Buckaroo Texan Blog

I recently got to thinking about all the negative that surrounds us everyday.  This I believe is a human trait.   Horses are not negative unless their encounters with the human have made them that way.  We get picked at to be perfect, time deadlines for this and that, service of any sort is suppose to be right now if not sooner.   None of that makes any sense to the horse.  If you look at the world in a real sense, the beauty of your surrounding is not made in a flash, it takes time.   Relieve the stress by looking for the good in everything.    This relates to your relations with horses more than you know.  Horses just want to be peaceful, calm and comfortable.  Sounds really good to me too!  I remembered something I have heard from Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman.  When you are working with a horse, on the ground or in the saddle, just ignore the stuff you don’t want and reward the stuff you do want.  With time that other stuff disappears or is something you will want later.    Look for the good in your horse and those around you.  We are all at different places in our horsemanship. Encouragement of the good and seeing the good, just makes it all better.

I was reading  Tom Dorrances’ book the other evening.  I just picked it up, opened it and just starting reading where it had opened.  Tom was discussing about how you approach a horse, your presentation, whether you get a reaction or a response.  He was talking about really understanding the horse at that moment, and how each horse is different.  That is why he cannot say “do this for that”, all the time, for all horses.  It really is an art to be able to adjust to fit each horse, any horse, the same horse, each time you are around it.  Horsemanship is about feel, timing and balance. That’s all there is too it,  but there is so much to it!   Happy trails.   Have a wonderful Christmas season to all my friends.  See you soon riding and roping!!!         Jeannie

Photo by:  Carol Akers- riding colts with Buster McLaury

I was invited to come to the fall branding on the 3G ranch outside of Midland, Texas this past weekend.   Kate and Sam Gooding had a recently weaned group of calves to brand and work.   I arrived Friday night and got settled in for a full day of riding and roping on Saturday.  I took my most experienced horse, Button, so we could do a good job for our host and hostess. 

Saturday morning we started out in the pastures, looking for 6 head of renegade cattle that have been running loose for over a year.   Kate on her trusty steed, Ranger and I, mounted on Button rode out in search of the cattle.   The cattle had been spotted a few times, so we had a good idea where to start our search and gather.  A lot of the fences have been down in west Texas due to the vast ranging fires over the last year.   So it was easy for this group of six to be hard to find roaming in thousands of acres.   Sam sent a text that he saw them north of the windmill in the pasture we were in so off we went at a fast trot and gallop.   We found the cattle, eased up on them and headed them towards the nearest set of pens.  It was a few miles, lots of wind, and they had a big bubble.  We had to drive them from a far distance, like fifty yards or more at first.  We got them penned about noon and headed for the branding pens.

 After a water break, and arrival of the rest of the crew, we set up to brand.  We had three ropers.  Jerry Allison joined us for the branding.  Martha and Josh helped Sam with the branding pot, vaccines and wormer.   We took turns heading a calf, the other ropers would fall in to heel and whoever had not caught heels, helped with the ground work.  We all headed, heeled and worked the ground.   The calves got worked with very little stress. We got lots of good practice roping in the 20 to 30 mph gusty winds.

Sunday morning we spent driving the renegade cattle to another stronger set of pens near the highway, so they could be hauled to another pasture and joined up with another group of cattle.   The cattle were wild enough that having experienced horses that could be maneuvered one foot at a time, backwards or forwards was important to keep from having them run off.   Any pressure from the horses got their heads up looking for a place to run.   We got the cattle moved and penned.  The cattle were starting to settle some, ease around and be driven quietly by the time we made the four mile drive to the next set of pens.   What a great weekend of riding, roping, horsemanship and stockmanship practice.

This past weekend, I got together with a few friends and we spent an afternoon with our horses.  We had discussions on lightness as compared to softness and what that really is.  A horse can be light but stiff and braced.  A horse with softness throughout can be directed in any direction without a brace.  Instead of just doing groundwork, or just riding, we discussed and worked on the ideas of refinement to get that softness throughout the horse.  The idea of a horse responding to me without a brace when I reach for him, really appeals to me from a horsemanship point of view.  This togetherness is something I am striving to get with all my horses, and it is an ongoing process.  The more I understand how to get this between the horse and I, the more I realize it is more work on my part.   Once I have a mental picture and physically know where to shape myself up so that I am not in my horses’ way, the horse comes thru willingly and with a good feeling about being with me. One of the hardest concepts, is that you have to be consistent day in and day out, no matter how you feel.   You have to have the presence about yourself to ask for quality from you horse all the time.  It has to be a habit for you and your horse or it will always be a hit or miss thing.  All our horses made some good changes as we got our techniques better.   It was a great weekend to study horsemanship and share ideas.

