Buckaroo Horsemanship

BB clinic in Redmond

2009-07-22T22:05:00.001-07:00

It was a great clinic again this year in Bend, the Horsemanship 1 class had around 30 riders in it of all levels. There were a lot of good questions and Buck gave us the time to ask and answer all of them, Horsemanship went till amost 1:00 everyday, the third day it ended at 1:30. Ranch Roping had a small group of riders and some very talented ropers. Some friends of Bucks came over from Haines and these two young men where a pleasure to watch rope. Maybe one day, I might be able to throw some of those more difficult shots. Over the next couple post, I will be posting my thoughts and comments on what Buck said and what we did in the Horsemanship and Ranch Roping classes.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick

Buck Clinic Redmond, Or

2009-07-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

We are just getting everything ready to head over to the Redmond area tomorrow morning for a weekend of horsemanship and Ranch Roping at the Buck clinic. Jessie and I are both excited to ride with him again in this clinic and look forward to learning alot. We hope to see you there.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick Donohue

Ricky Quinn Horsemanship Clinic Hillsboro 2009

2009-07-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

Riding in the Box

2009-03-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

While we are riding if we can think of having a box surround our horse, first we will start with a rather large box, with lots of room to move forward, back and side to side, our goal will be of course to stay centered in the box. At first on a younger, greener horse, or maybe even our so-called broke horse, we will have trouble staying centered in the box, they may want to go faster than our box is moving and push on the front of the box, or they may startle suddenly and want to jump out the side of the box. This is why at first we want a larger box, so we can still be particular and try to center our horse but still acknowledging that they are greener and will need more room in the box. As they progress and we refine, the box will grow smaller, until one day it will be from the tip of the nose to the tail, from one leg to the other.

Today we are going to talk about your horse running through the front of the box. If your horse is going to fast and always pushing out the front, slow him down and bring him back to center, but don't hold him there, allow him to find center by releasing him and letting him make the mistake again. Try to catch the mistake though before it happens, the horse has to prepare to speed up before he actually speeds up, try to feel for this and correct it then. Sometimes you may have to exaggerate and not bring the horse back to center, but rather, bring them out the back of box and ride them back up to center. Play with this for awhile, remember that it may take some time, so don't get frustrated, keep a cool head, be patient and it will come. As your horse gets better at this, try shortening up your box a little to refine it, remember out goal is to eventually have the box reach from the horses nose to their tale.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick

So I dropped the ball, I am picking it back up!

2009-02-24T23:47:00.001-08:00

Sorry, I have been bad this month getting posts up. I will be getting post up more regularly this month. I promise.

Don't forget the Ricky clinic is coming up April 30th - May 3rd, if you haven't already, let me know if you are planning on riding, the classes are filling up. We are doing two foundation horsemanship classes.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick Donohue

Do you have your horses attention?

2009-02-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

It is important when working with your horse that you have and maintain your horses attention. You cannot expect your horse to respond when you ask them to do something if they are not focused on you with their attention. Now, at the same time, we cannot ask our horse to forsake their natural ability to be aware of their surroundings, without this horses would not have survived the years. So with that being said, it is okay if something catches the horses attention momentarily, but they must not linger, their attention must come back to you. Of course that can be easier said than done sometimes.

So how do you keep your horses attention and bring it back when they linger? First, Be particular about this, but don't be picky. Don't get to upset if they linger a little, and don't act like a controlling human, instead, if the horses attention lingers for even a second, just bring it back to you. Use your leg to draw the nose the opposite direction the horses is focused on if you can, if not, use your rein, after you leg of course. When doing this don't be upset with your horse, remember it is their nature, but at the same time correct it with no bad feelings.

Okay, now the hard part, being consistent. You cannot expect your horse to offer you their undivided attention, if you are not consistent in asking for it. You have to be aware of where your horses attention is, this can be a difficult thing for the human to get. They want to get up on the horse and operate it like a machine, turn it on and let it do the work. Unfortunately for the human, it doesn't work that way, you must be mentally engaged with the horse at all times. If your not, how do you expect your horse to be mentally engaged with you?

