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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Among these independent individuals—male and female—is an entrepreneurial group known as “day workers.” Instead of working at just one operation, they hire out to work by the day at different ranches.

These freelance cowboys load up their horses and dogs, drive where needed and get the work done, from gathering, sorting and shipping to doctoring, vaccinating, branding, castrating and weaning. It all revolves around cattle, but tasks vary depending on the time of year.

The demand for skilled day workers is such that experienced individuals can make this a full-time job. We caught up with three of them for a glimpse at their lives.

Gen Z Cowgirl

Like most Gen Z-ers, Makenzie Higgs, 21, is totally tech-savvy, although she doesn’t live a bright-lights, big-city lifestyle.

She’s grown up on her family’s ranch in Cedar Point, Kansas, where they raise Angus cattle and registered Quarter Horses. Her job is training horses and day-working. She’s been riding with her dad since she was 1 year old, and got her first horse at age 5.

“My dad and my older brother, Troy, are both mentors to me,” says Higgs, who has been day-working for pay since age 16. “They completely make a living with cattle and horses. My mom is a schoolteacher.”

“I missed track and softball season because of school closure, so I was able to day work more,” she adds. “That really sealed it for me.” Higgs graduated high school in the “Covid year” of 2020.

Higgs attended Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, and graduated in May 2022 with her associate’s degree in Farm and Ranch Management.

“I took some college classes in high school my senior year and was still able to day work during college,” she says.

Whether she’s working or rodeoing, her best horse is Lippy, an 12-year-old sorrel Quarter Horse gelding. Her other mount is Indy, a 5-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Because she always has one or two horses she’s taken in for training, they also get used for day work.

She usually brings along her two cattle dogs, Dez and Daya.

Higgs consistently day works with a group of four to six people, including her dad, brother, and boyfriend, Brenden Jantz.

“When you work with people so much, you can read each other’s minds,” she says. “We all work well together, and the job goes smoother.”

The day’s tasks vary according to season. For example, early fall work includes branding, vaccinating, castrating and deworming calves, then weaning and preg-checking cows.

Higgs learned to rope at a young age from her dad and brother, which comes in handy when doing her favorite chore: doctoring cattle.

“We head and heel them and lay them down in the pasture to doctor them,” she explains. “But if you have to rope more than 20, it’s a lot of work and you and the horses get tired. If we have a lot to doctor, then we’ll bring the whole group up to the pens and sort out the ones that need doctoring.”

Her roping skills aren’t just used for work. Higgs, who both heads and heels, loves competing and rodeos regularly.

“I’ve always really enjoyed roping, just the whole atmosphere,” she says.

As for the future, although she would be happy to continue day working in her area, she’s open to doing seasonal day work in another part of the country.

“I’d love to keep doing this, but I wouldn’t mind moving to manage a ranch.”

Freelance Cowboy in the Sunshine State

Fourth generation Florida cattleman Myron Albritton, 52, has been a freelance day-working cowboy since he was 15 years old.

Raised on a 1,000-acre family-owned commercial cattle ranch in the heart of the Sunshine State’s beef county, Albritton’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather all did day work. As a kid, he toyed with the idea of being a fireman, but says, “I stayed with the cowboy stuff.”

Albritton, who is married with three children, runs 500 to 600 head of his own commercial cows, mostly Braford and Brangus because the Brahman bloodlines can handle Florida heat and bugs.

He’s become a lead day worker in his area, so ranchers call Albritton and tell him what they need. He creates a schedule and coordinates a crew of day workers, including his 26-year-old son, Blaine.

“You build up a name over time, then it becomes a steady job—you can work seven days a week if you want to,” says Albritton, who typically day works for at least 100 different operations in a year, mostly within a 60-mile radius of his place in Venus.

In 1987, when he started day working, pay was $65 per day. Average pay in south Florida for a good worker today is $200 per day.

Depending on the season and what needs to be done, Albritton may spend a month working at one operation, or day work at different places every day.

He maintains a string of two to four horses that are registered Quarter Horses or grade. It’s common for many day workers to ride young horses and then sell them.

“Riding them every day, you develop a well-mannered, well-broke horse,” he says. “Wet saddle blankets are what get them broke.”