This past weekend, I attended a Horsemanship Clinic with Buster McLaury in Paducah, Texas located in the Texas Panhandle.    We had warm wind, cold rain, sun, fog and fantastic cloud formations.  No arena, just panhandle pasture for this clinic.

Buster is a cowboy that studied for years with Ray Hunt.  He is a darn good cowboy poet, knows the cowboy ways, but is also and foremost, a fine horseman.  As you study, learn and ride with Buster you can feel the presence of Ray Hunt.

 I took two young horses to ride with Buster, for the experience and one in particular that has had problems of coping with riding around other horses.   As we discussed the background of my sorrel gelding, Rojo, Buster reminded us of a saying of Ray’s “ A horse learns what he lives and lives what he learns”.   I had heard this phrase before but on this troubled young horse it really hit home.   The bad experiences he has had is what he had learned, so we had to understand his living what he learned and try to gain his confidence that living and riding around other horses could be a good experience.  We were able to set up some situations that he could be exposed to and allowed me help him with moving his feet, directing him, show him he could move to a comfortable spot and use his energy in a productive way.  This allowed him to gain some confidence and ride the rest of the session a lot more relaxed than he ever had around other horses.

 Rojos’ session on Saturday was after a cold rain, he was shaking, tight in the tail, tight in the flank, stomach and his mouth.  Buster had me direct him with a lot of ground work to get to his  mind.  To work in such a way that he was out of trouble if he stayed focused on me.   The ground was slick in spots and for this horse, just staying even with yesterday was big progress.  I was able to build a new depth of closeness between Rojo and I, a deeper confidence, that is so easy to destroy if a person is not aware and responsible.

We worked out in the pasture bending our horses so they could go straight.  A horse needs to be balanced, straight even if he is making an arc with his path or a straight line.  The rider needs to direct the horse with an idea and know that idea before he asks the horse to move a foot. We broke down our exercises to realize and actually feel when were getting the horse soft and working on his mind.  As we got the horses prepared to move out or stop, we prepared.  We felt of him, felt for him and then we felt together. 

We directed our horses to better their stops, backing up hills, bringing the hind and the front, hobbling, roping, and transitions.  We asked for the slightest try and got great results by remembering we were really working with their minds. Sometimes you get to the horses’ feet through his mind and sometimes you get to his mind through his feet.

The 2012 Legacy of Legends event is being planned and the dates are set.  Mark you calendars and start making plans to attend this fantastic event.  The next event will be held February 3-5, 2012 at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center in las Vegas, Nevada.     Go to www.alegacyoflegends.com for more information and details as they come available.   I attended last years’ event and I have made my plans to attend this event.        Photo by: Heather Hafleigh

If you’re not willing to go back every day and start over, you shouldn’t have started to begin with, because you might have to start over a lot of days in a row before it carries over from one day to the next, or one month to the next or one year to the next.            BUCK BRANNAMAN

Photo taken at Legacy of Legends event, December 2010, Ft. Worth, Texas

We have all heard Ray Hunt say “ Prepare for the position for the transition” and “get the horse even on all four corners”.  This was his way of telling us to get the horse balanced, then you can position to make transitions.  This is all horsemanship and guiding your horse is about.  Sounds so simple and is it, until you try to do it.   How do you go about finding that balance?

Lets go all the way back to lateral bending or flexions.   Ask yourself, are they really good?   Do I feel for my horse, he feels of me and we feel together?   If not, then maybe you haven’t really done a thorough job of your homework with flexions.   This can be started when you are working with a foal and his first halter lessons.  But, even your older horse in his teens can go back and really learn these flexions and get balanced, so there is harmony between you and your horse when you ride.  A true softness, balance and feel.

