Buckaroo Texan Blog

 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

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The turnaround or spin was a real mystery to me for many years.   I tried to teach several of my horses how to turn around and was told by a cowhorse trainer that I had a nice coke bottle turn.  Imagine spinning a cola bottle around and that is how my horses’ turn looked.   The front end was going one direction and his hind end another.  Swapping ends is what the trainer called it.   I told him I guess I did not know what a proper turnaround felt like so I was having trouble knowing how to ask, train and ride one.

He put me on a horse named Joe who  knew how to spin in spite of the rider.   Once I felt how the footfalls felt under me,  I now had the idea  and I would know by feel if any horse I rode in the future was actually turning around properly. 

Two Kinds of Turnarounds

1.  Turnaround one:  the cowhorse turn.  This turn involves the horse  pivoting off the outside hind leg.  For example, a turn to the right, his outside hind leg, his left will be the pivot foot.  The horse will cross his leg front over his right front as he turns to the right.  The right foot will have to reach out and back each stride and the left follows over and in front of the right.  Some horses are just built or even trained that the horse kinda rocks back some in this turn and will step to the right and step behind the right front with his left front.   This is a type of turn cowhorses generally do to keep them in position just with or to beat a cow.  If you do lots of cow work with your horse this is a turn that is very advantageous for your horse. This turn is generally for one half of a turn up to a full turn.  If you do this turn really fast, most horses will appear to be hopping about every 1/3rd of the turn due to the large reach of the legs.  This turn allows the horse to be in good position at any point to jump right back with a cow in the opposite direction.

2. Turnaround two:  the reining horse turn.   This  turn around is generally the type of turn you see in horses that are strictly reining horses.  This type of turn looks a bit different than the cow horse turn when you study the footfalls and over all movement of the horse.   On a turn to the right,  the horse will step over and back with his right front foot and then bring the left across and in front of the right.  The inside hind foot, in this case, the right.  is the pivot foot.  This makes a very fluid turn that can become very fast, the footfalls are very even.  The horse develops with time and practice a very fluid rhythm and cadence.

When you start to train your horse to do a spin or turnaround, you need to know what type of spin you are training for.  You need to be able to feel where every foot is being placed and how to time your asking for the turn.  It is developed one or two steps at a time over several weeks or even months. Recognize the horse trys and reward them the moment they happen.

A common problem is having a horse suck back in his turns.   This is generally rider error of letting the horse do this early in his training.  It is not all bad if you just work cattle, but a horse that sucks back to much is actually backing up with his hind feet in a circle  and crossing over, back and behind with his opposite front leg.   A hind leg needs to be fairly stationary, for the horse to make a proper turn.  If you feel a horse backing instead of turning on a pivot foot, generally sending them forward and starting over is the answer.  Reposition the horse and ask for a step or two of turn.   For a horse that has made it a habit or his style to suck back in his turns and has a tendency to drop his shoulder into the turn, you might can remedy this by trotting very small circles in one direction until your horse feels rhythmic.  If he kinda drops his shoulder into the turn, that is a good time to ask him to stop and turn back to the left.  He should be able to set a pivot foot, step over smartly to the left and slightly back with his left foot and follow thru with his right front over his left front.  Ideally he should have his left hind as the pivot foot for this exercise.

Some people are handy enough to teach their horses both types of turns.  Not every horse or every rider is at the level to do this and to be able to ask for either turn at any particular time.   Having one of these types of turns in your bag of manuvers can come in handy.

My training is in the Buckaroo Way and I offer consultation services to those who believe in partnership of horse and rider.  

 Honoring the horse and horsemanship through the western buckaroo way.

 Do you every get bogged down with your horsemanship and feel like you are just sitting in the saddle?   Maybe you want your horsemanship to move forward but you seem stuck.  You are not able to get your horse to “do” anything.

 It may be as simple as a mental block on your part.   It is very seldom a horse problem, but rather a rider problem.   Take the hard part out of horsemanship and just ride.  That,  sounds simple and it is.  A lot of the time we are thinking to hard, asking the horse too hard, demanding too hard of ourselves and our horse.   Just take a slow breath, look ahead and just ride.   Enjoy your ride!

A process to help get your horsemanship moving is to think out a plan.  

 1.  Think about what you would like to happen, for example- a nice round circle.

2.  Picture you and your horse moving in a circle.

3.  Make a decision that you want this and just flow with the idea. Start at the walk, get it good before moving to the trot and lope. Look for those horse trys.  This may take a few days to several weeks, depending onyour skill and how often you ride.

4.  If you are having trouble with circles, go slow and envision the circle and let your seat and legs follow the horse in a circle.   Your intention will set your seat and legs for a circle and let your horse follow your form.  It your horse does not follow your form, guide the horse using the reins, to enforce your seat and legs then release by moving your hands slightly forward when you feel your horse form the thought of getting in the right position.  

Do some research on setting a horse up for circles or whatever maneuver you want, then think it through in your mind, then add your horse.   Get coaching if you need too.  That can shorten the time to teach your horse if you are not real sure or real consistent.

 Add a little at a time with your horse, let the horse soak, or get the idea, then just ride on.   Doing small bits of maneuvers at a time and changing up what you are asking and then leaving the horse alone will advance your communication with your horse by leaps and bounds.  This may mean doing half of a circle and then riding on, repeating to build  to a full circle.  It may seem very little today, but the horse has a tremendous capability to learn.    You will be surprised in the advancement in a week or two.   That is a short time to develop something that will last a lifetime between you and your horse and be solid between you.

Remember, to train for tomorrow, do a little bit today.  Just ride!