Ask Cari

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Trigger and all of his doubles were trained by the great horseman, Glenn Randall, Sr.  Rex had the honor to learn from this master horse trainer for nearly two decades.  Glenn could train a horse to do anything, including “empty out” on command.  This video is a great tribute to the legendary horse and his partner.

There are many ways to teach a horse to drive, but the fastest and safest is to put the novice horse in between two seasoned driving horses who will tell him what to do.  He will have no choice but to turn when the others turn, stop when they stop and move forward with them.  They quickly learn the best choice is to get with the program.  Tyler, Ryan, Rex and I drove across the valley in Tehachapi.  Click here for more information on how to train your horse.

These snow storms are allowing me more time to create fun videos, here is a teaser to the new book, WHOA MEANS WHOA! which will be available April 1.  Let me know what you think!

Remember the film Sylvester?  This was a famous horse film from 1985 about a young girl who becomes a successful eventing athlete with her gray horse.  Several horses trained by Rex Peterson played the role of Sylvester.  Supertramp was the amazing show jumper seen here sailing over a very wide truck.  He came from the show jumping world because he refused to jump in spite of his amazing talent.  Rex re-schooled him for the film, helping him find his confidence again.   This film inspired many young riders to compete in the world of eventing.

As you prepare for the eventing season, it is important that you study the new rules and be prepared for your competitions.  Take this down time in the winter to read the new rules.

And go out and rent Sylvester if you have not seen it in a while to inspire you for the new season.

You can see how Cache Jr. is gaining more and more confidence walking the plank, he is very careful to put his feet on secure footing.  This kind of extreme training takes hours of practice and patience….it is amazing what you can teach your horse if you take the time to explain to him what you want and give him the opportunity to learn to have the confidence.

Learn the new USEA dressage tests for eventing before the season begins.  Practice at home and always train at a level above the one you plan to show.  Be prepared.  You will greatly improve your scores if you ride with confidence and determination.  I highly recommend riding the test on several different horses to confirm that it is automatic in your head so that if you are distracted on the day by wind, unruly horses in the next arena or equipment failure, you will carry on like a pro. Study hard and have fun!

Harbor Mist affectionally known as T, has a pivotal scene in the new HBO film, Temple Grandin.  Don’t worry if you missed the premiere, just check the schedule on HBO for listings.  Claire Danes gives a stellar performance as Temple Grandin.  The story of this remarkable woman is fascinating and a must see for anyone interested in the humane treatment of animals.  Rex worked with T on the film for a pivotal scene where the horse called “Chestnut” is wild and fights everyone until Temple meets him.  Later in the script “Chestnut”  dies and Temple is very upset when she sees him lying under a tarp.  You can see him rear, fight and play dead.  T lies absolutely still, fooling everyone on the set.  T was discovered on the racetrack where he won three races in his career.  He was cast as the lead horse in Dreamer.  T is a remarkable Hollywood horse who always delivers a solid and convincing performance.

QUESTIONS FOR REX PETERSON

1. When did you realize you had a special gift with horses? When working on the  Black Stallion I realized that I had more ability than others
2. What was first movie you worked on – and have any of your training methods changed (along with the demands of filming)  Electric Horseman, I continue to learn and hone my skills learning from each horse in each situation, each horse is an individual and teaches me something new
3. What part of training a horse for TV/Movies would you say is something every horse owner should know?  The meaning of the word Whoa
4. What was the most difficult scene with a horse you had to especially train for? Burying a horse alive for a  Procol Harem music video
5. How hard is it to find the “right” horse for TV and movies? Sometimes it is extremely difficult, sometimes they just show up when you need them
6. Have there been any truly special horse(s) in your life? Hightower (read articles under press on web site www.swansonpetersonproductions.com) Justin, RJ
7. Who was your mentor and why? Glenn Randall, Sr.  because he trained horses to do what was thought impossible and taught me to do the same
8. Where can we find information about the training videos you make?  web site, www.swansonpetersonproductions.com
9. Is it harder to work with horses or actors riding them? Without question the actors because they do not always listen or do their homework, the horse can read their energy, I can control the horse at all times not the actor

10. What is the next TV project or movie you are working on and we can watch for? A Horse Training TV series showcasing extreme horse training along with teaching people how to achieve immediately success in communicating more effectively and clearly with their horse to solve  simple problems such as loading a horse, leading a horse, handling a horse, breaking and training a horse,  Disney’s “Secretariat” with Diane Lane starring as Penny Tweedy

This is a lovely horse for someone looking to move up to Prelim or who wants a solid training level horse.  Chloe is Dutch Warmblood, 15.2 hands, perfect for a young rider or adult wanting to be competitive.  Chloe scores in the leaderboard in dressage and is an honest bold jumper.

