THIS WILL MAKE YOU CRY

This is the most AMAZING VIDEO EVER between an animal and a human.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoW4cwf507g&feature=email

............it sure did. That really got me. Wow, that's all i can say.

Lips

I'd do what you told me to do to if you kept jabbing metal spurs into my bare sides

Hmmm that's funny cuz i don't see her using spurs at all. Just the reins.

Lips

The most incredible thing is she is not using anything, no reins and no spurs. She was on the Ellen show as well.  The spurs comment is on the comment section of the video she does use them initially to train the horses She is a trainer, very well known. But the horse she rode is Wizard's Baby Doll not her horse!! And if you look close she is using nothing no reins, no bit in his mouth, she is clicking with her fingers and talking to him telling him which way to go.  Also notice after the spinning even you and i would be very dizzy the horse especially and she pauses and strokes his hair waits for him to collect himself then tells him to go.

she is go in about a minute 40, theyre clipped to the back part of her shoes, on a side profile you can see her using them

1:50 is an even better view of the spurs

Animal training, in general, kind of rubs me the wrong way.  Sorry, but I just can't relate to making an animal do 'tricks,' do things that it wouldn't naturally do, for our entertainment.

Perhaps in this particular video there are no spurs.  But do you think this horse has come to that level of obedience overnight?  Hell no.  I could only imagine the painful hours of training sessions, with and without spurs, that the horse has endured throughout its life.  If only horses could talk..."Get the fu@k off of me!  You jab me one more, and I'll trample your ass!"  haha...but I'm no horse trainer.. what do I know?

Just my lil bit of 2 cents nonsense.

Oh Shit!...in plain view...no spurs my ass!  Shes a phony!

good eyes dtsweet! 

can I borrow your binoculars please?  lol

Imagine what they do to those horses that race eh ishin?

Yup...exactly why I have a tough time accepting horse racing. 

wow.  you guys are kinda freaking over the spurs?  I'm from Texas, and was born and raised in San Antonio (home of the Spurs).  I had horses when I grew up.  I certainly didn't know how to train one, but I rode and played with and made friends with plenty of horses.  Never wore spurs, , but did use a blanket and saddle, and held on tight to the reins. Bareback is not easy, but horses are really really intelligent and if inclined to perform, they do so with ease.

As an animal myself, I've noticed humans seem to always bring out the special talents in other animals.  They train dogs and cats and dolphins and whales, don't they?  You train your pets whether you know it or not.  Cruelty is another story.  I've seen someone beating their donkey-those are some stubborn animals-and gone over and nearly got beaten myself for coming to the defense of the donkey.  I can't stand that type of person.  

Have you heard of the cattle prod and seen the steel rod they use to kill cows for some hamburgers?  OMG.  I try not to think about it.

Did you notice her pulling the mane of the horse?  Did you know that there is a metal rod inside the halter attached to the reins that the horse has to wear inside it's mouth when a rider is directing the horse left, right, forward, and back?  There may be some who use spurs with a lot of force, but for the most part, horse riding is a very physical and interactive sport.  Spur a horse too hard and you won't get the results of the little extra nudge.

But what I really wanted to tell you about is, if you like to read, and you enjoy fantasy, and you want to really get emotionally moved by the power, grace, beauty, and loyalty of a horse, you should read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, by Stephen R. Donaldson, and become acquainted with the Ranyhyn.  

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Thomas_Covenant,_the_Unbeliever)

Ramen are the tenders of the Ranyhyn (see below). The Ramen's life-work is to serve the Ranyhyn, whom they hold in very high esteem. Traditionally they do not ride or otherwise subjugate the great horses, and can grow resentful of those who do. The fact that the Lords of Revelstone and the Bloodguard often ride the great horses is a major point of contention, but the Ramen tolerate this in deference to the Ranyhyn, who choose to give their service. When defending the Ranyhyn from Kresh (large wolves in service to the Despiser) or other predators, the Ramen frequently use ropes as garottes to break the attackers' necks. Ramen are organised into three "ranks": Manethralls who are the leaders, Cords who assist the Manethralls, and Winhomes who perform domestic supporting duties. Two other ranks are mentioned in The Runes of the Earth, Keepers and Curriers, but their placement within the Ramen hierarchy is not known.

