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.)

I once had a friend suggest that I should make a decision about how long I was going to feel badly about something based on how truly wretched or slightly off my error really was. She was not speaking about cutting. Her advice applied to any poor performance or social faux pas. Hiccupping in church might be a one minute embarrassment, while crunching your car in a parking lot might be three or four hours. Set a timer. When the time you set is over, let it go. It’s great advice.

I have always known that I am not particularly talented on a horse. Now my sister Nicki, who never really pursued riding, is a natural beauty on a horse …. seat, hands, the whole thing. However, I have used my apparent weaknesses to my advantage. I have worked to figure out (and still do) all the bits and pieces every step of the way. I know that way of thinking helps me continue to learn. It can benefit you enormously, too.

What really matters over the long haul, to take your cutting to a world-class level, is your ability to see your experience in very distinct segments. This includes everything from how mentally focused you were, to how well prepared your horse was, to your ritual before you went in, to watching (or not) cattle, etc., etc. You get the idea. I have only just started my list. Any ONE of those I have already listed could be out-of-whack and you would be riding below your potential. Ignore this fact and your progress will crawl at a snail’s pace.

And just as importantly, if you don’t acknowledge what you did well, you will take the looooooong road to getting confident. So few people say to me first thing after their run, “Boy, my herd-work was so good! Did you see that second cut? And also, I FINALLY sat still through the turn.” Most people shake their head and lament everything that went wrong. It’s easy to wallow around in beating yourself up. Some are so stuck on their mistakes they refuse to even see one good aspect of their run.

You might say, “Well, Barb, if I don’t mention those negative things, my trainer sure will.” Here’s a revelation. Obviously you have no control over your trainer or anyone else. But you can still mentally or verbally acknowledge all your good stuff. You are in charge of your own confidence building.

I see learning to ride and show a cutting horse as consisting of seven large skill sets. Each one of these has many, many sub-skills. I don’t say this for you to feel like, “Geeeez, I’ll never get all that.” Instead I am breaking it down so you can figure out where you are within each one and then take the next step from there.

All of us (I don’t care if you are a multiple world champion) have a spot somewhere along the continuum from 0 (I don’t know anything about this) to 10 (I have nothing more to learn). Every one started at 0 and no one ever gets to 10. Since you are never going to be finished learning, a HUGE secret is to enjoy where you are as you enthusiastically look forward to learning the next step.

So here are my seven categories. It’s not that I feel these have to be everyone’s absolute seven. They have just worked for me in my own learning and in my teaching:

1. Mental and emotional skills to perform at your peak under pressure as well as make the best out of difficult times.

2. Horsemanship knowledge and skills to be able to effectively communicate with your horse in and out of the herd.

3. Herd-work skills to maneuver well in a herd, choose the best cow in a particular situation, and earn credit for your score.

4. Ability to be accurate and in the correct position as you work the cow; anticipate and counter a cow’s moves with grace and speed.

5. Ability to school your horse so you can maintain his correctness and become pro-active instead of a vulnerable passenger.

6. Showmanship skills to escalate your competitive advantage and be consistently successful in competition.

7. Ability to design your own program and your horse’s program according to what you enjoy and stay compatible with your personal standards.

In the future I will often refer to these categories. I will break the skills down within each section.

Sometimes as you master one seemingly small element, many other things will fall into place.

It doesn’t matter so much about your God-given talent. What does matter is your willingness to build your confidence by improving your technical abilities within the skill sets, giving yourself credit for what you have learned (and can do with relative ease), and then taking the next step to improve.

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.

Buster Welch, 83, who won the Futurity five times, scored 221 points, as the last rider of the cutting on Bet Hesa Cat, the 2011 Mercuria Open Champion horse.

History unfolded in front of my eyes. It was a chronological visual of how our sport has evolved over the years.

Every competitor exhibited true determination to show their champion ways.

Jody Galyean and Austin Shepard tied to win the cutting, each with a score of 230.

The entire audience, including me, was inspired, moved, proud, on our feet, and in awe of these champions.

I felt lucky to ride cutting horses and be among these heroes.

I cherished the comradry of an audience who all felt the same and same and shared a rare moment in time.

The proceeds of this cutting’s DVD benefit the NCHA Foundation and may be purchased through the NCHA. Here’s the link so you too may share the memories.

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.

Here are a few exercises you can practice to stay connected with your horse in the herd.

1. During your warmup, play with guiding your horse primarily with your feet.

Walk in small circles with your hand down.

