Working a gate from horseback is a necessary skill when riding on the ranch. When competing in ranch riding classes, the obstacle can be part of the competition or the entrance to the competition grounds. You’ll need to know the process so that your horse has the skills necessary to open and close a panel gate.

Here, trainer Cody Crow helps you learn how to approach the gate opening correctly and to ride through smoothly and safely. You’ll learn what to do, whether you just want to get to trails on the other side, or score well in ranch riding competitions.

“There are no rope gate openings in ranch riding competitions now,” says Crow. “Instead, riders need to be ready to show that they can open and close a gate without leaning and while showing you have control of your horse to put him exactly where he needs to be at every part of the process.”

Ranch riding patterns will dictate if you are to open a gate with your right or left hand and if you are to push or pull. In some advanced patterns, you may even be asked to back through a gate. Read on to find out how to open a gate by pushing it away from you.

Ranch Riding Skills Needed Before Maneuvering a Gate

Before attempting to open a gate from the saddle, make sure that your horse can independently move his forehand and hindquarters. To work a gate, your horse needs to be able to move his shoulders and hips on command; he should be able to sidepass in each direction. While the sidepass isn’t always a move needed for gate opening, it’s good to know that you can move your horse into position as needed.

Warm up your horse as usual, then practice moving his shoulders by applying leg pressure in front of the cinch. Move his hindquarters by applying leg pressure slightly behind the cinch.

For each move, choose a direction to go, block forward motion with your reins, relax your leg and “open the door” to the direction you want to go while your opposite leg applies pressure.

To sidepass, you’ll block your horse’s forward motion with the reins, pick up and to the side, and apply leg pressure at the cinch line.

“Sometimes you’ll sidepass if you need to cover a mistake or move into position,” says Crow. “And depending on the gate, you may have to push it away from you and sidepass your horse a little bit. There’s always some lateral movement when opening a gate, and you’re not going to be penalized for sidepassing when needed.”

Crow says it’s important to know where the gate is placed in the ranch riding arena. He says you don’t want to sidepass to get to the gate if you could have easily ridden forward into alignment with the gate opening.

Approach and Through

When you’re ready to open the gate, ride up next to the gate opening so that the hand you’ll open the gate with is aligned with the gate’s handle.

“You may have to trot up and stop in position to show that you have control of your horse,” says Crow. “Stop so that you can reach the handle of the gate without having to lean way over or back. Your horse should be parallel to the gate. Place your reins in the hand that won’t open the gate. I put the tail of the romel reins in the same hand as the reins so it’s clean and tidy when you’re working an obstacle.”

Crow says to place your hand on the gate handle to open it. Then, back up slightly to make sure that the horse’s head will clear the gate opening. Make sure to keep your hand on the gate as you back and ride through.

“I want the horse to back straight, then as I push the gate open, I want him to bring his forehand through and then bring his hindquarters around the gate,” says Crow. “To close, I’m going to sidepass perfectly straight as I shut the gate. Then I want to see that my horse’s shoulders are just in front of the latch, lining my hand up to latch the gate easily.”

Slow Practice

When practicing at home before a competition, Crow says that he slows the process down and doesn’t open the gate quickly.

“I do it step by step, and I wait between every step to make sure that the horse is patient,” says Crow. “When a horse understands how to work a gate, he often starts anticipating and rushing through. I want to keep it all slow and have the horse work off my cues. I will ride up to the gate and stand still for 10 seconds before I reach for the handle. Then, I’ll wait 10 to 20 seconds in between each of the next steps.”

Crow says he waits even longer between steps if he’s working with a young horse.

“I make them pause and wait for me, especially with a younger horse,” he says. “Wait a little longer with a horse who has learned to rush, too.”

If a horse gets anxious at the gate opening and prances or jigs, Crow recommends backing the horse (gently) in a big circle and returning to the gate-opening spot.

“I will back him right up to the point where I wanted him to stand still, then give him the option to stand patiently or back a circle again,” he says. “This isn’t a punishment but provides the horse a choice of working harder or standing still comfortably. It doesn’t take very many circles before the horse chooses to just stand at the gate and be patient.”

Safety First

When you’re just starting to open and close gates with your horse, opt to push the gate open as Crow described.

“The ranch riding pattern may dictate how you have to work in a show, but it’s generally safer to push a gate than to pull one to you. When you pull a gate, then you’re having to go through it, and you run the risk of not having the gate open far enough and catching tack on the latch.”

As you start to practice, ride through gates designed with easy-to-use handles. In a competitive setting, you may have to reach down or use whatever handle is available.

If you are building your confidence or your horse is just learning, make sure that the handle is at your arm’s height, and you don’t have to practice too many new skills at once.

“I have seen shows where the gate has a traditional chain to reach for that is low,” says Crow. “It’s important that your horse feels comfortable with you reaching over and shifting your weight before you try to reach at a gate. Make sure your horse is used to the feel out in the open. When you do reach down, make sure to keep your weight as even as possible in your stirrups to keep your saddle from shifting and to keep your horse from moving away. I like to keep my leg off my horse as I lean so he doesn’t mistake my reaching for a cue.”

This article about maneuvering gates for ranch riding appeared in the August 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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When the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) officially launched in 1940, several ranch breeders were the initial registrants and members. Those ranches, like King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas—the owner of the first registered horse, Wimpy—were drivers in the industry.

In 2022, King Ranch and Waggoner Ranch, located in Vernon, Texas, were recognized by AQHA as 100-year breeders. Those ranches not only kick-started the breed, but today continue to influence the horses competing.

