Buckaroo Texan Blog

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 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.

A group of us Buckaroos planned a Ranch Roping clinic for the end of September, thinking the weather would be cooler.   We have had some almost fall days here in drought stricken Texas and we were expecting a nice cool weekend of weather in the high 80’s or low 90’s.   At my ranch I had had quite a few mornings in the 50’s and even in the 40’s so the horses were actually starting to fuzz up just a bit.

I took precautions in case the temperatures got hotter than expected.  I gave my horse XanGo juice in his feed the night before and also put some in water bottles for us both to sip on during the two day clinic.   Four days before the clinic I gave my horse a pack of essentials everyday, instead of every couple of days, to build up his system with the probiotics and algae.     I also  took carrots, oranges and apples for us to snack on.

Saturday of the clinic, the temperature soared to 99.  I kept a bucket of water in the shade to offer to my horse every time we were between working cattle or taking a break.  He also got a carrot every time I offered him water.  He also got several slices of an orange a couple times in the afternoon and I ate some too.

Sunday, the temperature reached 105 by the time we were done. I think my horse drank close to 15 gals just during the day and I had at least 8 20 oz bottles of water.!   We both had a pack of Essentials to start  the day.  I mixed XanGo juice in his morning feed, and gave him a small amount of hay .  We both had water, oranges, apples and carrots during the day.  I kept my bandana wet with ice cubes rolled up inside during the afternoon.  It was so hot, the water in the bandana did not drip much, just evaporated.   My horse trailered home just fine.  I knew he was very well hydrated before leaving the clinic site for the ride home and he got his evening meal after dark. The  temperature already had dropped into the 80’s.  My horse and I had a very enjoyable clinic and stayed comfortable.    Really paying attention to our mental,  physical and biological well being sure pays off with bouncy health that snaps back easy after stressful events!

This past Saturday and Sunday, I attended a Ranch Roping Clinic at the ranch of Jeff and Liz Spooner in Gatesville, Texas.   We had a good group of eight.  Most of the group already knew each other and had some roping skills, and we had a few new friends  trying out this style of roping.   We got started Saturday morning with practicing throwing loops at the dummies and helped each other with our form and techniques for the various throws.   We moved on to throwing loops horseback.  Several of the participants were riding young horses or restarted horses, so everyone looked out for each other to give the youngsters plenty of challenge but in way to let them learn at their own pace.  

In the afternoon , we  mounted up and headed to the pasture to bring in the cattle.  We worked as a team, with the cow boss giving directions on how to bring the cattle in.  Every time we headed to the pasture, we changed who the cow boss was.  This was a bit of  a challenge for a few of the group.  It was good mental practice.  Not only were you responsible for you and your horse and your job, everyone else’s too. 

We brought in the cattle to a round pen, two of the participants would sort out 2 or three head and then turn the rest back out.   We then spent time with one or two riders throwing break away shots.   After a few participants practiced throwing breakaway loops with discussion on strategy, a team would come into the pen with either metal or rawhide Hondas and  work to head and heal and take the calf down.  Then a ground crew would come in the finish getting the topes on the legs of the calf, clear the area and then the two ropers would let the cow up.  Then we headed to the pasture to gather again and sort out  fresh cattle to rope.

The following day we worked on our horsemanship, handling the rope, did some drills to work on our dallying smoothness, and stretched some ropes.   The day was getting really hot, so we emphasized watching the expression of ourselves and the horses to move the cattle gently and slowly to not over heat them.  We discussed positioning of the horse to work the cattle by watching there eyes and feeling for the flight zone of the cattle.  Staying just out side of the flight zone allowed us to move the cattle very softly and quietly to most anyplace  we needed them.  This roping part was done just with our breakaways to lessen the stress on the cattle on the hot day.  We all learned a lot from each other, our horses really enjoyed their jobs, and  everyone came away with heighten skills and a real feel of working cattle slowly really gets the job done fast.

  A Ranch roping clinic is coming up on February 26 & 27, 2011 at Elkanah Ranch,  518 FM hwy 107, Gateville, Texas.  Contact Jeff Spooner at 254-383-4651 for more information.   This style of roping is typically used at brandings.  It is a calm, loss stree way of handling cattle.  It is not about speed.  It is about Horsemanship, skill and finesse.  Clinic includes ranch rope with two hondos, dinner each day,numerous basic head and heal shotts, practice on roping dummy, roping from your horse and how to handle the cow after it has been roped.  Sunday afternoon concludes with a small competition with prizes paid out.

