Whether you're a trainer, a non pro or an owner who's watched
from the side and wondered about training methods, this section of DownTheFence.com is for you. You're invited to ask the individual of your choice a training or showing question, and DownTheFence.com will contact the expert and seek out the answer you're looking for.

Ready to get started? Just send an email with ‘Ask The Expert’ in the subject line... please choose three professionals in order of preference and note whether your question is related to the prospect, snaffle bitter, hackamore horse, two-rein horse or bridle horse. Questions used may be edited for clarity and brevity. You will be notified by email if your question will be featured here, and your initials will identify your question.

DownTheFence.com thanks the reined cow horse trainers who graciously share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport.

:: Prospect ::

Prospect :: Snaffle Bitter
Hackamore Horse :: Two-Rein Horse :: Bridle Horse

Q. I have a colt foaled in March 2005 and will soon be 2. When is a good time to send him out for training, what should I look for when selecting a trainer, and what should I expect from the trainer?? Thanks! ~W.B.

A. I like to get my colts in the early part of their 2 year old year (ie Jan-March).This way they are ‘on schedule’ if they are slated for a sale or futurity. If not, timing is not so important.

You need to find a trainer that has shown that they are capable of producing the results that you want. It’s also important that you feel comfortable with them (ie they make time for you and your questions etc). It is good that you talk to previous and present customers of theirs. However, I caution putting too much credibility on those sources, as there are always going to be sour apples. Next in importance is the state of their facility and the horses under their care. I know lots of fine trainers who work out of humble facilities. ‘Fancy’ is not an indicator of skill level. But a certain amount of pride and professionalism go hand in hand with a functional, clean and orderly working place. A quick walk through the barn can yield lots of information about the care that’s given. It can also reveal training techniques that may not appeal to you (ie excessive spur marks on horses, checking up techniques that you might not want your horse subjected to, friendly assistant trainers…). Basically, do you get a good feeling? Do the horses seem content? And most importantly, is there riding going on regularly?

No trainer should object to an unannounced ‘visit’ occasionally (just don’t expect them to drop everything and go get your horse out). I would expect, actually demand, honesty from my trainer regarding my horses abilities and potential (even if it’s not what I want to hear). This way your precious money and their valuable time are not wasted.

I go the extra mile for people and I appreciate when they do the same for me. So that’s the kind of people that I hire and like to do business with. If I can be of any more help to you, please feel free to email me at ‘sandycollier@earthlink.net’.

Good luck with your colt! ~ Sandy Collier, Sandy Collier Training Stables, Buellton, CA


Q. I have a mare that I showed a little bit and put some Non Pro points and money on in the cowhorse, and would like to retire and possibly breed for my own little program. My wife says I shouldn't breed her, because she's a bit common-headed and her legs are not perfectly straight, but I say it's fine to breed her because she's a money and point earner and has a great attitude. What do you think? And if I do breed her, do you think a stallion can actually help her crookedness and plain head? ~ K.R.

A. Because this mare has proven herself in the show pen and seems to have a lot of desire, I don't see a problem with breeding her. Obviously her conformation faults have not hurt her to this point. It seems that the good ones find a way to get the job done! Lots of good-legged, pretty horses have not been able to do anything, and several famous, successful stallions have been performers and produced performers in spite of glaring conformation faults.

That being said, I would look for a stallion who would balance this mare - pretty-headed, good conformation, with the bloodlines to compliment hers. Often you will not get rid of less desirable traits in one generation, but breeding to something that would improve her will only help down the road.

Best of luck with your program! ~ Pete Bowling, Oasis Ranch, Herald, CA

:: Snaffle Bitter ::

Prospect :: Snaffle Bitter
Hackamore Horse :: Two-Rein Horse :: Bridle Horse :: Top

Q. I have a mare by Chex Out This Remedy who's 3, coming 4 years old. I bought her as a trained reining prospect as a 2 year old, however due to an auto accident, I injured my back and wasn't able to work her last summer, so she's had about 9 months off and I've had the time to contemplate her future.  She is working well in a snaffle bit, and I'm not sure whether to bring her next into a hackamore or whether I should move her up into a broken curb (shanked snaffle) as soon as we do some "refresher" work after her layoff.  I haven't had her on cattle yet, but the person who started her told me that she'd been on cattle a couple of times and seemed pretty cowy.  Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. ~M.L., MT

A. Personally, I put all my horses in a hackamore, and do the traditional thing, up through the hackamore into a little two-rein, then into the bridle.  I think it puts a better neck rein on them than one that skips the hackamore step.  However, since your horse is fairly green and has had time off, I would not recommend going into a hackamore or a shank bit until both you and she are comfortable with all the maneuvers in a snaffle - reined as well as on a cow.  Then you can look at going forward.  I would highly recommend you find a good professional nearby who can help you decide firsthand what equipment to use next and when, to get you safely on to your goals with this mare.

