The Rhythm of Working a Cow by Barbra Schulte

Understanding Cattle

The Rhythm of Working a Cow

by Barbra Schulte

One challenge in working a cow, is to get all of the pieces of accuracy, form and rhythm to stay correct… no matter the speed of the cow.


 This video is a great example of the pretty form and rhythm we all aspire to achieve as we work a cow. Below the video, I explain the component parts of working a cow.
 

Identify those pieces as you watch Lloyd Cox and Blackish work a cow.

Let’s start from the place where you and your horse are traveling across the arena, on a straight line, and in position with a cow.
 

You: Good position as you travel… slightly ahead of the cow… your leg in the cow’s shoulder.
 

Cow: Begins to slow down.
 

You: Because you’re reading the cow as you travel… and you and your horse are in position to stop the cow… when you see the cow begin to even think about slowing down, your seat drops to help your horse rate the cow and get ready to stop.
 

Cow: Stops.
 

You: Collapse your back and drop your seat softly down “into” your saddle as you see the cow stop. Continue to exhale and imagine your core dropping into your horse. 
 

Cow: Still stopped.
 

You: Stay low. Stay down. All the while, read the cow. Sink lower.
 

Your Horse: His weight remains on his hindquarters as he feels you stay quiet, still and low in the saddle. He reads the cow.
 

Cow: Turns and goes the opposite direction.
 

You: When the cow first begins to turn, you stay still. Your eyes remain on the cow. There’s a momentary “wait”. You stay low as the horse pivots 180 degrees on the “line” and comes out of the turn slightly behind the cow.
 

You: When you get to the 180 point, you are behind the cow… again, just for a moment.
 

You: Now, proactively, but accurately, you accelerate your horse on the line to get into position to stop the cow.
 

You: Now you’re back traveling with the cow. The cycle begins again as noted beginning at the top of this list.
 

NOTE: The natural tendency is to do the opposite re: rush the turn when you need to wait … and not travel in position or with authority once you are traveling on the line.

The Top 6 Things You Learn From Doing Barn Chores

This was too good not to share! It’s in our October 2019 newsletter. See the link at the end for the article on horselisting.com:

It's hard. It's time-consuming. It's often thankless.

To the outside observer, it might seem that working in a barn is unrewarding and just that: chores. I mean, all you're doing is feeding and turning horses in and out, cleaning stalls and sweeping aisles, right?

Well, anyone who has actually worked in a barn knows differently. In fact, people who work with horses have to become highly skilled, be fairly athletic, and must know how to pay attention to detail. While people can start with little to no experience, they usually get paired with longtime horse keepers who can mentor them until they have enough experience to work independently.

Working in a barn can do more than just give you a gym-level workout. Here are the top six lessons you won't be able to avoid if you stay long enough at the job.

6. Hard Work Is Necessary    

This is probably the first thing you'll learn if you get the chance to ever work for the horses.

You'll quickly realize how you can actually move heavy things if you put your mind to it. You might have to go up and down stairs or ladders to get to the hay loft. You'll have to fill feed bins and then horse buckets with grain. Those feed bags and hay bales need to be moved, stacked and then fed. The walks to the paddocks can be long, bumpy or snow-covered. No need for you to go to the gym after that!

5. It's ok to get dirty

Because you won't have any choice in the matter! You'll likely end up with hay bits in your hair and down your shirt, mud all over your lower legs, dirty jeans because of having to lift the feed bags off the dirt floor. Then there's the mouth goop that the horses leave on your shoulder as you lead them out, and splashed water as you fill buckets.

4. Team work makes the dream work

After you have to do the barn all on your own, you quickly learn the value of help. There's nothing better than two (or more) people sharing the chores, one person taking on one task while the second person does another.

3. Routine is wonderful

This lesson probably will come from the horses themselves. Horses thrive on routine. Timeliness, feed, exercise... the more regular these can be, the happier the horses in your care. You'll learn the value of establishing and then maintaining a routine.

2. Efficiency is key

Every barn worker learns all about efficiency and saving energy - not just the electrical kind!

