Isaac S. Hapanowicz
14 Jan. 05 

“Baby’s First Ride and More” 
            Natural horseman Dan Bowman is the best hand with horses I know, this video, part of
his“Classroom in the Corral” series, although specifically dealing with colt starting, is a
synthesis of natural horse-man-ship principles.  Filmed on his picturesque Lazy-B-Ranch, Dan
starts a two year old ranch bred colt using the philosophy of natural horse-man-ship, which he
defines simply as “learning to think like a horse”.  Dan demonstrates techniques such as
separating and rolling the hindquarters, round penning, and sacking the horse out with various
pieces of equipment.  Additionally Dan offers viewers some of the more subtle nuances of
horsemanship, such as discerning how well the horse is using his body by looking at how the
mane lies on the horse’s neck.

            This video does an excellent job of emphasizing the importance of getting a good
“foundation” on the colt and the importance of ground work.  Dan demonstrates through
round penning the proper relationship the horseman should have with his horse.  Rolling
the hindquarters is discussed several times, conveying to the viewer how important it is
for horse to be able to move and disengage his hindquarters when asked to do so.  Dan
does a great job underscoring this technique, which from my experience wrangling horse
in Colorado, cannot be emphasized enough as it crucial to both the horseman’s safety and
 to the horse’s mental and emotional well-being since it serves as the basis for the one-reined
stop which Dan also talks about in detail.  Dan’s video is much more than just what and how
to use techniques, it is a lesson in horse psychology and provides the viewer with an excellent
insight into the horse’s nature and what the techniques mean to the horse.  In this video Dan
explains many things that are extremely important, but are often omitted, such as how “if you
have one horse, you really have two to train”, since a horse has to learn every maneuver on
each side.  Dan discusses how important it is that training is three pronged speaking to the
horse’s “physical, mental and emotional levels”, providing demonstrations of ground driving
and desensitizing the colt with tools such as the slicker and stockman’s whip. 
            Colt starting with Dan Bowman is poetry in motion, and really captures the essence of
what natural horse-man-ship is all about, a successful working relationship between the cowboy
and his horse.  This video is a great resource for anyone involved with horses, you can never
know too much, as Dan says “there is only one thing worse than someone who doesn’t know,
and that is someone who doesn’t know that they don’t know.”  Dan is thorough in his training,
showing the entire process of colt starting; only going off camera for some additional round
pen work which he explicitly acknowledges. Dan stresses the importance of safety and of
contacting a professional if questions arise.  “Baby’s First Ride and More” is a valuable tool,
especially for those working with or considering starting colts. 
 

                                                                                    Isaac Hapanowicz
                                                                                    Wrangler
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