October Newsletter

Hello again everyone.  It is hard to believe it is October already.  September was an exciting month as we wrapped up the Southern Oregon Cutting horse Association award series.  Close races for year-end awards were decided and awards were given out.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who showed in SOCHA this year.  You are a great group of people and it was a pleasure to show with you.  And, since no one wanted to wait until February to show again, we have added a “For The Love Of Cutting” show to the October calendar.  See the schedule below

    I am also very pleased to announce the success of our first event in the Three Man Sorting Saddle series.  There are three saddles up for grabs in our series.  One each for the high point earning open, amateur and novice riders.  We also have a green novice class with a buckle award.  If you want to have FUN with your horse and not break the bank, I highly recommend coming and trying the three man sorting saddle series.  This is a very fun group of people in a very exciting equine sport.  See schedule below for next dates.  Please email me at  cdcatheyjr@gmail.com if you would like the flier with the full schedule and info for the series.

    The last horsemanship and COW 101 clinics for the year will be November 7 and 8 respectively.  There are a few spaces left so please email me at cdcatheyjr@gmail.com to sign up.  I would like to say thank you to everyone who attended these clinics this year.  I am very grateful they were so well received and I would like to say that I had a great time teaching you and was delighted to see the progress you all made.  We have some very exciting things planned with the clinics for 2016 including a series of much more advanced work in both cows and horsemanship.  More details on that in next month’s newsletter.

We are also hosting a Cowboy Dressage clinic with clinician Rose White on November 21.  It should be a good time.  We will be starting a Cowboy dressage club thereafter

The Cat in The Box

    There is an old saying that says if you try to put a cat in a box he will fight you tooth and nail but if you leave him alone in a room with a box he will gladly will hop in and settle there himself.  I think horses react much the same way.  If our desired result is the “box” then every time we try to force the horse into it he will resist.  We must devise a plan to let him find the “box” on his own.  

    Not long ago a man came out and wanted advice to improve his stop.  I watched as he showed me the problem he was having.  He took off at a pretty good clip and then after half a circle around the arena he simultaneously threw his shoulders back, braced his feet forward, and gave the horse’s mouth a good pull.  Needless to say the horse reacted by throwing his head up, bracing his neck, and jamming his front feet in the ground hard enough that I could hear it across the arena.  He then stood there with an expression on his face that would make your dog run and hide.  

    “Well, what do you think?” the man asked me.  For those of you that know me, you know that with me the answer is always foundation.  It is never a quick fix gimmick like pull harder, put your feet here or your eyes there, or whatever.  The answer is always, what do I need to do to  get my horse soft and balanced and prepared to perform the maneuver that I desire.  If you can achieve those things, usually the maneuver takes care of itself.  So as I considered where to begin, I realized that this problem stemmed not from the horse’s foundation per say, but rather, in the riders conceptual understanding of horsemanship in general.  

    I asked him, “what do you do when you want your horse to move out?”  He responded that he gave him a good kick with his feet.  

    “OK, and when he’s going the speed you want him to go, what do you do?” I asked.

    “I guess I stop kicking,” he said.  

    “Thank God” I thought to myself and then pointed out to him that when the horse found the answer, which in that case, was speed up, he rewarded him by stopping kicking.  “So, let’s do the same thing with the stop.  Just like putting the cat in the box, you have been trying to force your horse to stop and, like any self-respecting horse, he resists.   Let’s let him find the box himself.  When you want to stop, just reach up your reins and take a light hold and then stop riding and wait for him to stop.  Don’t pull.  Don’t throw your shoulders back.  Don’t put your feet forward or anything else.  Just wait.  You can do those things later when the concept is ingrained but not before.  And, most important, when he does stop, let go, relax and just sit there.  Make it his happy place.

    With quite a lot of skepticism the man started off across the arena.  To his credit he tried his best to do what I asked of him.  Of course, the first few times he tried this the horse reacted in the way he was accustomed, he braced his body, threw his front end down and bruised the man’s belly button with the saddle horn.  But in a matter of ten minutes a transformation took place in both horse and rider.  As the horse began to understand that he would be rewarded in the stop he began looking for it and relaxing in it.  It became the “box” and he couldn’t wait to get in it.  And, I swear, a light bulb just clicked on over the riders head as he began to understand the difference between forcing a horse and letting him find the answer.  It was very satisfying to watch as the man began to realize a concept that he could apply to every aspect of his horsemanship.

    We will have much success in our horsemanship if we approach it from this angle.  Know what you want and then let the horse find the answer.

October, November schedule

Socha cutting show                                                                oct 17

3 man sorting saddle series                                                   oct 18

Horsemanship clinic                                                                nov 7

Cow 101                                                                                     nov 8

3 man sorting saddle series                                                    nov 15

Cowboy Dressage clinic                                                           nov 21

If you would like fliers for the any of the events or have questions or comments regarding training, shows, clinics, lessons, or the newsletter email me at cdcatheyjr@gmail.com I would love to answer them.