I’m thinking about doing a beginner’s clinic! A friend of mine took her endurance Arabian yesterday & they had a blast.
I ride an appendix QH in dressage. He’s had basic roping training, does nice haunch turns, halts, & reinbacks in a snaffle. He’s a big, lofty mover, though, & the most successful horses moved totally differently.
We’d be doing this for fun, though, not for eventual competition.
Any tips or pointers? Thanks!
Have fun. Don’t take it too seriously, it’s great cross training for the horse regardless of his primary job or discipline and you can remember how much fun riding can be.
We used to go about once a year and my horse loved it! Some horses were fighting not wanting to go in the pen and he was fighting to not leave. Have fun and talk trash. 
Yep, they were yelling at the cows! If that’s what you mean by talking trash. They were also really supportive of one another–nice friendly atmosphere. My friend even got compliments on her endurance saddle.
I have fun every time I ride, but this would be a totally new thing for me.
One little filly would get in amongst the cows & then freeze, rooted in place with horror. The trainer got off his horse & led her fowrards until she became confident.
Mine likes cows, & knows more about them than I do.
Talking trash is when you get to know the other people there and pick at them about how they missed a cow. Of course you have to be able to take it back if you give it out.
I’d feel bad enough about screwing up without that!
My friend & her partner messed up their first run so badly that the Fearless Leader told them they’d invented a new sport! When they got the hang of it, everybody cheered.
I love team penning and go every chance I get. My horse is much better at it than I, I end up hanging onto the horn so he doesn’t duck out from underneath me since he has a 6th sense of what the cow is going to do.
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