Lastly, keep it interesting, don't just go ride around the arena day after day doing the same ole things time after time. Mix it up, get out and ride on the trail or on some open country. Find a friend with some cattle and learn to work cows. Give your horse a job, but give him one he can enjoy, not day after day of sitting in a cubical doing the same menial tasks. Make his ride something he will find interesting and look forward to doing rather then dreading and checking out.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick

Some points on Desensitizing

2009-01-27T22:52:00.000-08:00

In the "Natural Horsemanship" world today, you hear a lot about desensitizing horses on TV shows, clinics and demonstrations. There was a great article in the Jan/Feb issue of Eclectic Horseman, which if you don't already get it, you ought to go to www.eclectichorseman.com and subscribe, about this very subject. It got me thinking about this and I just wanted to add my thoughts about the subject.

1) Anymore horse people do everything they can to desensitize their horse, you see them introduce thing after thing, increasing the pressures until the horse learns to desensitize from these elements and essentially dull down, taking away their self preservation which has been essential in their survival. Then that same person goes and has to use excessive pressure to get the horse go operate and they wonder why their horses are not responsive and soft. Well the short answer is they took all that softness and responsiveness out when they did all the desensitization with the horse. Now I agree a certain level of desensitization is needed to be safe, you need to get a saddle on the horse, so you must desensitize them to a saddle blanket and saddle, they must be desensitized enough to touch and groom, swing a rope on, this should be enough to get the horse comfortable and confident, but much more beyond that is too much. Many times when a horse has been over desensitized and becomes dull, if and when they ever do "wake up" it usually ends up a pretty bad deal, people kid themselves into thinking a dull horse is a safe horse, when in reality, a light responsive horse, one that you can direct their feet with ease, is truly a safe horse.

2) Horses are around today because of their heightened sensitivity to their surroundings, without this, we would not have horses today. Now who are we to take it away from them, as Martin Black states in this article "Personally, I don't like to think that we should be trying to desensitize on of God's creations that He has made so sensitive. Horses are very intelligent, naturally sensitive animals, and such high sensitivity is essential to their survival. It is not "Natural" for them to operate without it." We should keep that in mind when we are working with our horses, anymore the word "Natural" is thrown around and used by anyone with a rope halter and a snaffle bit, well when you are working with your horse, really think it through, what is "Natural" for the horse.

3) Now here is another quote from the article, but I have heard this or at least something similar at a Ray Hunt clinic, and a Buck clinic. Really think about this: "People like to think they are more intelligent than the horse. If this is true, they should be able to rise to the horse's level of sensitivity and intuition instead of "desensitizing" the horse to their level." As trainers, handlers, horseman, or just horse people, if we truly want what is good for the horse, we must rise to their level.

Well, I hope this gives you something to think about and hopefully helps you improve your horsemanship. Always Remember "Enjoy the Journey"

2009 Horsemanship Clinics and events in Oregon and Washington

2009-01-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

4/17/2009 - 4/19/2009,
Ricky Quinn Cow Working & Ranch Roping
Brush Prairie Wa,
Mary Jo Turnbull
(368) 260-8932
http://www.rickyquinnclinics.com/

4/24/2009 - 4/26/2009
Californios Ranch Roping and Stock Horse Comp.
Red Bluff California
http://www.thecalifornios.com/

4/30/2009 - 5/03/2009
Ricky Quinn Foundation Horsemanship & Colt Starting
Hillsboro, Or
Nick/Jessie Donohue
(503) 593-8775
Info@donohuehorsemanship.com
http://www.rickyquinnclinics.com/

5/07/2009 - 5/10/2009
Ricky Quinn Horsemanship 1 Ranch Roping
Ellensburg, WA
Kyler Bear
(509) 859 - 3794
http://www.rickyquinnclinics.com/

5/16/2009 - 5/17/2009
Jordan Valley Big Loop Rodeo
Jordan Valley, Or
http://www.biglooprodeo.com/

7/17/2009 - 7/20/2009
Buck Clinic Horsmanship 1 and Ranch Roping
Redmond, Or
Daphne Story
(541) 420-2677
http://www.brannaman.com/

