Thursday, February 3, 2011

Incentive

The hardest part about riding this time of year is that the events you are trying to get ready for seem so far away. The first barrel racing isn't until the first weekend in April. That seems like eeee-ons.

So I decided to do a little something different this year. There is an awesome trainer who puts on Versatility Ranch Horse competitions in the summer although my barrel racings always seemed to conflict with those dates last year. However, he is putting on a cutting clinic next weekend (the 12th) and a reining clinic the weekend after that (the 19th).

The clinics are one day only and reasonably priced. I figured going to them would give me a little something to look forward to this month.

It's a little scary to think of how long it's been since I have done any real cutting work...

Uuummm...19 years!

Oh my gosh...how the years have flown.

Anyway...

Although, I don't have what I would consider a real cutting 'type' horse here, I think I can make do with some of my boys. Spooks, the black horse was an excellent sorting horse and Moon is no slouch himself. I'm also going to take Frosty. That horse needs as much exposure to cattle and activity as I can get for him. Taking Turk would be useless. That horse doesn't have a stitch of 'cow' in him.

The following weekend, for the reining, I will take all 4 saddle geldings. I don't think Turk is really up to par to get much accomplished on, but it will be good experience for him. I do intend on showing Frosty and Spooks in some reining classes at the open horse shows this year if I can wiggle some in. So this should really help me get an idea of what to focus on. I'm a bit afraid that is going to be everything.

But at least it will make February more interesting and time does fly when there are things to do.

14 comments:

cdncowgirl said...

Sounds like fun! I've never done any reining or cutting... but riding a 'real' cutting horse is one of my dreams :)

I'm signed up for 2 clinics too... Ed Wright again in October (wow that's a long way away!) and Molly Powell in April (I think). Oh and Dave Manning again in May.

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Sounds like fun! Who is the trainer and whereabouts are the clinics held? If it's a day's drive away from me...who knows?

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

FV-His name is Carl Wood and he is local, has a big facility in Delta, CO. Here's his website;

http://www.dbthorses.com/

The cutting clinic is $95 and the reining clinic is $80.

I watched Carl ride some reining horses at a local show last summer and really liked his style.

If your in the mood, come on up. You are welcome to stay at our place. Would love to have you! You can even use one of my geldings if you want to participate. There is not shortage of horses or tack at this house-LOL.

Lisa-I also have an Ed Wright clinic on the schedule. Not sure if I want to go to Big Piney, WY or Durango, CO to see him though. Both clinics are in April. Ed is scheduled to have a clinic in Montrose (about an hour away), this year as well, but it isn't until August. I would really like his help early in the season and then if I need more, I'll go to his clinic in August again.

I know Sue was going to try to get back here for another clinic sometime this summer. I really liked her, but if I have to pick, I am going with Ed.

Cut-N-Jump said...

Sounds like fun! I know our next schooling show isn't until March. Seems a ways off, but it will be here before we know it.

It's schooling shows for me for a while since I don't have anything that's ready to go for an 'A' rated or anything else. Seems I am always stuck there and it's one rut I want out of...

I am however, slowly piecing things together and acquiring everything I need so I can hit it at some point.

Rising Rainbow said...

OH! I am so jealous!! How I would love to take horses to something like that. Would beat an old boring pleasure clinic all to sh*t. LOL

Seems to me that cutting and reining both would help Moon with his issue. Putting his mind onto something else where you'll still need the same response from that shoulder would be good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like fun!

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

CnJ-That's how I feel. After so many years being focused on Megan...

I feel so 'new' to real competition.

MiKael-Come on over. ;-) (If only you lived closer...sigh)

Cut-N-Jump said...

BEC's I have the horses, the registrations, the pedigrees, etc. just haven't gotten any of them to that level yet. YET! I am working on the $$$ part of it as well. One of these days this sh!t had better come together, I'm tellin ya!

I told hubby that now was the time for us because once the girls are on a horse and IF they want to show- it's their turn and will be all about them.

Hahaha! word verif- SURKS

Vaquerogirl said...

That sounds like a good time to me! Can't wait to hear all about it- and like you said- it gives you something to work towards and look foreward to!
Go girl!

cdncowgirl said...

I would really like to go to one of Sue's clinics.
I'm sure you'll love Ed, he's so darn funny! (heh heh, remember when I was afraid of him?)

Fantastyk Voyager said...

BEC- that is soooo tempting! Really? Thanks for the invitation! It's on my bucket list to ride a trained reining/cutting horse.

Only problem is it's too soon- I have to fix my broken water pipes and I just realized that it's my sons' birthdays next weekend and the weekend after.

Maybe I can come up later on in the spring or summer and see ya ride in some competitions or something. I would love to meet you. We are "almost" neighbors, after all.

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Anytime FV! LOL-I wouldn't call my horses trained reiners or cutters, but they can fumble around well enough to get through one of these clinics. ;-)

Rising Rainbow said...

Closer would definitely be good. There's just not much in the way of cutting or reining here. We do have some reining trainers but I think they're pretty tough on their horses. My sensitive horses would not take kindly to spurring and jerking so there's no point in spending my money here, that would be IF I had money. Kind of like CNJ at the moment, thinking this thing better come together. LOL

Shirley said...

I like working cattle with horses, no matter what else they do. It gives them something to do that works with their herd instinct; when the light comes on and they realize they can control a cow, they have fun! Lucky you, getting to go to a clinic.