Think about where you want to go. Look ahead from where you are to where you want to go. Subtly point your hand in that direction low on your horse’s neck.

Then use your feet to shape your horse’s body to point him in the direction of where you want to go.

Don’t forget to keep you eyes glued on where you want to go … not on your horse’s neck.

Be patient. Help your horse with your reins if you need to do so, but primarily ride with your feet.

2. During your dry work, practice how you would move your horse during a cut.

Stop. Rock your horse back and pivot one way.

Then, move some distance on a line, and then repeat the stop, draw and pivot motion on the other side.

Consciously think of your cuts as occurring in a wedge similar to a fuel gauge on the dashboard of your car.

This practice will help you use your hands and feet to move your horse in a smooth, predictable, and effective sequence during a cut.

3. When you ride at home, practice seeing the cattle, feeling your horse, and THEN making a move with a cow.

Instead of going in and cutting a cow without much thought, observe where the different cattle are located that you will cut before you enter the herd. There might be, for example, a yellow baldy to your right, a black mott to the left, etc., etc.

Pause. Slow down.

Consciously feel your horse as you move in a targeted direction in the herd.

If your horse bends his body the wrong way, make a correction by pressing the opposite calf of your leg into your horse’s side. This signal will usually cause his body to become aligned again.

If your horse’s head is pointed the wrong way, slow down. Use your opposite calf at the same time you point your reins in the direction you want to go.

Stay cool. Stay conscious of where your horse is underneath you. Make mini-corrections moment-to-moment.

Move slowly and strategically, all the while feeling your horse as you move through the cattle or into the cow you want to cut.

These actions will keep you connected with your horse as well as with the situation at hand.

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.

With that being said however, your constant focus on the cow determines how you ride your horse so you can be in control of and in rhythm with the cow.

If you look down at your horse, you can’t be accurate and rhythmic.

In the world of sports science, looking anywhere but exactly where you need to focus reflects doubt, distraction or negative emotions on the inside.

Here are some tips to keep your eyeballs watching the cow:

1. Script your thoughts as you work the cow. Tell yourself to “Watch the cow. Watch the cow!” no matter what is going on. Scripting is one of the most powerful mental tools at your disposal. It is completely up to you to do it. Most importantly, it works!

2. Pick a place on the cow to watch.

	Some trainers say the neck.
	Others recommend the eyes.
	Paul Hansma said he watches the entire cow’s body when interviewed during an "Insights" Webinar).
	Dan Hansen said he likes to watch the cow’s legs to be able to read the cow, (again during an "Insights" interview).

3. Put some energy into watching the cow.

You can kind of … or sort of look at the cow … or you can stare that sucker down!

Staring a hole in the cow has much more umph to it than just looking in the direction of, or over the top of the cow.

4. Video yourself. Make one of your disciplines to count how many times you took your eyes off the cow in a run.

Then, when you practice again, use the above suggestions to watch the cow.

When you show the next time, watch your video and compare the number of times you glanced downward to the first time you videoed.

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!

The fact is, in most situations, the faster the cow and the longer the distance travelled, the less controlled it can feel.

When you arrive at the wall, there could be even a couple additional aspects that can magnify this situation even more:

• YOU want to get the heck out of Dodge and get back to the middle of the arena where you feel safer, so you may not stay as patient and in time with the cow on the ends. This can translate to fidgeting in the saddle, kicking too soon, and feeling rushed.
• YOUR HORSE might not want to travel all the way to the ends and wait if you are not comfortable, or if you don’t ask him to do so.
• Over time some horses can “get smart” and try to stop short of the wall. This usually translates into turning way too quickly when the cow moves. That usually means you end up coming off the wall way ahead of the cow. 

So in the spirit of overcoming the above challenges, when the cow travels all the way to the wall and then comes back off of the wall, it is good to keep these things in mind: 

1. Be clear about what affect you want to have on the cow when it leaves the wall.

• You want to ALLOW the cow to travel to the middle of the arena. If you get ahead of the cow enough to cause the cow to stop and or turn before it approaches the middle of the arena, you cannot regain control the cow in the credit earning center third of the arena.
• When you are aware that your goal is to allow the cow to approach mid-arena, then you feel much more aware and purposeful in how you use your feet and seat to slow down or speed up to achieve this. You do not want to get ahead of the cow coming out of an outer third of the arena.

2. With a new clarity of purpose about how you DO want to influence the cow, you can now obtain that special rhythm needed to flow off the wall smoothly.

