# Cow sense?



## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Is there a way to know that your horses got cow sense? Yes.. put your horse around a cow! 

Cow sense-- when a horse has common sense around cattle.. what i mean by that is- theyre not scared of the cow- theyll get in there and push them around not run away snortin, lol.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Oh.... so my gelding who ran away from the pursuing cow, as fast as his feet would go, probably isn't a good cow horse?

Dang it!


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## EquineBovine (Sep 6, 2012)

Chuck them in a padock with some young small cows then up grade them to some big cows. Just make sure horse isn't going to get beaten up or that your horse isn't going to beat up the cows  OR just ride them around cows
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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

delfina, sounds like my walker mare.. She sees more than one angus and she literally runs full out sideways blowing out like an evil beast (i hate that noise at least the snort is kinda funny because it sounds like a fart, lol.) All the way up the road untill she cant see them anymore.. our gelding even thought she was being a dork-face! Lol. 


EquineBovine, Ive noticed when putting a horse that isnt real cowy in with cattle to get them used to em- they start to develop cattle aggression. Theyll pin their ears and bite their butt when you go to work em.


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## Ladybug2001 (Mar 15, 2011)

I was curious cause there is a bunch of cattle across the street frim part of my pasture. Occassionally my colt just stares out across the road and watches them with a very intense gaze.
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## KatieAndZanzibar (Jan 4, 2013)

toto said:


> Is there a way to know that your horses got cow sense? Yes.. put your horse around a cow!
> 
> Cow sense-- when a horse has common sense around cattle.. what i mean by that is- theyre not scared of the cow- theyll get in there and push them around not run away snortin, lol.



Ah, so... My colt grew up with a bull and calf for about a year. The only reason my uncle sold him is because he'd chase them off. Would that mean my horse has good cow sense? :-|


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

KatieAndZanzibar said:


> Ah, so... My colt grew up with a bull and calf for about a year. The only reason my uncle sold him is because he'd chase them off. Would that mean my horse has good cow sense? :-|



Thatd make him cattle aggressive. A good cow horse wont mess with a cow in the pasture. I know people put up vids of their cowy horses chasing a cow around on its own.. that horse is actually being aggressive towards the cow because of the small confined area its in. 


I want a horse that ignores the cattle in the pasture with them but when i get on them they chase them off with out pinning their ears.. thats a sign of aggrassion. A good cow horse will chase a cow with its ears up or back listening to the rider.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

First time I put my horse Red on a cow, he had ears pinned and was biting at them. 

Natural cow sense! He knew what to do, just about without me telling him.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Cow aggression often stems from cow sense.

Selena is an incredibly aggressive cowhorse. Always works them with her ears pinned but won't touch. Leave her alone, she'd eat them.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

I dont like for a horse to be aggressive towards the cow.. not cow sense. Its not up to the horse to 'scare' the cow away thats the riders job the horse is there as a tool to redirect the cow not be mean to it.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

Its funny, so many people rely on bloodlines. I knew someone that had a colt out of a good ranch mare by a registered winning cutting stallion. I have never seen a horse so freaked out of cattle in my life. He had seen them before, been around pigs/minis/donkeys/lamas his whole life, but 6 months of training and he would still run away at the mere smell of a bovine.

my arab on the other hand, thinks chasing cows is one of lifes greatest joys. where this came from, who knows. maybe her ancestors chased camels in the dessert???


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

I also wanted to add-- there is a big difference between cattle aggression and cow sense. Those are not the same two things.

A good cowy horse will cut a cow with his ears forward or listening to the rider not pinned and not biting the cow. When i cut a cow and the horse is waiting on every move the cow makes then counter acts.. thats cow sence.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

It depends on what you are doing as far as cow aggressiveness or expressiveness is concerned. In the cutting pen back in the early days judges liked to see an aggressive horse with his ears pinned. The trend now is an expressive horse with his ears up. Cutting trainers actually like a colt that starts out a little scared of the cattle, that makes for expressiveness and suck back. Don't need to be pulling him off when he leaks into the cow, or pounding on him with the cow side leg to keep him back.

And a horse that is scared of cattle at first doesn't have anything to do with whether he will have the natural ability to watch a cow and work it. That comes with confidence building. Same with one that may not show much interest, sometimes it takes some time and again, confidence. Working for trainers and starting these types of colts I usually turned back on them in the cutting pen after about 15-20 rides. Some would try to buck and run off, others lazy and uninterested and some aggressive. After time(some take longer than others) they all developed and shown what they would be best suited for. 

Personally, I like the aggression. I think they make for snappy horses for heeling and awesome for going down the fence and circling in the cow horse, however it makes boxing a little of a challenge.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

COWCHICK77 said:


> It depends on what you are doing as far as cow aggressiveness or expressiveness is concerned.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> Personally, I like the aggression. I think they make for snappy horses for heeling and awesome for going down the fence and circling in the cow horse, however it makes boxing a little of a challenge.


