169]
Niobe>>Jimmy knows
horses are prey animals.
[173]
Dogs are always
looking for supper,
[175]
but horses are looking
for safety.
[177]
And that need
is Jimmy's magic key.
[181]
Jimmy>>When I look at
horses that are spooky...
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if he's away from the herd,
he doesn't have a leader.
[188]
When you get that trust
and that confidence
[190]
and that relationship
with a horse,
[192]
I mean, really sky is the
limit of what you can do.
[197]
When I start a colt,
it's never a competition.
[200]
It's more of a partnership
and a relationship
[204]
that we can start to
get working together.
[208]
I'm going to come up
here now with the rope
[211]
I'm going to move
them hindquarters.
[214]
Move those hindquarters.
[216]
Move those hindquarters.
[218]
Nice.
[222]
[sound of tarp hitting]
[227]
Niobe>>How do you know how far
to take it and when to stop?
[229]
Jimmy>>You know, we're looking
at the expression in his face.
[233]
Looking at that tightness
through his neck.
[236]
He's telling me "Jim,
you can do more"
[238]
or "Jim, I'm getting too
worried, I can't take this".
[241]
So that's where I am just
reading him and letting
[245]
him tell me how much.
[249]
And so when I can go
through this with him
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not getting worried
and just no big deal,
[256]
that's when it's going to tell
me, he's ready to saddle.
[265]
Now he's getting
good with the tarp.
[277]
Jimmy>> Nice.
[278]
Good boy.
[280]
Niobe>>So what are
you doing now Jim?
[281]
Jimmy>>I'm just
bringing Maverick in.
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Maverick is going to give him
a little bit of confidence
[287]
as I put this saddle on.
[295]
Niobe>>And that's
the first time?
[296]
Jimmy>>That's the first
time right there, yeah.
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[bucking sound]
[308]
[horse neigh]
[314]
Jimmy>>And that's
totally OK with me.
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He kind of got worried.
He had to deal with it
[318]
that way a little bit,
that's totally OK.
[322]
Good...
there he moved his feet.
[324]
Kind of tightened
up, but come back.
[328]
And so the next thing
that I'm working here...
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see every time he stops, I want
him to start to look for me.
[339]
[trotting sound]
[348]
Jimmy>>
There we go ... Nice!
[353]
That's what I want to see.
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That focus, that looking
to me for that answer.
[360]
Niobe>>He's come a
long way since morning.
[362]
Jimmy>>He's come
a long ways, yeah.
[367]
[sound of rope
hitting saddle]
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I need to get him used to me
jumping up and down here,
[379]
because if I want to get on him.
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Really, really
good changes here.
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[Jimmy signals Maverick]
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Niobe>>Just amazing.
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Completely calm.
[430]
Jimmy>> [clicking sound
to Maverick]
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Jimmy>>My partner is helping me.
[435]
[Niobe laughs]
[437]
[Jimmy makes kissing noises]
[443]
Jimmy>> Good!
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[Jimmy makes kissing noises]
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Nice!
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Niobe>>That was just superb!
[475]
That was incredible to watch.
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Jimmy>>Good boy!
[477]
You know, couldn't have asked
for a better first day...
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good boy!
[483]
And here he is
for... first time.
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Niobe>>Yeah he's your best
friend now, isn't he?
[486]
Jimmy>>Yeah. When I
take the halter off,
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what I want to see,
is him not leaving me.
[498]
[Jimmy whistles]
[501]
His focus isn't there.
[503]
Nice! Perfect.
[505]
See and I want to be hooked up
to these... not through a rope
[509]
or through manhandling or
forcing, through their mind.
[516]
Niobe>>In a single
morning, Jimmy and Shiver
[519]
have found a common language.
[523]
It's truly incredible
what we can do together
[526]
when a horse agrees
to trust in us.
[532]
After all, we sit
on a horse's back
[535]
exactly where a wolf
would've leapt up to attack.
[539]
It shows us, horses
judge humans.
[543]
And some of us pass the test.
[547]
Jimmy>>Horses are really amazing
[550]
how much they will be
a partner and they try
[554]
a crazy amount and
I want to try that
[557]
same amount back for them.
[561]
When they give me
that much trust,
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I can never let anything bad
happen to them.
[567]
When I lay Maverick
down in the arena,
[571]
he has given me
his trust.
[575]
Maverick knows, I won't let
something happen to him.
[578]
♪♪♪
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