I have a 12 year old paint that was trained as a barrel racer. I didn't buy her to barrel race, nor was she advertised as a barrel racer. When I tried her out, her owner told me she was very light in the mouth. I tried her out in the arena only and she was fine, but I also rode on a very loose rein, in fear of the "her mouth is sensitive" statement. When I got her home and went out on the trail, I realized she didn't know how to do a slow lope, just run. She DOES NOT LIKE THE BIT and is distracted by it and can't concentrate at what you’re asking her to do, because she is so busy jawing at it. In the arena she will trot and canter mellow on a loose rein, she can be collected, but then we get back to the bit issue. I don't know if she's actually collecting or bending her neck down to jaw at the bit. On the trail, she is like riding a rocket at anything faster than a walk. I've been working on going from a trot to a canter on the trail, and reward her when she finally canters mellow.

How do I get her to slow down, collect, and accept the bit and stop being so neurotic about whenever the reins are gathered and the bit makes contact with her mouth?

This is a great question and you have given me lots of detail to help in forming a response. I like to define a ‘broke horse’ by saying that you have full control of direction and impulsion. This is not just one question but three separate questions, with three separate answers. They have to do with (1) attention span, (2) contact, and (3) speed control. These questions don’t surprise me with ex-barrel horses. In this discipline it is about time and speed, there is no need for collection. I appreciate your question about collection. To many people, collection is unnecessary and they do not feel it is important.

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Is there a misconception of Natural Horsemanship? “Natural Horsemanship” kind of implies a kind of gentleness, while “traditional horsemanship” implies a more heavy handed style or approach to horses. Have you noticed that some people are heavy handed while others or too easy with their horses? Neither situation is helpful when dealing with horses. In the world of “Natural Horsemanship”, there is a widely used phrase “be as soft as possible and as firm as necessary.” If you ask 20 people what “Natural Horsemanship” is, you will probably get 20 different answers. Horses are like an anti human, they see things as a prey not as a predator. If you have ever watched a herd of horses competing for leadership, you will see horses rub and scratch each other and also bit, kick, and squeal to get the point across. There is a growing concern about how firm is too firm and how gentle is too gentle. Why is this an important issue to get resolved?

The word “natural” associates and aligns itself easily with increasingly popular environmental idealism. It grabs the attention of a growing group of people who are already recycling, driving hybrids and buying earth-friendly dish soap. It also reminds me of the term “organic.”  Some years ago, this term was coined to mean the food they produced was free from pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other potentially hazardous ingredients.  Today, largely due to the fact that organics became such a desirable marketing tool, it is used to develop consumer confidence.

Rick Lamb, a well-respected advocate of “Natural Horsemanship”, articulates this subject by describing it this way, “Natural Horsemanship begins with clearing one's mind of preconceptions and making a serious study of the nature of the horse as a unique animal species. It then requires a commitment to working with…