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At age 84, John sharp still trains wild horses. What he lacks in agility, he more than makes up for in savvy. He seems to have an inexhaustable supply of horse sense and knowledge. He literally wrote the book on ropes and knots for horsemen and his techniques for gentling horses using a bamboo pole and a rope bring astounding results.
He approaches the horse quietly and with his body, finds the "neutral zone" alongside the horse's shoulder. He gently touches the horse just above the withers and as soon as the horse accepts the touch, he starts extending the pole and drawing it back. The ribs on the bamboo pole scratch the horse and feel good. He continues and slowly works his way all over the horse from the poll to his heel bulbs.
When the horse is used to this, John rubs his throat, chest and front legs, then his underside, constantly maintaining the comfortable "scratching" of the bamboo pole.
Next he loops a rope over the end of the pole and drops it onto the far side of the horse. He lets the horse feel the rope and when the horse gets nervous, he goes back to rubbing with the pole. Eventually the horse tolerates the rope. Then with the pole, John pulls the far end back to him and begins to massage the horse with the rope, one end across the back and the other end across the belly. John works the rope until the horse has been contacted everywhere.
While John is doing all of this, he quietly works his way closer to the horse. By the time he's done with the rope work, he can touch the horse which he does, continuing the scratching and grooming contacts while he literally ties the rope into a halter and lead right there on the horse.
Within a short while, the mesmerized horse is following John quietly on the lead. The interesting point to this approach is that it can be used in any enclosure.
Fortunately John's granddaughter is learning his skills.
Keeping a Sharp eye
on his students
John Sharp taking a break
on Aerial
John working with LC
John and Joyce admiring a
good burro specimin
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John Sharp
Using a pole for first contact;
Giving good rubs on the horse's neck
Moving the pole all over the horse
Tying a halter on the horse
John working with Dawn
John and Dawn
Success
"Until John picks us out,
we'll have to scratch ourselves."
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