Before you figure out your routines, you might end up having to walk back and forth to key areas - such as the feed room, the tack room, or the paddocks. Soon enough, you'll start figuring out how you can save as many trips as possible - because, let's face it - the number of steps you walk can add up pretty quickly when you're walking real distances!

You'll work out what you should carry with you even while you're heading to a paddock to do something else.

10,000 steps? Haha! Even after multiple step-saving attempts, you'll still end up somewhere in the 15-25,000 steps region. That's in ONE DAY!

But you won't be able to stand for inefficiencies ever again!

1. Horses come before anything else

This is truly the #1 lesson you'll learn if you work in the barn. While it's true that you're working for the barn owner, or for the boarders or lesson students, you'll soon realize that it's all about the horses. How will you learn this valuable lesson?
It might happen when you notice that one of the paddocks run out of water, and how the horses stand around the water tub waiting and waiting - in the heat of the summer. Or you'll notice how a horse gorges on his hay when he comes inside - after having finished the morning hay on that long snowy wintry day, when there's no grass to be found otherwise. 

These mistakes will urge you to be more diligent because the horses are literally reliant on you.  And it's a big responsibility. 

There is one other thing that happens when you add all this up. In the end, you become a much more empathetic human being. Which will serve you the rest of your life.

See the article here: https://www.horselistening.com/2018/11/22/top-6-things-youll-learn-from-doing-barn-chores/?fbclid=IwAR2_Z5BRjqg-DQP7KLg2a44l55BIv9STyDhlNvywVtrVwrnzz8R86sXSLLM

Barb Schulte Emergency Hand-brake Maneuver

Good morning! The following link is to a video Barb created and forwarded to us to share with you! The text will be in our October newsletter, and the video is also posted to our Facebook page.

Safety is an important consideration while riding, and we very much appreciate Barb sharing this with us:

https://barbraschulte.com/the-emergency-brake-two-handed-stop/

Please pause for 2 minutes and read this:

 1. Let’s say it’s 7.25pm and you’re going home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job.
 2. You’re really tired, upset and frustrated.
 3 Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to drag out into your arm and up in to your jaw. You are only about five km from the hospital nearest your home.
 4. Unfortunately you don’t know if you’ll be able to make it that far.
 5. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy who taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.
 6. HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE? Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
 7. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
 8. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.
 9. Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could save their lives!!
 10. A cardiologist says If everyone who gets this mail kindly sends it to 10 people, you can bet that we’ll save at least one life.
 11. Rather than sending jokes, please... contribute by forwarding this mail which can save a person’s life.
 12. If this message comes around you... more than once… please don’t get irritated... You should instead, be happy that you have many friends who care about you & keeps reminding you how to deal with a Heart attack.

What to Look for in a Good Cow, by Barbra Schulte

Perhaps you are an amateur or a non-pro who did not grow up around cattle … and now you still don’t have many opportunities to be around them or work them. You’re not alone.

​​​Maybe one of the few times you do get to experience cattle happens during a show run. That’s very challenging and less than ideal on the job training!

As you already know, there are a lot of moving pieces and parts to this whole idea of becoming proficient working a cow. The most efficient learning approach I know is to break those pieces down into bite size chunks and tackle them one at a time.

The purpose of this article is to address a very important part of the cow puzzle … how to tell “good” cow behavior from “bad” cow behavior.

When you scroll down, you'll see a list of desirable and undesirable cow behaviors. These cow characteristics are noted in the context of herdwork with a group of cattle. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Desirable Cow Characteristics and Behaviors

​​​​​​​by Barb

1 - Interested in the horse and moves away from the horse easily

The cow sees the horse, pauses, looks and then walks on at an even gait. The more the cow looks back to “check out” the horse, typically the better the cow.

Avoid: A cow that moves quickly away from a horse and pushes aggressively through the herd. Also avoid a cow that allows a horse to get close to him without moving.

2 - Appears “soft” in his body language

The cow appears relaxed and not “bothered” by the activity around him.