I highly recommend a new film called Temple Grandin on HBO this Saturday at 8pm.  The film is about the remarkable work Temple Grandin has done in the field of livestock behavior and humane slaughter.  Rex worked on the film with Harbor Mist, also known as Mr. T has a pivotal scene in the film. Friends who have previewed the film say that it is very powerful on many levels and is worth watching.  The film has an excellent cast with Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, with supporting roles played by Julia Ormond and David Strathairn.

One day of filming required Mr. T to play dead and lay perfectly still under a tarp.   This would not have been easy on a quiet set and was especially difficult because the scene required Mr. T to lie absolutely still while Claire, as Temple, has a fit standing over him.  As you know horses are highly sensitive to energy and it is remarkable how Rex was able to convince Mr. T to lay perfectly still during the sequence.  This is the result of many hours of training and a tremendous trust between horse and trainer.  Mr. T also has several other scenes where he has to fight and rear as well as being gentle with his co- star.

I also recommend you read the review about the film in the New York Times today.

You can see the trailer here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

When:  December 5, 2009, 1pm  Open to the Public Where:  Windrock Farm 724 Bangall Amenia Road, Amenia, NY Contact:  Cari Swanson 914.456.3155 cari@cariswanson.com www.SwansonPetersonProductions.com <http://www.SwansonPetersonProductions.com>

More photos available by request

“Secretariat” visits “Hidalgo” in Dutchess County this weekend.  Come meet Rex Peterson, the Internationally acclaimed Hollywood Horse trainer work with two of his famous horses, Harbor Mist (DREAMER, FLICKA, SECRETARIAT) and RJ (HIDALGO, TAKING WOODSTOCK) at Windrock Farm.  Rex is a master horseman who has worked for three decades in the film industry training horses for some of the most complicated scenes with horses, including THE HORSE WHISPERER, BLACK BEAUTY, DREAMER, FLICKA, THE BLACK STALLION, HIDALGO, DREAMER.

HARBOR MIST aka Mr. T is a 10 year old thoroughbred gelding bred to race he was started 51 times he had a career earnings of a little over 40,000 with a lack luster career as a race horse but the right look he was chosen as one of the horses for DREAMER. Schooled to do the lay down hang in the sling follow Dakota Fanning around and play with her I realized he had some charisma about him so after the film ended I took him home and continued to school on him. Mr. T has also worked in commercials and on FLICKA, APPALOOSA, TEMPLE GRANDIN, and most recently in SECRETARIAT.

Rex Peterson will also work his talented RJ, a very famous paint stallion who portrayed Hidalgo in “Hidalgo”, the Disney film co-starring Viggo Mortensen as well as several other films and TV shows.

Rex is one of the requested horse trainers in Hollywood, a favorite of Directors and Actors because of his well-trained horses.  Viggo Mortensen writes: “I have had the privilege of learning about horses and riding from Rex Peterson, and the good fortune to watch up-close the remarkable results he achieves with even the most challenging of horses and riders. He has guided me through the movies “Hidalgo” and “Appaloosa”, and I have been lucky to become his friend and ride many miles in all sorts of conditions with him. He makes his job as horse-master look effortless, but those who have trained under him over the years know it most assuredly is not. He does appear to have a gift for “reading” people and horses, always finding the most suitable teaching approach in each situation, but he works extremely hard every single day, often for many hours at a time”

Come meet Rex Peterson for this rare opportunity to work two of his talented Hollywood horses at liberty and recount many stories about working with horses behind the scene on motion pictures.

Contact:  Cari Swanson 914.456.3155 cari@cariswanson.com www.SwansonPetersonProductions.com <http://www.SwansonPetersonProductions.com>

Diego has no fear of horses because he is growing up around them and loves to sit on the biggest horses in the barn.  Fiona is riding Peadar who is a kind gentle horse and Simon is on Shadow, with Lauren giving him some pointers.

Rex received a last minute call from a production company in LA  to bring horse to a commercial for Verizon.  Originally they requested a horse to rear under saddle and then gallop off into the desert.  When we arrived on set, the director decided he wanted something entirely different.  Tye was the Directors pick of the 3 horses Rex brought including Tuff and Copper.  You can see in the final commercial his performance is nothing like the original story board. Fortunately the client loved the look and result of the cowboy being knocked to the ground.  After the first couple takes I think Tye thought he was supposed to knock the cowboy to the ground, so with each new take he gave it more drama and gusto.  Rex and his son Ryan, worked Tye from the ground while I rode a pick up horse with another outrider so that  after e we could  bring Tye back to the set after each take.  Special effects had some difficulty blowing up the explosives, with several duds and a few times of only a black cloud which created a wall so that Tye ran the wrong direction, circling back behind camera to his stablemates.  It was a long hot day in the desert, but in the end everyone was thrilled with the result you see here.