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Describing Cattle, Part 1: Faces
Herd work in cutting, reined cow horse, ranch cutting, etc., always involves describing cattle. There you are, walking your horse up through the cattle. You see cattle moving all around you. You’re trying to make sense of it all in the heat of the moment. Of course,...
A Little Secret
It is widely known that visualization is a key mental skills tool. That’s because we tend to get what we think about. I bet you’ve heard this a lot. However, sometimes riders tell me they feel frustrated, “I’m so disappointed. My rides don’t turn out the way I see...
5 Boxing Ways to Improve Your Score
There are only 5 credit boxes for the Limited Cow class. They are all connected to each other. By that, I mean, that if you are crediting one box, you’re probably gaining credit in at least one other box. And likewise, if you are losing credit in 1, you’re probably in...
How to Coordinate Your Hand and Feet on the Cut
There are three main things going on as you’re walking through the herd to make a cut. The first is effective communication with your horse. The second is reading an ever-changing situation. The third is making good decisions moment-to-moment.That’s a lot to manage...
Counter Arc Circle
I’m going to continue with what I consider to be reining essentials. In this article, I’ll cover #3 - Walking a counter arc circle. For this exercise, your horse will move in a circle, but with his nose tipped to the outside. His front legs, meanwhile, will be...
7 Steps for Making Good Decisions in the Herd
It’s easy to wait to hear your name called and then rely on your trainer for a cow plan as you walk to the herd. However, I believe this is the slow road to becoming skilled in the herd. There is so much you can do to set yourself up for herdwork success … as you...
How to Make Change Less Scary
Can you relate to being at one place in your riding at one point in time ... and then ... for whatever reason ... life and 'stuff' happened ... and you're less confident ... maybe even confused ... now? Perhaps things snowballed in your mind. "What do others think of...
Circling the Cow
In previous articles, I shared boxing tips, leaving the corner well, rating and turning on the fence. All that’s left now is to “circle up”. There are some strategies for circling like all the other phases of the fence work. Let’s say you’re going down the left wall,...
8 Reasons to Quit a Cow
Quitting a cow is one of those crucial decisions you make at the spur of the moment when you show in cutting or in herd work classes. This article is about helping you make good decisions about when it’s time to decide if you should quit ... or not.But first, here are...
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