Cow work! Video!

[Pocket_Pony]

How lucky am I?! I was talking with my hoof trimmer the other day and she said that a cow play group had started up at our local horsemen’s arena. One night is team penning, and the other night is easy work, just moving them around and getting green horses out and confident working around the herd.

I went for the first time last week and Mac did great! I was impressed that he was non-plussed about when the cows got squirrely and started running next to him and jumping over each other! (We were trying to move the herd along the fence line and there was no real order and so the cows broke and started running)

I went again last night and there were some different people there. Our moving them from the pasture to the arena was easy and we moved them along the fence line one way and then the other day and it was much smoother than last week.

I’m in my dressage saddle now because I decided that the western saddle I got just doesn’t work. The only time it mattered was when I decided I wanted to pull a log while I waited my turn for the cows and I didn’t realize how heavy the log was and I sure needed a horn to dally onto!

We got two go-rounds with the cows. The first one we picked out and separated it and moved it down the fence line easy-peasy.

The second one I picked a harder cow so I’d get more time and it sure was challenging - lots of moving around and going back and forth. Mac was really good but I think I didn’t give him the best ride - goosed him with my spurs a couple times and he went leaping a bit. The flies were bugging him so he was tossing his head a lot.

Anyway, if you’ve got time to waste, here are a couple videos!

Bringing the cows in and moving them around the arena (long video): http://youtu.be/gkxYr0gLcK4

And our first go (short video): http://youtu.be/s8u514vTsVk

[Raleigh_s_Mom]

You are lucky!!! I so wish we had a group like that around here. I am having hard time finding somewhere to even take lessons on cows. Glad you had a good time!

[kewpalace]

Yea for you and Mac! Looks like a good group to get your feet wet with cows - nice and slow and the cows look like they have been settled to horses & a “crowd”. Good job and glad you both had fun!

[monstrpony]

What fun! Looked great!

[anncorry]

Looks like fun. When i lived on the coast by Half Moon Bay our ranch would bring in some calf’s and My gelding Skip (quarter Horse), took to them really well. We would mainly do team Penning. Skip would walk right into the heard and we would pick one out and he would nudge it up the fence line. I wanted to get into sorting but now I live in the forest of Northern Cal. and I only seem to meet endurance riders up here. Its funny trail riding with them because they usually have arabs and they are faster then my Skip and keeping up with them is a real job.
Mabe its time to join the Horsemans asso. up here because I do miss that alot.
Thanks for sharing.

[Pocket_Pony]

Where are you in NorCal? We have lots of endurance riders up where I am, too…

[anncorry]

I’m in the Nevada City area. Our place is accessible to the BLM so I can ride out of my property. Everyone i meet has Arab’s and does endurance eccept my neighbor who has a quarter horse/morgan mix and my trainer who has a reining filly. Skip is slow and when i go out with my neighbor (she is gated), he canters to her trot.
I’m in the process of working with him to get him rated because he can do an extended trot but out of laziness he prefers to canter.
Where in Northern cal. are you located. Is it up here in the mountians?

[Pocket_Pony]

PM coming your way! :winkgrin: