the rider additional leverage, and the circling motion it creates helps slow a startled colt that may attempt to fl ee a particular object or situation. When the men talk about “correctness” they’re often
referring to the importance of a horse’s posture and balance while in motion. A horse can better execute stops, turns, side-passes and other important maneuvers if its shoulders, ribs and hips are positioned to allow it to do so in an effi cient manner. During a turn or spin, for example, a colt may tend to lean inward and “drop” its shoulders, making the task diffi cult. Maintaining correct posture during a turn or spin requires keep- ing the horse’s shoulders elevated. Consequently, his feet and legs can more easily cross each other and the movement becomes easier for the horse. Correctness in the animal’s body also becomes important when per- forming everyday ranch work such as sorting, roping or turning a cow. Like control, correctness work begins in the larger round pen before the colt is taken outside. “When they fi rst lope in the bigger pen, it’s not going
to be pretty,” Williams says. “A lot of them are going to want to cut across and we’re going to let them for a little while. But before long, we want them up against the wall in a lope, with the shoulder up — we want to keep him symmetrical in a big circle. If he can stay cor- rect in the big round pen, he can stay correct outside.” As with the colt’s early life, big open pastures are
preferred for training the all-around ranch horse. The environment is important for enhancing their athletic abilities as well as making them gentle and comfort- able with everyday ranch chores. “The fi rst day the colts are ridden outside, we take
them to the top of the Cap,” Williams says, describing the colt’s initial trek outside of confi nement. “For one thing, it gets the horse’s mind on the job at hand. If he’s going up the Cap, he can’t be looking for another horse or he’s in trouble. He’s got to get his mind on his business when he’s going up and down that rough country.” Developing trust between rider and horse is important and it’s best fostered in the rugged country. The bond between horse and rider results in a gentler horse. “If he’ll rely on me a little more, I’ll rely on him a
little more, which is crucial in his overall education,” says Williams. “We want these colts outside crossing creeks, climbing hills and getting brush under their bellies so they’ve experienced that stuff and you’re not worried when riding him in the pasture.” Much of the remainder of Williams and Smith’s work is done outside. By then, the younger men are turning
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their attention back to another group of 2-year-olds in the bronc pen and the veterans are completing work on the started colts, maintaining a focus on correct- ness and posture. “Posture and straightness are best developed out-
side,” Williams says. “We’ll use every element out there to train a horse. We’ll use a tree to push a shoulder up. When I lope a horse around a tree it helps me keep his inside shoulder up and in good posture. We use ditches to free up a horse’s front end and help him cross his front feet when he turns.” There will come a point in the colt’s training when correctness becomes crucial, especially when he’s introduced to cow work. “Let’s say your horse is tracking a cow,” says
Williams. “If he’s [traveling] straight, he’s ready for the next move. But if he’s crooked, it’s impossible. If he’s straight and your cow turns, you’re ready. If she stops, you’re ready. If she speeds up and goes in a different direction, you’re ready. You’re not trying to get his butt back under him because he already has it under him, and he’s ready for the next step. His back is up, his withers are up and he’s ready to go.”
Becoming a ranch horse Ninety days can be an intensive amount of train-
ing for an adolescent, 2-year-old colt. Giving the horse time-off to mentally decompress may be necessary. Decades of experience have given Williams a sense for knowing if a colt can withstand more instruction or needs some “turnout time.” “It’s important to give these colts time to develop-
ment mentally,” Williams says. “We have to remember that he’s almost grown up physically, but he’s not much more than a child mentally.” Still, some aspects of a colt’s development can be
acquired only through everyday ranch chores. Wilson advocates immersing the youngsters in such work as early as possible. “We’ll throw some of our 2-year-olds in with our
remuda when we take the wagon out for spring brand- ing,” says Wilson. “They need to be ridden with the group and learn things that only the older geldings can teach them about being a ranch horse.” For a colt, the 3-year-old mark is a turning point from
adolescence to adulthood. From this point forward, the horse should be on his way to becoming a reliable tool for a cowboy. While his training is not complete, the young horse’s abilities will be honed and sharpened over time in his journey to becoming a dependable and versatile ranch horse.
November 2016 The Cattleman 89
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