Have fun! ~ Benny Guitron, Guitron Ranch, Merced, CA



Q. I have shown cowhorses for a few years now, and next year I’m going to try showing my first snaffle bit horse.  I have a few of my own cattle, and it’s hard to get to a trainer regularly where I’m at.  My problem is this: my two year old is tracking cattle well, he is okay boxing and we have done a few slow turns down the fence.  None of this makes him nervous. But when I’ve tried to settle a few cattle in my round pen and work him out of the herd, he gets tight when the cattle are behind him.  He tosses his head, wants to prance, stuff like that.  I know he’s only two and I have tried not to put a lot of pressure on him, but will he ever learn to relax in the herd?  What should I do for it? ~S.T., NM

A. Congratulations on having a nice prospect… this is a problem I don’t mind having.  Horses that were very aware of the herd behind them, even nervous, always ended up being really good cowhorses for me.  Ride him through a herd as much as you can, and I know that’s hard when you only have a few cattle.  But in general, I wouldn’t worry about it because this problem goes away with time.  Don’t make a big deal out of it and your horse will settle down naturally.  Like I said, those kind are the ones I prefer.

Also, I would caution against going down the fence too early in a horse’s training, even slowly.  I typically don’t have my snaffle bitters work down the fence until late May or so of their three year-old year.  It’s a lot of speed for them to adjust to and I don’t like to do it too early.

Best of luck! ~ Teddy Robinson, Ted Robinson Training Stable, Oak View, CA



Q. I've got a colt who's idea of cow fresh is to plant my butt in the dirt. He has figured out that the take-off down the fence departure is a good time to buck me off. It caught me by surprise as he's been in professional training for 10 months and I was trusting him on a pretty loose rein. Any suggestions? ~ L.C.

A. There are a couple of different reasons why a horse becomes 'cow fresh'. On a young horse it is most likely that they do not see enough cattle on a regular basis. If you are only getting in front of cattle once in awhile, try getting your three year old tired before taking them to cattle. You should warm them up (gallop them) for 40 minutes or longer to increase their desire to listen. The more broke the colt gets and the more often he sees cattle, the shorter the amount of time you will need to do this.

Also consider this... most snaffle bitters (3 year olds) have been in training for close to 24 months prior to attending the Futurity in September. 10 months of training on a young horse is a relatively short period of time in the big scheme of things. Try to treat him more like a green horse, meaning the 'loose rein and trust factor' will come later. Right now, help him and teach him to cow, take him to 'soft' cattle as often as possible and build his confidence.

Good luck and ride safe. ~ Kim Witty, High Country Training, Ellensburg, WA

:: Hackamore Horse ::

Prospect :: Snaffle Bitter
Hackamore Horse :: Two-Rein Horse :: Bridle Horse :: Top

Q. My snaffle bit horse can be kind of strong down the fence, and I'm worried about showing him next year in the hackamore. I bet he'll be fine in the bridle, but I'm not experienced in a hackamore and am concerned he will 'take me for a ride' without a bit in his mouth. Should I just skip the hackamore stage? ~ R.L.

A. I do think it's worth it to take a horse through the hackamore, so unless your horse really makes you feel uncomfortable in the snaffle, I'd try not to skip the hackamore. If you're by yourself to where you can't get help regularly and your horse makes you really uncomfortable with this, you might go straight to the bridle. But either way, there's some retraining to do.

A hackamore really only works with left and right pressure, so you can't just pull straight back on it like a bit. So before you put a hackamore on, get your horse really listening to you left and right when you're in a tough spot, say about to go down the fence. When your horse gets strong, pull him around in a spin with just one rein, either direction, not aggressively but right at that moment, until he unhooks from that cow. Usually I just do one spin, but you may need two or three at first. When you feel like he's listening to you, release him and let him go get his cow again. If in two strides he is back to being strong, do it again, maybe the other direction. But the key is to release him completely when you let him out of that spin and back toward the cow - you can't be hanging on him out of the turn.

You're looking for him to respond every time you pull with one rein, to relax and respond down into a turn. Eventually he will be thinking about the cow and also about how he might get pulled off if he gets too strong, and he'll start to control himself. Since that lateral pull works just as well in a hackamore, you should feel more confident when you start riding him in one.

Good luck! ~ Russell Dilday, Dilday Ranch, Porterville, CA

:: Two-Rein Horse ::

Prospect :: Snaffle Bitter
Hackamore Horse :: Two-Rein Horse :: Bridle Horse :: Top

Q. I have really enjoyed having my first non pro hackamore horse this past year, and she does well in the hackamore. I just bought a bosalito and two-rein set up, but have not tried it out yet. Should it fit differently than my regular hackamore? Do you have any tips for the first few times I use it with the bridle? She used to toss her head every now and then in the snaffle (not in the hackamore) and I'm a bit worried that going back to a bit in her mouth will bring that back. Her teeth were checked out and are fine. ~ M.W.