Avoid: A cow that is super alert, tight muscled, ears back, tail swishing and/or easily agitated by horses, people, movements or noises around him.

3 - Keeps head and neck level everywhere he travels

The cow keeps an even top line when he moves around.

Avoid: A cow that is high headed or extremely low headed.

4 - Travels everywhere at an even pace.

The cow moves at a steady gait.

Avoid: A cow that darts anywhere or moves sporadically.

5 - Is comfortable at the front of the body of the herd as a horse works in front of him.

The cow is interested in the activity of the horse working in front of the herd as demonstrated by remaining at the front of the herd and watching the horse as he works.

Avoid: A cow that remains close to the back fence, seeks the back fence or does not want to drive out.

6 - Is comfortable alone (without the comfort of the herd).

The cow doesn’t mind standing by itself during settling or remains out front after another cow has been cut (and has to be returned to the herd by a helper.)

Avoid: A cow that is uncomfortable by himself, that is never alone or that runs back to the herd quickly on a cut.​​​​​​​

Barb Schulte Personal Performance Article

PERSONAL PERFORMANCE ARTICLE

"10 Traits of Those Who Don't Give Up"

I remember a time when I was feeling overwhelmed ... and not particularly successful. 

I had a lot of stuff to do and not a lot of time. 

And the worst thing was I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. Busy. Frustrated. I was feeling a little stuck. 

Then I started to think about two people I admired in my world of cutting horses.

They both loved what they did. They both had their own style (a gorgeous uniqueness about themselves). They were both dedicated to constantly improving. But most of all they never gave up.

One loved to show. One didn't. But neither compared themselves to other people. 

I love studying those I admire. I love feeling personally inspired because of them. I love exploring what helps us excel with our horses, and in our lives. 

Here are some key traits I have come to recognize in those who fall, succeed, keep growing, stay motivated and never give up:

  • They are in touch with what they love in the way they love it. 

  • They don't compare themselves or their horse to other people or their horses. 

  • They love learning for its own sake.

  • They have trusted mentors who help them find their next best steps.

  • They believe that difficult times will always be, so when those times show up, they embrace the challenges. They are willing to walk through the fire.

  • They keep searching for ways to reach their goals, no matter how long it takes. 

  • They understand they are always enough at every moment in time. Even though they are striving, they don't have to be someone else or do something more ... or prove anything to themselves or anyone else. 

  • They expect the best each day ... each ride.

  • They are grateful. 

  • They never give up. 

I am truly grateful for those who inspire me. 

Here are a couple of articles we think you'll like!

NOTICE TO MEMBERS re the ANNUAL AUCTION

NOTICE TO MEMBERS:
2018 QUILT RAFFLE

Due to unfortunate circumstances, the Quilt Raffle for 2018 has not been promoted according to plan. Therefore the raffle is now the

 

"2018-2019 QUILT RAFFLE."

 

Tickets will be offered for sale through the end of March 2019.
the Drawing will be at the May 2019 show 

Some tickets have been distributed, if you have sold them please turn them in. Additional tickets will be mailed to members over the next few weeks for sales between now and the end of March. See Bill Stein for tickets.

Raffle includes the following prizes

HAND-MADE QUILT donated by Robin & Dave Phillips value $1200
Cabela's Gift Card $200
Sheplers Gift Card $200
Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card $150
Tractor Supply Gift Card $150
2 sets of spur straps

Historically, this has been a big contributor to the club, let's get out and sell some tickets to family and friends.

Donations are $10 per ticket

New Trucking Regulations

Hauling regulations are changing. We will have a comprehensive article in the March newsletter. This new rule limits the amount of time a commercial truck driver can drive; mandates a specific amount of off-duty/non-driving time; and requires the use of electronic logging devices to track the driving and non-driving times. The final phase-in date was December 18, 2017.  

Joanne sat in on a webinar, and interviewed a PA State Trooper for information on this topic. See our March Newsletter for detailed information. The PA State Police Motor Carrier Safety Division website has detailed information.