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  Discussion on Frank Bell Experience
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Member:
dtranch

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 10:42 am:

I have been around and worked with horses most of my life, and have been training "quazi" professionally for about ten years or so. I had always trained my own horses, but decided to go the professional route after riding with many "recreational" pleasure horse owners. It seemed that so many horses, and people had issues they were dealing with that took much of the pleasure out of pleasure riding. The issues were as wide and varied as your imagination, and I found that I was able to help in most cases.

I have always had a desire to be the best I could be, and every new problem presented a new opportunity to learn. I studied most of the "big name" trainers, bought many books and videos, and went to some clinics. I tried to communicate with some of these trainers" and spoke to some of them personally at clinics. It always came down to how much I could learn was based on how much I was willing to spend.

Thanks to Dove on HA, I was steered toward Frank Bell and the 7 Step Safety System. I read as much as I could find on Frank Bell, and visited his website and realized immediately that his philosophies and methods were a great fit to my own. I sent Frank an email explaining my goals and giving his some background on me. He actually responded the next evening ... 1st positive impression, and he was not trying to sell me anything at that point ... 2nd positive impression. I then emailed 12 of his associates, and all 12 responded. I thought this spoke volumes on the Frank Bell System, and Frank Bell himself ... 3rd positive impression.

Over the next few weeks, I exchanged several emails with Frank, and he actually called me to discuss (4th positive impression). He visited my web site and said he was impressed with what I was doing, and my target goal of "building a bond between horse and rider." We then began discussing certification which is usually gained by attending numerous clinics and spending much money. Frank immediately advised me that certification with him and his system would be based solely on my abilities, horsemanship, and whether or not I could present his program to other horse people in a professional and effective way (5th positive impression).

I subsequently received an email from Indiana Horse Rescue, stating that they had just gotten involved in a Rescue in Southern Indiana and needed help with handling and training some 50 + horses to get ready for adoption. I was referred to them by Frank Bell (6th positive impression). I immediately visited the Horse Rescue, and with Franks input, began developing a program to get these horses started on a positive journey.

Frank then invited me to the upcoming New York clinic. After much thought, I advised Frank that I could not attend as I couldn't get a horse there (12 hour drive). Frank talked me in to coming as a spectator as he really wanted to meet me. He later advised that he had located a horse for me to work with in New York. By this time, I really wanted to meet the man personally and agreed.

For the entire drive to New York, I kept telling myself how stupid this was ... with gas at $3.00 + per gallon and all the time I was wasting, it couldn't possibly be worth it. The minute I met Frank, I knew I had made the right decision .. he was a "real" person. I was there a day before the clinic, and Frank asked me to go with him to the clinic site that morning. We spent the day preparing for the clinic and discussing what he was trying to accomplish and how he would present his program. He took the time to explain to me in detail, just what we were going to do. By this time, the positive impressions are far too many to number.

Franks approach is based first and foremost on the safety of horse and handler, and a true desire to establish a bond of love and trust with the animals. His method evolves around teaching the horse that there is a safe and loving place when with the "human" and when things get a little shaky, the horse can always come back to that place and regroup. He is quick to point out that he did not invent all these things, but they are a culmination of what he has learned working with the likes of Tom Dorrance, Buck Branaman, Linda Tellington Jones, and many others. He also points out that he has learned the most from the horses he has worked with.His philosophy is, and I quote .. "most of my peers make this so difficult and confusing, I am a simple man, and I needed a simple solution to working with horses". This is how the Frank Bell system was developed.

I participated in the clinic on Saturday, then Frank asked me to help him present the clinic on Sunday .. which was quite an honor to me. He introduced me to the clinic participants, and told them how proud he was of me for going down and giving of my time to work with the Rescue horses. He asked for my opinion on much of what we were doing, and asked if I had any reccomendations for making it better. He then asked me to stay over and work with him on private sessions he had scheduled for Monday. Needless to say, I am very impressed with the man and his system.

I learned, or perhaps reinforced my own thoughts, that there are many techniques and methods, but the most important thing is to work from the basis of love for the horse, and helping the horse work himself through various issues. Be firm when necessary, but always help the horse understand that being with a human is a safe and rewarding place to be.

I will be going to Virginia in 2 weeks to work with one of Franks top trainers, and good friends for another 3 or 4 days of hands on training.

