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IN THE PRESS |
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The News of Orange County
Serving Orange
Count since 1893 - Hillsborough, North Carolina
'Horse whisperer’ to
teach secrets of interaction
By STEVE STEINER
Editor
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Jamie Jacobs
(background)
grooms Chip
following a
workout. When
Worth Miller
acquired Chip
last December,
the quarter
horse would not
allow any humans
near him. Six
months later,
Chip loves being
touched and
enjoys beging
ridden. Photo by
Steve Steiner
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The way Worth Miller
sees it, it’s not
necessarily the horse
who is to blame, which
is why he will be
conducting a clinic this
Saturday and Sunday at
Sharon Oaks Stables.
“I help people and
horses with problems,”
he said. “Usually, it’s
the people who cause the
problems with the
horses.”
These aren’t words to be
taken lightly. As Miller
put it, many people who
buy horses don’t know
how to interact with
them. Horses, he
explained, are herd
animals. In other words,
they need to be led.
“If you ever look at a
herd running, there’s
one horse who’s at the
head of the pack,” said
Miller.
That’s the way it should
be between rider and
horse, he said.
Being in control is not
a competition for
dominance. It is to gain
respect. That’s because
a horse wants to perform
to the satisfaction of
the rider, he said.
“Horses are smart
animals,” said Miller.
“Not as smart as humans,
but they are smart.”
Like humans, some horses
are smarter than others.
Miller said horses are
also sensitive. He
pointed out the horse he
had just dismounted, a
quarter horse named
Chip.
“I got him back in
December,” said Miller.
“He’d had bad
experiences. Hated life.
“[He] didn’t want to be
around humans, didn’t
want to be touched,” he
said. “Just wanted to be
left alone.”
But now Chip revels in
attention. It seemed he
can’t get enough. To
remedy that, he lowers
his head and nuzzles
anyone nearby. Everyone
he does this to responds
by petting him,
complimenting him and in
one instance, kissing
him.
It was a far cry from a
showing last October, a
couple of months before
Miller acquired him.
“He just tried to climb
the walls,” said Miller.
For weeks after
acquiring Chip, Miller
made no progress. The
horse was just plain
ornery.
Then Miller tried a
different approach, an
approach he was hesitant
to describe.
“One morning I was real
quiet, real still, and
he told me, just as if
you and I were talking.”
The popular term is
“horse whisperer,” an
expression that made
Miller uncomfortable,
yet is key to his
ability.
“People, they don’t know
how to communicate in
the horse’s language,”
he said.
The People Whisperer
While Miller didn’t
dismiss the ability to
communicate at a
different level, he
pointed out what he
believed was an
important aspect.
“To me, it’s about as
much changing the person
as well as the horse,”
he said. “Horses are a
mirror of a person’s
personality.”
Jamie Jacobs verified
Miller’s assertion.
“My experience working
with Worth is, he has a
gift,” she said. “I give
this man credit for
changing my life.”
She was astride one of
her horses, Bella, and
Miller asked her to sit
on Chip while he put her
horse through some
paces. She readily
complied.
“Several months ago, I
would have been
terrified to ride Chip,”
she said.
What got her over her
hurdle was one of the
first things she learned
from Miller when she was
learning to ride. She
had asked him to come
over where she stabled
her horse and give her
some lessons.
“The first thing he
taught me was to be a
leader,” she said.
“That’s what amazes me.
It has spilled over into
every area of my life.”
As a result, Jacobs
faced up to some problem
areas in her life and
made the changes she
needed, she said. One of
them was to change
careers. Until recently,
she had been in retail
management. Now she is
apprenticing under
Miller’s tutelage.
“It is like therapy,”
said Jacobs.
Miller just nodded.
“The outside of a horse
is good for the inside
of a person,” he said.
Jacobs said she was
introduced to Miller by
a friend she identified
as Kim, who has played a
pivotal role in both
Jacobs’ and Miller’s
lives. According to
Miller, it is Kim who is
responsible for his
having started to
conduct clinics.
He didn’t believe he
could conduct clinics,
but she convinced him
that what he had learned
in more than 40 years of
being with horses was of
value to both horse and
rider. Hence he began
conducting clinics. The
clinic this weekend will
be his fourth.
Want to attend?
The Worth Miller Horse
and Rider Development
Series runs Saturday and
Sunday, June 21 - 22.
Both days begin 8:30
a.m.
The clinic will be held
at Sharon Oaks Stables,
2006 New Sharon Road,
Hillsborough. |
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Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The News of Orange County
Serving Orange
Count since 1893 - Hillsborough, North Carolina
Expert in his field
teaches riders, horses
how to better work as a
team
By STEVE STEINER
Editor
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Worth Miller
(left), astride
Bandit, watches
as Jamie Jacobs
puts Abby
through an
exercise. For
many, the clinic
was worthwhile
as they came
away with a
better
understanding of
themselves and
their horse.
