Ep 168: Starting Colts on Cattle
Introducing colts to cattle is one of my favorite ways to begin building confidence and establishing feel. Whether you have cattle or you are tracking a sled or Smarty dummy, the exercise of following a moving object can be an excellent stimulant for the horse's mind.
When a horse locks onto a moving object, it helps engage the thinking side of their brains. By nature, horses are very reactive prey animals. When you put the horse in the position to be chasing the object they are afraid of, it helps them feel empowered. It puts them in the position to be the “predator,” not the prey.
Some horses are naturally more accepting of cattle than others, but they will almost always have some level of reactive response when being introduced to them for the first time. While a colt may be reactive at the first sight of cattle, over time, this exposure will help disengage their flight mechanism and establish a process of think-respond-release.
If a horse panics at the sight of cattle, I will never drag them into the ground or get after them. Instead, I will rein them off to the right or left, go lope circles in the far corner, then bring them back toward the object they are afraid of, and release. When I take them away from the reactive stimulant and put them to work away from the object they are afraid of, the horse begins to associate moving toward that object with reward and relaxation.
When I get my horse in a position that I like behind that calf or dummy, there is going to be a release there. I am going to put my hand down and let the act of getting to and staying in the correct position be the reward. I am going to relax my hands and legs and let the colt know that’s where it needs to be. Sooner than later, that animal will gain confidence in being in that position. All I’m doing here is making the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard.
I utilize various tools to begin the progression of this exercise. If you have a naturally reactive colt to begin with, I highly recommend starting with a sled or Smarty dummy. These are excellent tools for starting colts because there is a certain level of uniformity to the object’s movement. It is a consistent motion and, therefore, the horse will quickly learn what to expect.
Once the horse is ready to progress past this point, you can start them on live cattle. The live cattle add another degree of difficulty to this exercise because their movements are more randomized and unpredictable. This level of variation really helps the horse stay focused and engaged. I often alternate back and forth between live cattle and the Smarty, especially when I begin adding the rope into the equation.
As the horse becomes more comfortable being around the moving object, you can begin to work on building confidence with speed control. When a horse is locked onto the moving object, they will naturally begin to slow down or speed up at the pace of the object in front of them. This process helps create feel, and it can be a great tool for developing timing and balance with your horse.
This is one example of a small exercise you can implement that can have a big impact on the mental and physical progression of the animal you are training. Like anything in life, by making one small change, you can change so many other areas of your life.
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