Fun with Cows

[smaggi]

My OH and I have been having a lot of fun with cow work lately. 3 of our 4 horses are cow bred and they absolutely love it! Cisco is normally a very calm lazy horse, but he comes alive when he is working cattle.

He hadn't seen any for 2 1/2 years so the first day I walked him into the herd to get him used to them. I picked one out and walked him toward the cow's hip. He smelled the cow and stood for a while. Then he wiggled his lips on the cow's butt. The cow didn't move so he gave him an ugle face and pinned his ears. The cow still didn't move so he nipped it on the butt. Then we tracked it down the fence row.

The second week we tried it he instinctively started cutting the cow a bit.

I'm a novice at this because normally we don't have any access to cows. We are going to do a 6 week cow working clinic. We will meet for 4 hours once a week. I'm so excited!

[Jessey]

I am so gelous, I want to get back to working cattle, I do have access to some Mooks but they are very skitty and with Bo not allowed to do tight turns or hard stops and the only other option being my 3 year old I won't risk it :o
Do let us know how you get on, Would love to see some pictures and read your diary? :D

[lazyobie29kr]

I see that you live in Ohio and I'm a bit north in Wisconsin. I too share a huge passion for working cattle and we have a small beef herd on our farm. I would love love love to go to a cow working clinic, I can honestly say that I didn't know they existed! Would you mind telling me where you are going for the clinic and the price range??

[smaggi]

I am new to cow working, but I love it and Cisco does too. He is so animated when he is on cows compared to arena work. He loves his job! I can't wait to learn more. Lavelle Farms and Smoke Rise Ranch are both about 10 miles away from our house and they both do a lot of cow working clinics.

I am really lucky because there are cow working clinics in my area all the time. I am going to watch a Peter Campbell "Willing Partner's" clinic at Lavelle Farms in New Marshfield, OH this weekend which includes Horsemanship and Cow Working. You may want to check his web site to see if he is ever in your area. Lavelle's host a Peter Campbell clinic 2 or 3 times a year. Peter's clinic costs $450 which is a bit too expensive for me, so I am going to go watch. I've never seen him before, but I heard that he is very good. I was told that he spent a lot of time working with Ray Hunt.

http://www.lavellefarms.com/

http://www.willingpartners.com/

Somke Rise Ranch in Glouster, OH hosts Aaron England clinics 2 or 3 times a year. I think his clinic costs about $450 too. Smoke Rise ranch offers a lot of other clinics and competitions all year long. They also rent cabins and rooms so you can spend the weekend.

http://www.smokeriseranch.com/newcontactus.htm

http://www.smalldreams.com/AaronEngland/

We are going to attend a Cow Working clinic with Lynn Semingson who owns Smoke Rise Ranch. It's a 6 week clinic where you meet one day a week for 4 hours. It costs $40/day or $175 for all 6 sessions. The sessions are Cow WSorking, Sorting, Penning, Cutting, Roping, and Working Cow Horse.

I am also going to go to the Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, OH this week to watch some of the pro cutting competitions. That's about 1 1/2 hours away from us.

[JOJOBA]

Ah the fun of international mix ups. When I first read you post referring to 'cow bred' my immediate thought was 'bred from cows?!'.

Sounds fun and exciting, we dont have much access to that kind of stuff over here, although I do know a quarter horse (quite unusual here) who was bred for it and his dad was famous for it apparently :confused:, showing or something?

:)

xxx

[smaggi]

Ah the fun of international mix ups. When I first read you post referring to 'cow bred' my immediate thought was 'bred from cows?!'.

You made my day. I laughed so hard I almost spilled my juice. Cisco is 'cow bred', but I've never heard him moo even once. :p

[Spotty_Pony]

OMG! You're so friggen lucky!

[Keket]

Will admit I'm jealous... :o

I've never worked cattle and while it's not at the top of my list, it's definitely something I'd like to try, especially as Coquette is bred for it (also a cow bred that doesn't moo ;) JOJOBA, you made my day with that) and I'm told she's fantastic with cattle, especially for only being four.

[smaggi]

This Thursday is my cutting class. I can't wait for that one. Cutting is my favorite competition to watch. In my last class Sorting he had everyone in the class pick a cow in the herd and work it away from the others all at the same time. I was pretty proud of Cisco when the instructor said that my "little horse was really working that cow". :D I had him on a loose rein and he just started cutting the cow all by himself. It was an incredible feeling!

Next week is a roping class. The roping class is for light roping that you would use to medically treat a sick cow and not the timed heading and heeling type of roping. Yesterday I used a rope with Cisco for the first time. I started at the walk and starting spinning the rope in a circle over his head, then I would ask him to whoa and I would toss it in front of him. I made sure that I would sometimes let it land against his neck or nose. He didn't mind a bit even at the trot and canter. I guess we are ready to give it a try.

[Jessey]

Its great to hear you are getting on so well, makes me want to get out and 'play' ;)