All Quarter Horses must be able to run a quarter of a mile in 23 seconds or show that they are capable of Quarter Horse performance under ranch conditions, was recorded in the AQHA Executive Committee meeting minutes from April 22, 1940.

The breed has evolved to include horses that show in hunter under saddle, western pleasure, dressage, and are driven under lines. Yet, the basis of the breed remains their foundation characteristics of cow savvy, athleticism, and trainability.

A Cow Horse First

The list of stallions that have impacted the Quarter Horse breed is long, and among them is Doc Bar. Bred for speed, the chestnut stallion was born in 1956, sired by Lighting Bar and out of the mare Dandy Doll, a daughter of Texas Dandy.

In the halter arena, Doc Bar was a champion, but it would be his offspring that truly influenced the future horses bound to compete in the National Cutting Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association, National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA), and the versatility ranch horse arena.

“They were great horses,” says NRCHA Hall of Famer Bobby Ingersoll of Doc Bar foals. “They were great then and would be great today. They were athletic, quick-footed, had a lot of cow instinct and were quick to train. I showed the first Doc Bar foal at the NCHA Futurity, I’m pretty proud of that. [Cow horses] had a lot of old foundation breeding, [but] when Doc Bar came [along] we had a little different type of horse, and they were pretty horses, too. Who doesn’t want to ride a pretty one?”

Looking at the performance horse industry, you can still trace Doc Bar bloodlines to the winners in nearly every discipline. The 2023 NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman Champion Phillip Ralls rode Call Me Mitch to the title, and the roan stallion is by Metallic Cat and out of the Docs Hickory (by Doc Bar) daughter Miss Hickory Hill.

“Doc Bar brought the look,” recalls Bill Enk, NRCHA Hall of Fame member, trainer and NRCHA director of judges. “The eye appeal box [on a score card] was for Doc Bars. They looked at a cow, they got around on one and looked pretty doing it. The Doc Bar line is still on a lot of pedigrees. He has influenced an industry.”

Ranch to Arena

Today, ranch riding is one of the most entered events in the AQHA. With the addition of the AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championship Show and the inclusion of the stand-alone ranch riding class at the AQHA World Championship Show, horses bred, raised and used on the ranch have a place to compete. The ranch horses “shine up” to hit the show pen.

Jessica Rumbaugh and her gelding, Boonfull Of Caesar, who has Doc Bar on both sides of his pedigree, won the 2018 AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse Amateur World Champion title. The gray gelding may look sharp showing, but he’s also been known to push Rumbaugh’s grass-fed beef cattle around on their former El Campo, Texas, ranch.

“I bought him as a cutting horse, but his athleticism made adding the other classes for versatility—ranch riding, ranch reining, working cow horse and ranch conformation—easy to do,” says Rumbaugh. “He is just a great horse.”

Aboard Lil Trash Talk, another Doc Bar descendent, Texas trainer Bud Lyon captured the 2020 AQHA Junior Ranch Riding World Champion title and the 2021 AQHA Senior Ranch Riding World Champion title. The sorrel horse was bred by Brooke Wharton, who grew up on the Waggoner Ranch. It’s that connection between today’s show horse and the base members of the breed that continues to drive the Quarter Horse’s evolution on the ranch and in the show pen.

Where the Quarter Horse excels is showcasing the versatility of the breed, especially in the western performance horse classes. With the growth in today’s cow horse, cutting, reining and ranch horse events, the breed may be moving farther away from the original stallions (like Doc Bar) on paper, but the characteristics of the horses remain true to the breed’s standard.

This article about the Quarter Horse’s ranch roots appeared in the July 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Don’t Force the Issue

“Most horses don’t like ditches because they have a hard time with depth perception,” says Crow. “Horses should have a lot of self-preservation, so if they have a choice, they’ll go around something that looks unfamiliar or unsafe. For showing, you must cross at a certain place. You have to develop the horse’s confidence and show him you’re not going to put him in a bad spot or ask him to do something that’s unsafe.”

Crow says he often sees riders force their horses to keep facing the ditch when the horses are showing fear.

“What I won’t do is force the issue,” he says. “That’s the biggest mistake that people make. Riders will go to their leg and create a lot of pressure. The ditch itself creates anxiety and pressure for the horse, so adding pressure doesn’t make sense. That’s just creating a fight with your horse. You may get him over, but you didn’t build confidence or create a better experience for the next time you need to ride across [a ditch].”

Create Options

If you aren’t sure whether your horse will cross a ditch, find out his current comfort level. As you ride straight toward the ditch, look ahead and ride ahead, expecting your horse to move forward.

When you’re close to the ditch, allow your horse to lower his head to investigate. He needs to plan out how to move. You don’t want him to walk blindly into a dangerously deep ditch. He should pick his path.

If your horse doesn’t want to cross a ditch, give him options about where to be and how hard he must work. You’ll make being close to the ditch easy. If your horse moves away from the crossing, he’ll need to go to work.

“Horses respond really well to options,” Crow says. “I’ll immediately cue my horse to work—trotting circles left and right at a fast pace. Then I’ll walk up to the ditch again and give him the opportunity to cross. If it looks like he’s interested and investigating, then I sit softly and let him think about crossing the ditch.”

If Crow feels his horse balk and want to turn away from the crossing, it’s time to go back to work.

