# Training basic cutting skills in a non-Western environment?



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Hello, all! I've recently started thinking of what to do with my horse - a very active and intelligent 6yo gelding. His photos and constitution can be seen in my profile, if necessary. We are currently riding English and Trails with a rope halter, and will progress to a little bit of jumping, when the rains and snow will pass, but I've got an impression that he'd like doing something more challenging and active. For example, when a mare with her foal were in the arena and the mare was being lead away, but the foal wasn't following and I was asked to help (I was in the saddle), Snickers offered me some flat out cutting - purely instinctive, of course, as neither him or me had ever done that, but it was cutting, and successful - he cut the foal away from the other horses and lead it to it's mother. Since then he has offered me this repeatedly whenever I'm riding him and there is a foal or a pony nearby. So, I was starting to think - maybe there are ways how to do some cutting exercises in a country where Western riding is almost non-existent? We have a couple of Western and a couple of Endurance riders in the country, but no training, no shows, etc. No valuable information, too. And no cattle to cut, of course. Is it even possible? My guy really seemed to enjoy it. Maybe there is something similar we cold try in the very basic level, because, as I said - no trainers available? 

Other things he enjoys and often trys to provoke when I'm riding him - chasing and racing smaller animals, cantering and galloping to very definite spots. Maybe there is a way I can stimulate his "hobbies" in a safe and fun way for both of us? 

And please forgive me, if this question of mine is downright silly.  I just really don't know much about Western disciplines and training.


----------



## mystykat (Dec 4, 2011)

Without cattle I can't think of anything similar. Is there any mounted games in your area? Here for example there's pole bending, capture the flag, etc that is done either in English or Western.


----------



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Sadly, no mounted games here at all. Basically everyone does English jumping or classical dressage. And really just a few endurance riders. 
I guess I'll have to start a new movement here, if I wish for something to happen.  Got some information, that the very basic cutting skills can be taught with the help of a friend, who is instructed to run back and forth on a straight line, imitating a cow, and maybe I'll be able to learn a thing or two with lots of Western-related reading and trial&error practice. I have my eye also on tent pegging, it doesn't involve any cattle, so I might as well try that, as I have some practice with spears from firedancing.


----------



## mystykat (Dec 4, 2011)

Good luck!!


----------



## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

Try eventing.


----------



## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

Sorry mildot...just had to say this.
Every time I see your username, I think it says "mild dolt".


----------



## rob (Aug 8, 2011)

saranda,look up show pro industries.they have mechanical cow devices that all of us cutting horse trainers use to get the basic's and fundamentals down pat before we put our horses on cattle.


----------



## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

MangoRoX87 said:


> Sorry mildot...just had to say this.
> Every time I see your username, I think it says "mild dolt".


I can't figure out what it is either... Mil dot? Or Mild ot?


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Do you have goats?


----------



## Stillstandin (Nov 10, 2009)

Many horses with the natural instinct to work a cow will work almost anything that moves. Your horse has shown the inclination on foals and ponies. Many will cow up on a dog. 
I have a large flock of Canada geese in my pasture that I will let my cowhorses work. It has actually taught the horses how to be very precise and calm. As long as we do it right the geese don't take flight but when they do the horses give this what the heck look. We also mirror another horse and rider. One takes the lead and the other follows the moves. I do have cattle but don't always use them to work the horses.


----------



## rob (Aug 8, 2011)

do the geese make a horse put his nose lower so he can see them?


----------



## Stillstandin (Nov 10, 2009)

lol Rob. Dare you to try it someday. Or do you have canada geese in your part of the world? Cows don't always co-operate when you want to work slow and I don't have a mechanical cow at my place. 
The horses get very very focused on the geese when we play with them.


----------



## rob (Aug 8, 2011)

but i'm serious.i would think the horse will put his head down to focus on the geese.and no,i don't have geese,but i do have a mechanical cow,cattle and buffalo.


----------



## Stillstandin (Nov 10, 2009)

yes both horses that I have done it with did quickly figure out to lower their heads and really sit down to work. We used to train cattle dogs on geese so I just figured a horse could do it too.


----------



## rob (Aug 8, 2011)

great idea.


----------



## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

LOL, I have heard of using geese or ducks for starting pups but not horses....hmmm...be a hell of a lot cheaper feeding geese rather than a bunch of yearlings!


----------



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks for the great input, everyone! A mechanical cow would be a great option and I'll consider it, but it's out of question right now due to financial reasons. We don't have goats, but we have a dog, which Snickers tried cutting just last evening. And we have a filly, which has also been cut one time, when she was trying to escape the arena and Snickers went to the rescue. For now, I love the idea to train with another horse&rider - I have a friend who might be interested. Also, I will maybe try to find someone who will mimic the run-stop-rollback-turn-run move, so I can trot Snickers along this pattern. Gotta give it a try, he sure seems to enjoy such activities.


----------



## joachim (Sep 3, 2007)

Cutting is a nice task. But before deciding what branch of western riding you’re gonna choose check your horse what he is good for. To give you a hint, I won’t drive my Explorer on an Indy track because it is built for bad roads. Same goes with horses. If you discover kinda cutting gene I’d try cutting. Maybe first with a cow-trac and later with real cows. 

Two years ago when playing with PK from the ground he always wanted to cut me. I liked this game and came to the clue to put cutting on the upper half of my priority list. With my trainer we tried PK at the cow trac but he wasn’t that interested in an artificial cow, more in the red ‘power’ lamp of the cow trac control unit. But in the coming months there will be cows at a stable nearby and let us see how PK gonna manage this.


----------



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I used to make my kids duck and dodge for a horse, occasionally. And, to be fair, I returned the favor for them.


----------



## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

boots said:


> I used to make my kids duck and dodge for a horse, occasionally. And, to be fair, I returned the favor for them.


LOL! That was nice of you!

I worked for a trainer that would make me do that in the warm up pen...especially when the warm up/practice cattle were soured. I used to get laughed at lol


----------



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I've observed that when Snickers is chasing or cutting a foal or a dog in his pasture, he sometimes tries nipping at it not to let it cross a line - maybe there's an advice how to avoid it? I wouldn't like him nipping at a person or a horse during training. Would having the person to make him quit nipping do the trick?


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Saranda said:


> I wouldn't like him nipping at a person or a horse during training. Would having the person to make him quit nipping do the trick?


Yes, that is part of the horse's training. Horses that become too aggressive are culled from cutting since they loose point or can be DQ for that behavior.


----------



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks for the input. It's now looking more and more possible to carry out in the very basic levels. Yay!


----------