• Make sure you stay at least even or slightly ahead of the cow as you travel to the wall.
• Arrive at the wall at a right angle to the wall and even with the cow.
• Allow the cow to “drag” your horse off the wall, which means you stay low and patient as the cow departs first. This is similar to any time you work a cow, but that sense of waiting is even more dramatic on the wall, and absolutely necessary.
• Become increasingly aware of allowing the cow to travel to the middle of the arena. Then get in a position to stop the cow.
• With a new sense of a target for the cow, mid-arena, you will be more likely to ride to help your horse rate the cow appropriately.

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.

It’s at the precise moment of the turn that we need to allow a horse to turn on his own.

We can collapse deeper. We can keep our eyes on the cow. We can position our feet just right.

But, ultimately our job is to allow our horse to do his job and turn on his own without our interference.

There is an exercise to help you learn how to let your horse do the work in the turn. This exercise is actually done without working a cow.

It’s about learning how to turn your horse around smoothly and easily.

I’m not talking about incessantly turning your horse around and around in the back of the arena.

I’m talking about learning how to do a slow pretty turn as a practice for riding your horse on a cow.

The key word here is “slow”.

When you have form, rhythm and consistency outside of the herd, you will have the same when you work a cow.

When you learn to turn your horse around slowly and consistently, and you follow the same steps each time, both you and your horse will feel more confident.

I’m not promoting an exact form of turnaround here. But you do need to have certain steps that you do each time.

Here are my suggestions.

First, is … slow it down. From there you can build speed later if that’s important to you.

Next, before you even make a move, see in your mind what you are going to do. This takes only a moment to do.

You might think something like, “Okay, I’m going to walk … then stop … then draw back … set up the turn … be smooth … then turn.”

Now, walk or trot … then stop your horse, and draw him back so he has his weight mostly on his hindquarters. This might require just lifting the reins, or backing up several steps.

The next step is the one that often gets neglected.

Pause and prepare your horse to turn.

I often see this sequence instead … during the walk-stop-draw phase, before there’s been a step back, and a pause. … the horse is already being swirled around.

Sometimes the horse’s nose is to the outside. The shoulder is sticking out on the inside, and the rear end is not anchored. It’s flipping around in a very unattractive manner.

So instead, get slow and methodical.

Do the mechanics in your mind. Add the feel of the flow and the smoothness before you do the exercise.

As you do the steps, make sure each segment is complete before you move on to the next one.

Stop. Load your horse’s rear. Tip the nose in the direction you want to go.

Be patient. Set your horse up to turn. Allow the turn.

You want all to feel smooth and grounded.

You want your horse to feel that way too.

Slowing down and being smooth outside of the herd will help your turns as you work a cow.

Remember to stay slow.

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.

As you become aware of these transitions, you will experience them as THE times to tap into the distinct feel of the NEXT segment. Only after you have made the feeling transition, should you THEN move into that next partt of your run.

As you practice this, your sense of control, and quality of cutting will accelerate. That translates to higher scores.

Here’s a short primer on the segments and their transitions:

Segment: Walk to the herd

Transition: Ritual before you walk to the herd
Feeling Internally: You feel calm, ready, and you are proactively REVIEWING YOUR PLAN.

Segment: Moving through cattle for your cut

Transition: Nearing the entry of the herd
Feeling Internally: You calmly see the entire picture. You are comfortable … ready to make moment-to-moment decisions. You monitor how things transpire and respond confidently. The feeling is a cross between observer and confident decision maker.

Segment: Making the cut

Transition: Making the final decision about which cow to cut
Feeling Internally: You feel resolute, confident, proactive. You turn into a laser beam that moves a cow aggressively forward for a beautiful, credit earning cut. Your focus is on the cow and confidently driving it.

Segment: Working the cow

Transition: Putting your hand down
Feeling Internally: You intently focused on the cow. You are patient, yet aggressive. The cow tells you what to do. Your body is heavy in your hips. You feel settled in your upper body. Your seat and legs communicate with your horse. No matter how fast it gets, you feel slow on the inside. You feel the rhythm of moving with the cow.

Segment: Quitting the cow

Transition: Putting your hand on your horse’s neck to quit
Feeling Internally: You feel calm, clear, and focused on executing the four parts of a quit. 1.) Recover … breathe as you look at the cow. and put your on your horse’s neck; turn and relax for a second or two 2.) Plan … what needs to happen on the next cow depends on what happened on the first cow … and where are my cattle (or, where do I re-enter for a shape cut)? 3.) Re-enter the body of the herd (ONLY after you have done step #2) 4.) Repeat the second segment above.