A. I will try to answer your questions about using the two-rein set up. First of all congratulations on having a successful hackamore horse - not everyone has a good time of it. As far as fitting your bosalito, it really depends on a few things. Number one, how your bridle sits: if you have a tight fitting bridle and headstall you have to raise your bosalito up further on the nose to avoid painful pinching and binding; if your bridle has a finger of room between the cheeks of your horse and the hangers on your bit then you can place it a little lower. Number two, where did your horse work the best in the hackamore? Did you have the bosal sitting high on her nose or low, a little tighter in the chin or lots of room to jiggle, all of these are factors in placing your bosalito - just remember you have to have at least two fingers of space between your horse's jaw and your mecate. The best thing to do is find a bridle that she is comfortable with and play with the placement of the bosalito until you find that sweet spot for her. Personally speaking, I do like my bosalito sitting about 1 1/2 to 2 fingers above the bar of the bit - so - lower on the nose.

Since she wanted to toss her head with the snaffle, I would recommend finding a bit in your tack room with a nice soft port (not too high and lots of tongue relief) and a shorter shank. When you bridle her make sure you have the bit pulled up in her mouth so that she has one if not two wrinkles in the corners of her mouth. Use a leather curb, adjust it so that it is snug (one to two fingers of room) - this should help stabilize the bit in her mouth so it doesn't bang around. Try to start with your bosalito where you usually hung your hackamore and give yourself and her a few days of quiet riding adjusting to the new rig.

To start with I would mainly use the bosalito to guide her, let her get used to the feel of the bit hanging in her mouth. Gradually start pulling her around with the bridle reins, play for a little while - maybe after you stop pull her head around with the bridle reins or start her into your spins with the bridle. Try to stay really soft, alternate when you need to between the bridle and bosalito - always go back to what she knows if you get in trouble. Sometimes I drape one set of reins over my saddle horn, sometimes I ride with both sets of reins in my hands - whatever feels right. But I am always working towards getting them comfortable and confident in the bridle. Remember you can hold your reins any way you feel comfortable; I cross the mecate, and try to keep my thumb up - if I do this I can use my free hand to adjust the mecate as I ride and still use my bridle reins like I will have to in the future. Probably the biggest thing is to remember that this is a stepping stone, take your time, experiment a little, have patience with yourself and your mare and most of all have fun! Hope this helps.

Good luck! ~ Jamie Peters, Bar JP Quarter Horses, Edmond, OK

P.S. An old friend of mine told me that if I had a horse that tossed their heads in a bridle I should find a big tongue tickling spade, hang that in their mouth, no curb strap, no reins, unsaddled or saddled and turn them loose in a round pen, arena whatever. The theory is that they will learn that it is easier to pack the bit than it is to have it banging them in the mouth every step of the way. It worked on one horse - but I make no promises.

:: Bridle Horse ::

Prospect :: Snaffle Bitter
Hackamore Horse :: Two-Rein Horse :: Bridle Horse :: Top

Q. How do I get my bridle horse worked if I can't get fresh cattle? I try to keep them fresh as long as I can by quitting before they do, but after a month I still end up with cows that won't run, are herd sour, and stick to the exit gate of the arena. Any suggestions?   ~ M.S., FL

A. At a recent clinic, we had some cattle that were just about done and had to figure out a good way to get everyone's horse schooled. I remembered an exercise I learned from Don Dodge a long time ago. It ended up being exactly what was needed. ~ Don Murphy, Marietta, OK
Click here to view the article on a good exercise for used cattle.

Q. I have a bridle horse that is really good in the cow work, but I just can’t seem to get him to concentrate in the dry work.  He is always looking down to where the cattle are, especially when I circle at that end of the arena.  If it’s a run-in pattern I almost always miss my first stop, because he’s looking over at the cows and not paying any attention.  I’ve only been showing for about a year now, but this is really getting frustrating.  He is good in the cow work, and I don’t want to take that out of him, but the dry work is not much fun for me.  Any advice?   ~ J.W.

A. I actually have a horse right now that does this… they just get to anticipating that they will have to go to work a cow and they’re trying to get ready. 

At home, if you can make it work with your facilities, set up a situation where the cattle are settled at the end of your pen on the other side of the wall or fence, then work on your reining and ignore the cattle.  At the horse show, before you have to show try to get in the arena with the cattle in their pens, and lope a bunch of circles near the end.  Fence your horse to that wall, not hard, and stop him until he’s comfortable going to his stop.  You don’t have to punish him, just keep doing it until he starts to focus.  Make your circles very near to the wall. Then when you are showing, I would lope slightly smaller circles, away from the wall. 

Hopefully over time your horse will learn to pay more attention to you than to the cattle.  Good luck! ~ Kevin Stallings, Tucson, AZ

Q. What's the best way to maintain a bridle horse? Seems like there's always stuff to work on, but how much is too much? ~ S.D., OR

A. I personally maintain mine a lot by working cows. It would just depend on what I felt the weaknesses were, and I would build my works around what my weaknesses were. I maintain one a lot by working a flag, or working a cow. I don’t run a lot of circles on an older horse; I don’t do a lot of stopping until it gets close to show time. It’s not that I don’t do it, but I certainly won’t drill them on it, because if you run and stop a lot, it can make them sore. Or make me sore, too!
~ Todd Crawford, Blanchard, OK
To view the full article with Todd, click here.

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