Buck Brannaman will be coming back to Texas for horsemanship clinics at the Bell County Expo Center March 25, 26, 27 & 28th, 2011.   We will be having Foundation Horsemanship and Horsemanship II.   The foundation class is for green horses and/or green riders.  We will work the horses each day, under saddle with emphasis on quality ground work  and then put these maneuvers to work with rider in the saddle.   The afternoon class will be Horsemanship II which is the advanced class for horses and riders.  The exercises learned in Foundation and Horsemanship I are taken to refined levels and new exercises added to advance the horse from the snaffle bit to the hackamore.   Introducing cattle work and ranch roping to the horses is part of this class.

Join us for what will become an annual celebration continuing the vision of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt for the next generation of horsemen and women. 

  $75/day, $200 for three days (in advance via the web site)

Schedule:  (New work each day)

9:00 AM- Colt Starting with Buck Brannaman and Martin Black

11:00 AM- Cattle working with Martin Black

1:00 PM -Show Jumping with Melanie Smith Taylor

2:00 PM- Cutting with Doug Jordan

3:00 PM- Reata Roping and Cattle handling with Buck Brannaman and Martin Black

Email: think.rayhunt@gmail.com    website: www.alegacyoflegends.com

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Out there in the western lands you’ll find a man of great repute.

He runs a thing called Cowboy School; he’s tall of hat and boot.

He takes on dudes and dudettes green, and teaches them to ride,

To rope some, and work cattle, too; he’s always at their side.

He knows just how to phrase a thing so you can comprehend

And lets you learn at your own pace to reach that better end.

At Cowboy School the rule of safety first is number one,

And number two is just behind, and that’s to have some fun!

His patient ways are legendary; he’s never out of time,

And if you need to see a thing again, well, that’s just fine.

He’ll teach you how to sit a horse and how to use your aids.

He’ll help you learn to help your horse, and doesn’t give bad grades!

This professor of  cowboy-ology, his name it is Bob King.

A skilled and sorta bashful guy, his praises I must sing.

For he has hung in there with me when I would ‘bout lose hope

And helped me start to see the light when in the dark I’d grope.

There is no telling where I’d be if not for this good man.

He’s helped me when I doubted if I could, to know: I can!

This journey of the horse we’re on will never reach an end

But I’ll continue traveling with the help of Bob, my friend.

My ponies mean the world to me and they deserve the best.

But I’m the only one they’ve got, so I’ll keep up the quest

To learn and strive to be as good with them as I can be.

So thank you, Bob, my friend and dean of cowboyology.

The following tells about a session with a yearling filly getting haltered.  Each colt can be handled differently and should be handled as the situation presents itself.  You will be able to pick up ideas on halter training your baby!

This is the 3rd day to work Sassafras with the halter!  I just got in from work and I am ready to head to the pens.   I go to the barn first and saddle Rojo, a 3 year old gelding.  I get the ranch rope, the long lead rope and halter, and bucket of brushes and a flag and head to the pens.   I tie Rojo in the round pen and head over to Sassafras’s pen.  I set the brushes, flag and halter down in our small work pen.  I open the gate and approach her in her big pen.  She comes over, a little suspicious but looking for a pet, I walk towards the little pen but she is not interested in coming today.  I try to guide her slightly with my lass rope and she turns the wrong way.  I go get just her halter, then approach her, pet her on the neck and shoulder, touch her with the halter all around so that  she remembers the sight, sound and feel.  I touch her on the face and around the nose and ears a couple of times.

She feels ready to put the halter on.   I open the halter and hold it in my left hand.  I pet her with my right hand and arm and pass my arm over her neck.  I bring my left hand up under her throatlatch so I can reach the tail of the halter in my right hand.  I then slide the noseband over her nose.  This is where we see if I was thorough with my handling of her face the last 2 days.   She lifts her head slightly I stop and give her a moment to realize the halter
is not out to GRAB her.   She relaxes and I slide it on, like we have done it dozens of times. Big Horse Try!   

