The Making of a Roping Horse: WOOOOHAAAAAAA!!!
As soon as we arrived at the ranch today, I jumped out of the car and starting searching through paddock after paddock for Leo. Jim whistled for him. We didn’t know where he was. Jim went to chat with the owner, and I headed for the stalls. Since the sun was so high outside, it seemed very dark in the halls. “Leo?” “Leo?” I peered into stall after stall, until finally there he was! LEOOOOOO!!! He poked his little nose out at me and I couldn’t have been happier.
He looks a little thinner, but beefy, like he’s been working. The trainer saddled him up to show Jim how he’s doing after two weeks. After a short warm up, they ran some steer. First I watched Leo, how still he was in the box, and how well he rated the steer when he came out. Then I watched the broad smile spread across Jim’s face. HE IS NOT SELLING LEO!!! Haaaaaahaaaaaaaaa!!!! YAY!!!
This trainer is pretty wonderful. Leo looked so easy and relaxed under him. I wanted to hug him when he was telling us how bad it is to jerk or kick a horse around. He has a lot to teach and a nice way of teaching it.
I had a lesson with Leo that went so well. I learned a lot that I want to talk about and will in the coming weeks.
Main things though:
- Leo was signed up for another month of training
- I’ve signed up for lessons with Leo and the trainer for every weekend
- The trainer is extremely familiar with Les Vogt’s 5 easy pieces (he’s been to 10 of his clinics) and weaves them into his own lifelong experience
When I put Leo up and said my goodbyes, I told him with a huge grin on my face and watery eyes, what a good boy he is, how smart he is, and thanked him for all the hard work. I kissed his fuzzy nose, gave him way too many treats, and just about danced back to my car. It was a good day.
Sounds like a winning combination…a good horse and a good trainer. But it’s kinda like when somebody gets a new house built. They take ya in and show ya all the pretty woodwork and floors and paint and stuff but they never show ya the foundation holding it all up.
You done a good job putting a handle on Leo. Both his mind and body. Don’t sound to me like it was too long ago that there was no way he woulda stood still in a roping box or got anywhere near a steer.
So reach back and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. You built the foundation that keeps all that pretty stuff from crumbling to the ground.
27 May 2008 at 5:20 am
Wow MJ- so many good things have been happening for you. That’s great!
01 Jun 2008 at 8:39 pm
We need updates.
05 Jun 2008 at 11:49 pm
Yeah! Like how the clinic went……?
06 Jun 2008 at 7:49 am
MJ I think it’s about time you got Amanda a blog of her own too. That way us Illinois folks can gang up on ya’s.
06 Jun 2008 at 8:55 pm
I toooold Amanda that she could have one. But she isn’t ready. I think she might have stage fright, which is a shame because she always has so much valuable information.
Sorry for my absence. I’m so excited about everything that my head might pop off my body! The clinic was excellent! I’m officially a Les Vogt clinic junkie now. I’m going to go to the next one if I can. It was AWESOME! I can’t wait to talk to you guys about all the stuff I learned!
I have a lesson in the morning, which is 3 hours away from where I live. It’s 11 pm and I have to be up by 5:30 am. SO, I’m going to get some shut eye. Tomorrow night, I’ll post the update. Thanks for lighting a fire under my butt Al. But you know, you have to tell how your show went too!
07 Jun 2008 at 11:02 pm
Ok, you guys talked me into it. At least I know 2 people besides myself who will read it!
Set me up MJ, let me know what I need to do. I do have some horse issues going on right now I maybe could use help with, so this may be just the right time.
09 Jun 2008 at 8:13 am
Oh Al, you guys ok over there, the tornado wasn’t too far from you, was it?
09 Jun 2008 at 8:14 am
Tornado went right by us. I had just left for work. Wife and kids have video and pictures. I did hear that 2 horses near Wilmington got killed. It was a big one. But could have been a lot worse. We didn’t have any damage at all at our place. For some reason it was headed right for our place then about a 1/4 mile away it veered to the north.
I called the guy that we get our hay from. He’s got some cutting horses and cattle. He said it took out alot of his wooded area but no damage to any buildings or stock.
About time you get to doin some writin Amanda. Did you make down to that reining they had in Indiana? I seen their gonna have a reining class at the Grundy County fair but I haven’t called yet to find out what their idea of reining is.
09 Jun 2008 at 4:25 pm
Thank God you all were ok. No I didn’t make it down to that show, Doug (my trainer) had some students there & one got Rookie Champ. I’m shooting for the IL State Fair show in July in Springfield. That is, if we get this mysterious soreness figured out with Mea. Vet was out this morning & thinks its her lower back, so we’re trying a few things. Haven’t been able to do any serious training & haven’t had a lesson in about a month either.
10 Jun 2008 at 11:49 am
Al, I’m so glad you and your family are ok. And you horses! Jeez! Close call!
10 Jun 2008 at 1:07 pm
Thank you all for your concern. I guess being out in the open somewhat here is nice cause you can see em coming.
I tell folks the reason that tornado veered around our house is cause of all those years of me living righteous. Now Chris says if we had to rely on my good livin our place woulda been relocated somewhere around Michigan.
Amanda I’m sorry to hear your horse is having some troubles. I’m lookin forward to him gettin better and seeing you ride him soon. I ain’t never had to use one but have had a few folks that seemed really happy using a horse chiropractor. Might be worth a try?
MJ now that you’re a bonafide Les Vogt clinic veteran you gotta start tellin all your secrets.
12 Jun 2008 at 9:13 am
I’ve heard some success stories with them as well. I’m trying the process of elimination now. I don’t want to do everything at once, cuz then I won’t find out what it is. Vet pretty much narrowed it down to either muscle pain or heat cycle pain. He said sometimes they can get extra folicles (sp?) built up in their ovaries that can cause pain so he gave her a shot of something thats suppose to clear them out. I know I should know the name of it, but I don’t know anything about that stuff since I don’t breed. He asked me how often she’s cycled this year so far & I’m like, ummmmm, twice maybe? If its that she should be better in 7-10 days. If its muscular will take longer. I was given advice on “sweating” her back with Listerine if its muscular, which I might try. Also will look into a chiropractor.
12 Jun 2008 at 1:58 pm
Sweating her with Listerine? Is it Menthol maybe, to heat her muscles? Pool little girl…having cramps sucks (jk).
It sounds like you’re on your way to a cure though. I agree about the chiropractor too. It can’t hurt at all. I’ve heard wonderful things about them. People around here really believe in them and see big changes in their horses. Even my pal Jim uses them and he’s not into all that fluffy “new agey” horse treatment stuff.
13 Jun 2008 at 10:55 pm