Break It Down
Time and time again, I have left the herd feeling all the way from terrific, to close to suicide watch.
We’ve all felt the pain after a poor run.
One time during a clinic, a woman said to me, “I bet you’ve never cried like this.” I said, “Are you kidding? I have the corner on that market. You are an amateur crier.”
It’s easy to lump the whole run together as really good, or really awful, and not think another thing about it. (Well, maybe you ponder it a bit longer if you experience the low end of the totem pole.)
“The Best Cutting I’ve Ever Attended”
The NCHA Futurity Champions Cup
Each month I typically write a cutting article that shares specific cutting tips.
However, during this past Futurity in Fort Worth, I attended the best cutting event of my lifetime.
The NCHA celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Futurity by inviting all living Open Champions to compete in a cutting in Will Rogers Coliseum.
The draw began with the 2010 champion rider, Lloyd Cox and ended with the first Futurity Champion rider, Buster Welch.
“How to Stay Connected to Your Horse as You Ride Through the Herd”
Herdwork can be a huge challenge! There’s a lot going on!
Herd holders are talking. Cattle are changing positions. Your horse needs to stay with you as you both moving fluidly through the herd.
Then, there are all kinds of the things going through your mind about what to do … what not to do … which cow?
It’s easy to become so involved in the moment that you lose connection with your horse. Suddenly you need to make a fast move with a cow and your horse might not respond immediately … and then, it can be too late to get where you need to go.
“WATCH the COW!”
You’ve heard, “Watch the cow,” sooo many times.
It IS important for a number of reasons.
The cow is what’s happening at any given moment in cutting. It’s like the tennis ball in tennis.
There is one big difference between the cow and a tennis ball.
In tennis, if you take your eye off the ball, you won’t even be in the game! In cutting, if you take your eye off the cow, your horse might cover for you.
“New Ways to Think About ‘Off the Wall’!”
NO! I’m not talking about your whacky uncle. (This is about cutting horses!!!)
I’m sure you’ve noticed how uncomfortable it can seem when you move out of the middle third of the arena and travel across the pen toward the outer thirds of the arena.
It’s incredible that within the space of five to ten feet, you feel like you go from a sense of having it all “handled” (in the middle of the pen) to being in the North 40 pasture on the ends.
Trying to work the cow and keep it all together with yourself and your horse can be a little tricky on the ends!
“An Exercise to Practice Sitting Quietly in the Turn”
A big challenge when you learn to ride a cutting horse is sitting quietly in the turn.
We have a natural tendency to want to go with the cow immediately and move our bodies in different gyrations!
At the very time when we need to be the most quiet, intuitively we want to DO SOMETHING to contribute to the action.
But of course, what we need to do is exactly the opposite.
“How to Execute Transitions From One Part of a Cutting Run to the Next Part”
It is soooo easy to come out of a cutting run and feel like you’ve just been to Mars and back. Sometimes it seems like you’re a speeding bullet on fast forward.
After a chaotic run, your internal conversation might go something like this, “I have no idea which cattle I cut? Hot quit? On which cow? Oh, yeah … did I really?”
You can start to feel grounded and in control during all parts of your run.The key is to break it down into segments.
Beyond the technical aspects of how to execute each segment, a definite feel exists, that is distinctly different from any other segment.
Understanding how to shift gears mentally, emotionally and technically between the distinct parts of a run is not only effective, but it’s what the cutting game is all about.
Here’s how it works.
Prior to each segment, there is an introductory transition time.
“How to Use Your Rein Hand as You Make the Cut”
As you’re making your cut, have you ever heard, “Stop sword fighting”?!?
This refers to waving your hand as you make the cut. This happens when the cutter is anxious, indecisive, or tries to guide the horse with the reins only.
Have you heard, “Use your feet; use your feet!” as you make the cut?
Perhaps, you tried to use your feet, but the results were random, at best because you didn’t understand exactly how to use them.
“How to Develop Great Relationships with Your Cutting Horse Helpers, Part II”
How to Receive Clear, Helpful Information in the Show Pen
It is truly an extraordinary thing that cutters help fellow competitors win in the show pen.
Sometimes as a non-pro, you may find it tough to develop an easy-flowing, truly helpful communication that works FOR YOU with your helpers.
A common problem is that two herdholders sometimes inadvertently say two very different things at the same time.
Or, one or more helpers may chatter so much that you can’t think. Or, a helper may use a loud voice, and your body freezes.
How to Develop Great Relationships With Your Cutting Horse Helpers, Part I
Understanding Everyone’s Roles
One of the things I love about cutting is how much we help each other’s help in the show pen.
But, with the opportunity to help each other comes challenges.
Sometimes as a non-pro, you may find it tough to develop an easy-flowing, helpful communication with your helpers.
Here are three examples of things you may have experienced. Two herdholders say two very different things at the same time. Or, one or more helpers chatter so much that you can’t think. Or, a helper uses a loud voice, and your body freezes.
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