 I go get the lead rope and walk towards her, pet her, attach the lead rope to the halter and pet her some more.  I rub her with the lead to refresh the feel and sight of it.  I step out to the side of her and take the slack out of the rope and ask her to follow.  After a moment of thought she takes one step to me.   I step to the other side of her and ask her to step with me, and a hind foot comes then a front foot.   I have my long lead in case I need to put it over her rump for encouragement and security.   I ask for another step and she thinks for about 10 seconds this time and then just comes to me, I give her a slight pet on forehead and keep moving to the pen and she just comes along like an old hand!  Big horse try!

 In the pen, I shut the gate, have her step around me and proceed to brush her.  She really likes this and is real let down.  I can tell she doesn’t feel 100% today, her stomach is rumbling some, the paste wormer from yesterday is probably working on her.  I will go get her a pack of essentials after our session is complete.  After some grooming I pick up my flag and she immediately gets alert.  I approach her very slowly and let her see it without much movement.  She smells it and I touch her on the right shoulder.  She moves and shuffles some.   I only block her from running off.  She decides real quick it is ok.  I rub her all over her right side with it and down her legs and across her tummy.  I change sides carefully keeping an eye on her response.  She just watches and seems ok about the change to the other side.   I hold the lead rope in my left hand and slowly approach her on the right side with the flag.  I touch her shoulder gently and she explodes straight up in the air.  She has decided it shouldn’t touch her this time, but I have to laugh at the expression on her face.  No pressure on the lead rope.  She does not try to leave just had to move her feet! I go right back to the spot and gently touch her and she is ok.  I move it gently all over her right side, cross over her back and down the left side again but don’t stay long.  I let her smell the flag again then set in down.

I lead her out some, reminding her she can move her feet and come with me.  I take the long lead rope and work on picking up her feet again.   I handle her feet a bit longer today and let her work at finding her balance and stand on three legs a bit longer.  These little hooves need a trim and maybe in a few days she will be ready for it.  A few more friendly rubs on the face, eyes, nose and ears and we lead out to her big pen.  We make several nice small circles with her head bent on the arc of the circle, stop and take out time taking the halter off and back on a few times, then I walk away and we are done.  Another nice day with some good horse trys.  We could do more, but we have lots of tomorrows and Rojo is waiting for his groundwork session before that black cloud in the south chases us back to the barn!!

 If you are a serious student of the horse or just like to watch this magnificent animal at work and play with his rider you don’t want to miss the 4 day clinic coming up March 26, 27, 28 & 29, 2010.  The place is Belton, Texas at the Bell County Expo Center.  
 Each day will start with Horsemanship One, promptly at 9:00am until noon.  This class covers basic manuvers every horse should know.  The skill and precision level of these basic manuvers determines how well each horse rider team can then achieve  more advanced levels of manuvers.  Each afternoon of the 4 day clinic will be Beginning Ranch Roping.  The horse riders will be learning ranch roping  skills and putting all their basics together and doing real ranch work with  60 foot  ranch ropes, learning herd work and working in pairs and teams to tie and doctor cattle, like western buckaroos.
 Buck’s clinics are intense study sessions with a lot of material to cover and get a good grasp of for you to then take home and work on.  I have been riding with Buck Brannaman for 14 years and it never ceases to amaze me the advances all  the participants and their horses make over the four days. 
This will be the 10th year I have sponsored Buck Brannaman in Texas.  It is always such an honor to have him come be with us for 4 days every year, he gives us inspiration, challenges and useful information that we will be able to use for the rest of our lives.  He gives us knowledge so that the lives of the horses we work with in the future can be better.  For more information on the clinic give me a call -evenings are best- 325-396-2461 or send me an email. 
Buck Brannaman is from Sheridan, WY and is world -renowned for his clinics, teaching horsemanship in the traditional vaquero style.  His type of horsemanship helps horse riders of all disciplines — barrel racers, ropers, trail riders, dressage riders, buckaroo ranch riders, endurance riders and others.  He helps you really dig inside yourself to find your core skills and develop them in a way that is fitting to the horse.  He bases his clinics on principles of communication and understanding, and living life so you aren’t at war with your horse or with other people.  Buck was the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from Montana State University in May 2006. Buck is the author of several books, including “The Faraway Horses,” and “Believe: A Horseman’s Journey,” both written with William Reynolds.

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

Jeannie