Sorry for the long post, but you asked for it Holly and Angie. Bottom line is I was very impressed with Frank Bell and his system, and equally as important to me, Frank said he is very impressed with my horsemanship, my presence around horses, and my abilities to work with the horse in a positive way. He has invited me to join his team, and I guess I am officially an Accredited Instructor Candidate, and am looking forward to becoming a Certified Frank Bell trainer in the near future.

Thank you all for your interest and support.

DT
Member:
hwood

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 11:00 am:

Thank you, Dennis.
You have given us a a wonderful picture and testimony.
Congratulations and best wishes on your chosen path. See? Dreams do come true . . . we just have to act on what we know and be true to ourselves . . . and the possibilities are endlesss.
Blessings!!!!!
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 11:18 am:

Ah, shucks, Holly beat me to reading your post! And responding.

Ditto to everything she said Dennis.

Now I have many positive impressions of Frank Bell, who've I've heard of but never checked out, and even more positive impressions of you and your ability with horses. This was meant to be for you.

And wasn't it you who just a few years ago asked us if you should follow your dream? Look where it's led you; New York City even! A cowboy in NYC! Imagine that!!

Congrats & a big U.P. "H**l Ya, alright, aye"

Keep us posted as your journey unfolds.
Member:
quatro

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 2:29 pm:

All Right Dennis! Sounds like you are really following your dream trail.
I remember encouraging you to keep at it a while ago too. I only wish you were close to Iowa so we could come and work with you. Maybe you will start doing clinics, and we can have you over our neck of the woods.
I train dogs, and everyone asks "whose method" do you use. I always have to say mine, because you learn so much from all the different disciplines, and every dog is different, you must have different methods in your brain to respond to different situations. As long as your foundation is building a trusting, caring relationship between human and dog, you will find success. I am sure the same is true with horse people training. The more knowledge you can gain, the more you can help people and their animals.
We are all proud of you!
suz
Member:
sunny66

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 2:36 pm:

Congratulations Dennis!! I am not surprised in the least that Frank Bell was so impressed with you :-)
Member:
kathleen

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 3:29 pm:

Fantastic Dennis, this just reinforces what we already knew - that you are a good and caring trainer. Good luck and thank you for sharing. I had never heard of Frank Bell, would you please post his website?
Thanks,
Kathleen
Member:
lilo

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 4:10 pm:

Good luck, Dennis. You have plenty of natural horsemanship skills already, as is evident from your posts. We have lots of Frank Bell fans in my neighborhood (he lives just south of us, in Larkspur, Colorado). In fact, at our next riding club meeting we will meet at the arena (weather permitting) and do some groundwork based on his philosophy.
As I have stated before, there are many good "natural" horsemanship trainers in Colorado, and I have tried to keep an open mind and use whatever works for my horses.
Good luck with all your horse endeavours!
Lilo
Member:
imogen

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 4:30 pm:

Dennis, are there any Frank Bell books or videos that can be sourced by us non-US citizens? Well done you for following your instincts!

Thanks

Imogen
Member:
srobert

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 5:29 pm:

Very cool! Wishing you nothing but the best and looking forward to your continued with and wisdom here on HA!
Member:
majoda92

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 6:14 pm:

I just love what I am learning on this website! Way to go, Dennis! I have just recently had a Parelli trainer come and work with my students. It is so funny to watch and listen to the old myths and traditions get blown out of the water! It is a bit of an uphill battle with some students to let go of the "way it was" and try some new approaches. I will definitely check out Frank Bell's website and see what he has to offer. Sounds like my kinda guy! Thanks for sharing. Diane
Member:
lilo

Posted on Sunday, Aug 5, 2007 - 9:35 am:

Hi,

Here is a link to Frank Bell's website. He does have training videos available - I think one could order from anywhere - have not tried that, since I am in the US.


https://www.horsewhisperer.com/

Lilo
Member:
erika

Posted on Sunday, Aug 5, 2007 - 10:39 am:

Congratulations, Dennis! Too bad I didn't know you'd be in NYC, I certainly would have come to meet you and watch the clinic.

Can't wait to check out the website, thanks for the link, Lilo.
Member:
kathleen

Posted on Sunday, Aug 5, 2007 - 11:47 am:

Lilo, thank you very much for the website.
Kathleen
Member:
canter

Posted on Sunday, Aug 5, 2007 - 4:49 pm:

Congratulations, Dennis and Way to Go! What a wonderful experience for you. Based on all your postings on HA, I'm not surprised in the least that Frank Bell took an interest in you.