I don't mind if a horse is a bit afraid of cows, either. They are watching well and quickly learn that their movement controls the cow/cattle. Not a bad thing at all.

I also can work with a bit of aggression.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

I like for them to have real cow sense and watch the cow and react to the cows movement correctly. I cant stand a cattle aggressive horse alls it is compensating for its lack of reaction to the cow.. i have no use for it. --my opinion. 

As for a rope horse-- i dont want them chasin my cow off. They need to be linin me up not runnin off a cow, lol.


There. Is a big difference in a horse that runs off snortin, and a horse that doesnt want to get horned. Ones smart the other is irrational, lol.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Yes, there is a difference between running off scared and getting out of the way of hot, mad steer! LOL!

I agree you don't want them just chasing cattle but lining you out, that's where the training comes in. Same with one that wants to peel out. My hubby's favorite trick for those, flip his slack over to the opposite side of the neck, sit on his coils and let things come tight, in a hurry...LOL, they stay lined out after a couple of good jerks!


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## krazygirl1 (Apr 2, 2013)

My paint mare will chase a cow. But I sure wouldn't ride her to work them. She just chases them because she is a witch and she can.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

toto said:


> There. Is a big difference in a horse that runs off snortin, and a horse that doesnt want to get horned. Ones smart the other is irrational, lol.


I had a grey gelding that darn near climbed out of the corral/arena the first few times I got him near cattle. I thought he might be a bit too spooky to ever make a decent horse. 

His next several Sundays were spent standing outside the arena while others practiced roping. Hours of it. A bunch of us took turns riding his spooks and bringing him back to the fence, all while we acted like he hadn't done anything weird. 

He became a pretty good ranch horse. And training him for doctoring was very easy.

He was lucky we had the time to work him through that. Otherwise, who the heck could have used him? We're in Wyoming, for pete's sake! I wouldn't have even been able to give him to a trail rider. "You bet. He rides real good. But if he sees a cow..."


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## Ladybug2001 (Mar 15, 2011)

This colt is only a year old but I want to get him into something once of age. His bloodlines has a little bit of every western sport in it, so I'm not exactly relying in that to tell me if he would be a good cow horse. But with the way he watches the cows makes me curious as to maybe that is the direction we should go.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

You wont know unless you turn him loose with some cows.. ^


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

On the flip side, how many of us have used horses for cow work that barely acknowledged the existence of cattle?

I know I sure have. Ponies like that were more reliant on the riders cues to get where they needed to be, but they were still good for the work.

So, I guess to me it doesn't really matter if the horse has "natural" ability. Unless they have some conformational problem that interferes with what they need to do, we going to do it. 

I have a friend in his late 70s that started team roping a few years ago. One of his favorite horses is like that. They'd finish a run and I've heard the owner say, "He never even saw the steer." Or "Good job hoss, that was a cow in there."


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## KatieAndZanzibar (Jan 4, 2013)

Not quite related, but my same colt would always boss around the cows, then when he was done he'd lay down with little calves... Uh, may I ask if anybody knows why?

As I said, he grew up with these cows for about a year or a year and a half. I'm very curious..


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

toto said:


> delfina, sounds like my walker mare.. She sees more than one angus and she literally runs full out sideways blowing out like an evil beast (i hate that noise at least the snort is kinda funny because it sounds like a fart, lol.) All the way up the road untill she cant see them anymore.. our gelding even thought she was being a dork-face! Lol.
> 
> 
> EquineBovine, Ive noticed when putting a horse that isnt real cowy in with cattle to get them used to em- they start to develop cattle aggression. Theyll pin their ears and bite their butt when you go to work em.


We stuck my gelding in with two Herefords just to get him out of his dry lot. After he got tired of running in fear (literally, cow would look at him and he'd take of at a dead gallop round and round and round the pasture. If it wasn't hot wired, I'd bet $100 he'd have gone through the fence... he's terrified of hot wire) he made friends with the cows. Found him out there being groomed by a big ol' Hereford Cow. He never did get aggressive, just viewed them as funny looking buddies... I've never claimed he's all right in the head though, found him grooming the barn cat on multiple occasions. :?


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

KatieAndZanzibar said:


> Not quite related, but my same colt would always boss around the cows, then when he was done he'd lay down with little calves... Uh, may I ask if anybody knows why?
> 
> As I said, he grew up with these cows for about a year or a year and a half. I'm very curious..


Maybe the grown cattle would headbut/charge him when he laying down and the babys wouldnt mess with em? 

Or.. he needed to hear it from, maury.. 'you are NOT the father' lol.


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## KatieAndZanzibar (Jan 4, 2013)

toto said:


> Maybe the grown cattle would headbut/charge him when he laying down and the babys wouldnt mess with em?
> 
> Or.. he needed to hear it from, maury.. 'you are NOT the father' lol.



I have an idea for my next picture... LOL.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

boots said:


> On the flip side, how many of us have used horses for cow work that barely acknowledged the existence of cattle?
> 
> I know I sure have. Ponies like that were more reliant on the riders cues to get where they needed to be, but they were still good for the work.
> 
> ...


