4/12/08 Part 2

[Choclab]

Things are starting to pick up again...about time eh? With the longer days and 70 degree weather back, it means time to work the boys and some colts.

The half brother to my calf horse. He's gonna be awesome when he gets going good.

My buddy Hoffee and his colt Wiskey

Hoffee

Hoffee on Zodie.....guess how old this horse is.

Waiting their turns

Some moms and babies

Doesn't rolling feel great!

 

[Cowboy Up]

nice horses you got there

 

[Choclab]

Thanks. It's taken awhile to get the mare/stud combo we wanted, but it's finally paying off.

 

[Cowboy Up]

yep, the livestock business ain't the fastest one out there

 

[Jassy]

Good pictures of your setup,,I like the round pen,, thought wondering why a tiedown is used so early in training.? I have no idea how old horses really are unless they are young baby colts, or their lower lip is draggin..lol So I give up on how old that sorrel is...

 

[Choclab]

It's not really a tie-down, it's a rubber bungie. It helps them to learn where to keep there heads....and thats not up in the air, plus they won't freak out when I put a real tie-down on them. The little sorrel is 6...lol. He's 13.1 and 800+ pounds, just a little guy. Hope to sell him as a jr. rodeo horse. He's quite the character and would do well with a younger teen.

 

[kolanuraven]

It's not really a tie-down, it's a rubber bungie. It helps them to learn where to keep there heads....and thats not up in the air, plus they won't freak out when I put a real tie-down on them. The little sorrel is 6...lol. He's 13.1 and 800+ pounds, just a little guy. Hope to sell him as a jr. rodeo horse. He's quite the character and would do well with a younger teen.

Excellent idea!

I've seen way too many train wrecks where horses and man 'freak' out when a tie down is used for the first time.

The last time I put one on TExAN...why the poor fellow just broke down and cried!!!! ( I just had to say that...just had to!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: )

 

[Hooks]

Excellent idea!

....nope, just another crutch......quick gimmick..........


now, as far as Texan, its your story, tell it any way ya wanna :wink: :lol:

 

[Choclab]

lol...quick gimmick and crutch eh? It works well, but what do I know....I just started colts my whole life. They get tired of pulling against the bungies and learn to keep their heads down. It teaches them how to find relief, or their "out", something that you will use to train your horse it's whole life. It also gets them ready for the tie-down. I want them to be able to feel comfortable pushing against the tie-down for balance. It helps them get under them selves and gets them stopping better. I have so much junk hanging off of my colts when I start them, it's alost funny. It never hurts using all the tricks you can to get your horse more broke. "Crutches" or not. So while your still trying to get your ranch bred pony's head out of your face, I'll be 10 steps ahead of you. Cowboyed horses are ok for plugging along on the ranch or trail....but not for the arena or show pen. Tell ya what there "cowboy", I'll take some video of how broke and responsive my horses are, and you do the same.

 

[Hooks]

Whoa there Chocolate, didn't mean to pee in your Wheaties............
I just come from a school that never used tricks (your words, not mine) to start a colt. And I'm not good enuff to be called a "cowboy". I too have spent most of my horse-life in the show pen. But I started working for some dang good trainers & tried to learn their ways. And "tricks" wasn't one of 'em. We got the basics on 'em & then went on. If something came undone, we went back to the basics. Not saying its the only way, but just the way I was taught.
And I've had some pretty decent results. Don't have no videos, but some of my horses have paid a few trucks & trailers :wink:

 

[Choclab]

Whoa there Chocolate, didn't mean to pee in your Wheaties............

Lol..... guess I get a little fired up sometimes

We got the basics on 'em & then went on. If something came undone, we went back to the basics. Not saying its the only way, but just the way I was taught.

I don't have the time, nor the desire to keep going back to fix something that I can teach early on and do it once. If you keep having to fix things...your loosing money. You see this in rope horses waaaay too much. Guys will get a horse going too fast and try to teach them the basics on the fly, then the horse blows up and you have to start over....which costs time and more $$$. Teach them right the first time and you only have to do it once. I'll keep using my "crutches" and save my time and $$$$$$$

 

[Jassy]

Ok...I understand the bungee function...but do all your horses use tiedowns? Just curious...we don't use them very often if possible...have had some wrecks when they step in a gopherhole..and can't get their head up to balance or save themselves from a major fall...So..if ya start a colt with the bungee,,will it help him to keep his head level even without a tiedown down the road???

 

[Choclab]

So..if ya start a colt with the bungee,,will it help him to keep his head level even without a tiedown down the road???

Plain and simple answer is yes...... Teach them where you want their heads from the very get go and they will learn that they will find relief in that head position. It's kinda like setting your car in neutral.


