As I've gotten older I've expanded my horse resume to dressage and western pleasure. Lately though my interest in Working Cow Horse has piqued immensely... and my giant, big bootied paint mare fits the "cowy" bill to a 'T'. There's just one problem... I don't have a cow. Or any access to cows. BUT! I do have a whole herd of goats!!
Yes goats. I'm serious as a damn heart attack, that lately in order to pra
ctice "cutting" something I have been throwing food in the middle of the arena, and chasing the damn goats around! HA! The goats are far from happy about, but they're being good sports. My mare is also a bit confused, but I think she likes to play along to make me feel better. She actually cuts those goats pretty well! HAHA!! One of my friends also has a very "cowy" mare, that we're interested in getting "cowified", so rest assured that we are in process of finding said cow to actually work with, and will soon, be leaving the poor goats alone... Here's a tip! Just because you don't have it, or can't afford it, doesn't mean you can't improvise to still have fun! Just keep it safe! Sometimes, you've just HAVE to work with what you've got and not give up just because you DON'T have it!!
ctice "cutting" something I have been throwing food in the middle of the arena, and chasing the damn goats around! HA! The goats are far from happy about, but they're being good sports. My mare is also a bit confused, but I think she likes to play along to make me feel better. She actually cuts those goats pretty well! HAHA!! One of my friends also has a very "cowy" mare, that we're interested in getting "cowified", so rest assured that we are in process of finding said cow to actually work with, and will soon, be leaving the poor goats alone... Here's a tip! Just because you don't have it, or can't afford it, doesn't mean you can't improvise to still have fun! Just keep it safe! Sometimes, you've just HAVE to work with what you've got and not give up just because you DON'T have it!! Moral of the story?? There really isn't one, but it's pretty damn funny if you could picture 2 adult women on their "cowy" mares, chasing goats around a damn arena!
15 comments:
Baaaaaa!!!!!
That's hysterical, Tx.
What a funny picture in my head.
I think I see a movie about goat herding in your future..
Ever see "Sound of Music"?
Lady, oh, deLady, oh de lady ee Hoo!
(roflmao)
Or maybe a "Babe" type movie, with a cowie horse, preferring goats.....
Too funny.
THANKS!
Hope the floodwaters are receding..
Ahhh the fun to be had with goats... We will soon have our very own moo-moo to rope and cut with TX.
Working with what ya got is important. I've definately learned that while working with D. She is the only horse I plan on training from a baby up, so I need to take what I already have and make it work with her training. No driving reins, I have light weight lunge lines - works the same.
S&D
Way too much fun! Actually, some of my best training equipment has evolved from improvise with what you've got. Teaching a Morgan to cut by using a llama....said llama wasn't thrilled....should have gotten pictures though!
Have some clients with little kids??? lol They work pretty good too, so I heard.
agreed! nice way to make what you have work for you.
Love the Boer pic, I have a big fat one in the barn now.
Goats are a little unusual as a cutting subject, but I know many people that use sheep and buffalo because they don't get sour as fast as cattle.
You should work more on tracking slow and letting her learn to "hunt" the goats so they start to turn her with their movements.
Keep it slow and keep with it :)
(long time reader, new poster and blogger)
www.coloredcuttinghorses.blogspot.com
CCH, Thanks a million I really could use some advice on Cutting :)
How fun! I was a true blue dressage rider until I saw a cutting horse/cat! WOW!
Very cool and please do keep us posted on progress...pics even??
Beautiful boers btw!
Will do!! :):):):)
haha, I played around with cutting horses from the herd, the ones that don't kick anyway.
And then there is one guy down the street who has steers, and every couple of months he has ranch sortings and opens it up to everyone and gives instructions and tips, and it is a lot of fun. once my gelding gets over his hissy fits in the arenas we have fun.
LMFAO! Yep, I grew up on a farm, and you learn to improvise in some pretty silly ways! Or just do flat out stupid things...
I had a little 14hh Arab mare (mother of my current mare) who was hell on hooves, she could outrun anything within 50 miles and agile as an Olympic gymnast. My gramps leased out his back pasture land to a herd of about 20 or so head of cattle. Me being in the intuitive 15 year old decided to find out of that mare had a lick of cow in her.
Problem was she had a history of abuse and neglect. I brought her around pretty good, but back then she still had a tendency to focus on who was on her and ignore her surroundings. She'd run slam right into a tree if you didn't pay attention.
Of course, that thought didn't cross my 15 year old brain. I got her out in that field, and got that herd runnin! I was comin up fast on a cow, and attempted to rein her to the side to get out in front. Nothin doin - she hit that cows ass going full out, half jumped in the air like she was gonna mount her, and promptly took a chunk out of her hide with her teeth! We came out of it just fun (minus a bite of future hamburger from the cow), but I fear that was the end of our cow chasin days.
Think I'll leave the cow sense to the stock horses =P Those Arabs tend to think moving objects were designed to be spooked violently at, or jumped in an attempt to get ahead. LOL
LMFAO!!! That's a great story!!! hahahahah Yeah I'm guessing my Arab would either Shit a brick or or buck me off if I tried that crap with him!!!
That is funny. Reminds me of the summer that my girlfriend and I honed our breakaway roping skills on ponies that we were too big for and goats. Those ended up being some angry goats . . . go figure. Hey, we figured it was less time we were goat tying them.
That's hysterical! But actually, I have a friend who trained her herding dogs (aussies) using ducks. Worked like a charm!
Actually, there are several working cow horse people that use goats. They are cheaper by far to keep and you don't need as many.
They run a high line cable, like you would for a dog, and put a collar on the goat. Tie one goat to the high line and go to work. It can only go back and forth, but it will.
I've been told female goats work better for this than males.
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