7/31/2009- 8/3/2009
Joe Wolter Colt Starting, Horsmanship, & Cow Working
North Plains, Or
Tanya
(503) 381 - 1201
http://www.joewolter.com/

9/11/2009 - 9/14/2009
Ricky Quinn Jr Foundation Horsemanship, Horsemanship 1
Enum Claw, Wa
Liz Clark
(206) 794 - 4906
http://www.rickyquinnclinics.com/

9/18/2009 - 9/21/2009
Ricky Quinn Jr Horsemanship 1 Cow Working
Philomath, Or
Laura Lilly
(541) 953 - 4415
http://www.rickyquinnclinics.com/

10/30/2009-11/2/2009
Buck Clinic Horsemanship 1 & 2
Spanaway, Wa
Cathi Bauer
(206) 755 -5764
http://www.brannaman.com/

Q/A about yeilding the front end

2009-01-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

This is an e-mail question I received, I thought I would go ahead and post both the question and answer on the blog as it is a pretty common problem facing many people learning these groundwork techniques.

Question:

I am having the most difficult time getting Montana to yield her front end/shoulder. She keeps pushing into me, and if she does yield, she still arcs her body into me instead of flexing it away. Any advice? I don't know what else to tell you, so if you have questions, please ask and I will tell you what I can about what I am doing.

Answer:

Now when you are yielding the fronts, is this from a stand still and you are walking the fronts around the hinds away from you, or is this from the circle, with him moving around you, un-tracking the hindquarters and then stepping the fronts across. We assumed that you were talking about walking the horse around you, un-tracking the hindquarters and then stepping the fronts across away from you, so our answer only will make sense if that is what you were doing.

It sounds like you have a few things going on. First, you don't have your horses attention, if he is looking away from you and running you over, it is not paying attention to you. You also do not have the horses respect, if he respected your space, he would not be running you over. Both of these things are very important for your safety and your ability to direct your horse both from the ground and from the saddle. Keep that in mind as you work through the following things.

Anyways, first start with your circle, how is he yielding his body, is her body on the same arc as the circle, is he traveling a correct circle with his feet, his inside hind foot should line up with his outside front foot while walking the circle if he is tracking correctly. Is his head and neck arced around the circle looking the direction he is traveling or is his focus to the outside of the circle with his shoulder is coming in towards you (My guess is this is what you are having happen). First to get his head towards you and his should away, you will have to bump on the lead rope (maybe pretty hard) to bump his head towards you, this bump should be rhythmic, don't just pull on him, you can't win a pulling contest. If you can get the timing right with his inside hind, it will make it a lot easier (bumping his head towards you as the inside hind is leaving the ground). This will step the inside hind up under her belly, drifting the hindquarters to the outside of the track of the front quarters causing the horse to arc her ribs and shoulders away and around you. This might cause the shoulder to come in towards you or the horse to stop its front end, if either of these things happen, swing your rope towards the shoulder, if after one swing the horse as not responded to the swing of the rope, make contact with the horse. Be firm enough if you make contact that it means something to the horse, don't be afraid to firm up, but also only do what is necessary. Once he is traveling rounded, tracking correctly and is soft, it is time to un-track the hindquarters. Change hands on the lead rope as you step in towards the hindquarters of the horse, this should cause the horse to arc more towards you with his head and neck and his hindquarters should be moving away from you, if his shoulder or head is pushing into you, let him run into your elbow with the side of his head, make sure he runs into hard enough he moves away from you and thinks twice about stepping on you again. Now, once the horse is un-tracking its hindquarters pause your feet open up your leading hand and lead the fronts across, if the horse comes towards you, bump your leading rein and firm up on the shoulder, head, neck with the lead rope, do whatever is necessary to get that horse to yield away from you. Now you should be going the other direction, repeat the above steps and continue to work on both sides, remember, each time doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be better than the time before, give it time and he will come around.