I use a tie down for roping. The tie-down helps my horse with his balance. He can push against it, which will help get his butt collected under himself and helps him stop better/harder. As far as pasture riding goes, I don't use one, no need to. Just in the arena

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

lol...quick gimmick and crutch eh? It works well, but what do I know....I just started colts my whole life. They get tired of pulling against the bungies and learn to keep their heads down. It teaches them how to find relief, or their "out", something that you will use to train your horse it's whole life. It also gets them ready for the tie-down. I want them to be able to feel comfortable pushing against the tie-down for balance. It helps them get under them selves and gets them stopping better. I have so much junk hanging off of my colts when I start them, it's alost funny. It never hurts using all the tricks you can to get your horse more broke. "Crutches" or not. So while your still trying to get your ranch bred pony's head out of your face, I'll be 10 steps ahead of you. Cowboyed horses are ok for plugging along on the ranch or trail....but not for the arena or show pen. Tell ya what there "cowboy", I'll take some video of how broke and responsive my horses are, and you do the same.

Do it how ever it works for you but don't run down our "Ranch bred ponys" or our "cowboyed horses". We cover ground most arena horses couldn't think of covering. With out heads in our faces. Soapweed has posted lots of pictures of Saddle tramp and Peach Blossum and you don't seem high heads. Horse also learn by repition so so using a bungee might work great to get them to carry their head level but poor hands used continually with bring it back up.

 

[Hooks]

I don't have the time,

..I think somebody said "sometimes slower is faster"......they were talking about workin cattle, but it works for horses as well......

I don't train work horses on a schedule per say. Everything I got is for sale, and is priced and sold according to skill level at any given time. My time is always the same value.

The tie-down helps my horse with his balance

....this is something I've always questioned. How come they don't use tie-downs in reined cow horse or ranch horse events? Or moreover, everyday ranch work................

 

[gcreekrch]

I used to use a tie-down back when I team roped, it was one less thing that could go wrong. Never used one at home. There was one bright star up here that tried swimming a horse with a tie down on, it didn't work very well.

 

[Yanuck]

lol...quick gimmick and crutch eh? It works well, but what do I know....I just started colts my whole life. They get tired of pulling against the bungies and learn to keep their heads down. It teaches them how to find relief, or their "out", something that you will use to train your horse it's whole life. It also gets them ready for the tie-down. I want them to be able to feel comfortable pushing against the tie-down for balance. It helps them get under them selves and gets them stopping better. I have so much junk hanging off of my colts when I start them, it's alost funny. It never hurts using all the tricks you can to get your horse more broke. "Crutches" or not. So while your still trying to get your ranch bred pony's head out of your face, I'll be 10 steps ahead of you. Cowboyed horses are ok for plugging along on the ranch or trail....but not for the arena or show pen. Tell ya what there "cowboy", I'll take some video of how broke and responsive my horses are, and you do the same.

Do it how ever it works for you but don't run down our "Ranch bred ponys" or our "cowboyed horses". We cover ground most arena horses couldn't think of covering. With out heads in our faces. Soapweed has posted lots of pictures of Saddle tramp and Peach Blossum and you don't seem high heads. Horse also learn by repition so so using a bungee might work great to get them to carry their head level but poor hands used continually with bring it back up.

I agree 100% BMR.
Choclab, sometimes those "Ranchbred or Cowboyed horses" get to go to town, and they're just as able to keep up or even pass some of those show ponies who never see a cow outside of an arena.

 

[Hooks]

Yanuck-
Is that an Hombre colt?
We were out to Brinkmans (Pitzers) about this time last year & my buddy bought a Red Buck gelding. He's turned into an awesome horse.

.....and I agree with you & BMR 100%....................... :wink:

 

[Hooks]

....oops, forgot to ask.......team roper or calf horse?

............nice pony either way :wink:

and that had to be a good feeling placing at the World Show...........

 

[Yanuck]

Hooks,
He is a Mr Tyree Baron Jack, he goes back to Pat Starr, just "Boomer" to us, he is standing at Pitzers now, here is the link
http://www.thepitzerranch.com/barongoldenjack.php
We bought him off an old cowboy who raised QH's for a lot of years, and sold 3/4 to the present owner before Oklahoma City, and then the remaining 1/4 in 2003, like you, everything we have is for sale... lots of days I'd pay someone to take my kids though!!! It was very cool to see him do so well, and to be a part of it, he was just a ranch horse at our place who would do anything for a handfull of Calf-Manna. The gelding in the photos I posted last week is his son, and he's pretty good also, unfortunately he inherited his mothers head! Brinkmans are some of the nicest people in the world, and they do things pretty right I think.