Albritton’s go-to horse is Fred, an 8-year-old grade gelding he says he’ll probably never sell.

When Albritton loads his horse for the day in his stock trailer, he always takes along two or three dogs, depending on the day’s chores. He uses Florida Cur dogs and finds them invaluable.

“Once the cows are ‘dog broke’ [used to dogs and respect them], they’ll walk to the pens nice and easy,” he says. “We’re typically working 200 head of cattle in a group and four dogs can handle that pretty easily.

If there are stragglers hiding in the palmettos and brush, you can send the dogs and they’ll bring them up. It simplifies things, keeps the cows from running, and saves a lot of riding.”

During the hottest months, he is mounted up and working by the time the sun rises to beat the heat. He aims to finish by lunch, if not before.

“When I go to work, I don’t consider it work because I love cows,” says Albritton. “My wife is a schoolteacher, and she envies me.”

Working the Flint Hills

Raised with cattle and horses, Ed McClintock of Soldier, Kansas, grew up in Jackson County.

McClintock, 59, was a farrier for 19 years. When painful knees began to make that career difficult, he still wanted to work with livestock.

“A friend offered me a job taking care of his feedlot and it went from there,” he says. “When I quit shoeing horses, my knees quit bothering me.”

Throughout the years he was a farrier, McClintock also day worked on ranches. He has his own place where he runs about 60 head of commercial cattle. His grown son, Tyrel, helps with their cattle operation and day working.

McClintock day works full time for six different operations in about a 40-mile radius of his ranch and stays busy seven days a week.

His four-legged work partners include several horses and trusty dogs.

McClintock typically owns four to six horses, usually 3- and 4-year-olds, which he sells once they’re well broke.

His oldest horse is Little Steve (named after the friend he bought him from). Although only 14.2 hands, the 9-year-old registered Quarter Horse gelding is stout and reliable.

“I really like him and probably won’t sell him,” says McClintock. “I’ve doctored a lot of cattle and ranch rodeoed on him. I’ve roped 1,800-pound bulls and 1,200-pound cows on him.” His working dogs include a Border Collie, a Border Collie/Australian Kelpie cross, and an Australian Kelpie.

He uses the dogs to gather cattle and to drive ornery cows out of the brush. He can also tell a dog to sit in a gate opening to keep cattle from going through.

McClintock takes pride in being able to “read” cattle and work them with little stress.

While many people use 35- to 40-foot ropes, he carries a 60-foot rope. That extra length buys a little more time, which is helpful when riding young horses.

If a cow requires doctoring but isn’t close to the pens and chute, McClintock has mastered a way to do this horseback. After roping a cow, he’ll circle her. This pulls the rope around her legs and pulls her head back to her flank.

“You can ease them down to the ground, tie their legs and doctor them,” he explains. “It’s easier on the cattle; you’re not tripping or jerking them, and you can lay them down really nice this way.”

In his area, day-working freelance cowboys get paid by the hour when working at feedlots, and by the day at ranches.

“I live the perfect life, taking care of cattle and making sure they’re healthy.”

This article about freelance cowboys appeared in the January/February 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Crossing water is one of those things that’s either fun to do with your horse, or it’s exasperating—there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground. However, if a horse is trained to cross water willingly, it’s easy and very useful.

To teach your horse to cross water, pick a water crossing that isn’t too deep so that you don’t get into trouble. Generally, the narrower the water crossing, the easier it is to get the horse to the other side. However, the narrower the crossing, the more likely the horse is to try to jump it instead of going through it. An area without heavy mud is better because if the horse feels his front feet sinking in the mud before he even gets to the water, you’re going to have more trouble getting through.

First Steps to Crossing Water

Ideally, you’ll want to start introducing your horse to water crossing by following a rider on a more experienced horse through the water the first few times. In some situations you won’t have another person to help you, however, so we’ll treat this as if you’re by yourself.

Start by riding your horse back and forth beside the water a few times. This lets him see the water, and turning back and forth also lets him know that you’re the one calling the shots. Occasionally when a horse gets near water, he will get nervous and stop listening to you. The more your horse does this, the more you should turn back and forth before attempting to cross the water.

NOTE: When turning your horse back and forth, always turn toward the water. I never turn away, because if my horse is nervous, he might bolt away once he’s facing away from the water. Also, for the purpose of this exercise, I don’t want him thinking that turning away from the water is an option.

Approaching the Water

Once your horse is listening well, it’s time to approach the water. Pick the spot where you’re going to cross. You must be very specific here. Don’t attempt to just cross the water wherever—you want to cross at that one specific spot. If you’re too vague, your horse might take advantage of your indecision and go near the water but not through it.

It is now your job to keep your horse’s nose pointed at that spot no matter what he does. If he spooks, bolts, backs up, et cetera, you still need to keep his nose pointed at the spot you want to cross. If you can do that, eventually the rest of the horse is going to follow his nose. Approach the spot straight on; don’t come in on an angle, or it will be too easy for him to veer off to the side.

Walk your horse toward the water; chances are he will get close and then stop. When he stops, just sit there and let him look. Take all pressure off him and pet him if you can. If you let him stand for a minute, this will let your horse know that this spot is a good place to be.

This is important, because if your horse starts to really resist going into the water and you end up in an argument, it’s easy to find yourself farther away from the water than where you started. If you let him have this one rest spot, at least you will be able to get back to it and start over from there.

Now that he’s standing and looking at the water, chances are he will start moving again after a few moments. If he moves toward the water, allow him to go. If he tries to move to one side or the other, keep his nose pointed at the spot and then use your legs to keep him straight.

If your horse backs up, squeeze very lightly with your legs. Eventually he’s going to stop, and the moment he takes a step forward, release the leg pressure. If he takes 20 steps backward and only one step forward, I’m still happy.

Keep working at this. Most horses that don’t want to cross water will give three or four good attempts to get away by turning to the right and left and by backing up. If you stay with this and remain calm while keeping your horse’s nose pointed straight at your designated crossing spot, your horse is going to start to see that there is no escape.

Once he realizes this, usually he’ll take a few steps closer to the water. Be sure to let him stand and relax when he does this. The biggest mistake you can make is to start squeezing and kicking when your horse starts moving forward. He’s already doing the right thing by moving ahead, so don’t ask for too much.

Investigating the Water

Eventually your horse is going to get right up to the water. Chances are high that he’ll now start pawing at the water and put his nose down to investigate. Allow him do this, because even though he’s not crossing the water, he’s interested enough to be investigating it instead of running away from it.

It might take two minutes and it might take 20, but if you keep up with this, eventually he’s going to cross the water. How long it takes depends on how quickly he understands that moving forward is the only option.

Be aware that your horse might jump a narrow crossing, so you might have to grab the horn or some mane if that happens. When horses cross for the first time, some will cross at a snail’s pace. However, most will rush through once they get partway in. Just let your horse rush out and then walk some big circles once you reach the other side. Keep doing that until he is calm and relaxed.

Cementing Success in Crossing Water

Once your horse has settled, I recommend crossing back and forth several times. You’ve done the hardest part, so repeat it until your horse is doing it easily so you won’t have to start at square one another day.

Once you’ve crossed a few times, ask him to go through without letting him stop or put his head down to investigate and think about it. You now want him crossing the water as if he’s expected to, not like he has to decide whether it’s a good idea each time.

If you have a horse that keeps on jumping water instead of going through it, you there are a couple of things you can try. One is to keep crossing back and forth until your horse becomes a bit tired. At this point, most horses start to slow down and think about the crossing instead of overreacting.

Also Read: Teach Your Horse to Go Through Water on the Trail

If I have a horse that will not stop jumping the water, sometimes I’ll find a water crossing to practice that’s very wide, where the horse can’t reach the other side if he jumps. A shallow pond or a round pen after a heavy rain are good choices. Once the horse realizes he can’t jump to the other side, he’ll likely start going in properly.

Try to end your session on a calm note. If you repeat the water crossing lesson a few days in a row, you will likely have a horse that crosses water willingly for the rest of his life.

All the best to you and your horse!

This article about crossing water with your horse appeared in the August 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Training Your Horse to Cross Water appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

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!

The post Master the Long Trot for Ranch Riding appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

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!

The post Teach Your Horse to Drag a Log appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.