Master the Rate Down Drill & Shadow Sorting for Ranch Sorting Success 
Learn Logan Wolfe’s top exercises to control your horse’s speed and perfect positioning so you’re ready to excel in the ranch sorting pen.

Success in the sorting pen starts before you even enter it. 

“If you can control your horse’s shoulders, control your horse’s hips, and control your horse’s speed in a 50-foot round pen, then you can ranch sort.” — Logan Wolfe 

Being able to rate and control your horse’s speed is crucial, and Logan Wolfe breaks down exercises to practice at home to build these skills. In this step-by-step video, Wolfe demonstrates how to improve your horse’s engagement, core strength and collection, keeping them balanced through speed changes when it counts in the sorting pen. 

Control = Success in Ranch Sorting 

The foundation of ranch sorting is controlling your horse’s shoulders, hips and speed. Exercises like the rate down drill help build collection, softness and responsiveness outside the sorting pen so they transfer directly to cattle work. 

▶️ Watch the full video lesson.

The Rate Down Drill Builds “Gears” 

Managing your horse’s speed is crucial in a ranch sorting pen. With limited space to work the cattle, adjustments need to happen fast and having a horse who understands how to rate their speed and listen to their rider is necessary. 

“The rate down drill is really important because you want to make sure that you can get full control of your horse, and you want a bunch of different gears,” Wolfe explains. “You don’t want just walk, trot, lope—you want three different speeds at each of those different gaits.” 

Wolfe demonstrates shifting his horse between collected and extended movements in all gaits, utilizing his seat to build and rate speed, while using his legs to support the horse to keep him from falling in. By employing his own body control, he encourages the horse to engage its core to stay upright. Practicing counter bending is also vital to building balance as most movement within the sorting pen happens while horses are counter bent.  

▶️ Watch the full video lesson.

Shadow Sorting Prepares Horse and Rider

 “Positioning on the cow is essentially what makes a ranch sorter move up in rating or skill level,” Wolfe says.  

“Shadow sorting” is when a rider works through sorting maneuvers without cattle to build muscle memory for both horse and rider. The practice ensures control of the horse’s body, staying in correct position and executing moves cleanly. Ranch sorters can also expect the exercise will help them develop a better instinct for positioning, making the transition to live cattle smoother and more successful. 

Give shadow sorting a try while working in an empty sorting pen. Imagine there are live cows in the arena and work through them as if navigating a real herd. Plan for the unexpected by changing directions and speeds to mimic what cattle may do. This is a great time to utilize the rating skills to adjust your horse’s speed through turns without the stress of working an actual cow.  

▶️ Watch the full video lesson.

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