“I go back to work, trotting or loping, depending on what the footing and grounds are like near the ditch,” he says. “For some horses, this is a quick fix. For others, this takes a long time. If a horse isn’t showing lots of fear and only mildly balks, I’ll work him for 20 to 30 seconds, then try again. If a horse has a more severe reaction to the ditch, I might work him for two to three minutes before trying again. I need to create enough work that the horse would rather choose the easier option, which is just going over the ditch. The amount of work depends on the horse and his amount of resistance.”

Moving forward in a fast-paced trot keeps the horse thinking about moving forward over the ditch.

“I’m not really a big fan of trying to back a horse in a bunch of circles when he’s already got something that he’s worried about,” says Crow. “I think that could make one try to rear up. I try to fix this with forward motion. I’ll trot the figure-8s tightly and keep his feet moving forward and freely. That’s what we want—for the horse to go forward over the ditch.”

Here, Crow demonstrates riding over the ditch between his barn and hay field. The horse he rode, Mister Fahrenheit (aka “Radar”), wasn’t sure about the 3-foot water ditch crossing, and at first balked and backed away.

After working for only five minutes of trotting circles away from the ditch and resting at the crossing, Radar was ready to cross. His first attempt resulted in an eventing-worthy jump.

Be Prepared to Jump

Crow warns that horses who are fearful of the ditch may jump—or over-jump—on their first crossings. Be prepared to stay with the motion and land softly on the opposite side.

“If a horse has had some anxiety about the ditch, when he finally decides to get across it, he’s going to jump,” Crow says. “I’m OK with that. I just want to be prepared.”

How do you prepare for a ditch jump while riding in a western saddle?

“I’ll make sure that when I’m getting ready to cross the ditch, I’m not looking down,” Crow says. “I want to have my eyes up, looking forward. I make sure that I have a hold of the horn, and I’ll lean slightly forward. I’ll make sure to give my horse enough rein so I don’t hit him in the face when he lands on the other side. You don’t want to punish the horse for finally getting across.”

Crow says that if he feels a horse taking off toward the ditch, he’ll slow the speed by pulling back on one rein before the horse crosses.

“I don’t want my horse to be ‘sucked back’ on his hocks and ready to leap,” he says. “Instead, I’ll use my reins to disengage the hind end so that he steps more than leaps.”

Keep in mind, jumping is an honest reaction for a horse.

“If the horse can’t tell how deep the ditch is, I want him to give a little hop,” Crow says. “I would much rather ride a horse that’s going to hop over a hole. That’s much safer than riding a horse that blindly steps into something where he can’t see the bottom. This is very different than if you have a graded path down to a water crossing. I don’t want a jump then. But if there’s a hole in the ground, I’m OK with the jump.”

Praise and Rest

Once Radar jumped across the ditch, Crow rewarded him with a walk on a loose rein. The pair moved up and down the ditch without turning to face it right away. After a few minutes of rest, Crow asked the horse to cross the ditch again. This time, he didn’t need as much encouragement.

Crow says forward motion is what ranch-riding judges want to see. At the highest levels of versatility ranch horse competition, the events are held outside in natural ranch settings. The judges want to see that your horse can go over and get to the obstacles and anywhere you need to work.

While the ditch may not officially be an obstacle, you may have to cross over one to get to your course. Judges want to see that your horse trusts your guidance and will move willingly wherever you point him.

This article about how to teach your horse to cross a ditch appeared in the July 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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In the popular American Quarter Horse Association ranch riding class, judges want to see horses that can move in smooth, consistent gaits without continuous cueing or exaggerated movements from riders. This becomes key for the long trot in ranch riding classes.

On the ranch, you may alternate between loping and trotting, depending on how far you need to ride. However, you never want your horse to decide when to make the change of gait. If you cue your horse for an extended trot, that’s the move he should maintain. Here, Ralston explains how he helps his horses learn to stay in the extended trot without breaking into a lope.

The Riding Cue for a Long Trot

While you may sit or stand during the long trot in ranch riding, standing allows you to cue your horse with forward momentum while actively looking where you want to go.

Ralston asks his horse to move into the trot by moving the reins forward (without excessive drape) and slightly lifting his seat out of the saddle. A verbal cue to “trot” tells his horse that he is expected to trot until another cue is given. Resting your free hand on the saddle horn can help you balance as you maintain an active, knees-bent stance.

If you sit down and release your leg-pressure cues, your horse should return to a shortened stride while maintaining the trot. This distinction of standing versus sitting can help give your horse clear cues to know how to move within the two-beat gait.

Double Time

Ralston recommends keeping your horse in the extended trot as a conditioning workout. If a ranch riding show pattern requires your horse to move in a long trot for a certain portion of the arena, make sure that your horse can maintain the gait much farther than needed.

“To maintain the extended trot, you have to condition the horse to stay in the trot,” he says. “Anything that is out of the normal straight line or arena border can mess up your horse’s focus and cause him to break gait. We work our horses out in the open, over ditches and around obstacles to show them they need to keep the extended trot no matter where we travel.”

Breaking Gait During the Long Trot

If your horse moves into a lope, he’ll need a correction. Ralston teaches his horses that making the choice results in harder work.

“If I feel my horse start to lope, I immediately turn him into a tight circle until he realizes that it’s easier to trot than lope,” he says. “The change of direction doesn’t make it easy for horses to keep the lope. It’s not easy to be redirected all the time. When the horse returns to the trot, I release him on a straight path and show him that trotting is easier than moving into the lope without a cue.”