Here are a few links to post on my blog that should help with this, watch the videos and read the posts before you try this, they might help clear this up and get you on your way.

http://buckaroohorsemanship.blogspot.com/2008/12/circling-up-part-1-flexing-head-and.html

http://buckaroohorsemanship.blogspot.com/2008/12/cirlcing-up-part-2-getting-hindquarters.html

http://buckaroohorsemanship.blogspot.com/2008/12/ground-work-freeing-up-your-hind-and.html

http://buckaroohorsemanship.blogspot.com/2009/01/drifting-hindquarters.html

http://buckaroohorsemanship.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-your-horse-crowding-you.html

Well, I know this is a lot of information to absorb, just remember take it slow, maybe read over this stuff a time or two, then try it, come home and re-read it again. Best of luck, if you have any other questions, please let me know

Enjoy the Journey

Nick & Jessie

Holding yourself accountable

2009-01-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

While you ride and work with your horse, it is important that you are mentally engaged in the riding, evaluating what is happening with your horse and how you are responding. A good way to keep yourself accountable for this is to keep a ride journal. In my journal after every ride I write down a few things about my ride: what felt really good with the horse, where we made improvement over our last ride, what didn't feel so good about the ride, how I responded to this situation and how effective it was. Did it get better, stay the same or did I make it worse? Every ride, I evaluate myself, what did I do that was an improvement from my last ride or rides, where my weaknesses were and what I should have done instead. While I am riding, I always commit 100% to what I am doing in the moment, then evaluate it when I am done. This way I give the horse 100% of me, if it was wrong, I note it and avoid doing it again, if it worked, great, I note that and keep it up.

Now it is really important to be brutally honest about your ride and yourself; this is your journal and if you truly want to grow as a person and a horseman, you first must be honest with yourself, because as we all know, "the horse doesn't lie".

Enjoy the Journey

New Lesson Horse

2009-01-04T17:50:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics of our new Lesson horse! We haven't named her yet, so leave a message if you have any good name ideas for her.

Is your horse crowding you

2009-01-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

Now that you have been working on the last few exercises, leading your horse around you, drifting the hindquarters, un-tracking the hindquarters, and bringing the front quarters across, you will want to check and make sure that your horse is not crowding you. Sometimes people will think that their horse is not crowding them as they lead him around, but in reality are just too busy dancing around the horse to avoid getting run over that they don't realize they are doing this. A quick check to see if your horse is staying out of your space while leading around you, or if you are dancing around your horse is to lead your horse between you and a fence.

You will want to stand about about 5 to 6 feet off the wall, facing the wall. Then lead the horse between you and the fence, once the hindquarters have passed in front you, change hands on the lead rope, un-track the hindquarters and then lead the front across, like you learned in the last few exercises. Then lead the horse between you and the fence again, and repeat the above steps. The horse should never go behind you, he should be moving on a half circle in front of you. You also should not ever be moving backwards, where you start is where you should stay. You may step in with one foot while un-tracking the hindquarters and then back to your original spot. Remember the horse should be moving out at a lively walk, giving you the space where you don't feel the need to step back, the fence should offer you a stationary point to focus on so you know for sure if you are maintaining your position, or dancing around the horse so you don't get stepped on.

If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know. We should be getting video demonstrations of these exercises up soon. Best of luck.

Drifting the Hindquarters

2009-01-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

Now, through the first three exercises, you should have some control of your horse's front and hindquarters and they should be starting to free up. This exercise is an extension of the last exercises, it will help get control of the hindquarters and keep your horse from anticipating and will help keep him waiting on you. The goal is to get the inside hind to reach up underneath and across so that the horses front and hindquarters will be moving on two different tracks- the horse's hindquarters will be drifting to the outside of the circle.

Now to get this done, you will start by leading the horse around you, like you learned in the last exercise. You will focus on the inside hindquarter as you will want to time your request with this foot. As the foot leaves the ground you will take your leading hand and move it across your chest towards the horse's hip. This should cause the horse to reach deeper with his inside hind across his outside hind and drift his hindquarters towards the outside of the circle, causing the horse to be moving on two different tracks. If you horse does not respond when you move your leading hand across your chest towards his hip, bump lightly on the lead rope, IN TIME WITH HIS INSIDE HINDQUARTER, until the foot breaks loose from its track and drifts out.

