Buckaroo Texan Blog

There are several ways to box the cow, or get control of a cow when working in an arena.   I will discuss 2 ways of boxing; (1) one is for a trained horse,  the strategy for the show ring and (2) for training a horse to box or hold a cow.

1.  SHOW RING STRAGEGY

Boxing the cow is a term that is common in the Working Ranch Horse event, Stock Horse events, Ranch Horse Versatility Classes and Stock Horse classes in Futurities.  The judge is looking for you and your horse to step up to the cow that has been turned into the arena and for the horse rider to take control of the cow at one end of the arena.   You get control of the cow and hold the cow at one end of the arena before taking the cow to other places in the arena, according to the type of class and the directions given by the Judge.   Ideally, when the cow enters the arena, after you have informed the gateman that you are ready for the cow, you will be at a distance from the gate and have your horse moving towards the cow.  The cow will see your movement and know you are there.  A cow does not always recognize a stationary object as something to be concerned about.  If you are stationary when the cow is turned into the arena the cow may not see you and ignore you when you do go to moving.    The horse rider should approach the cow with confident offense.   You will walk up to the cow and mirror the cow as it moves.  The horses’ head is positioned at the  cows’ shoulder to be in a neutral position.  When the cow takes off you will keep your horse in this position, but then take over the cow, by getting your horses’ head even with the cow’s head.  Most  cows will   duck their head slightly to prepare to turn and go the other way.   By keeping you eye on the cow, you are reading the cow and will be ready for any move the cow makes.  In the show ring you will stay right with the cow.   Point your horses’ head to a stopped cow and walk towards the cow’s head to get the cow to move.   By keeping you eyes on the cow and not your horse, will keep your position in the saddle to move with your horse any direction the cow goes.  Your horse will mirror the cow to show it has control of the cow and will keep the cow at one end of the arena no matter how hard, or how quick the cow moves or changes direction.     When you have shown that your horse has control of the cow, you will then be ready to move your horse behind the cow and follow the cow like a trailer hooked to the cow and push the cow to another area of the arena.   The boxing part of a cow working event lets you read the cow, lets you see how the cow responds to the pressure of your horse, will help you determine how much speed and turn this cow will have for the rest of your class.

2. TRAINNING A HORSE TO BOX THE COW

To train the horse to box a cow, you first have to be sure your horse is comfortable around cattle.  You need to ride your horse quietly around cattle until you feel that the horse is relaxed and attentive.  Depending on the horse, this may take a couple minutes to several sessions over several days to accomplish.

TRACKING CATTLE:  Follow a single cow around a pen or arena to help you and your horse to get used to the movement of a cow.  Follow at a far distance at first and get closer and closer as the cow slows down.  Anytime your horse has his ears forward and is looking at the cow, this is a horse try.  Sit very still in the saddle and go with you horse and be sure you have no pressure on the horse with your hands or legs.   When your horse is hooked on the cow (looking at the cow and following quietly) several times, reward the horse try by stopping and letting your horse rest.   Following cattle is also known as tracking.  The horse gets behind the cow and follows at a set distance as the same speed as the cow. 

TIGHTEN A HERD:  Put a small group of cattle in a round pen or small arena and practice pushing the cattle into a tight herd.  Walking your horse around and around the cattle teaches the cattle to honor your horse and look for the herd as a safe place to rest.   You watch for any cattle looking to walk or trot away from the herd. As you walk behind any cattle looking away from the herd, your goal is to turn them back into the herd.  Two track your horse away from the herd a step or two as you come behind a cow looking out of the herd and then walk towards the head of any of the cattle trying to leave.  This will make them turn and head back into the herd.  Keep your horse walking around the herd until the cattle will stay in a fairly tight group or herd in the center of your working area.  This is a good way to help you learn to “read” cattle.  Watch the body language of the cattle as you go around and around.  When you and horse are comfortable folding cattle into the herd, you can speed up into a trot around the herd.  It helps with the settling of the cattle and builds confidence in your horse.  Be sure to make your circle large enough that trotting does not disturb the cattle.

1. CUTTING OUT A COW:  When the cattle will stay in a herd, you can then enter the herd.  Ride through the cattle to split the herd into halves or thirds.  This splitting the herd will put the horse ride in position to drive a cow out of the herd.   After you have driven a cow out, keep you eye on the cow at all times and watch its movement.   Use your horse to step towards the cow to drive it away from the herd and encourage the cow to stay at a good distance from the herd by keeping you horse parallel to the cow on one side and parallel to the herd on the other side. 

BOXING THE COW:  This is where actual boxing the cow starts to take place.   You will use  two tracking away from the cow to keep your horse parallel and not too close to the cow.  When the cow stops, ride your horse past the cow, one step at a time until the cow turns away from you and looks to find the herd.  Let the cow draw the horse.  It the horse does not respond within a second, use your outside leg and inside rein to bring your horse back towards the cow to catch up with the cow.  After several repetitions of this, the horse will start to turn on his own and will not want to go past the cow.  He will start to develop a stop when the cow stops and wait for the cow to turn. The stop and turn by the horse on his own is what you are looking for to take to the show ring.  To help develop a good turn on your horse, you will back the horse a few steps, rock his weight onto his rear end, and then ask him to roll back over his hind legs so he is in proper position to beat the cow.   Most horses develop and realize how their position can stop and control the cow rather quickly, if the rider is aware of how to let the horse learn this maneuver.  Using a herd will let you cut and box a cow several times in working session.  Whenever you horse gives you a few good horse trys, be sure to reward you horse and take a break.

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.