Ranch Horsemanship: How To Ride Like The Cowboys Do Revised

by Curt Pate

Overview

In Ranch Horsemanship with Curt Pate, the clinician, shows the reader how the working cowboy's methods develop a safer mount who's a pleasure to ride anywhere. His vitamin-C, rather penicillin, approach, Pate explains, is preventive horsemanship that helps riders prepare themselves and their horses step-by-step for whatever they might encounter in the round pen, arena, pasture and beyond. The starting point is an overview of the ranch horse's lifestyle, which provides a point of reference for the techniques that follow.

Part two addresses cowboy horsemanship and six important transitions. The ability to make upward and downward transitions, move the hindquarters left and right, and move the forehand left and right are the building blocks necessary to perform advanced maneuvers, such as rollbacks and lead changes. These six transitions also are the basis for maneuvering uphill and down through natural obstacles and for dealing with manmade obstacles, such a gates, bridges, and bikers, as addressed in "Practical Applications."

Next Pate helps the reader transfer his or her knowledge of working a horse afoot to cattle work. Even though he or she might never rope more than a bucket, Pate also walks them through rope-handling basics because that, too, is useful in developing a quiet, well-rounded mount.

The book's final selection relates how using these techniques can help children become safer, more confident riders and how cowboys use the same methods in ranch competitions. Do-it-yourself tips throughout the book give practical advice on adapting ranch-training techniques to the reader's acreage, whatever its size.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780911647655
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2004
Series:	Western Horseman Books
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Since the early 1990s, Montana-raised Curt Pate has used the skills and horse-training techniques he learned as a ranch cowboy as an equine clinician, and his experience as a rodeo announcer and auctioneer only help his presentation delivery. Curt's horsemanship, colt-starting, and working-ranch presentations are popular at horse fairs, public and private clinics, and guest ranches nationwide because he adapts his ranch experience to serve any rider desiring self-improvement and a well-broke mount. He and his family now live in Montana.

Read an Excerpt

Taken from Part 1: "The Ranch-Horse Lifestyle"

When I work a horse in the round pen, I always think about what I can do right then that will benefit me when I ride him outside the pen. Again, it's thinking ahead to be safe. Ranch cowboys are good at that, which is how they get by with so little round-pen work on colts, then ride them outside and get ranch jobs done early in the game.

One thing I consider, as I think most cowboys do: If I have to do more of whatever I do in the pen each day, then that isn't the thing to do. The idea is to make sure that it takes less time in the pen every day instead of more.

¿a downward transition in the pen should require no more energy than the corresponding upward transition. In other words, it should require no more of my energy to transition a horse from a lope to a walk than it takes for him to make a walk-to-lope transition. I always try to strike that balance. If the horse won't slow down when I work afoot or astride him in the pen, he probably won't rate back outside when I need him to do that. In fact, if I must step in front of my horse to totally block his forward motion and stop him, he won't have any better downward transition to a stop outside, and I better have a stampede string on my hat because I'll need it.

Table of Contents

Part 1: The Ranch-Horse Lifestyle - Ranch Horses and Their Work, Starting the Ranch Horse; Part 2: Cowboy Horsemanship - Position, Balance and Movement; Upward and Downward Transitions; Moving the Hindquarters; Moving the Forehand; Advanced Maneuvers; Part 3: Practical Applications - Natural Obstacles, Manmade Obstacles; Part 4: Ranch and Ranch-Horse Skills - Cow-Working 101, Rope-Handling 101; Part 5: Kids and Competition - Just for Kids, Cowboy Competition

Interviews

Western Horseman has been the world's leading horse magazine since 1936 and considered one of the premier of equine book titles, as well. Its reach and credibility within the horse industry are unrivaled among equine publications.