At first, you will only ask for a step or two, do not try to drift the hindquaters too many steps. Try to maintain a lively walk through this drift- if the horse starts to slow down or stop open back up and lead the horse out around you, then try again. Once this is going well, untrack the horse's hindquarters like you learned in the previous exercise, send the fronts through and work on the other side.

Best of Luck

Nick

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a great holiday and is blessed with the company of their loved ones.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick Donohue

More Snow In Portland

2008-12-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

Ground work - Freeing up your hind and front quarters

2008-12-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

This will be my next video in our little series that we are doing, but due to weather conditions, we can't tape it right now so I thought I would do an article on it first, hopefully, this week we will be able to get the camera going again.

By now, your horse should being giving its head laterally, willingly and softly, both with the feet standing still and with them moving around the front quarters. If you do not have this going for you yet, you should stay with the first two exercises until it is. We will assume that all is going well with the first two and it is time to move on to hind-quarters front-quarters. You will need a rope halter with a 12 foot lead on it to complete this exercise with efficiency, I hand tie all my leads and halters, but recommend for those who do not have experience with these to purchase a Brannaman halter made by double diamond with a tree line lead. You can purchase these at www.lostbuckaroo.com.

Now to get started, you will stand directly in front of your horse a few feet away, you will hold the lead rope in your left hand about 5 feet from the halter and hold the tail of your lead rope in your right hand with a few feet between your hand and the tail of the lead rope. You might need this few feet to drive your horse with, so it is important that the tail coming out of your driving hand (right now your right hand) is not too short. When you are set and prepared, you then raise your left hand, pointing to the left and approach your horse walking in a line slightly to the left. If the horse responds to this and moves off tracking left, you will release and allow the the horse to lead around you, if they do not respond to this, first offer a little life in the leading hand (right now this is your left hand) by bumping it lightly with a little rhythm, if the horses feet do not break free, then use your driving hand (this is currently your right hand) by swinging the rope overhand towards your horses right side, if the horse does not respond to this firm up by tapping the horse on the shoulder with the rope. When doing this, though be sure to firm up enough to get a response, do not continue tapping your horse and have nothing happen, do enough to be effective, not only in the moment but in the future. If you simply tap, tap, tap your horse and don't get to the feet, you are going to get your horse irritated. Get to the feet, always remember that. Now while doing the above mentioned things you will also be approaching your horse by walking towards them. As your horse moves off and around you it should look something like this picture.

Notice the bend in the horse's body, notice the handler is not pulling the horse around them, he is simply leading the horse with slack in the lead rope.

Now that you can send your horse around you, you will need to learn to un-track his hindquarters to either stop his or direct his the other way. To do this and simply stop your horse you will take your leading hand (at this point this is your right hand) directly across your body towards the horse's hips, this should cause the horse's hips to swing out, stepping its inside hind foot up under its body and crossing over the outside hind foot. Wait, doesn't that sound familiar from exercise # 2? Go back and look over that video before attempting this.

If you wish to change directions, before you take the rope to this horse's hips and walk towards them, you will want to change hands, so that your leading hand will now be your left hand and your driving hand will now be your right hand. It should look like these pictures.

Once the horse is un-tracking the hindquarters (if you are not familiar with this, please watch video 1 and 2 on flexing and moving the hindquarters) you are ready to change directions. Do this by pointing off to your left, if need be pause your feet for only a moment, while the horse comes across with his fronts. If the horse does not come through with his fronts you will offer a little life in the lead rope by lightly bumping it, and finally if the horse still does not come through with his fronts, firm up and swing the lead rope overhand at the horses left shoulder, making contact if necessary to cause the fronts to sweep across so the horse will lead off the other direction. Then you will continue to walk towards the horse as he leads around you. It should look something like this picute:

Now a few things to look for as you get this exercise going for yourself:

