Interview: horse whisperer Frank Bell of Gentle Solutions Revolution

Frank uses 'Search Touching' to build trust with horses.

Touching is appreciated by all equines - here a mule.

When you give to horses, they give back to you very willingly.

At Frank's, horses are part of the family. Max is 'in the house'!

Frank, you call your training program the 7-Step Safety System. Who is it safe for - people or horses?
First and foremost, it's safety for people. But it becomes safe for the horse too. Many horses jeopardize their own safety, getting in trouble or hurt because they are afraid. The idea is to build confidence in the person and desensitize the horse. In my program I refer to the 'Three Cs' - control, confidence and communication. You need control of the horse to be safe. In the process your confidence will increase, and so will your horse's. Finally you and your horse will learn to communicate with each other.

These days there are a lot of women who are getting back into riding after the kids are grown. They are not reckless like they were in their youth. They have responsibilities and cannot afford to get hurt with their horses. My program is primarily geared to this woman. She needs to feel safe, and she wants to build a meaningful relationship with her horse.

To me, the most revolutionary part of your Gentle Solutions Revolution is the concept of giving to the horse.
Yes, that makes me different from 99% of other natural horsemanship trainers. Twenty-two years ago I saw Linda Tellington-Jones doing a demo at an endurance ride in Montana. I watched for about half an hour, and saw her turn horses into trusting friends - in seconds! Their eyes would glaze over as they got totally relaxed. I started experimenting with touch and I found when I gave to the horses, they very willingly gave back to me. From there I developed my own technique which I call 'Search Touching'. Or as I also like to say, 'eight seconds to trust'.

In 'Search Touching' I approach a horse and let him sniff my hand or I blow in his nose. Then I stroke the horse firmly on the neck. Next I move to the face. To a horse, touching his face feels great. I touch the tip of their ears, inside their ears, inside their noses ... the eyes are my favorite place to touch. It feels unbelievably good to a horse, because they cannot rub their eyes like we can. Another place to touch is the mouth. A lot of times if your horse feels stubborn or locked down, if you touch his mouth all around inside, including his tongue, it diffuses the bad energy. It truly cements the lesson.

What if you can't touch the horse? Maybe he's head shy or has a lot of fear?
Another good spot to touch is the withers. If you've observed horses hanging out together, they frequently nuzzle each other on the withers. I learned a technique from an 84 year old man named John Sharp which is called 'pole gentling' and is often used with mustangs.

I take a 12' bamboo pole and show it to him. Then I set it firmly on his withers. I'll start fiddling the pole back and forth. If the horse seems bothered, I go back to the withers. All the while I'm touching more of his body, I'm moving closer too, always going back to the withers if the horse starts to feel overwhelmed.

I've done a lot of work with abused horses. I use pole gentling to put them at ease. Once they're relaxed I find out what was done to them, for instance being hit with a hand or whip, and I break it down into small steps that they can tolerate.

You sell a training 'wand'. What makes your training stick different from others on the market?
Mine is extendable. It extends to about 5' feet and when you add 2' for your arms, you can be at a very safe distance of 7' from the horse. Then as you desensitize the horse and are able to move closer, you can shorten the wand. Another distinction is that you can clip the wand to your belt for convenience when you need your hands free. And there is a loop on the end where you can attach things, like a string, plastic bag or a flag. My wand is made of stainless steel and won't break if a horse steps on it.

How do you feel about natural horsekeeping - stalls, bits, shoes, etc.?
I believe in a back-to-natural approach to horsekeeping. For most horses a barefoot trim is best. I don't like bits. As you know I'm promoting the petition to allow bitless bridles in competitions. Sign the petition!

A lot of problems people have with their horses derive from their horsekeeping. For instance, keeping horses in 12' x 12' cells, or stalls, and then expecting them to behave calmly when they are finally released. Wanting them to move well when they haven't been properly warmed up. Bad saddle fit. Bad saddle pads - a lot of the English saddle pads are garbage. Horses eating from nets with their heads up instead of grazing down on the ground. People love their horses but they often don't realize when the horse is in pain and how it can affect their own personal safety. A friend of mine told me a story about some folks who had been advised that their horses needed to have their teeth floated. They didn't get it done. One day the horses reared up and went over backwards and the riders are now dead.

I'm working on a project to create a worldwide website portal where people can get all the information they need about what I call 'evolved' horsemanship. There will be a directory of natural horsemanship trainers, barefoot trimmers, equine chiropractors, healers of all modalities ... I believe we are entering into what I call the 'Golden Age of the Horse'. There is a mounting groundswell. I see it all over the world as I travel around doing clinics. People are hungry for more information about natural horsekeeping and training.

What does it take for someone to become certified in your 7-Step Safety System?
It's an individualized program based on the person's experience. It's not a matter of money at all. Basically they need to prove they understand and can teach my program. Of course, they would need to own the program materials which is an investment of only $489. It would involve attending clinics. Then they would submit videos of themselves working with horses, demonstrating the 7-Step Safety System. We give them feedback and assessments. If you look through our list of 22 Certified Instructors, they all have their own fields of specialty. We have one who is an expert at everything do to do with breeding, another who does round penning, some who focus on competition. We're all individuals. People who are interested can contact Mary Morrow at ridesafe2day@yahoo.com for more information.

One thing I read on your website is that you always want to give the horse a really good first impression. Can someone who's had a horse for 5 years get another chance at a first impression?
Absolutely! When I first started what developed into my program, my horse of 5 years had never experienced anything like it. It was new for both of us. You can always change the game!

Photo credits: Frank Bell

More information:

• Visit Frank's website at horsewhisperer.com.
• Read a comprehensive article in Western Horseman magazine to learn about all seven steps of the 7-Step Safety System.
• Read 'Helping The Abused Horse' by Frank Bell.

The copyright of this article is owned by Eve Alexander. Permission to republish in print or online must be granted by Eve Alexander in writing.