Ranyhyn are the great horses of the Land. These horses live on the Plains of Ra, and are tended by the Ramen. The Ranyhyn are akin to normal horses, but are larger, always have a star and are in some indefinable sense enhanced by the Earthpower of the Land, so that their speed and endurance, as well as their intelligence, far outstrip those of a standard horse. The Ranyhyn can be ridden by individuals they deem worthy, but a person who seeks such a mount must travel to the Plains of Ra and offer himself to the horses for consideration. If a Ranyhyn accepts a rider, it is loyal to that rider until death. All of the Bloodguard (apparently) are accepted by the Ranyhyn, but not all Lords have been deemed worthy. The Ranyhyn also have a limited ability to perceive the future; these horses can "hear" when their rider will need them, hearing their calling days or weeks before the rider makes the call. Thus, when the rider summons his Ranyhyn, it appears shortly thereafter, regardless of the distance between them.

Ranyhyn will make you cry for sure!

Never?  bet you'd look super sexy in spurs...you could ride me bareback any day.  lol  

There's a Bob Hope song-
I got spurs that jingle-jangle-jingle
and they say oh ain't you glad you're single...

*blush*

This is the ONLY horse who has EVER been shown in a ring WITHOUT a bit (medal rod in his mouth to pull him from left to right) ALL ppl riding a horse have it in their mouth. It breaks there teeth and causes their tongues to hang out of the side of their mouths. She also is riding without a bridle, without reins to hold onto, without a saddle. The use of spurs in a ring the star kind has been banned. She has on the little round spurs, like a small wheel, I had my contacts out tee hee, did not see it at first.  Horses love to run (see the youtube CLOUD wild horses, and yes they naturally spin too.) Watching this little horse spins and run fast she LOVES IT and follows her like a puppy.  She is hanging onto her mane her hair on the horses back but she is not pulling her hair.  Lips yr so right Race horses race at 2 yrs old about age 6 then bred. Then if they don't breed well they are sold to Japan to be slaughtered for a special dish called missoshimi, a delicacy in Japanese culture. See Kentucky Derby Winner Ferdinand, sold to Japan and sent to the slaughterhouse.  Sports Illustrated did a piece a few yrs back on Race horse owners hiring a horse hitman to come and electrocute their non-winning horses and collecting the million dollar insurance policy they have on them. How i found out i bet on one of Secretariats babies PELLERIN bet $300 to win, of course that little horse came in last, this was about 20 yrs ago at Hollywood Park. Well I wondered what happened to that baby and I saw the article and his name Pellerin one of the horses executed by the hitman in the Sports Illustrated article, made me sick. Canada, Japan and Mexico slaughter thousands of horses a day from the US.  There are currently two other KENTUCKY DERBY winners in Japan breeding WAR EMBLEM is one of them he is not breeding well. OLD FRIENDS KENTUCKY horse rescue is negotiating currently with the Japanese to buy him back. By the way this was the same Japanese farm that killed KENTUCKY DERBY winner FERDINAND.  So will see how and if he comes back to the US. How this happens intentionally or not, were are in a recession hay is expensive board and care, an owner send their unwanted horse to AUCTION at the auctions are horse slaughter buyers, you do not know who they are. They make big money selling thousands a day to the slaughter houses to MEXICO, JAPAN, CANADA. Some owners say they did not know their horses ended up this way they just could not take care of them and thought the best thing was to sell them at Auction to recoup some of their money. Ponies are being sold for $40 now.

I am not suggesting watching the video, but it is on youtube of Ferdinand in his last moments at the slaughterhouse, scared to death, even pulled out of his bridle went crazy before he was killed. You can also see him on youtube win the Kentucky derby. So I for one seeing that Beautiful video of a horse with no restrictions and Stacy Westfall, spurs or not, is amazing.

Here in the US the BLM-Bureau of land management in Nevada, Montana are herding the wild horses now. See the CLOUD you tube videos. Why because the farmers here in the US want the land for their cows to craze, so they herd the wild horses and sell them to Mexico for slaughter.

lucky8s, that was a beautiful video, no doubt!  And the plight of horses, both wild and tame, is often very sad.  Remember the movie, Billy Jack, where a lot of the plot involved the wild mustang slaughter.  My experience with horses has always been more positive.  My grandfather's pride and joy was an Arabian, San Tan.  My dad bought me a welsh pony, who was very clever about opening a closed/chained gate, and unfortunately wandered off and was hit by a car in the middle of the night.  We also had quarter horses.  When I was around 16 and a camp counselor, we had a nice bunch of horses and taught our campers how to ride and take care of the horses as part of their daily routine.  I had a few friends who could ride bareback.  I was a big chicken and worried about falling off. 

The horses are great athletes, beautiful and exciting and with unique personalities and talents.  Stacy is awesome.

beautiful chilly i was raised on a farm in the deep south we owned horses and thats where my love for them stems from very majestic creatures for sure