One of the perks of ranch sorting is that it gives you an opportunity to introduce your horse to ranch work and cattle, which can be otherwise hard to come by. For green horses that don’t have access to cows, though, the first go can be a little scary.
In this video, RSNC Event Director Logan Wolfe, helps Katie get her horse focused on the job he knows instead of the cattle he doesn’t.
Ranch Sorting 101: How to Introduce a Green Horse to Cows
The sport of Ranch Sorting requires two riders on two horses to manage the order in which they “sort” cows off from the herd of 10 in a pen. The team of riders that can sort as many cows off in correct order in the shortest amount of time win, so having a horse you can count on to get to work is a vital piece of every ranch sorters game plan.
1. Know your horse and the challenges he’ll face at a ranch sorting
Has your horse seen cows before? Have you taken him to town much? Is he reactive to banners hanging on the wall or a loud-speaker? These are the most basic and common elements you will encounter at a ranch sorting. Give your horse a helping hand by introducing as many of these variables as possible.
2. Give your horse the job he knows
Instead of focusing on the scary parts—the arena banners and the cows—set your horse up for success by asking him to do something he already knows how to do. In this video, Wolfe has Katie ask her horse to trot around the outside edge of the pen. Along the way, her horse encounters banners and the cows hiding behind them, but the ask is simply to trot a circle—a scenario that improves with each attempt, giving both horse and rider a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
3. Give your horse the opportunity to learn
We all know the saying, “Don’t beat a dead horse,” and it certainly applies to teaching your horse ranch sorting basics. When your horse is demonstrating an understanding of the ask and has reached a new comfort level, give him something new to think about. Katie’s horse shows a lot of improvement after a few turns around the pen, so she levels up the ask by incorporating some figure-eights. After two or three figure eights, Wolfe has Katie sort off a few “easy” cows.
These are the cows that are typically already on the edge of the group, so it’s less challenging to separate them from the herd. And, because they’re ready to move away from the herd, Katie can ask her horse to “sort” in a way that’s again set up for success. With each cow that peels off, the horse develops a sense of his job and the team is able to finish on a high note.
Want to see more? Training tips and livestreams from some of the biggest and richest Cinch RSNC ranch sorting events are ready to watch on-demand at Ride TV.
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