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Wil
Howe Shares Knowledge for the Hungry
Horseman
Video
Series Review (reduced version)
America’s
Foundation Quarter Horse Journal, January
1998
The
philosophies and unique approach to horse
training of renowned trainer and clinician
, Wil Howe, are now available in a three
part, five hour video series
entitled
"From
Foundation to Finished
©"
and
are some of the best we have seen in
years! Although there are a lot of
training videos on the market today, it
seems like every trainer has one out, many
don’t seem to get their point across.
This is definitely not a problem with this
series of videos. Wil takes you from the
groundwork with your horse in the round
pen to the finished stage of advancing
your horse in the bridle with in depth
instructions. Wil claims with his
"From Foundation to Finished
©"
program applied to it’s fullest a
horseman seeking tangible information will
have the tools to advance their horse to
any performance level they choose, be it
ranch work or the show arena, and we have
to agree.
The first in the series of three videos
is
"Establishing Leadership From
the Ground
Up".
In this video Wil explains the interaction
between you and your horse and covers
horse psychology and the concept that
horses are herd animals and require a
leader in their life. Wil relates your
leadership role to parental guidance," you
must take the responsibility of being in
charge." This tape teaches the necessary
techniques for getting the most out of
your round pen training sessions. The
round pen is very effective, yet, we see
it often misused today. Wil says "horses
often are running the show in their ground
work and continue to show that disrespect
in the round pen. Many people just go
through the motions for lack of
understanding and end up using the round
pen for mere physical exercise for their
horse rather than for a mental exercise,
therefore not attaining the correct
results." In this video Howe clearly
explains in easy to understand language
what your goals are and how to achieve
them. In the round pen you learn how to
read you horse’s body language and
just as importantly, he learns to
interpret yours. Wil shows you how to get
your horse going and exactly what signs to
look for in his responses. By learning
these signs of giving you learn when to
reward your horse when he does what you
want. All of this helps you gain your
horses undivided attention and creates a
willing attitude of trust and respect. An
important part of this process includes
hobble training and ground
manners.
The second in the series is the
10
Step Training
Program.
On this tape Howe takes you through a
series of easy to follow, well done,
instructions that will result in a willing
responsive horse. This program works for
training both young colts or "tuning up"
older horses. He talks a great deal about
the importance of soft hands, use of your
legs and timing. Starting with bitting up
exercises, establishing a headset and
collection as your horse learns to give to
the bit, Wil follows with teaching you how
to attain complete control of four corners
of your horse. These steps including
collection, reverse, roll backs, stops and
much more are the very foundation for
training any performance horse. This is
one of the best videos to come along in
years. Following the process of this
video, one can achieve a lighter, more
responsive animal. Howe insists that the
sequence in which these ten steps are
taught is the key, like building blocks
each step is dependant on the one that
came before. He stresses not rushing the
horse and if you encounter a problem go
back to the last step the horse was
comfortable with and slowly bring him
forward again. "A well broke horse is your
best teacher, but keeping one well broke
and tuned is an art in itself. I try to
show people how to keep the edge on their
horses. Whether just trail riding or
competing in shows, performance is
performance!"
The last in the series of three tapes
is "Beyond
The Snaffle
Bit".
After your horse has gone through the ten
step program successfully and is riding
well in the snaffle bit it is time to put
him in a bridle to make him truly a
finished horse. A common problem we see in
today's horse world is the lack of
information dealing with how to advance
ones horse past the "green colt" snaffle
bit stage. Wil’s program and videos
seem to offer the missing link. Wil is an
advocate of the results from traditional
California style of finishing horses and
he teaches his own easy to follow steps
for advancing a horse from the snaffle to
the curb and how to put a rein on any
horse. This art of finishing horses,
teaching a horse to handle in a full
bridle, Wil’s specialty, is rarely
offered to the public.
In this third Video , Wil goes beyond the
plateau of the snaffle bit, "two-handed",
pulling technique of directing a horse and
shares priceless skills on how, when and
why to advance your horse to neck reining,
"one-handed", in a finished leverage curb
bit. It a includes detailed techniques on
how to progress through a series of bits
and shares how different bits and reins
effect and can refine your horses
responses. It also covers in detail, more
advanced finishing and reining maneuvers
and their practical application for
everyday riding.
Wil Howe is a cowboy, horseman &
philosopher, having spent 30 years making
a living with horses, mainly Quarter
Horses. He spent 10 years cowboying on
ranches in Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and
Montana before settling in Oregon where he
got started in the competitive world of
showing in which he specialized in reined
cow horses & cutting horses. Since
then he and his wife, Beverly, have
developed a reputation for training and
producing the all around , well broke
horse by the high standards of
their top performing and high selling
geldings throughout the West.
This all around, well broke horse with the
traits and training Wil seeks to produce,
exemplifies the true Quarter Horse and
what the Foundation Quarter Horse
Associations are trying to promote.
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