Photo by Steve
Steiner
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The Worth Miller Horse
and Rider Development
Series clinic held June
21 and 22 was a study in
contrasts.
Saturday’s session drew
more than twice the
number of riders and
their horses while
Sunday only three riders
and horses participated
— Jamie Jacobs and Abby,
Dakota King and Jewel,
and Ann Christmas and
Devon.
Another difference was
much of Saturday was
spent learning
“on-the-ground” control,
while Sunday’s session
had riders on their
horses — at least for
the early morning
session.
“After lunch we’re going
to work “on-the ground,”
Miller said.
Miller has raised and
trained horses
approximately 40 years
and is highly regarded
by many horse owners in
this region as one of
the top experts in his
field.
As he spoke, Jacobs
walked Abby outside the
corral. The horse bent
down to nibble at a
patch of grass and
Jacobs pulled on the
reins. Abby lifted her
head.
“This is an example of
controlling on the
ground,” Jacobs said.
“It’s just as important
as when you are on the
horse.”
Abby bent her head and
nuzzled Jacobs.
“Abby likes to lead,”
Jacobs said. “She’s the
lead mare in the
pasture, which means I
have to be that much
stronger.”
A short while later,
Miller, Jacobs, King and
Christmas were once
again in the corral.
This time all the humans
stood alongside their
steeds. Silence filled
the air. For the longest
time, Miller and the
rest put their heads to
their horses’ heads and
gently stroked their
equines.
“They’re ‘talking’ to
their horses,” Jacobs said. “It’s not
really ‘talking’ as you
and I would talk, it’s
thought transfer. Both
rider and horse are
communicating through
the heart. This is
what’s called ‘horse
whispering.’”
She said that many
people are skeptical of
“horse whispering”,
but she swore by it.
So did the others.
Christmas said that
Devon told her he had
been upset with her but
that he forgave her. She
admitted that caused her
to feel guilty.
“His history has been
one of abandonment, that
no one’s ever given him
a chance,” Christmas
said. “Even when I first
saw him I wondered if he
was the right horse for
me.”
But now matters were
better between Christmas
and Devon and Christmas
was glad she was
involved with the “Ride
a Better Horse: Yours”
clinic.
“It feels like I have a
new horse,” she said. |
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Wenesday, July 16, 2008
The Courier = Times
Serving All of
Person County Since 1881
Roxboro, North Carolina
Although
self-taught, Worth Miller has parlayed 40 years of
equine experience to become a master horse trainer and
clinician. Here his horse, 'Bandit' keeps an eye
on him
WORTH
MILLER: HORSE LISTENER
Hurdle Mills
trainer relates to horses in ways they understand
by VICKI BERRY - CT Lifestyle Editor /
Staff photos by Ken Martin
 In the
early to mid-1900's, movies and television glamorized
and popularized the western cowboy, making him legendary
figure of the Old West, resulting in many youngsters of
that era wanting and begging mom and dad for a horse.
Worth Miller of Hurdle Mills was one of those
youngsters. No different from many youth of those
times, he wanted to learn to ride and to own a horse.
"As a kid watching cowboys and Indians westerns, I
wanted to ride in the worst kind of way," recalls
Miller.
Growing up on a
farm, Miller was used to working with mules in the
tobacco fields, but it was when his uncle gave him a
pony that he founf his calling in life.
Now
a respected horse trainer, Miller says he incorporates a
natural method of training - natural to the horse that
is. His method fosters an understanding between a
person and the horse with a technique whereby the rider
establishes leadership without the use
Miller takes 'Chip' through his
paces
of force.
 As
Miller explains it, his method centers on being "able to
relate to the horse in a way the horse understands."
Driven by his deep love and passion for horses, Miller,
who is self-taught in the industry, has developed his
natural training methods from years of experience.
Along the way, he has personally benefited indirectly as
accomplishment has served to build his own
self-confidence, admits Miller.
Miller's
40 years of equestrian experience includes training and
working with problem horses. Miller is a respected
judge and master clinician who has instructed riders of
hunt seat, saddle seat, stock seat and recreational and
trail horse. He also managed one of North
Carolina's premiere show stables. Addiionally, he
is responsible for re-establishing and coaching the Duke
and UNC riding programs and inter-collegiate equestrian
teams.
Miller's on
the job training began with that first pony and
continued after high school as he worked with a
world-class
Along with tack, show ribbons
trainer,
have a place in Miller's barn.
'Chip' listen to what Miller
has to say. |
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Worth Miller: 919.812.4869
worth@worthmiller.com
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