August 2006

Adri Brand with "Billy"

Dearest Sylvia: Sorry for being quiet for so long!  It is going very good, in fact fantastic, here in South Africa with My horse Billy and me. Sylvia, I know this might be very strange and unusual, but I want to dedicate a photo of me and Billy to you! I attach it thus for you and I think the photo alone will speak for itself. August 2005, Billy as you know, would hardly give me a glance if ever I dared climb into his camp with even just a little piece of rope that could indicate me wanting to catch him, leaving me staring at his very high speed departing hindquarters! July 2006 and guess who's catching whom here! Sorry, I could just not wipe that proud smile off my face!!

I first shrugged it off as a once off thing, Billy coming up to me while I was holding a halter. Then the other day I wanted to put the halter on my mare with my back to Billy and he just came right up to my back and started pushing into my back with his nose! I was basically forced to turn around and put the halter on Billy. Still I just laughed about it and thought he was just in a good mood. I can however not be blind or oblivious to this anymore. My scared and abused horse has turned into a very confidant and willing friend that actually WANTS to be with ME - just as you promised.

It was a very hard and sometimes tedious road for me. You where however always there to assist, to give advice and to encourage. Whenever I wrote to you with only despair, you immediately wrote back lifting my spirits again. When I was surrounded by darkness you showed me which way to turn to see the light. You always had some strategy to offer if something did not work and it always worked then. You taught me to believe in myself and to be patient. I've learnt that the long road is indeed the short road and looking back it doesn't feel that long in any case. You where my last resort for this horse and when I wanted to quit, you kept me going with encouraging words and reminding me of how far Billy and I already came. I remember writing to you just a few months ago crying about someone telling me Billy is too much horse for me and I should get rid of him! That was nearly the end of the road for me, but you helped me through and thus I feel that I cannot thank you enough.

Billy and I are still continuing on our NH journey, learning every day something new and still struggling with bits and pieces here and there. We advanced to bareback riding with only a hackamore in camp also. Still struggling with one rein stop, but we are getting there. I hardly suggest when standing next to him and he would just yield that head over to me for a long comfort. I understand however his reluctance to give me his head. He was forced by that bad trainer to have his head & neck "set" in the saddler position and thus his reluctance to "give" his head away.

The other day I tried to pony my mare from Billy's back on an outride. She started giving trouble and I wanted to get hold of lead rope to rather lead her from Billy's back. Very stupid of me indeed to try something I've never practised in the safety of the camp, thus I ended up getting my leg caught in the lead rope, jerking me right off Billy's back! This was the first time, since he bucked me off and I broke 4 ribs in September 2004, that I came off his back again. Billy darted off, turned around and that day I saw total confusion on a horse's face. He could not work out what he did wrong to cause me to fall off his back! He came running straight back to me and stood there shivering! He did not want me to mount again, but I knew I had to. I ended up asking the girl, who was riding the mare, to dismount and hold Billy while I mounted. She lead the mare then and I rode Billy a short distance and then dismounted as well.  We had a very long walk then back to home leading the horses. My heart was however full of joy as Billy came back to me although he could easily have run off!

Well, in short, my horse is becoming the dream horse I always knew he could be. Thanks to the natural way you taught me and helped me to stick to, he is indeed more confidant now. It is taking me long and I know someone like you would have had him trotting around with confidence within a short time, but I did not have someone like you near to turn to at that stage for hands on training and had to do it myself just with your distant guidance. It is however possible for anyone as long as you keep on trusting in yourself and always first asking yourself when working with your horse: Is what I am doing FOR or TO my horse. It took me long, but I've learnt that as long as the things I do is FOR my horse it does not really matter if I'm not perfect. It is when you are starting to do things TO your horse that you must stop, think it through and then do it again in a way that it is helping the horse. I still manage to confuse Billy, and then he gets agitated with me, but I've learnt to focus more on my horse as well, understanding him better.

Kind Regards and thanks for helping me "getting" it. Oh! and thanks for teaching me to be the lead mare! (I insisted my husband take attached photo!!)

LETTER OF THE MONTH:

August 2006

Hi Sylvia, your web site question and answer section has been sooo helpful. Thanks for writing that for all of us horse folks!

M. K. - Pocatello, Idaho

LETTER OF THE MONTH:

August 2006

When I think of you doing the work you do with horses and their owners, plus all of the time, effort and money you invest in protecting the welfare of horses - I often think of the story of the father and son walking along a beach where hundreds of starfish have washed on shore...the boy starts taking the starfish and casting them back into the ocean...his father asks "why?" As there are so many on the beach, he tells his son that the boy can't possibly make any difference...whereby the boy tells his dad, as he throws another starfish back into the water, "It made a difference for THAT one!" The world can change, too, one person at a time. It takes good people willing to buck the odds to turn the tide, before the tide takes everyone and everything away.

KC. S. - Seaford, Delaware

LETTER OF THE MONTH:

August 2006

I appreciate the tremendous amount of time it took to get your "lessons/demos" onto your web site. So well written, with pictures that are actually easy to relate to the activity described. I've just spent over an hour and a half, and am still in awe of the care that went into this site. Hoping to attend a clinic with you soon. I don't own a horse, but I drive a 300 mile round trip two times a month to work with a friend's horse. Thanks again so much for this site!

P. M. - Gainesville, Georgia

LETTER OF THE MONTH:

August 2006

I tried your natural horsemanship halter/lead I just bought from you, on my horse, and OH MY GOSH!!!!! Within 10 minutes I had my horse backing like a pro. I was so excited! I couldn't believe the difference in communication that halter made. I can't wait to get back to the barn tomorrow to try something else. Thank you so, so much!

M. W. - Crystal Springs, Mississippi

LETTER OF THE MONTH:

August 2006

I love your round pen training info I got off your web site. I have used it step by step. I even read it in my [wild mustang's] pen out loud so he gets used to my voice. I printed the whole thing off. Thanks for your help and I really enjoy your teaching!

V. G. - Fruita, Colorado

LETTER OF THE MONTH:

Hi there Sylvia. I hope that you are really well. An enormous thanks for including me in your e-newsletter distribution list. I look forward to your newsletters so much. I also forward them to lots of my friends here in South Africa, who appreciate your wisdom just as much as I do. I wanted to send you some recent pics of my baby, Bianca, whom you have helped so much. From the very disturbed, abused baby that she was, she is now so much saner and calmer, and is able to accept physical affection so much better than she was in the past. I'm even aiming to back her in December when I am on leave. So once again, you are an angel, because I really did not think that I would ever be able to get through to her, after the damage that was inflicted upon her in her previous home. Have a wonderful August, and good luck with all the clinics. Kindest Regards,

Nikki Groenewald - Pretoria, South Africa

LETTER OF THE MONTH:

August 2006

I so appreciate all the wonderful information you freely distribute on your website and through your monthly newsletter. You've been a huge help to us first time horse owners. Thanks and God bless.

J. T. - Millmont, Pennsylvania

If you have a horse problem or question and you

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