As you break your run down into segments, and then, combine the feeling of a segment with the technical aspects of that part, you will experience a huge difference in your sense of control of your run.

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.

Here’s a good way to think about coordinating your rein hand with your feet.

Think of your rein hand as having three main functions: brake, balancer, and pointer.

The brake aspect is easy to understand. You use your hand to slow down or stop your horse.

By balancer, I am referring to your hand efficiently and effectively loading your horse on his hindquarters.

To understand this idea better, think of your horse’s hindquarters as a swivel. In order for the swivel to get engaged, the horse must shift some weight to this swivel base.

This is achieved when you feel a light connection to the horse’s mouth by pulling back. It feels like your horse is “in your hand”.

Once the horse has his weight balanced behind, then he can easily move the rest of his body left and right.

Movement laterally happens this way. 

From the balanced position, look in the direction of exactly where you intend to go.

Point your rein hand slightly toward the target you have in sight. This is the pointer function of your hand.

With a balanced horse, a clear vision of where to go, and your horse pointed in the right direction … NOW the feet take over.

Your hand remains steady and keeps your horse balanced.

Whatever foot pressure is necessary for a horse to move to the left is provided primarily with a smooth, and steady pressure with the right foot .. a move to the right is initiated with the left foot.

The trick is for the rider to gain the feel and the trust that his foot does the WORK of the movement … not his hand.

It’s when the trust and patience that the feet will do the trick run thin, that the hands tend to frantically take over … often in sword fighting motions with little or poor results.

The development of hand-eye-foot horse communication takes practice,but can easily be developed outside of the herd.

Practice the steps slowly until you get the hang of it.

A great way to think about it is this.

• Your hand provides balance (by shifting weight to the hindquarters) and intentionality of direction (by pointing).
• Your feet do the work by providing energy and direction … left, right and forward.

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.

On the positive side, when you have GREAT communication with your helpers, I feel as if it’s like having terrific data given to me about what’s going on … maybe things I either can’t, or don’t see. I still make the decisions because I hold the reins, but I have support and more info.

This article is about ways you can lay the groundwork to receive clear information from your helpers in the show arena.

1.) Develop a Friendly Relationship with Your Helpers

Sometimes, for any number of reasons, you may feel as if other trainers are not truly engaged in your success?

If your trainer chooses your help for you, you might feel even more removed from them.

However, you can do a lot to develop a sense of having a team that’s meaningful to you by doing some simple things.

Ask your help to help you. If your trainer chooses who your help will be, you can still ride up to them and ask for their help.

Then, FOR SURE, thank them … either at the end of your run, or before you leave for the day.

These are two simple things, but they can make a difference.

2.) Develop a Show Plan With Your Trainer at Home

Too often, we are so involved with getting our horse, as well as ourselves, ready for a show, that we forget to think through our help situation.

We put “helper considerations” on automatic pilot to be dealt with at the show.

Automatic pilot at the show is okay as long as you feel good that your helpers are engaged and the communication is good. But if it’s not as good as you think it could be, you can think it through, talk it through, and plan at home.

Just give conscious thought to who, will be doing what, and why before you get to the show.

3.) Make Choices Consistent With Your Personality

Because helpers feed you a lot of information during your run, it’s important to choose people who speak in ways that are helpful, not distracting.

It’s not a right and wrong thing. It’s a personality thing. Some of us like almost constant talking. Others of us like it more quiet.

When you think about who will help you, don’t make your choices by default. Make conscious decisions based on how their communication style affects you.

It’s your run. Your helpers are there to HELP you. You are the one who can maximize assistance available to you.

4.) Choreograph Them

One of the big issues that seems to occur repeatedly, is that two different helpers simultaneously give two different sets of instructions.

One way to avoid this is by suggesting to particular helpers how they can best help you.

For example, you could say, “Heh, Bob, when you tell me to look out to the middle of the arena on my cut, and step into the neck of the cow … that helps me so much. More talk than that at that moment gets me rattled. If you can remind me to look up during a cut, I think I’ll get it going in the right direction! That reminder really helps me so much. Thank you.”

If you take this approach with key helpers, and “choreograph” them, you will find you will be hearing all the things that really do help you.

