• VOLUME 48 • © HORSES For LIFE™ Magazine

Garrocha Rider, by John Saint Ryan

Willing communication between horse and rider

Often I am asked how it is possible that I can help horses and people from various disciplines -- Hunter/Jumper, Reining, Dressage, etc., sometimes all working in the same arena.

Let me give you a little background to my life. I was born in England, raised in Ireland. I taught Martial Arts for 27 years throughout Europe and coached 12 individuals to become National Champions.

I rode horses for fun.

In between all this I managed to fit in an acting career, which included the usual theatre work in the provinces, a stint in the West End, followed by guest star roles on TV. I’ve worked alongside a number of star names, written and co-produced several independent films, and co-starred in a couple of international features. I came to the USA in '92 on a three-picture deal, and that’s where it all went askew.

I was invited to Robert Wagner's ranch just outside LA to watch a man called Ray Hunt work with horses. I spent four days entranced by this man's philosophy and work. Having said that, Ray would continually give credit to a man called Tom Dorrance: “If I’m doing anything good with a horse, I got that from Tom.”

I had to find Tom Dorrance.

I met Tom for the first time at Bill Devane's ranch in Indio, California where Tom was also doing a 4-day clinic. It was about four hours from LA, so I drove down there for the first day. My theatrical agent called and said I needed to be back in LA for a meeting with a famous director the following day. I never made that meeting. I spent the next four days with Tom and have never regretted a moment.

From about that point forward my life changed tremendously. Having recently brought my wife and three children over to America to continue my career as an actor, I became absolutely focused on this work with horses. We had bought a ranch just outside LA, so I was riding and trying my best to apply this ‘way’ of working with horses that was so extraordinary to me.

Perhaps it was some residual effect from the Martial Arts, but I was getting what was considered good results with my horses. One thing led to another and people began asking me for help with their horses. Now this gave me concern - despite teaching Martial Arts for so long, I did not consider myself able to ‘train’ horses for people.

However this changed when Tom invited me up to his ranch in Salinas and suggested I bring some horses. I am still so thankful for this. It was then, and is now, one of the most profound moments in my life.

Over the years, I took several horses up to work with Tom. Some were pretty straightforward and some were one step from the cannery. Tom treated them all the same and showed me how to get the results I so wanted. When I look back on the earlier days, I can’t imagine how or why he had so much patience with me

I remember one horse in particular that I took up. She was a big warmblood mare who had developed a nasty habit of rearing, bucking and biting, and that was even before you got on! I picked her up from the barn where she was boarded and the trainer there had put a muzzle on her, just to get her in the trailer.

Over the next three days, Tom showed me how to feel where she was having trouble and how to head it off. Just bridling this horse was dangerous because she was liable to bite you, and this gave me quite some difficulty. It also caused Tom some frustration as he tried to help me verbally with my feel and timing. After a while, he just got up from his chair and walked up to the mare himself and put the bridle on. At that time Tom was already in his 80s and I was so apprehensive as I watched him, because this mare had literally picked me up by the arm and thrown me in the air. Needless to say, Tom's feel and timing was so in tune with the horse that the mare looked like "Grandma's" horse.

I once thought Tom’s ability with horses came through because of his innate sense of their nature. On reflection, I don’t believe the word "innate" to be strictly true, because I believe Tom worked at this skill and understanding very hard. As he would say, "this is something I have had to develop in myself, for myself, by myself. 'True unity and willing communication' between the horse and me is not something that can be handed to someone – it has to be learned. It has to come from the inside of a person and the inside of a horse.” He always worked from where the horse was at, at that moment in time. Be it good, bad or mediocre. And from that understanding, he was able to make the progress he needed and to help the horse feel better about everything.

As in all pursuits if one is to progress, then it is absolutely essential to study. One of the most important pieces of advice I got as an actor was from Peter O’Toole, who said that