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Went to a Ranch Rodeo

MYT Farms

Well-known member
Today we went to only the second ranch rodeo we've ever competed in. It was a bunch of fun and I think we may start going to a few more. In team sorting, it was fairly simple and we got 1min15sec for time. Right in the mix. Then on branding, it took us a bit to get the calf across the line, and Dad and our other roper, Lake, missed and we had a three loop limit. I rode in behind the steer. We slid down one end of the arena and then turned and poured on the gas back towards the herd. I nailed him with two horn about half way there. Never been so tickled in my life! We had 2min22sec, once again, right in the mix. Then on doctoring, same deal, tough sort, and both Dad and Lake missed. I was stupid and tried to build a little bigger loop 'cause we had polled cattle, and I missed for a no time, but we had great fun. In trailer loading, Dad cut the calf and nailed 'em. Had a pretty decent time there, too. However, the no time took us outta the money. Oh well, we had fun. We also got about an inch of rain in 30 minutes right after we did trailer loading. We were the first team out and it was dry, but the other 7 teams had no such luck. Here's some pictures of the day!


First off, here's little sis trying out my pony and getting into the kid's division. She won $17 and was happy as could be!

Helping sort.
ButzSorting.jpg


Chalk branding.
ButzBranding.jpg


Run to the bucket for time!
ButzIron.jpg


3 fine ropers preparing to go.
3Amigos.jpg


Final loop, and yours truly nailed him! (A bit proud of that moment, in case y'all haven't noticed! :D )
BearRoped.jpg


Now tie and brand.
BearBranding.jpg


Do you see the one we need?
BearTalk.jpg


Dramatic effect.
DramaticEffect.jpg


Now Dad nails one! Drug 'em so fast, he got behind the truck before the pic was snapped. :wink:
RopeDaddy.jpg


Hey, lemme help ya out!
LemmeHelpYa.jpg


Gimme Five! We're all done and had a lot of fun.
GimmeFive.jpg
 

MYT Farms

Well-known member
Thanks to all! We all had a ton of fun, and I look forward to doing a few more over the summer. Triangle Bar, I also really like him. He does a great job and is really even minded. I know you didn't ask, but NFS. :wink:
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Looks like you had fun. :D :D :D

Tighten up the strap from the bottom of you breast collar to your cinch.

Ralph Shimon says to put your breast collar on where you want it then pull it down fairly snug with the buckle in front of the snap at the cinch.(Clear?) :???:
 

MYT Farms

Well-known member
Ya, I had it up in the right place to start, but I think it may have fell down a little. However, I do think I ought to snug that strap from the breast collar to my cinch. It has always hung a little loose.
 

Soapweed

Well-known member
I quit using a breast collar years ago. My best horse at the time, Ol' Tom Cat, would act stiff in the shoulders when he was saddled and led out of the barn, but he would always soon get limbered up. One day, I left the breast collar off and he wasn't even stiff to start with. On another occasion, we were on a camping trip in rough country. I was riding a tall flighty sorrel gelding in some pretty steep country. While climbing he tried to go over backwards with me. Then I realized that the breast collar was somewhat choking him, so I took it off and things were fine.

Since quitting using a breast collar, I have "saved" countless hours of buckling up unnecessary buckles. Life is easier for both me and the horses I ride, and they are saved packing around the extra weight of the breast collar. Maybe it doesn't look as sexy not having one :roll: :wink: , but as far as being necessary, it really isn't. I've roped plenty of big stock. As long as the cinches are tight, the breast collar doesn't do much anyway.

Back in November of 1997, our family rode mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. On the steep trip down, losing one mile of elevation while traveling ten miles, britchings were in place on the backsides of the mules. Coming back out by a different trail, and gaining the one mile in elevation while traveling seven miles, it was of interest to me that they didn't use any breast collars. Their theory was that the breast collars weren't needed if the mules were cinched fairly tight, and were just a source of extra rubbing which was potential for sores to develop. If breast collars aren't needed in the steepness of the Grand Canyon, I sure as heck don't need them to ride in the Sandhills of Nebraska. :)
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Some breast collars are designed better than others. I think the ones
that dont' choke a horse are called 'pulling collars.' The man that
made Mr. FH saddle makes a breast collar that never chokes a horse.
Mr. FH has used his for 22 years now, and has never had a
problem with it.

I know horse trainers (not the ones that ride inside an arena, but
spend miles riding outside) that say you can't teach a horse to really
walk out with a breast collar and they don't use them at that time.

Here's a link for a 'pulling style' breast collar.

http://buysaddles.com/catalog/Pulling_Collars-293-1.html

I agree with BMR. It would be good to tighten up yours.
And I REALLY, REALLY like your horse.
Tell us more about him. Where did you get him? How old is he?

Thanks for sharing your fun day. May you have MANY MORE!
 

MYT Farms

Well-known member
Thanks everyone! FH, thanks for the link. Now, as for Mr. Horse, he's only five but has roped and drug over 100 calves to the fire, been all the way to Iowa on the Mississippi River, and pasture roped steers bigger than himself. For such a young pony, he'll give 110% and then some if you ask for it. So level minded when you get into a wreck, it halfway amazes me. As you can tell, I am pretty tickled with him! Now, I didn't actually buy him from a sale, but I did buy him from my dad. He is out of a black stud from the Sandhills that came from the Haythorn Ranch and is out of the 276 mare line. His ma was purchased at the Pitzer Ranch sale in Grand Island, and I'll have to check on her breeding, however she is double registered foundation and AQHA. When he was born, he was so ugly that we thought we'd either shoot him or sell him ASAP. When he came a two, he was still a stud and was the biggest pain in the butt you could ask for. :roll: Well, after a little adjustment from the vet, Dad started him and we haven't had such a gentle, good minded little pony since then.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Just poke a few more holes in the buckle strap, raise it up a little, Might find the strap underneath is fine like it is.

LOL this is also one of my pet peaves. Seein loose tack on a horse. Yours is a minor fix. Back girts that are hangin are my all time worst pet peave.
 
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