1) Is your horse walking out? He should walk with life, and energy; if your horse is moving without life and is dull, this along with everything else that we will be doing will be very difficult. Fortunately though, you can use this exercise to both increase and decrease the life in your horse. If you are looking to increase the life in your horse, first offer it by bumping on the lead in time with the inside front foot, you are trying to increase the stride that the horse takes, do not hold firm, offer a bump with rhythm to get this. If the horse does not make a change use the tail of your rope in your driving hand to encourage forward. If the horse trots, that is okay, simply encourage him to slow down by reducing the life in your body, if he does not respond then un-track his hindquarters and send him off the other direction. Do not let him continue to trot for a long time, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of the circle at most, then change his direction to slow him down. Later we will teach you how to drift the hindquarters, which also can be a way to slow the horse down from the trot without changing directions. Also, if the horse has too much life and won't walk, you will simply do as many direction changes as necessary until the horse walks, approach it thinking, "I am not going to make him walk, I will make it uncomfortable for him to trot, by continually changing his direction until he decides to walk and I allow him to." If you try to make him, it will never happen Let him walk. Remember that, it is something that can change the way your horse responds to you.

2) As your horse leads around you, he should be bent to the inside of the circle, with his ribs bending out and away from you and his head bent in towards the circle. He should not be looking out to the outside of the circle, pushing the ribs and/or shoulders in on the circle towards you. If he is doing this, bump on the lead rope and drive the shoulder away from you.

Best of luck with this exercise and as always if you have any trouble, please feel free to send us a question.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick & Jessie

Snow in Portland 12/14/08

2008-12-15T10:07:00.001-08:00

Cirlcing up, Part 2 - Getting the hindquarters to un-track

2008-12-13T00:26:00.000-08:00

Circling up Part 1, flexing the head and neck

2008-12-10T23:35:00.000-08:00

Technical Difficulties

2008-12-08T22:20:00.000-08:00

While I figure out my technical difficulties with posting video clips, I thought I would share this link. It is a YouTube link a friend from Arizona sent. I had no idea camels could be trained to do this.

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=CnsWQ4kNG-w

Enjoy

Nick

Upcoming blog series!!!

2008-12-05T23:35:00.000-08:00

It is important to ride your whole horse, many times people forget about about the back end of the horse and only ride front end, the problem with doing this is the hindquarters have the power and getting control of them will help you gain control of your horse. I am going to write a few entries on this, with a few different exercises to try both from the ground and the saddle. Thanks to my beautiful wife Jessie, I got a new Video camera for my birthday yesterday. I am planing on using this to demonstrate these exercises and walk you through them step by step. I should have my first video entry of this early up next week, so be watching out for these!

Enjoy the Journey

Buying Quality Gear Online

2008-12-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

One thing I have learned over the past few years, is nothing beats quality gear, but it is hard to find, weather you look in your local tack store or brave online shopping. This being said, I thought I would offer some links to sites that offer quality horsemanship gear, from saddles all the way down to flags and halters. We have bought things from all of these sites and have only received top quality gear from them.

http://www.californiaclassics.com/ - I get all my bosals from here, I recommend them with the soft core, these are nice bosals. California Classics also carries a wide range of gear such as the highest quality mane hair mecates and hand sewn wild rags.

http://www.lostbuckaroo.com/ - Jessie recently purchased a new pair of chinks from them, and loves them(they are the cream ones she is wearing in the pictures).

http://www.eclectic-horseman.com/ - This is a great Magazine and I would highly recommend a subscription

http://www.freckerssaddlery.com/ - You want a quality saddle, get it here.

http://www.rickyquinnclinics.com/portfolio.html - Sarah, makes great parachute mecates, Jessie bought one this summer and loves it, we recommend the 12 strand mecate now to all of our students for their snaffle bit rigs. Sarah puts a lot of time and energy into hand braiding these mecates and they are at a very reasonable price. She also carries the Buck Brannaman horsemanship flags.

Remember while quality gear can be a bit expensive, for most people, they will only ever have to buy one, so have why not buy something you can have pride in and that your horse can be proud to wear.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick

Congratulations Mary

2008-12-01T22:08:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Mary on her purchase of her new Horse Teeka.

Must Have DVD's

2008-11-29T22:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of DVDs, that I would recommend for anyone interested in learning more about horsemanship and bettering their skills with horses.