When a horse lopes without a cue, Ralston picks up on his reins to ask for collection, then turns the horse by picking up more to one side. He allows the horse to lope in this small circle to make the wrong choice difficult and the right choice—staying in the extended trot—the easiest option.

Changing Terrain

Once your horse understands that he should stay in the extended trot, it’s time to change the terrain he must cover while trotting.

“We can trot down a hill and back up the other side,” Ralston says. “Anything that is out of normal can mess up the long trot. The more you can challenge your horse to stay in the long trot, the better he’ll do when it’s required.”

Ralston asks his horse to move forward in the extended trot as he approaches an irrigation ditch to challenge his horse not to break into a lope or to slow down without a cue.

Maintaining the extended trot while crossing a log or poles can also help your horse develop cadence and stay in gait. Don’t allow your horse to slow down before or after crossing a log or any obstacle you can find to trot over.

Changing Direction While Riding the Long Trot

Next, make sure your horse can maintain the extended trot while changing directions. Ask your horse to extend his trot, then find trees or obstacles to weave around. Turn to the left then right, varying your pattern while maintaining extension.

“Make the extended trot harder and harder so that you know your horse will stay in the gait you ask no matter what comes up in a show setting,” Ralston says. “If you practice hard at home, the show’s long trot requirements will likely be easy.”

Meet the Trainer

Trainer Aaron Ralston works his horses on his family’s Collbran, Colo., cattle ranch and prepares them for world-class competition. He won Top 10 honors at the 2021 AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships and has championship titles in reining, cutting, working cow horse, and calf roping. He earned gold for the United States reining team at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games.

This article about the long trot for ranch riding appeared in the April 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Dragging an object with a rope may look easy, but it’s also easy to get tangled up. Here, trainer Aaron Ralston helps you safely teach your horse to drag a log. First, you’ll make sure that your horse is comfortable following and watching the log drag, then you’ll learn to pull the rope while you stay in a safe position. Your horse will learn that during training, the safe thing to do is face the rope and log instead of running away.

“It’s important to know how to work a rope correctly,” says Ralston. “It’s easy to get in a wreck if you don’t know how to keep the rope in the correct place.”

Before the Drag

Before you mount up, make sure you have a rope made for ranch work. Twisted rope maintains its shape and won’t break easily.

You’ll also need to ensure that your horse accepts the feel of rope touching him. Here, we’ll assume that your horse will stand still and relax when a rope touches his body. (If you need desensitization help, visit www.horseillustrated.com/how-to-desensitize-your-horse.)

Loop or tie your rope’s end to a log before you start to practice. Choose a log that is a similar weight to a calf—about 125 to 175 pounds. A log with some weight will mimic pulling a calf and will provide resistance as you and your horse pull.

Safety notes: Keep in mind that at any training step, you can turn and face the dragged log if your horse gets worried. Turning toward the side where the rope touches your leg will relieve pressure and allow your horse to stop, look, and relax without getting wrapped up.

Never dally until your horse is calm and comfortable while pulling. You can always hold the rope and drop it if necessary until your horse fully accepts the feel of pulling the log.

Follow First

Have a knowledgeable friend drag a log on a horse that has mastered the skill. Follow along on your horse. First, approach from afar and move forward to follow more closely.

Ralston suggests allowing your horse to see the log move with his eyes in all possible positions.

“Let him see it from the front, then from the back of his right eye, then from the back with his left eye,” he says. “Seeing that the log moves from these different directions will help your horse be less fearful of it when he’s pulling the rope.”

Drag the Rope

Next, get your horse accustomed to dragging the rope with nothing attached.

“Without the threat of something else moving, make sure that your horse is comfortable with the rope touching him all over,” Ralston says. “He can drag it and then turn and face the end—doing the same motion that I’ll later teach with the log attached to the rope.”

Ralston says this is a good time to get used to holding the coils of the rope in your left (reining) hand, while keeping the dragging rope in your right hand. The rope and the object you’ll drag will always stay on the right side of your horse.

With your reining hand also holding the coils, you can adjust the length of rope that you’ll feed out to drag the log. When it’s time to pull the log, you’ll need to keep the rope length long enough so that your horse doesn’t step on the log, but short enough so that excess rope doesn’t get caught under his tail. Keep your log about a horse length away from your horse.

Log Drag

Have a friend hand you the coiled end of the rope that’s attached to your log. From the start, allow your horse to face the log so that he can clearly see what’s moving—and reduce his urge to flee.

“I’m going to let him face the log and I’m not going to dally,” Ralston says. “I’ll sit at a safe distance and pull the log closer. He wants to back up away from the log. We are safer and won’t get caught up.”

Ralston continues to pull the rope toward his horse until he stands still and accepts the log moving toward him. When he stands calmly, it’s time for the next step.

Half Wrap

It’s time for Ralston’s horse to pull the rope. Without wrapping the rope tightly around the saddle horn, Ralston moves the rope in a “U” shape around the saddle horn, not making a full circle around it. In this half wrap, the horse will move the rope and log, but Ralston can quickly release the rope if needed.

“I’ll ask him to back up and move the log,” he says. “He’s backing up nice and relaxed and confident. He starts to lick and chew, meaning he’s thinking and processing.”

Stay at this stage until your horse calmly backs on command. If at any time he seems nervous, go back to pulling the rope on your own and release the half wrap.

Pull, Then Turn

If your horse is comfortable with the log in front of him, it’s time to transition to pull from the right side. To start, you’ll position your horse so that the log isn’t behind him.