For sure! And that is where I think good training comes in. Not that I think that natural ability compensates or devalues training.
In my teens I had a horse that would run to cattle...then run right by them. I didn't know any better on how to really train him so I was in a wreck of some sorts on a regular basis! And I have been stuck with horses that didn't have a lick of cow sense but that was the horse that drew up in your rotation for the day of rodear. Can make for a long day but either you and the horse are ****ed and tired or he is a little bit handier


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

COWCHICK77 said:


> In my teens I had a horse that would run to cattle...then run right by them. I didn't know any better on how to really train him so I was in a wreck of some sorts on a regular basis!


Me too. Now that we're older and wiser we'd just sell that horse as a bulldogging prospect huh? 

I saw you posted about cutting trainers liking a horse that's a little scared of cows. There's an old cutting trainer nearby that told me the same thing. Said they usually turn out good


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

AmazinCaucasian said:


> Me too. Now that we're older and wiser we'd just sell that horse as a bulldogging prospect huh?
> 
> I saw you posted about cutting trainers liking a horse that's a little scared of cows. There's an old cutting trainer nearby that told me the same thing. Said they usually turn out good


LOL! exactly! Bulldoggin' prospect...
and complete run aways make for barrel horses


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

This is off-topic a little but I had a big gray gelding I was starting as a pickup horse. He was kinda young for it, maybe 4, and I had him real hot and i guess you could say stupid if you couldn't think of a better term. So I was picking up at a High school rodeo and as I rode into the arena for BB he was slinging and rearing, I heard a couple barrel racers laughing saying "we never saw a blowed up pickup horse before"!


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

I wanna be pickup for broncs at the dodge days rodeo! My future goal.. lol.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

AmazinCaucasian said:


> This is off-topic a little but I had a big gray gelding I was starting as a pickup horse. He was kinda young for it, maybe 4, and I had him real hot and i guess you could say stupid if you couldn't think of a better term. So I was picking up at a High school rodeo and as I rode into the arena for BB he was slinging and rearing, I heard a couple barrel racers laughing saying "we never saw a blowed up pickup horse before"!


Bah ha ha! You know it's bad when the barrel racers think your horse is goofy!  I shouldn't laugh, Zorro was the same way when he was a pickup horse:hide:


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

COWCHICK77 said:


> Bah ha ha! You know it's bad when the barrel racers think your horse is goofy!


Exactly what I thought. My partner was riding a big Two Eyed Jack gelding that knew his job, but nothing else. He couldn't lope a circle or hardly Even turn. Wouldn't back up a step unless there was bucking horse behind him. But he knew when the whistle sounded to blow in there and get against a bronc. Boy we were a pair


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

AmazinCaucasian said:


> Exactly what I thought. My partner was riding a big Two Eyed Jack gelding that knew his job, but nothing else. He couldn't lope a circle or hardly Even turn. Wouldn't back up a step unless there was bucking horse behind him. But he knew when the whistle sounded to blow in there and get against a bronc. Boy we were a pair


LOL! Good times!
That's why they cut Zorro out, he wouldn't really get in on a bronc. Tow bulls all day, but didn't have the nuts to get in on the horses...and he started bucking everyone off. That's how we ended up with so cheap and hubby got along with him. 
You still picking-up and wild cow chasin'?


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

I remember you (i think it was you) saying your husband could always find good things about any horse. I'm pretty much the same way. When I have one that doesn't like the broncs, no big deal. Can't really blame them for not wanting to bang and bump on a horse that's honking and bawling and kicking at ya. Some people will just sell em but I just figure there's plenty of stuff they can do, always can use a cowy stock horse for pushin timed event cattle and bulls. 

A local contractor had a gelding he bucked in bb, then he'd pick up SB with him and rope both ends and tie-down calves too. 

But no I hadn't been doing any pickupin' at all. I'm gonna get back into it though, or work some bull ridins or something. Funny when I was younger and did stuff cheap I had people callin with cows to catch and rodeos they wanted worked, but now that I'm older and ask to be payed better for the risk, fuel, and time involved, there's not much demand! Heehee


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I love that!!!! Buck him out in the BB, pickup SB and rope on him...that is bad as$!!!!


Yep, that was me talking about hubby. Matter of fact we was just talking about it. 
"cowboy broke horses". Drives me nuts that Zorro lopes on the left lead all the time. He's okay with it, figures he's 13 years old, cowboy broke, pickup pony, and team roped to death. And I go pickin' a fight over the right lead....LOL! Even my ill-broke gray gelding picks up the lead I ask for..geez!

Well I hope you get to go do some! I know hubby misses picking up. If it paid better, like you said, it would be a no-brainer! It sure is fun crashing into one!
Although we might go to CA for a few days to do a clean up gather next week on some yearlings that pays decent...who doesn't want to go to CA in the spring/winter when the wind is blowing in NV????


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