5.) Trust Yourself if You Get Conflicting Audio Feed at the Same Time

There’s just no way around the fact that you will get conflicting directions from time to time.

If you make sure you put yourself into and stay in a calm state of mind, when you hear conflicting signals, you will be able to trust your own instincts.

Be committed to staying cool, no matter what is going on around you. Be confident in whichever instruction you decide to act upon.

6.) When You Travel Away From Home Become an Observer

Here are some suggestions for when you travel to another area and you do not know the helpers.

Watch the helpers in the open, and how they help and communicate. Pay special attention to the turnback people. They do a job over which you have no control (whereas in the herd you can do a lot to help yourself).

Then, introduce yourself.

Take the time to visit for a moment or two. Express your appreciation. Go show! Thank them.

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.

As in all relationships, all we have control over are our thoughts and responses to situations. So, with that in mind, in Part One of these helper articles, I have outlined three key ideas to help you lay the groundwork for great helper communication.

The first is what I believe to be the ideal scenario of a cutter’s working relationship with helpers … and then, a look at your helpers’ varied roles … and, finally a description of your roles.

The Ideal Situation

Your herdholders and turnback people not only help you have a successful run, but in the best case scenario, they are an integral part of your team.

Ideally, they want you to win, and are a huge part of your support system. This is big!

It doesn’t mean that someone who is not particularly “connected” with you won’t do a good job helping you. I’m not saying that.

But, when you show in an area consistently, you can develop great relationships with your helpers over time. When you KNOW they want you to do well, and they give your run that extra effort, it can take your game to a whole new level.

What I’m talking about is the power of a team vs. isolated individuals doing routine jobs. You are key to developing your team by communicating with them, complimenting them, and thanking them.

A Herdholder’s Job

Herdholders do four main tasks:

1.) They help you move cattle.

2.) They are like two extra sets of eyes to help find a specific cow … or to help you see which cow is winding up out front and center, (if you cut for shape).

3.) They help you make good decisions. They help you consider to make a move … or not. They can help you be aware of something that just developed … say, behind you.

4.) They often coach you while you work a cow. This can be anything from reminding you to relax, to walking you through you cow work, blow-by-blow.

A Turnback Person’s Job

Your turnback helpers do most of the things stated above, although they are not usually as involved in finding cattle. But often, especially if they know your pre-chosen cow, they can help you spot it in the middle of the arena.

They also have the following five tasks:

1.) They sometimes help clear cattle on a cut.

2.) They attempt to help you keep the cow you’re working in the middle of the arena, at just the right speed.

3.) They make critical decisions about how much pressure a cow can take before it starts doing things you don’t want … like going too fast, or trying to run down your throat!

4.) They try to keep cattle from going to the walls, or up the middle of the arena.

5.) When synchronized with your thinking about when to quit a cow, they back-off the pressure so hopefully the cow stops, or turns away, so you can quit.

Your Role

Ultimately, no matter how much your helpers try to assist you, you’re the person who has the most responsibility.

This is an important fact, because I often hear people blame their help for a bad run.

Helpers are human, so sometimes they do make mistakes. While those mistakes certainly can be costly, it’s unusual that a herdholder or a turnback person’s error cost you significantly.

It’s important to know that your role in the herd, as opposed to working a cow, IS significant.

In the herd, you are ultimately responsible for a big percentage of what goes on during a cut.

As your skills grow, you will be able to move cattle in strategic ways to make good cuts … with or without the help of your herdholders.

And please know, you DO make the final decision for your cuts, no matter how much clear, or muddled input you receive from your herdhorders. This is a critical fact to grasp. (I understand it’s a challenge when you receive conflicting information, but you still do make the final decision.)

What you do have control over changes when you WORK a cow.

You can ride your horse to a position to stop a cow, when possible.

However, you cannot do anything to control a cow if the cow drifts, or runs out of your horse’s sphere of influence. This is where your turnback helpers’ response is solely in their territory.

If a cow is going wide open towards the judge’s stand, there’s nothing you can do except make a decision to wait, and let your turnback people bring the cow back … or, quit.

The above facts are critical to help you sort out decisions about choosing your helpers.

In Part II of this article, I will explore answers to these questions:

How do you choose who will turnback, and who will be in the herd?

What is the difference between choosing help when you know most of the people at the show, vs. when you are out of town, and you don’t know people?

If you have so much power in the herd, do you know how to develop it, while at the same time utilizing the resources of the two people who are beside you in the herd?

Do you know how to communicate with your helpers before, during, and after your run?