“Now, I’ll turn my horse,” Ralston says. “This is a scarier position for horses to be in because they can’t see the log with both eyes. I don’t want to move straight away from the rope. I want to be at a three-quarter angle to the log so that I can easily turn my horse to face up to the log without getting caught up.

“Standing still at our three-quarter position, I can feel my horse start to move and worry that the log is in a new position,” he says. “I turn him to the right to have him face up again. When he calms down, I’ll return to the three-quarter position and move the log. If he moves his feet, I’ll turn him to face up again. I keep working until he stands still when I pull it at the three-quarter position.”

Ralston says he’ll only take a half wrap on the horn once his horse stands still and allows him to pull the log with the new three-quarter position.

“I’ll take a partial dally and take a few steps,” he says. “If he panics, I undo the dally and face the log. The safest thing is to have them face up to it. We don’t want them to tuck their tail and go forward and away. If the rope gets stuck on the saddle horn and they get running, it will snowball into a negative result. The horse’s release is always to face it and stand still.”

Straight On

Stay at the three-quarter pull position until your horse is calm, accepts the log, and will move forward without stress. Only then is it time to ride straight away from the log.

Ralston says it’s best to undo your half wrap or dally and face up to the log any time your horse tenses or moves quickly.

“If the rope touching your horse’s hindquarters causes him to worry, return to the three-quarter position, then face up. The rope will be against my right leg and against the right side of his hindquarters.”

Ralston says he uses his right leg pressure, reaching behind the cinch, to move his horse’s hip to the left any time he worries that the rope may go under his horse’s tail.

“My right leg pushes that hip from getting too far under the rope,” he says. “That will prevent the rope getting up over the hip and wrapping us up. If that rope gets over the hip, it’s very dangerous. That happens when you get too straight and don’t have a slight hip yield as you pull. At any time, I can push that hip over to the left, face up and get safe.”

Ralston reminds you that any time you need to rest or praise your horse for doing well, face up to the log. Always emphasize that being faced up to the log is the best release.

You’ll ultimately circle your horse in both directions, working a large figure-eight while keeping your rope safely to your right side. In the highest show levels, horses perform the figure-eight log drag while trotting—but only after mastering the basics and facing up to the log often.

This article about teaching a horse to drag a log appeared in the October 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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“Everyone goes through a process,” says dressage trainer Cody Harrison of Brighton, Colo. “If you change disciplines, it doesn’t mean that you started out in the wrong discipline. As you grow, there are opportunities. You have to step out of your comfort zone and find what’s right for you.”

Here, we talked with three riders who made big switches. Read on to find out what prompted their shifts from ranch riding to dressage, eventing to reining, and western pleasure to polo.

Following the Feel

Growing up on a western cattle ranch taught Harrison to love horses. He searched for trainers and training styles that helped develop a connection and partnership with horses. He found that connection in the world of classical dressage.

“All the time I was growing up, it was all ranch work,” he says. Harrison helped to start his family’s young horses with round pen and desensitizing work.

Craving new training techniques, Harrison worked with a local western trainer who happened to be studying the principles of classical dressage. He found the connection he wanted with horses through dressage.

Harrison now rides and trains horses with classical dressage principles. His dressage mentor, Dominique Barbier, furthered Harrison’s love of his new discipline.

“There’s a mindset and a way of life with the classical principles to make sure the horse feels healthy and safe,” says Harrison. “There are western riders that have that mindset as well, but when I grew up starting horses, it was always physical. The horses were sweating, and they were disciplined if they didn’t do something as fast as I wanted. Now when I work with young horses, there’s not a day when they break a sweat. I have learned to go through the mind to get control of their body and feet to make sure that the horses feel more comfortable.”

Harrison says that as a rider, he finds the biggest switch in style is to use his seat more effectively.

“On the ranch, we used our legs and hands,” he says. “In the classical discipline, the seat is the primary aid. You shift your weight a little more and your legs and hands are used to clarify what your seat is doing.”

Dressage is a permanent switch for Harrison.

“I will stay with this style of riding,” he says.

“I feel like I’m done searching for something different. I am still searching for how to do things better and lighter.”

Harrison describes the moment he knew that he was on the right path in his horsemanship journey.

“I had someone coming to my facility to see if they wanted to put their horse in training,” he says. “Some family experiences were stressful, and I wasn’t mentally prepared to be riding. As I was getting my horse ready, I knew I couldn’t be there mentally today, and I needed [my horse] to be there for me. He could not have been any better. He was there for me and gave me his best and was consistent and made me look good. When I realized that I had that connection and that he could take care of me that way, it was a special moment.”

Change of Rein

Meg Johnson, now of Dallas, Texas, first sat in an English saddle at age 2. Her horse, Joker, carried her through the eventing ranks and earned her year-end titles with the Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association. She even qualified for the North American Young Rider Championships. Later, a new horse, T’Kai, was her partner as she earned her United States Pony Club “B” rating.

An accident while riding T’Kai on a cross-country course prompted Johnson to rethink her riding.

“I looked like a human train wreck,” she says. Still, she was determined to ride and attended a horseman’s club meeting when starting at Auburn University in Alabama.

Her coach suggested stock seat classes, because she had a strong dressage background.

“After a few practices, I was slotted as our team’s open reiner,” says Johnson. “I loved the elegance of reining—it was like dressage, but with a sparkly shirt and some whooping and hollering! I was also introduced that year to rodeo pageantry, where I had to catch ride and run a reining pattern. I became Miss Rodeo Georgia the following year.”

