The End of the Turn

The End of the Turn

by | Mar 10, 2020 | Herd Work / Cutting

Most cutting pictures are similar to the one above because they capture a beautiful deep stop at the beginning or middle of the turn.
 

A lot of herdwork and cutting instruction has to do with how to sit and use your feet before stops and during the middle of the turn.

 

For example, there’s a lot of discussion about sitting and waiting, etc.
 

There is another phase of the stop-turn sequence that is also critical to understand and ride correctly. It’s at the end of the turn where the horse completes the turn and then accelerates on the line.
 

The reason why the end of the turn is important is because this is where the horse: 

  • Continues to read the cow undistracted (very important!) 

  • Accelerates in a collected manner as he begins to move out of the turn and on ‘the line’

  • ‘Stays on the line’ and does not go either towards the cow or does not move away from the cow as he travels across the arena (unless forced to do so)

To get a feel for this end part of the turn, I’m going to go out there into fantasy land for a moment, so bear with me here.
 

Imagine you are sitting in a swivel chair, like the chair at your desk. 

 

Let’s pretend like you don’t have to do anything to make your swivel chair turn, but sit quietly. The chair turns on its own. You just have to look at something that will move your chair on its own.

 

As you sit in the chair, your feet are quiet and do not impede the movement of the chair.
 

Again, your job is to focus on whatever is moving the chair and allow it to turn on its own.

 

But then at the 180-degree mark, your feet need to do some coordinated and correct actions to accelerate the chair on a line and keep it from rotating more than 180 degrees.

 

With your fantasy chair, when you use your feet correctly, you could accelerate the chair on a straight line at the 180 mark and keep it parallel to the object that pulled you through the turn.
 

Okay… let’s come back now to working a cow.

 

The cow ‘pulls’ a horse through the turn, i.e., the horse waits for the cow to move and then turns with it (much on his own) in a rhythmic, synchronized and correct form manner.

 

The sequence is: the cow goes; the horse comes next; the horse brings the rider on the horse’s back. 

 

At the end of the turn, the rider helps the horse move well, stay in position and travel correctly with the cow across the arena. 

 

So, while the cow initiates the turn and dictates the speed of the turn, at the end of the turn, the rider’s feet make a huge difference for what happens next.  

 

Just as in the chair analogy, for example, if you were rotating to the right, your right foot could keep the chair from over-rotating to the right and moving off of a 180-degree turn (if needed).
 

The difference between a chair and a horse (there are a lot of differences (-:) is that the cow-side leg is critical, too. 

 

When used appropriately the cow-side leg ensures that the horse’s body complete’s the the turn and comes out of the turn in a collected way. It is used in coordination with the herd-side leg, which keeps the horse on the line.

 

Therefore, at the end of the turn, the rider not only accelerates the horse, but he or she can also help him move in a collected way and in a straight line.
 

As you become more aware of this end-of-the-turn moment, and you begin to feel that critical acceleration place, it will help you use your feet more effectively and more accurately.

 

In the meantime, you can ride your office chair! (-:

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS 

What Separates Riders

What Separates Riders

by | Jan 28, 2020 | Competitive Mental Skills

It was a chilly and wet day in South Texas. So I decided to take a trail ride.

I was thinking about what separates people regarding those who maintain confidence and succeed, and those who don’t.

This article has the tales of two athletes that tell that story.

I heard a story when I first went to a seminar at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Florida.

It was about a young tennis star who had come there for ‘mental skills’ training. And she went to the right place because HPI is where they train Olympic and Professional athletes how to perform under intense pressure.

When she arrived, she was 50th in the world standings. She studied and was coached… and within a relatively short time, she rose to #1.

Unbelievable.

And then, she thought she had the mental skills thing down pat and stopped training in them. Within an even shorter time, she fell back to 25th in the ranking.

The moral of the story is what separates people from everyone else is studying top brass information, getting coached and then applying it… and getting better and better and better… over and over and over again.

There’s always another layer to learn and to apply to all kinds of situations.

Great riders in the arena are often separated by their desire to keep polishing and polishing their skills… and also envision what’s possible for them. They also keep at it. They don’t think they’ve arrived. They don’t compare themselves to other riders, either.

Here’s another great example. I live in a football world at my house this time of year, but because I’m not a football fanatic, a lot of things wash right over me.

But I did hear an interview with a famous quarterback who has one of the best winning records in all of football. They asked if he was excited about a win that just happened. He said, “Yes, but what I really want to do is get back and review the video to see why I missed that one pass.”

He didn’t say it in a self-defeating way. He truly wanted to figure it out so he could get better. His whole approach was to keep happily studying and polishing. He did own his greatness, and he did love the results of his team, but he was all about putting together all of the pieces of the puzzle… and getting better and better.

You see, the tennis player didn’t have that mindset … the way of thinking and feeling that the quarterback has… at least not at that time of her career years ago.

I’m not being critical of her… I’m just saying that one of the things that separates everyone, including riders, is a desire for excellence, perseverance, and understanding that it’s a forever journey to keep growing.

And if you do this with what you love… like we love horses… it’s a blast.

How you think and feel about yourself, your riding, your horse, and other people are skills that can be and need to be practiced. Those who practice them indefinitely, separate themselves from others.

Can you relate?

Leave a comment for me. Do you think that excellence, perseverance, and loving your journey are good ingredients for a great recipe for fun and success?

And by the way, because part of excellence is learning about your horse and being relaxed… connection with him or her happens all by itself when you study these skills.