 Start you flexions from the ground with a green or young horse that has not been ridden.  All these flexions are done at a standstill.   These flexions should be revisited a lot during every ride to get them really good and for checking in with your horse through out his riding career.  Not just for a few sessions, few rides or a month or so. You should start flexions with your halter and lead, then progress with your snaffle.   These flexions will be revisited often as you progress into the hackamore and with greater refinement as you advance into the two-rein and bride.

 LATERAL FLEXIONS: Be sure the horse is balanced and square on his feet before you ask for flexions.  Your want the horses’ head from his foretop to his nose to be perpendicular, You want his nostrils perpendicular to the ground and you want elevation of the poll.  You will take the head to the side (flex) up to a 90 degrees bend.  But this will be done in increments.  Let the horse find that this is the most comfortable way to flex.    At first you may get only one of the three positions.  Release for that.  You may get 2 of the 3 positions, release for that, it is a try.  As you work these flexions you may get any combination of the 3 positions and this is acceptable at first.  Remember to keep yourself mellow, even if your horse is not, he is searching and trying.   Just hold until the horse gives you a try in the right direction.  His mouth may get busy during a session of working on flexions.  He is processing, so hold until you get a try and he is not fussing with his mouth.  If you release while he is fussing with his mouth even when you got a response to the asking for a flexion, you will get what you released for, a sloppy flexion with lots of mouth.  Once they start to understand, you hold a little longer to get them to search for the exact proper place for the release and true balance point of the flexion.  Be sure to keep your hands about your shoulder width apart on the snaffle bit horse.  Wide hands will make you timely.  If you ask for a flexion that moves the horse’s head about two inches to the right, for example, you have moved your right hand about 2 inches out and back, be sure to give 2 inches with your left.   Your feel will change a lot as you work on the flexions and all during your ride.   As the horse gets better in the flexions but you find he   still needs more vertical in his face, take the rein more toward his mane than to you hip and hold and let him search.   The horses’ forehead and nose should be perpendicular and his poll between his ears, horizontal and level with each other.

SOFT FEEL:  After you and your horse have the lateral flexions working pretty well, you will combine working with soft feel.    Soft feel is nothing more than you reaching for the horse and he responds to that reach. It ultimately leads to the true form of collection. You feel of him, feel for him and you both feel together.  Ray Hunt would say this many, many times during each of his clinics.  It takes a while to understand and get the true feel of this phrase.  Buck Brannaman has emphasized in his clinics how important it is to master these flexions and soft feel before you ever get on your colt for the first time.  Once you understand and have a feel for these flexions, spending about an hour working on flexions and soft feel, can make all the difference in that first ride!  Then you are ready to go – in balance!

Again, we are looking for balance through the whole horse.  The horse needs to raise his poll up to a feel.  Lifting and elevation is not head throwing.  Elevation in the neck and poll is not gotten by bumping, just hold.  If the muscle down the neck of the horse is tight, the horse rises but looks like a lama.  The horse should rise softly to open his shoulders, clear through   his rib cage. The shoulder blades are closed if the head is lower than the withers.  First, ask you horse to elevate his neck slightly, by having your hands shoulder width apart, in front of the horn of your saddle and raise your hands no higher than you elbows. You will have your reins short enough to make soft contact. Release for the slightest try.   After your horse gets good at elevating his neck softly, then you will bring you hands slightly back to encourage vertical flexion with softness, think of it as rolling into softness.  Remember, the key is reward the slightest try. If the horse bobs his head and does not lift, do not reward this, just wait, he is searching.   If you do too much he reacts instead of responding to you.  Take a feel of your horse, do not think of it as you lifting your horse, let him find you.   Make sure you hands are soft on the reins to ask for this softness. Also, remember, that a chin dropped towards the chest does not always mean soft feel, this position can be the horse avoiding you. 

Practice the flexions and soft feel anytime you are sitting around on your horse throughout you ride.  As you are walking ask for soft feel from you horse.  You will ask for thousands before this becomes really good, so be patient.   Just wait for a little change and release. When you are moving, do not allow your horse to slow, just take a feel of you horse with the elevation and giving to you, in mind, while you ride.    All the time put in on flexions will get you better and better and you and your horse will have a very good feel of each other.