After college, Johnson knew she wanted horses in her life—reining horses.

“I really never regained my ‘nerve’ after my accident in college,” she says. “I remember holding my baby in the hospital and knowing I couldn’t physically afford to take another fall now that I had someone depending on me. I started horse shopping from the hospital bed.”

Her first reining horse, Jac Smart, was a great horse to learn on—and she says she did have to learn the finer points of showing reining horses.

“I thought I’d read all the rules but had to be reminded that my sliding stops needed to be past the cones, not at the cones like a dressage test,” says Johnson. “I left the show with a disappointing score soaked in penalties. I also remember having a lot of trouble not using my reins; going from full contact in dressage to a looped rein in reining was a loss-of-control feeling that took some adaptation!”

Johnson found her horse of a lifetime in Timber Zak. She and Zak became a winning team.

“I’ll never forget the feeling of hearing my score announced over the loudspeaker and knowing we’d just become world champions,” she says. “It still gives me chills thinking about it. He’s carried me to several year-end titles, five buckles, and a run for Rookie of the Year.”

Johnson offers the following advice to any rider thinking of changing saddles.

“Figure out how to use your strengths from the previous sport—whether it’s your mental toughness, riding skills, or ability to adapt,” she says.

Pleasure to Polo

Nicole Wozniak grew up as a 4-H rider showing her horse Willie in western pleasure. The pair earned a revolving trophy and high honors at the state fair horse show.

Wozniak planned to stick with pleasure riding when she started at Michigan State University, but polo piqued her interest after the first equestrian team meeting.

“When I was walking out, someone said I should join the polo team instead,” she says. “I had been pretty burned out with horse showing in high school and the pressure to ‘win things.’ Polo sounded like a cool alternative. I attended tryouts that next week and I was instantly addicted.”

The new sport excited her and felt like a huge change from the horse show world.

“Polo is incredibly challenging,” she says. “The most exciting part was to not be judged anymore and to get to work with a team. Riding is just one aspect of the game. Hitting, knowing where your teammates are, knowing the rules, following plays, et cetera, were added elements that made things really interesting.”

Polo made Wozniak rework her horsemanship.

“In polo, getting out of your saddle to hit the ball is the No. 1 most important thing. For a while, I was constantly yelled at to ‘get out of the saddle!’ I think that was a product of my equitation background.”

After much practice, she felt like she toughened up mentally.

“At my final intercollegiate game at Regionals, I scored a two-pointer and brought our team within three goals of beating the best team in the nation,” says Wozniak. “The coach of the other team complimented our coach and told him how nervous our team had made him. This was huge coming from him! It was super exciting and a great way to end my intercollegiate career.”

Wozniak continues to ride. “But I can’t go back to the days of being judged against other people. The thrill of the team aspect of polo can’t be beat.”

After trying several disciplines, she says that her love of horses is the same no matter the sport or type of saddle.

“If riding isn’t fun anymore, a change of discipline can be a game changer. Sometimes changing up the discipline for your horse can be just as mentally helpful as changing it for you. If you do change, be kind to yourself. I used to always say that I changed disciplines in riding so many times that I was never able to get good at any one thing. Now I’ve realized that it has made me a more versatile rider, and I am able to do things in each discipline that a lot of people can’t.”

Changing disciplines just may invigorate your interest and teach you more about horses and riding. There’s always something new to learn.

This article about changing riding disciplines appeared in the October 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Of all the ranch versatility events, ranch riding has gained the most popularity; it’s also become the most competitive. If you’re on a quest to achieve high marks in ranch riding, three-time American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Versatility Ranch Horse World Champion Mike Major says you’ll want to perfect your downward transitions from extended gaits to the slower gaits, showing off your horse’s willingness to respond to your guidance. But tackling this element can be a struggle. Here are some tips to help you improve.

The Goal

Your horse should move like a ranch horse, which looks different than a pleasure horse, for example. This is not western pleasure in a work saddle, and you’re not trickling down into slower gaits.

“Your horse should be smooth-moving, fluid-moving and forward-moving,” says Major. “But I also want a horse that is going to really come back to the bridle when you pick your rein hand up. He needs to melt into your hand, and his body needs to melt together, especially when you’re doing a downward transition. And you want a crisp response to your cues.”

The Problem

Major says that sometimes when you ask your horse to shift from a lope to a jog in the ranch class, for example, the horse may resist your cues, bracing in his neck and traveling with his weight on his front end.

“When you’re going faster and you need to slow down, your horse really needs to use his back end to collect himself and create a pleasing, smooth picture,” says Major. “Collection is one of the biggest things for the ranch riding class, as well as transitions—especially the downward transitions.”

It Starts with Collection

Early on in your horse’s training, he should be learning how to move with forward motion and how to transition into a collected stride. Whether your horse has learned this concept already or needs a refresher, Major recommends starting with moving your horse’s body parts around at a walk and jog.

“I would start breaking him down with pressure from one rein at a time, moving his shoulders out,” Major says. “If I’m flexing my horse to the right, I’m going to move his shoulders to the left, which will soften up his neck. To me, to get collection, your horse has to be soft in his neck. If he’s stiff in his neck, he’s going to be brittle in his mouth, too.”

Major recommends moving in a 12- to 15-foot circle at a walk or a trot—to the right, for example—asking the horse to curve to the right and bringing the horse’s head around to the right until his neck is flexed and soft in response to your reins.