Best wishes as your continue to follow the path to your dreams.
Member:
dove2

Posted on Sunday, Aug 5, 2007 - 8:04 pm:

What a great story and history, DT. I'm so very, very happy that this is working out for you. It's rare to find men as sensitive, intuitive and talented as you and Frank Bell. I have a feeling that there are going to be great breakthroughs and insights through this partnership. What was it that Bogie said? "This is the start of a beautiful friendship." or something like that.
Member:
boomer

Posted on Monday, Aug 6, 2007 - 2:10 pm:

I love Frank Bell! It's nice to read how good your experience was. I agree with Dove2 whole heartedly. I wish you the best.
Member:
mitma

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2007 - 12:26 pm:

Dennis,
I can't contain my curiosity, so who are you going to work with in VA??? I know that there are two VA based certified trainers listed on Frank Bell's site and one of them (BC) frequently joins another NH trainer, Sylvia Scott of Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center, to discuss issues on her website (www.naturalhorsetraining.com), especially those pertaining to mare/foal/stallion behavior stuff... Since I live in VA and have so many horses, I'm always looking for TRUSTWORTHY and skilled individuals to help me with training, both of me and my horses. Also, while your in VA, if you need any "volunteer" horses to work with, I would LUV to send any of mine to you!!!! Just let me know... and BTW, congratulations on fulfilling a dream that so many horse "enthusiasts" share!!!!
Martha
Member:
dtranch

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2007 - 12:38 pm:

Martha .. I will be working with Bob Claymier for a few days. Am really looking forward to it.
DT
Member:
mitma

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2007 - 12:47 pm:

Awesome!!! That's who I thought you might be working with... good luck and, again, if you need any green horses (I've even got a mare/foal pair you could work with!!!), just let me know!!!
Martha
Member:
lhenning

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2007 - 4:47 pm:

Dennis, I am so happy for you. What a great story! It is good to know there are some out in the NH world we can trust. I have been on Frank Bell's webpage many times and found his methods very helpful and his stories inspiring. Best of luck to you.

Linda
Member:
ilona

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 8, 2007 - 10:36 am:

That is so great Dennis,
I am not one bit surprised. Congratulations, Good Luck, enjoy. You are a testament to hard work, persistence and the humility it takes to constantly learn. Frankly, I find you inspiring.
Member:
dres

Posted on Thursday, Aug 9, 2007 - 9:44 am:

I have never heard of Frank Bell, thanks for the heads up and great info on him...

good luck DT, you go guy... follow that dream..

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
Member:
dtranch

Posted on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 - 12:05 am:

Hi all .. just got back from a great week in Virginia and thought I would follow up a bit. First of all, I got a really positive start by being fortunate enough to meet fellow HA member Dove2 on my first day in Virginia. We spent the day at her barn and I got to play around with her 2 fantastic horses Bandit and Rita. You all would be proud .. she is putting all her HA learning to good work and has done a great job with her critters. Still some issues, but she is headed in the right direction. The only thing I could help her with is to "FINALLY" accept that "rewarding the smallest try and slightest change" applies to her as well as her horses. What a treat it was to spend the day playing with her horses and discussing our own horse philosophy 101. Thanks Alla for all your hospitality ..

Next, it was on to Bob Claymier's Desert Rose Arabian Ranch in Hume, Va. Bob is one of Frank Bell's top associates and confidants and an extremely interesting fellow with years of horse experience .. which he was happy to share any and all with me. He is extremely well versed in the breeding and foaling operations, and is in fact working on his own DVD series on the subject. I was lucky enough to view the rough cuts with him, and it is going to be fabulous for any one interested in this aspect of the horse world.

In addition, he is a gifted trainer and horseman. We worked together for 2 and a half days, and I lost count on how many horses we worked with from pure bred Arabians to Arab/Percheron sport horses and Fresians as well as Trackehners, and even a couple of quarter horses (now we're talkin). I have gained so much insight and confidence from working with Bob, and I can't thank him enough. He is another reason why the Frank Bell system resonates so well with me. It seems there are so many good and helpful people on his team, and all are willing to help in any way possible.

Guess its time for a reality check ... I'm startin' to think this whole thing may actually work out for me. If so, I only hope I can live up to the challenge, and the high standards of Franks system.

Thanks to you all who have been so supportive .. and gave a little cyber push along the way.

DT
Member:
dove2

Posted on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 - 8:28 am:

It was I who was the lucky one. DT is as great a person as he is a trainer (but then we all figured that out pretty early on). I am so pleased that Frank Bell and Dennis Taylor are now on the same team because it doesn't get any better than that!

