Abbotsford horse expert Jonathan Field rode a colt through an obstacle course to the enthusiastic cheers of 6,000 fans in Tennessee last Sunday.
He had transformed a wild horse into a trained companion in just four hours over a weekend, through “natural horsemanship.”
As he achieved the greatest moment of his life as a horseman, his mind turned back to one of his worst times.
He was 19 years old in 1996 when his left hand was all but amputated in an industrial accident. He was working for his father’s drilling business in the bush of the B.C. Interior, when a 500-pound piece of steel slammed down on his wrist.
With his good hand, he held his mangled arm against his body, while two co-workers loaded Field into a pickup and sped him to 100 Mile House. They arrived just minutes before blood loss would have taken his life.
Ten hours of surgery re-attached the arm. That was followed by several more surgeries, and years of physiotherapy.
Field regained the use of his arm, but not his desire to take over the family business. His mind was branded with traumatic images, like the pickup that seemed filled with his blood.
He pondered what he really wanted to do with his life, and came back to his love of horses. He had grown up up with them in Bradner, leaving school at the age of 15 to become a working cowboy in Merritt.
So, he pointed his boots back in that direction.
These days he splits his time between Abbotsford and the 600-acre James Creek Ranch in the Nicola Valley, which he owns with his father Larry.
Field has become an expert horseman.
He tours North America 180 days of the year, teaching people about natural horsemanship.
It is a system of developing a relationship with a horse, rather than breaking it.
He doesn’t dominate the animal, but forms a partnership, in which the horse wants to be with him.
Field maintains it is a theory so old it has become new again, and over a four-day course he teaches it to dressage riders, jumpers, trail riders and other people who want to better understand their horse, and learn to communicate with it.
He’s considered one of the best in his field.
The most recent acknowledgment came in his invitation to compete in the prestigious Road to the Horse competition, the world championship of colt starting.
It’s all the buzz in the equestrian world, as horsey people from across the globe traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to watch expert horsemen train a wild horse in a few hours over a weekend, and then ride it through an obstacle course.
Field was asked to represent Team Canada, with his partner Glenn Stewart of Fort St. John. They took on an American duo, and another from Australia.
It started on March 9, with the three teams choosing their colts. For the competition, 10 wild quarterhorse colts were brought from the Four Sixes Ranch – a big, historic spread in Texas. The animals have had only brief human contact for veterinarian services, but have otherwise never been touched.
“They’re really frisky. They’re three years old, strong – there’s a lot of horse there,” said Field.
A horse under four years old is considered a colt.
They each picked their animal – drawing from a hat for who chose first. Field selected a colt that moved easily, and showed confidence at the front of the herd.
On the first day, they had a two-hour training session. Saturday brought another two hours. The competitors had a 50-foot circular pen in which to train the animal before the watchful crowd and a panel of five expert judges.
And then Sunday they had 40 minutes with the horse. They had to demonstrate it could walk, trot, canter and perform other exercises. Finally, they had to ride through an obstacle course.
Field was impressed by the knowledgeable fans who came to the show. He met riders from Argentina, Japan, Israel and other locations around the world. He autographed hats, boots and shirts. Just like hockey fans in Montreal who know when to cheer a great play, they showed their appreciation.
“They know how hard this is,” he said, to take a horse that is wild on a Friday and by Sunday “ride an obstacle course on that last day like they’ve been ridden for years.”
Field’s horse turned out to be extremely sensitive, and he had to take it slow. It took him extra time to clear the obstacle course. He gave the nervous colt time to sniff things and get used to its surroundings.
“I didn’t push him that hard. I wanted him to be a good riding horse for life.”
Team Australia won the 2012 Road to the Horse, but Field didn’t feel as if he’d lost.
He finished the obstacle course, stood on the back of his horse, and got the rock star treatment from the crowd.
Field doffed his hat to the standing stadium, which was probably about one-third Canadians.
“You wouldn’t believe how patriotic we were down there – we were waving flags like Americans. I teared up.
“In 1996 I was sent on a journey. When I rode that horse out after that obstacle course I had a sense of achievement that went all the way back to 1996.”
Tricks of the trade
Given only a couple of two-hour sessions, how does one train an unridden horse – a process that can normally take weeks?
There’s no Hollywood “horse whispering.” But it is that subtle.
Field first “befriends” his horse, and tames it by rubbing and touching it. He drapes his body over the animal.
The horse tries to be “herd boss,” and push him around. Field pushes back, making the horse yield. He gives him a moment to ruminate on that, and then controls the animal’s feet.
He uses the reins and rope, moving the animal’s body and feet to show it how he wants it to move – all before getting in the saddle.
Then he’s on and off the horse frequently, showing it how he wants it to step.
It’s all about body language.
“If you do what they do in the herd, they are one of the fastest learners in the animal kingdom.”