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS 

How to Fix What Went Wrong on the Cut

How to Fix What Went Wrong on the Cut

by | Dec 31, 2019 | Herd Work / Cutting

It can be challenging to learn herdwork. There’s so much to absorb about cattle, angles, making decisions about moving targets, etc. This is especially tough if you’ve had little to no experience with cattle before you started your cow career.

Then there’s more to add to the mix of challenges. There’s the impact of your draw in the herd, or the kind of cattle at the show that day (numb or wild or in between). Herdwork is just plain challenging.

It’s something we all work on… amateurs, nonpros, and professionals alike. You’re not alone.

To help you sort through how to improve your herdwork, try the following idea.

Watch your video and ask yourself the following questions. Look to see where an error just began to happen. Therein lies the magic place where your correction can be made next time.

1. Were you aware of taking each cow (on each cut) to the middle of the arena?

2. Were you aware to keep driving way up and away from the body of the herd on each cut? Where did you slow down when you could have kept stepping the cow forward?

3. What cuts worked well and what cuts did not?

4. Where exactly did things take a turn for the worse?

5. Were your moves smooth?

6. Did you apply enough pressure so that the cow moved at an even speed? If not, did you go too fast, or lag behind?

7. If you moved smoothly but the cow went the wrong way, exactly where were you when the cow moved the wrong way? What was your angle? When/where did you move too far, or too fast, or not far or quickly enough?

8. Did you have a strategic plan for the type of cattle for that day as well as your draw in the herd?

9. Were you and your number one mentor/herd holder on the same page before your run?

10. Did you see all of the cattle around you and move strategically, or did you get tunnel vision?

Figure out where things just began to fall apart and then make an adjustment next time. Often you will know what you need to do, but if not, ask your trainer or trusted mentor.

Then, make a plan for your next run to focus on one or two small adjustments. Over time, you will make huge advancements.

 

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS 

’Reading’ a ‘Good’ Cow vs a ‘Challenging’ Cow

’Reading’ a ‘Good’ Cow vs a ‘Challenging’ Cow

by | Dec 3, 2019 | Understanding Cattle

One challenge a rider has in cattle events is being able to predict what a cow will do as he or she approaches it on a horse. That ability to interpret current cow behavior as well as predict future cow behavior is called “reading” a cow. It’s a skill that takes experience, patience and time.

A productive way to learn to read cattle is by observing them whenever possible, in all kinds of situations.

This could be at a trainer’s barn or at a show when cattle enter the arena for a herd work class.

At a show, you could also walk back to the cattle pens and just observe them.

As you consistently take the time to observe cattle in different scenarios whenever possible, you will expedite your learning curve for reading cow behavior.

What follows are two categories of cattle behavior, both “good” and “challenging”. You’ll also see eight characteristics under each category.

“Good” Cow Behaviors:

1. Watching a horse (or a person) with curiosity and steady interest

2. Takes a step back when curious, and then walks off with ease

3. The head and neck stay level

4. Chews their cud

5. Walks or trots at slow to medium speeds, and then reduces speed to a slower gait quickly

6. Licks their shoulders

7. At ease standing apart from the herd

8. Consistent in stance and reactions

“Challenging” Cow Behaviors:

1. Head way up or down … eyes wide … ears perked

2. Moves around quickly and erratically

3. Pushes aggressively through the rest of the herd

4. Sees a horse; turns around quickly; darts away

5. Flinches/reacts to sudden movements around him or her

6. Butts or pushes other cattle in the herd

7. Glares at other cattle or a horse

8. Tail up … head up … steps high

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS 

Do You Have the Potential for Greatness?

Do You Have the Potential for Greatness?

by | Nov 19, 2019 | Competitive Mental Skills

I’m going to talk about the myth that certain types of people have an ability for higher levels of success. The relationship between personality and performance is often misunderstood.

The truth is your beliefs about yourself determine if you give yourself the gift of unlimited learning and growth.

Your ability to have a vision, feel the right emotions and do your job are what determine if you continue to improve.

Some people believe that if you are shy, you have to change your personality to be successful. To throw that idea out the window, look at the different personalities in any sport. You don’t have to change who you are to be successful. In fact, if you try to change who you really are … that never ever works.

If you tend to be the quiet type, you may need to get more aggressive at some point or let go of things you can’t control, but it’s not about changing your personality.

And what if people tell you that you aren’t aggressive enough and that you don’t have that killer instinct?

Here’s what I know. Being aggressive is a concept. It means different things to different people. If you do need to be more aggressive, first you need to understand when to be aggressive and under what conditions. Ask for concrete examples and clear ideas. Try it. If it works, yah! If it doesn’t work, evaluate whether you should try it again … or not.

And what about the ‘ole killer instinct idea?

Some people think it’s good to want to ‘beat’ other people. I understand that competitive spirit drive. But I would say, that the only thing you have control of is reaching for and exceeding your own personal best … not beating others. When you compete, measure your success against your own scorecard. And know that when you reach the level of excellence of those at the top of the division of your sport, results take care of themselves.

Other people think of killer instinct as an ability to be unaffected by the emotions of those around you. That’s a good thing when it comes to doing your job with your horse. You have your own work to do. It’s ok to feel empathy for other people but don’t let it affect your own mental and emotional state. Work on your own concentration skills. In order to ride at your best, you must be able to do your job with your horse … and your job takes concentration and positive emotions.

The personality traits of highly successful riders are not some special gift from above that they have … and maybe you have them … or maybe you don’t. Excellent riders are not born. All of the skills you need to be successful are made with hard work, excellent instruction, patience, focus, and persistence. They are not inherited.

We all have the potential for greatness. And so do you. True greatness is measured by you … not the outside world.

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS