Not Just cowboys; Cowgirls can do it too!

[Ben Framed]

Cowgirl, her horse, her dog, and a hundred head of yearlings for a two mile drive....

https://youtu.be/qzem9uHsd7g

[Michael Bush]

You can tell a real cowboy/cowgirl when they open a gate and never get off the horse.  Of course at her size that might be a necessity. But I've seen many a cowboy open a gate without dismounting.

[Bees-in-the-boo]

I?m no cowboy but I?ve been a rancher and worked with plenty of cowboys, most of the pros mount up in the morning and never step off the horse until they stop for the day..
I?m pretty crippled up and climbing onto a horse without a mounting block is pretty painful so I made sure to train up my horses to side pass (stepping sideways 90degrees from forward direction) early on so that opening gates never require a dismount.

[Kathyp]

early on so that opening gates never require a dismount.

I think all horses should be taught that.  Also to be mounted from either side and worked from either side. 

[BeeMaster2]

Most of my gates are not designed for horse riding but Nina, our foreign exchange student from Germany, and I can get most off them open without getting off. From now on I?m going to make gate closures designed to be at the top of the gate instead of being in the middle, down low.
I recently saw on Heartland that they used 4 horseshoes welded to a piece of metal to make a gate lock. My Ferrier gave me a bunch of horseshoes and after BeeFest I?m going to try and make some. If they work out I would like to replace as many as I can.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Bees-in-the-boo
"I made sure to train up my horses to side pass (stepping sideways 90degrees from forward direction) early on so that opening gates never require a dismount."

I do too. It's a very valuable and important part of training in my opinion. Not only for gate opening but other important reasons as well. In my opinion a colt is not fully trainied if it has not been taught to side pass.

[Kathyp]

In my opinion a colt is not fully trainied if it has not been taught to side pass.

Because we ride in the mountains a lot, there are some other things I found useful.  Among them, teaching the horse to drag.  I usually start with something light weight like a tarp.  the tarp is a combo bomb proofing and dragging 101 + if they get nuts about it, they don't get hurt.  I always double lead rope them when I start using a standard lead rope and lunge line AFTER they are already pretty bomb proof.     By the time they are done, they can drag heavy things like soggy 4X4s/logs forward and backward and hopefully they are smart enough to learn not to get tangled in the line as they switch...although I have had some stupid horses that never quite got it! 

[Ben Framed]

All good things for a horse to know Kathy for added safety for the horse and rider.  I make my own lead lines from older roping ropes. I un-twist them and then braid them back with a three-strain braid including a forged steel snap braided into this. (the kind of forged safety snaps used for fall protection such as on platform lifts etc, which are OSHA approved for fall protection in high rise construction etc.). I have found this type braid not only serves the desired purpose well but is easier to hang on to if a situation arrises where hanging onto is required. I have 'never' had a colt or horse break one of these home made lines under any circumstances.. I also enjoy using one of these with added length, about 18 feet, for other training purposes and uses with the horses.

Phillip

[Ben Framed]

My grandaddy would not call a good cattleman a cowboy. If a city slicker was to arrive wanting a job saying, I want to be a Cowboy, he would tell them. "We don't not need cow-boys" "we need good cow-hands". Through the years, he helped transform many 'cowboys' into good cattle-'men'.


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[Michael Bush]

>Also to be mounted from either side and worked from either side. 

American Indians considered it essential that you could mount from either side.  In a sudden attack you need to be able to just jump on without running around the horse.  Also that they could be ridden bareback so if you need a horse in a hurry, you just jump on.  Also that they could be directed using only your knees so you have your hands free to shoot a bow or a gun, often from under the horse's neck.

[Ben Framed]

so you have your hands free to shoot a bow or a gun

They were great horsemen.

Leg pressure is a great tool.

I never could do it, but I've seen my Uncle reach down and pick up his hat without dismounting.

[Michael Bush]

I have trouble picking things off the ground when I'm standing on the ground...

[Bees-in-the-boo]

My horses were trained for many tasks, mounting from 3 sides (I never perfected climbing over their head LOL), stepping over obstacles instead of jumping was necessary when leading pack horses, ground driving, broke to hobbles, pickets, neck ropes and both high and low lines and pretty much all of them were broke to pack before ever climbing on their backs.. water crossings were another thing I have seen many horses just loose their minds over!

Here I am crossing a little creek on my favorite horse for guiding.. never tied him and I could have him loose for two days and one whistle would have him standing by my tent in 10minutes without fail!

In my opinion a colt is not fully trainied if it has not been taught to side pass.

Because we ride in the mountains a lot, there are some other things I found useful.  Among them, teaching the horse to drag.  I usually start with something light weight like a tarp.  the tarp is a combo bomb proofing and dragging 101 + if they get nuts about it, they don't get hurt.  I always double lead rope them when I start using a standard lead rope and lunge line AFTER they are already pretty bomb proof.     By the time they are done, they can drag heavy things like soggy 4X4s/logs forward and backward and hopefully they are smart enough to learn not to get tangled in the line as they switch...although I have had some stupid horses that never quite got it!

[Ben Framed]

> Here I am crossing a Here I am crossing a little  creek

We call those raging rivers in my location! lol

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

In Nebraska that would be a raging river.  In Illinois that would be a creek.  I would say it's not a little creek except we had a creek that was named "Little Shoal Creek" that was a bit wider, but not so "raging".  But to be honest, none of us thought "Little Shoal Creek" was little.  But I think it joined up with the slightly larger "Big Shoal Creek" just before it ran into the Kaskaskia River.