Next, move into what he calls “position one,” where your right leg is beside the front cinch, asking your horse to move his shoulders to the left, picking up his shoulders with your right hand.

Once your horse responds to your cues with his body, repeat these cues going the other direction, starting with curving on a circle to the left and then asking the horse to move away from your left foot in position one.

“It comes back to having control of your horse’s body, all the way through,” Major says. “You are flexing and then moving his body around in small circles. The horses get responsive to your feet and light on your hands.”

To The Next Level

After your horse understands how to collect on a circle and move his shoulders in response to your cues, you should be able to walk in a straight line, pick up your reins, and bump with your legs, and your horse will know to collect and give to your hands.

As soon as he softens to your hand and collects, release your rein pressure.

This softening means he will be able to elevate his front end, and he won’t push on your hands, says Major.

“This exercise is the foundation of all the work I do,” he says. “Have the horse soft in the face, moving off of your foot pressure, so that when you pick up the reins, your horse comes to your hand rather than pushing against the pressure.”

If your horse does try to push on your hand, Major says he holds the reins steady, keeps the horse collected, and bumps the horse’s sides until he rises up into the bridle and softens—then he releases.

Downward Transition Practice

In a downward transition during a ranch horse class, it’s crucial that your horse is soft and collected, but also responds to your cues with a crisp change of gait, according to Major. To evaluate a horse’s buttons, send your horse out on the rail of your arena at your chosen gait—extended trot, for example. Then ask him to collect with a verbal cue—which varies depending on the gait you’re slowing down to—then connect with his mouth using your reins.

“The verbal cues are probably as helpful as anything,” says Major. “You can choose whatever verbal cue you want for the different gaits. They’re very beneficial in the show ring, if you both are uptight. The verbal cue gives your horse a little bit of a forewarning, which can help ease into that transition.”

If your horse doesn’t immediately shift to the slower speed, pick up your reins to follow up. You can reinforce the command by reaching down the inside rein and gently asking your horse to flex his head and neck into a stop, bumping with your legs and taking up contact on the outside rein to soften him up into the bridle.

“As soon as he softens up, I’m going right back into that extended trot,” says Major. “I’m not rough at all when taking up the rein—it’s not a punishment—but I am going to ask him to flex and give to the reins and then walk him back out of it as soon as he’s soft.”

Essentially, says Major, a good downward transition comes from the combination of a horse that’s soft and able to be collected with a gentle rein cue, as well as responsive to a voice command.

Practice upward and downward transitions every time you ride, but Major warns not to overdo it—just move through the paces a few times, focusing on your horse’s soft response to verbal commands.

“Repetition is the whole trick to downward transitions,” says Major. “It doesn’t take too long for horses to figure it out.”

Meet the Trainer Mike Major is an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Professional Horseman and a three-time AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Champion, including two world titles in ranch riding and several reserve titles. He has won at the Stock Horse World Championship three times. He was the 2010 Project Cowboy champion and the winner of the cow horse competition at the 2010 Battle in the Saddle. Located in Bowie, Texas, he trains horses and amateurs for performance events.

This article about downward transitions in ranch riding originally appeared in the August 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Riding over logs may seem like a common obstacle, but ranch riding judges don’t want to see you take painstaking time to get across. They want to see horses that step forward with interest and without breaking gait.

To master this show obstacle, you must know how to regulate your horse’s stride and use precise body cues that keep him moving forward without rushing. Your horse must be precise, too—only one hoof may land between each log.

Here, champion-earning trainer Julian Nemmers coaches his son, Justin, as he practices his pole-crossing protocol. The Nemmers family ranch is in Longmont, Colo., where Julian and Nancy Nemmers’ amateur, non-pro, and youth clients have received World Champion titles and honors at the national level.

Julian Nemmers shares his coaching tips to help you walk and trot over logs in the show ring after you’ve practiced at home.

“In ranch riding, you have to ride aggressively and forward,” says Nemmers. “If you’re complacent, you won’t score well. You have to be in a hurry to get to your next transition or obstacle, but your horse can’t look in a hurry. To find that balance, you have a lot of practice to do at home before the show.”

The Set-Up

Logs for ranch riding classes are set wider than poles in trail classes. The logs are often natural, cut trees or round fenceposts that are natural in color. The precise distance between logs isn’t mandated, and riders may not know what spacing to expect until they approach the obstacle in the show ring.

Logs are set with 26- to 30-inch spacing if horses are to walk through. For trot-overs, the poles may be spaced anywhere from 36 to 42 inches apart.

Homework on Riding Over Logs

Nemmers suggests placing logs or poles around your riding area and changing their placement and distance daily. Your horse needs to learn that the obstacle will be different.

Small tree trunks or round fence posts work well. You can also change the height of your logs by stacking 6-inch-diameter fence posts. With two on the bottom and one resting on top, your horse will have to step higher than usual.

When it’s time to ride, approach the logs with your horse aimed at the middle. Since the logs are often shorter than standard ground poles, your horse could step around and miss the obstacle if he starts at an angle.

Stop your horse and wait for him to look forward at the logs. In a show, you won’t stop before you ride over the logs, because it would be considered a break of gait.

To practice, though, Nemmers says he often halts his horses to encourage their curiosity and to keep them from rushing. Judges like to see ranch horses with forward-aimed ears, looking interested and alert.

