By LINDA McGURK
Indiana Correspondent

COVINGTON, Ind. — It may be a bit of a buzzword, but for the people who know Denny Taylor of Covington, the term “horse whisperer” is definitely one that comes to mind. Using methods that emphasize the bond between horse and rider, Taylor is able to turn formerly abused or simply obnoxious horses into trusting and respectful companions.

Now he’s using his talent to help abandoned horses get adopted by loving families. “I’ve been involved with horses my whole life in one aspect or another,” Taylor said, “and I’ve always had a knack for getting horses to do what I wanted them to do.”

Soft-spoken and gentle, his seemingly innate command over the 1,000-pound animals led him to pursue a career as a professional horse trainer about 10 years ago. A longtime believer in training horses without the use of force, he was drawn to the natural horsemanship concept of Idaho trainer Frank Bell, and became certified with Bell’s seven-step training program last year.

“(Bell’s) philosophy really paralleled mine and what I wanted to do. I became an immediate fan,” Taylor said.

Bell’s gentle training concept is based on control, confidence and communication. Whereas old-school methods focused on forcing the horse to give the handler control, Taylor said the trick is to get the horse to give it up voluntarily.

“The basic concept of natural horsemanship is to get the horse to give you what you’re asking for, instead of making it do something,” he said. “You’re really building a partnership with the horse.”

Many horses become disrespectful because their owners fail to establish the ground rules, Taylor said. In other cases, people become frustrated with the horse when they’re rushing to teach it things for which it’s not ready. And then there are the horses who act up because they’ve been abused by past owners.

By the time the horses come to Taylor, they’re often showing problem behaviors such as biting, rearing, bucking and refusing to trailer-load.

“Most of the time it’s just a matter of establishing a basic foundation, and then you build on that,” he explained.

Once the groundwork is done, it usually translates to success in the saddle, and Taylor said most misbehaving horses can be turned around.

“Occasionally you get a situation where the horse has a brain tumor or a chemical imbalance and can’t be treated, but it’s very rare,” he said.

Jarrod Deck, one of Taylor’s clients, praised the trainer’s work. “Denny is just amazing with horses,” he said.

Deck’s horse, a 12-year-old mare named Sidney, just finished a 30-day training program with Taylor, and on a recent weekend, Deck drove the three hours from his hometown of Oakland City, Ind., to see the results. He watched in awe as Taylor, using nothing but his voice, made Sidney effortlessly step in and out of a trailer.
“(Before), Sidney wouldn’t get in the trailer, and she had been abused, so she had faith issues. If we tied her up, she’d literally flip out. She was borderline crazy,” Deck said about the mare he recently adopted from Indiana Horse Rescue Southwest (IHRS) in Owensville.

“She had some major issues, and Denny broke them in no time.”
Taylor has been working with the horse rescue since it was founded last summer, and according to the IHRS’ office manager, Kathryn Caldwell, he’s quickly made himself indispensable.

“A lot of people don’t want a horse that has no training whatsoever. Denny’s work has allowed so many horses to be adopted,” she said. “It’s just amazing how he’s able to communicate with the horses.”

Taylor visits the rescue on a regular basis and trains both horses and the volunteers who run the facility. The horses have been handled to varying degrees, ranging from well-broken show horses to animals that have little formal training.

“My goal when I go down there is to get the horse to a point where it can be adopted out to a good home,” he said, adding, “Once the horse is rideable, it’s much more adoptable.”

The 80-acre farm currently houses about 78 horses, all in desperate need of new, loving homes. Some have been turned in by authorities due to owners’ abuse and neglect, whereas others end up at the rescue when families move or are broken up by divorce. The rescue is also experiencing some ripple effects from the current high hay prices.

“More people neglect their horses because they can’t afford to feed them, and they don’t want to send them to slaughter. Because of the hay prices, the horse market is down the toilet right now,” Caldwell explained.

Those who are interested in adopting a horse from IHRS or just want to check out the facilities at 10254 W. 800 South in Owensville are welcome to visit during an open house on April 26 from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.ihrsouthwest.com