Photo 1–Kate and Ranger, slight bend, notice width of her hands and softness in her hands, notice there is no tension in the rein and the relaxed giving expression on Ranger’s face.  This horse is advanced in the bride. 

Photo2- Kate and Ranger doing a flexion at 90 degress. Notice the horizontal line between the ears, slight elevation of neck and almost vertical postion of the front of his face.

 This year at the Belton, Texas,  Buck Brannaman Clinic,  I rode Button in the Horsemanship 2 Class.   It is always fun to work on the advanced manuvers and learn new skills in getting these better.  The roping and cow work are just more ways to advance your skill level and give your horse real jobs to do.  It’s a real test on how well you and your horse are working together.   We spent a lot of time over the four days working on the soft feel at all gaits.  I was working in a hackamore.  I felt I had advanced to a ½ inch hackamore  with the idea of getting ready to more on to the two rein.  As the work in the class advanced with more loping, Buck pointed out to me that Button was really pushing back on me, so I changed back into our 5/8ths hackamore.   I had a better communication with him then and we were able to get some better feel between us.   I realized from the discussions in the morning,foundation class, on the flexions and soft feel, that these were not as good as they needed to be at the level Button was at in the advanced class.   The flexions and soft feel are ways of working to get the horses to engage his hind end and to be more balanced on all four corners.   These last few weeks after the class, Button and I have really gotten more balance between us,  I am being more assertive in asking for him to move in balance at all gaits, forward and backwards,  two tracking, side passing and during haunches in.  I am constantly thinking about my position in relation to where all four feet are of my horse.  Its getting to be a true feel between us so that when I ask for a change we change together, most every time, as it should be.   Photo by:  Jenny Hasz

Phot by

 I took my 2 year old filly, Bubbles to the Buck Brannaman Clinic in March.   I rode her in the Foundation Class.   This class is for young horses, green horses, horses with problems needing a restart with the snaffle bit and green riders.   This class never ceases to amaze me on the holes my horsemanship has.  It all starts with the fundamentals.  You can never get these too good.  Revisiting this class from time to time can really help you improve on all those advanced manuvers you have been working on.   You will always find an area in foundation, that needs some polish.

 The first day involved working on flexions from the ground.  Correctly bending the horse with his neck and head even or slightly higher than the withers, depending on the natural conformation of each horse.   With Bubbles, I needed to lift slightly as I asked for a bend to get her to bring her head around with a proper bend in her neck but keeping her head vertical and her ears horizontal.    Without the proper bend, the horse is stuck in the shoulders and out of balance.   Without really feeling of your horse, you are either building a brace just by bending and or setting your horse up to be out of balance before you even take a step.    Flexions also include asking the horse to slightly lift its neck and then roll over into a soft feel off the bit.   The neck should be slightly raised above the withers and the face of the horse vertical.   This is what you are looking for and may take some work and patience to get it.   Once you understand this, you can get the horse working in balance just at a standstill.  You ask the horse for these flexions, you cannot force a horse to do them and get the balance and softness you are looking for.  You give the horse time to figure this out on their own by holding not pulling until they make a gesture in the right direction and you build from there.   You have a really good feel going on between you and your horse when you both find this together.

Over the next three days we added more riding each day, more ground exercises that built on the use of the flexions and flexions in the saddle. With the proper flexions in mind, we progressed to asking the hind end to step over and then the front, backing straight and backing circles.  With out the proper flexions the horse would be out of balance and have trouble moving its feet.  Really feeling the horse try to understand what you were asking is a great feeling and makes the manuvers easy.  After all, we were getting the horses to make moves they do all the time, without a rider.

 Bubble got to really chopping her bit one of the days and I asked Buck about this.   She was processing the information I was asking of her.   I just ignored it, as suggested, it would go away as she felt more comfortable and more confident.  Buck also reminded me to be sure and feel of her and be very aware when she was chopping the bit during a time I was asking for a maneuver and to be sure and not release until her mouth got quite so she would know without a doubt that was what I was asking for.   Releasing while her mouth was real busy could very easy give her the idea to chop her bit every time I asked anything of her.   The chopping was gone by the end of the clinic. 

Photo by: Kathleen Morris