Cue your horse to move forward by raising your reining hand and shifting it slightly forward (about 5 inches). Keep your lower leg in its usual riding position but stand and shift your shoulders forward. Look at the slots between the logs to help your horse move in the direction you want to go. You can hold the saddle horn as you lean forward.

Keep this position consistently until you have crossed all the logs. Only when your horse’s last foot has exited the obstacle should you lean back and sit down.

Trot With Cadence Over Logs

Trotting across the poles means learning how to adjust your horse’s stride to fit the distance between the logs.

“When you’re trotting, look past the obstacle and not down at the logs,” says Nemmers. “That will help keep the horse moving forward. I may feel that I need to speed up to get across, or I may feel that we’re moving too fast, and I need to soften and slow my horse just a little. Do make sure to allow your horse to look forward so he can see the obstacle that’s coming. Don’t collect up so much that your horse can’t see.”

If you feel like you need to move more quickly, move your reins down toward your horse’s head. Increase your leg pressure, too. If you need to slow, pick up your hand slightly. Even a half-inch movement should slow your horse’s speed. Repeat the obstacle often and allow your horse to trot for several strides before riding over the logs.

“With repetition, you’ll learn how to control your horse’s gait,” says Nemmers. “The more you go over different configurations and get out in a pasture setting will be a big benefit, too. Work where it’s natural.”

Showing Success Over Logs

When it’s show time, make sure your horse looks alert, forward and interested in every obstacle. Your horse shouldn’t have memorized a pattern, but he should be willing to listen to where you want to go.

When it comes riding over logs, the judge wants to see a horse that’s aware of where his feet are going and moves through with ease. While there’s no set penalty for ticking a log, it’s up to the judge to score the whole maneuver as a plus .5, 1 or 1.5 or to deduct on the same scale.

Make sure not to break gait and move through the log obstacle with knowledge of your horse’s stride and cadence. If you’ve worked on this at home, showing will be a natural step.

Special thanks to Justin Nemmers on Boxo Heavens Firefly. With Justin riding, the mare won bronze at the 2020 AQHA World Show and was the NSBA World Champion at AQHA World for ranch riding, both in the amateur divisions.

This article about riding over logs in ranch riding appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Champion trainer Julian Nemmers explains how to navigate through AQHA Ranch Riding Pattern 1.

For Pattern 1, you’ll enter with a big walk, moving around the corner, and then start the trot.

The collected trot is first but should be ground covering.

At the middle of the arena, you’ll move to an extended trot. Here, you can stand and help your horse reach forward.

Next, you’ll stop and turn around to the left. Your horse should halt quickly, but not slide.

Lope off right away without hesitation. This is a collected lope to the center of the arena.

Next, do a simple or flying lead change from left to right, then continue to lope.

At the gate, extend the lope; then sit down well before the corner to collect the lope and ride around the far end of the arena.

Moving back to the center, you’ll pick up the extended trot. This is a downward transition that can be challenging, so practice lots at home to get the feel of how much cueing your horse needs.

You’ll round the corner, then walk.

As you prepare to walk over the logs, make sure your horse keeps moving forward without hesitation.

After the logs, you’ll stop and back up. Keep showing until the end!

Download and practice Ranch Riding Pattern 1 and all of the possible patterns at www.aqha.com/ranch-riding1.

Further Reading

• Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association Adds Ranch Riding to Western Line-Up
• 10 Ways to Improve Your Western Riding

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The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) leadership announced that they will add ranch riding classes to their growing western division. Ranch riding competition includes the individual performance of an approved pattern. The patterns emulate maneuvers commonly used in ranch work, such as gait extensions and turnarounds with a more forward-moving horse. The goal is to present a smooth and competent horse-and-rider team that could face any job on a working ranch. Tack and attire are simple and workman-like. IHSA’s ranch riding classes will be offered for IHSA Western Level II members.

Ranch riding classes are the fastest-growing segment at American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and American Paint Horse Association (APHA) horse shows. For IHSA members, ranch riding will create a bridge from the horsemanship classes to reining. It will be a fun addition for upper-level riders and help educate those who aim to compete at the Open level, the IHSA’s top Western division.

The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) offers individual and team competition at all levels in hunter seat equitation, western horsemanship and reining—and now ranch riding—at more than 400 member colleges and universities. Membership in IHSA means that college students can participate in horse shows regardless of their experience or financial status. Students compete at eight levels from beginner through advanced with suitable, provided horses. It is the oldest and largest intercollegiate equestrian organization with 10,000 members in 47 states and Canada.

An IHSA affiliate, the Youth Equestrian Development Association (YEDA), a competition and education program for western riders from grade 4-12, added ranch riding in 2016 to their catch-ride competition format and experienced triple-digit increases in participation from middle and high school riders.

“We believe it (ranch riding) has helped our diamond (upper-level) division as the riders have more experience when they start to compete in diamond reining,” says Laura Smith, YEDA’s chief executive officer.

The new division will provide jobs for horses that may not be appropriate for horsemanship or reining classes. Suitable ranch riding horses are versatile and should be free-flowing and able to cover ground, yet are adjustable and may have a higher head carriage.

“Ranch riding is a great addition to IHSA western competition for several reasons,” said Peter Cashman, IHSA executive director. “It is fun and in demand. It helps educate riders that are looking to move up, and it helps us give jobs to horses that may not make the cut for our other divisions but make wonderful ranch riding partners. We are excited to add Level II Ranch Riding to IHSA competition.”

For more information go to www.IHSAinc.com.

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