How do YOU halter!?

Ok... yes... I'm really asking you're opinion here! As many of you know, I'm a rookie... so feel free to correct me where I'm wrong! I happily receive instruction! I just have to tell you about my honest haltering situation with Blaze. Which I know is my own fault.

So yesterday... I tried to merely go in the pasture and halter Blaze... we had been doing pretty good with this. But he was NOT interested at all yesterday and he would not pay attention to me... so (this is where you horse pros may think I'm stupid... but forgive me and teach me) I used the scare tactic to try to keep his interest and attention on me, thinking he needs to remember to not ignore me and that it's in his best interest to pay attention and join up with me. Well... at first we did pretty good with that.. until he started challenging me and rearing and charging... he got pretty annoyed... and little ol' pregnant me was not going to stand there and boss around a charging horse.. I know that is one of my first errors... he got MY feet to move... he won. But people after 5 years of trying to have a baby, a horse is not going to take it from me. Anyway... I was quite frustrated that NOTHING I tried could get him moving out after that... and noticing his nature... eyes wide, ears forward, licking and chewing... I knew I was seeing at least some willingness to pay attention. So I went back in with him and rubbed him down so he would realize I'm not just all about chasing him and yelling and as long as he is standing still and giving me full attention I will reward that... but once I got the halter out... the same show happened... only there was no scaring him off this time only bossiness on his end. So it's at this point... I'm sure some of you would know what I should have done next. Feel free to inform me! I don't have a round pen... only a big open pasture... and even if I did... there was no way to get him in one.

So here's where the God lesson comes in... I went and sat in the swing by the pond and just asked God to show me what was going on. I asked Him how He halters us... and even if he DOES halter us since he gives us free will.

He seemed to share this with me (but remember I am a mere human... I can mess up at hearing God I suppose... but this seemed like His wisdom)

When a horse has a halter on... it can still have free will. Ultimately you always want a horse to have "free will" and do things out of that free will in order to perform best. You don't want a broken spirited horse who has to do things... you want a free spirited horse who LOVES to do things. God sees it the same with us... he doesn't want us to be broken children working as his servants... He wants us to be free children serving Him because we want to! But yes, He does halter us... because He DOES want us to be His own and He wants to know we are willing to give Him that control.

So that was a good start... but next I asked God HOW He halters us.... God... when do You spook us or make us work to get our attention, and when do You naturally let us decide to come and put on the halter... I know You do it both ways because some people are stubborn and some aren't but You love them all and want them all to be Yours. So God.. HOW do YOU halter.

This is what I got.

God allows us to be spooked and worked in order to get us to come back to Him when we've walked away and yet, know better. And He doesn't allow us to be "spooked" to be mean... He does it out of protection and love... with a watchful eye, ready to pull us in, He says... go ahead... see if life is easier without Me. As trainers that's what we do to our horses.

God waits for some people to naturally accept the halter when they never knew better... the halter is new to them and it's kind of frightening. Giving up control, especially of one's head... can be scary, so for those dear children, He gives them time to warm up to it and speaks gently to them.

So, ok God.... I did the right thing then? Blaze knows better! But... what do You do when one of Your children that "knows better" starts challenging YOU and charging You and STILL does not want the halter?

He said...

I ask myself why.

That's all He said.

Ughh... ok.... so what do I do NOW. I asked myself why Blaze was doing this to me. Went and sat by the fence in the pasture. Let him walk up to me and muzzle me.

And I heard God say...

Do you see how bad he actually wants to be with you? If you're striving to be like me Hope... you need to be out here with Blaze more often. He loves you, but he doesn't know what to expect from and inconsistent god, an inconsistent trainer that doesn't have time for him. I am a consistant God, always having time for my children. You thought he should "Know Better" but really, it's been a while since you've spent quality time... he needed your time today.

OH HOW I HAVE BEEN HUMBLED!!! But isn't God so wise!? I love Him!

So we are rebuilding... good news... the halter is already on this morning! =)

Sermon On The Mount Pics

Hey! I'm finally posting pics from Sermon On The Mount!

My dear sweet horse, who had never been ridden before... was ridden within an hour.

Lew Sterrett is an amazing trainer and pastor. He did a sermon while training Blaze. His sermon was about how God wants His believers to WANT to be with Him and WANT to do what pleases Him instead of doing things for Him because they just should or feel like they have to.

Some horse trainers train their horses that way... they just MAKE them do the things they should, while Lew works with the horses heart.

I know... some of you are thinking blah blah blah... natural horsemanship, but that's not Lew.

He believes dealing with a horse's heart begins with encouraging a horse to do the right thing through their rear end and their hips... not tugging on their halter or bridal. His method seems to be an AMAZING balance of good ol' cowboy training mixed with understanding and patience.

With natural horsemanship, a trainer might wait FOREVER to let a horse decide to do something... but that doesn't really reflect our God either... God is not passive... but He is not cruel... He is bold and corrective and yet rewarding and loving, like we should be with our horses when training.

This sermon just made me really check my heart, am I following God because I want to, do I just read my Bible because as a Christian I HAVE to?? And how about my horse... am I training him the way God would train me? Good things to think on.

Hopefully you can see the sequence of things in the pics below. Lew first addressed the crowd, then began to get Blaze's attention by sending him off anytime he wouldn't pay attention to Lew (no whip involved). Once Blaze finally hooked on and wanted to be with Lew, Lew worked on putting the saddle blanket on. After Blaze accepted that, Lew put a lariat around Blaze's cinch area and pulled it tight... as you can see Blaze reared and bucked for a while. Once he accepted that, Lew put the saddle blanket on and then the saddle and Blaze accepted it well. Then Lew worked at slowly putting pressure on Blaze's back by standing in the stir ups, once Blaze accepted that... He got on his back and after a little time, he got Blaze to move forward. Now... it wasn't all just that easy... but that explains the sequence below.