If anyone has a chance to work with DT, you won't be disappointed. Now, if we could all just convince him he should travel the states, no - the world! - to come work with our horses and train us, we'd be one happy horsey nation! (Maybe we should start working on the Misses and finding a cute little motor home.) You're awesome, DT! Thanks for the generous gift of your time and skills.
Member:
hpyhaulr

Posted on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 - 8:36 am:

Denny,
You truly are one of the good guys, we have known that all along, and have been privileged to watch the plan hatch. Heartfelt congratulations to both you and your wife, who we KNOW has been back there pushing things out of your way and lifting you up to where you belong. Just don't ever leave us in the dust. We knew you back when you were just a very intuitive, clever and resourceful cowboy. Your common sense is truly uncommon and we consider you to be one of the selling points of HA... your advice is something we all refer back to from time to time. My critters thank you both as well!
Member:
hwood

Posted on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 - 8:50 am:

So glad you bit the bullet and are on your way.
It takes courage to break through routine and risk change. (It takes more courage to work with idiosyncratic horse owners and their victimized horses and try to rid them of bad habits and rebuild new routines.lol) . . . so, I guess, that makes you doubly courageous, Double T.
Great job, Den, and thanks so much for keeping us in the loop.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 - 9:01 am:

Great to hear the update on your experiences Denny. Lucky Dove2 to meet you and learn with you in person! As Cyndy says, we are indeed fortunate to have you as part of the HA team.

I wanted to share that with Denny's encouragement I ordered Frank Bell's book and DVD. I am always leary of spending the bucks on DVDs...books I don't mind buying but I hate getting something on video and watching something that runs for maybe an hour and then going away thinking "oh, that was nothing new, waste of money".

Well, Frank's DVD is worth it, goes with the book. Not only does he explain his "bonding, and intimacy" methods, at the end of the DVD he added more to share updates based on new insights he's learned.

How often do you get that? Most of these clinicians would just make another DVD for more bucks outa our pockets.

I am using the training methods on Tango and seeing results. He's become my friend again, so I will vouch for Frank and Denny's methods any day.
Member:
zarr

Posted on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 - 5:17 pm:

Dennis someday when you get everything in your dreams transformed into reality you will be able to host a clinic for all the HA members who are already very fond of their "Cowboy"! That would be an experience of great good fun and learning for all! Cindy
Member:
lilo

Posted on Sunday, Aug 19, 2007 - 11:32 am:

Dennis - Good luck! It sounds like you have found an approach and other trainers that have the same philosophy you have. That has got to be a good feeling!
Lilo
Member:
gwen

Posted on Sunday, Aug 19, 2007 - 9:04 pm:

Wow, what an inspiring story! I knew Dennis would be famous someday. You always have wonderful insight into the horses. I am also soo glad that I ordered my dvd from Frank Bell! I bought the ottb one for my newly adopted friend. Dove2 recommended his website, and he does seem to be the real deal. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the dvd, but am even more excited now that I know Dennis is on board with the philosophy! This new guy has quite a strong will and has been a challenge under saddle thus far. I hope I don't need to order the other videos, but certainly will if necessary.
**Good luck Dennis!
Member:
majoda92

Posted on Monday, Nov 5, 2007 - 10:40 am:

After reading all of the posts about the Frank Bell training method, I checked his website and found an accredited trainer right here in NJ! His name is Chas Frame and we have had him out to the barn for two sessions, the last being just yesterday. What a great method, and Chas is such a wonderful teacher. The kids were able to understand what he was doing, and picked up the 7 steps readily. I plan to continue working with Chas to help with my lesson program here at Majoda Stables. I truly believe it will make my lesson horses's jobs so much easier once we get our students using the 7 steps. I am so grateful to Horse Advice (and Denny's post) that has put me in touch with this wonderful training method.Yay, You!!
Member:
dtranch

Posted on Monday, Nov 5, 2007 - 11:16 am:

Diane .. I just received an email from Frank advising me of your comments, and your experience with Chas. Frank has assembled a great team, and I am proud to be a part of it.
I use this system as the cornerstone of my program to build that foundation on both horse and riders. It is fantastic, and I am looking forward to teaching to as many as I can.

I am pleased, but not a bit surprised that it is working for you.

DT
Member:
gwen

Posted on Monday, Nov 5, 2007 - 6:06 pm:

Diane, I am jealous! That is great that you have such a great resource so close!
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