Pasture Time

The other day, the guys who keep cows on my mom's place asked mom if they opened the gates and turned on the water tanks if Megan and I would move cows for them. I thought it would be great to get Frosty out and give him a chance to start working like a big boy. I've ridden him "out" before, but never moved cows with him...

Having had been raised the way I was, I personally don't believe a horse is broke unless they know how to ride out in a pasture and navigate up and down hills, cross ditches with or without water in them, how to avoid cactus and soapweeds. Arena stuff is easy after they master that. Frosty did reasonably well considering it has been two years since he has been ridden in the pasture. He motored along checking things out but didn't get excited or bothered by the big wide open. Navigating down the hills seems to be a challenge for him-as with most greenies.

Megan and I found the cows at the far end of the pasture and started moving them toward the gates. I started up one hill with cows moving in front of me and sent Megan to the next hill over to make sure there wasn't any in the draw on the other side of that. About 1/2 way up the hill, I look back and see a cow standing down in a little side draw. So I turned Frosty around and headed back. He was a little excited since he couldn't see Megan and Rip anymore and when he saw the cow standing down there he wasn't too sure if he wanted to ride around her. But I booted him farther down the hill, so the cow would not cut back and head the wrong direction. About that time that cow turned to face us and took a step toward us.

When that cow stepped toward Frosty, his head came up and he froze, but only for an instant. Before I could even blink, he spun out and scattered. I was fairly unprepared for that and the next thing I know, I am hanging off the side of my horse desperately trying to get everything gathered up and get back in the middle of him. Holy Moly can that horse move when he wants too!

But me hanging off the side of him was too much for Frosty and he blew up and started bucking. For a couple of jumps I thought I had him. I really did. But I just could not get my reins gathered up and Frosty was really starting to get some oomph into those bucks. He had started out bucking up the hill, but he was turning and heading down the hill and I knew I was never going to get his head up, so I rolled off.

I landed pretty softly, all things considered and just kept rolling to get away from him. Frosty really went to town then. He bucked all the way to the bottom of the hill. Spun a few circles and stopped facing me. I really wished I could have gotten a picture of his face. His head was up and he had a completely bewhildered look on his face. Like "What the hell was THAT all about?".

Poor kid! He was blowing and snorting when I walked up to him, but stood while I got the reins gathered up. Good horse! He didn't even break one of my reins. He bucked hard enough to set the saddle up on his neck though and pop the center snap on the breast collar. I led him off a few steps and readjusted everything. Gathered up my reins and stepped back on. He wanted to blow again, but this time I was ready for it, kept his head up and got him lined out-back up the hill.

About that time Megan came back over the hill and I told her to get that cow and push her over the hill. Frosty wanted nothing to do with that horse-eating cow.

The rest of the ride was a little hairy. Frosty was pretty sure those cows were going to eat him if they turned to look at him. So we stayed close to Megan and Rip to give him a little security and stayed back as much as we could. Poor Rip got quite the workout moving that bunch mostly by himself. Frosty and I were pretty useless. But towards the end, there was 3 bulls that were getting tired and I had to help Megan somewhat. Frosty sure didn't want to ride up there, didn't like me slapping my leg or hollaring "hup" at those bulls, but we got it them through the gate anyway.

Whew!

Mom showed up on the 4-wheeler with the salt, so she finished following them to the tanks and Megan and I headed home. Frosty was a little livelier on the ride home than he had been on the ride out. But it's nearly 2 miles back to the house from the gates we were at, so he had plenty of time to get his head right again and settle down. By the time we topped the last hill by the house, he was back to his old self and had settled into a swinging walk.

Megan can never resist showing off...

I told her I would trade horses with her next time. Hehehehe!

Frosty is really such a sweet boy...

He just needs a lot more pasture miles. We can do that!

One good thing about it. I found out I can still tuck and roll pretty darn good. I have kind of been fearful of getting bucked off the last few years, but now that it has happened. It wasn't so bad. Look out the rest of you broncs...cause I'm BACK and just as bouncy as I used to be.