1) Groundwork - Buck Brannaman

2) The Snaffle Bit - Buck Brannaman

3) The Hackamore - Buck Brannaman

4) The Two Rein and the Bridle - Buck Brannaman

5) From the Ground Up - Buck Brannaman

6) The First Ride - Buck Brannaman

7) Colt Starting - Buck Brannaman

8) Trailer Loading and Problem Solving - Buck Brannaman

9) Turn Loose - Ray Hunt

10) Ray Hunt Appreciation Clinic - Ray Hunt

12) Colt Starting - Ray Hunt

12) The Fort Worth Benefit - Ray Hunt

13) Greetings - Tom Dorrance

13) Feel, Timing, and Balance - Tom Dorrance

14) The First Week, Bryan Nuebert, Joe Wolter, JimNeubert

If you are interested in Learning about Vaquero/Buckaroo Traditions and History I would recommend the following:

1) Tapadero, California Vaquero

2) The Remuda, Buckaroo

3) Houlihan, Northern Range Cowboy

If you are interested in learning about Ranch Roping I would recommend the following:

1) Ranch Roping Series, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced - Buck Brannaman

2) There's roping to do - Bill Dorrance, Joe Wolter

If you are interested in learning about Rawhide Cowboy Gear

1) Four Strands of Rawhide - Bill Dorrance

2) Introduction to Rawhide Braiding "The Cowboys Craft" - Bryan Neubert

3) Advanced Rawhide Braiding - Bryan Neubert

You can purchase the Buck Brannaman Videos @ http://www.brannaman.com/

You can purchase the Ray Hunt Videos @ http://www.rayhunt.com/

You can purchase the Tom Dorrance Videos @ http://www.tomdorrance.com/

You can Purchase the Bill Dorrance Videos @ http://www.billdorrance.net/

You can Purchase the Bryan Neubert Videos @ http://www.bryannuebert.com/

You can Purchase the Documentary videos on the buckaroo/vaquero @ http://www.tapadero.com/

Enjoy the Journey

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, we hope you have a wonderful day with good company, and of course a great meal.

Nick & Jessie

Documentaries on the History of Vaquero and Buckaroo

2008-11-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in Learning about Vaquero/Buckaroo Traditions and History I would highly recommend the following videos. They are informative and interesting to watch, both covering the history of these traditions while highlighting some modern day Vaqueros and Buckaroos.

1) Tapadero, California Vaquero
2) The Remuda, Buckaroo
3) Houlihan, Northern Range Cowboy

New to Horsemanship, some must have DVDS to get you started

2008-11-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

If you have recently been lucky enough to stubble onto this world of horsemanship, but are not sure were to start, I would highly recommend buying the following DVDs to get you started:

1) Groundwork - Buck Brannaman

2) Snaffle Bit - Buck Brannaman

There are alot of other DVD's as well that would be great for you as you advance, but it can be a little overwelming at first, so I would start with these two DVD's and go from there as you progress. Another supplement to these that is handy is the groundwork book by Buck Brannaman that goes along with the DVD. It is small and handy so you can keep it at the barn as a reference when you go to work your horse.

If you would like to buy these you can purchase them from one of the following sites.

http://www.brannaman.com/
http://www.eclectic-horseman.com/
http://www.hitchingpostsupply.com/

Enjoy the Journey

Thinking while we Ride

2008-11-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

Something that I have noticed over the past few years while riding and working with others and their horses is how often people are not thinking while they are riding. They tend ride as passengers for a majority of their ride, until they want to do something, stop, change gaits, turn, or move laterally. When it is time to take one of these actions, without the proper preparation they ask their horse to complete a maneuver. They are usually met with some resistance from the horse, even if it is only short term, while the horse prepares itself and then responds to the request. Then they wonder why the horse is bracing against them, stiff, or just plain non responsive, and more times than not, they blame the horse, this can be avoided if the riders will simply THINK while they ride.

For example, if you are going to stop, plan ahead, make sure the horse is with you mentally and is soft, then change your body position and allow the horse to respond. If you have already created a non-responsive horse, then you may have to firm up some while you teach your horse to respond rather than ignore your cues. It is really important when doing this that you first offer the best deal possible, if you don't offer lightness, you never will get lightness, then firm up, get the desired response and then get out. Give your horse a moment or two to think about what happened and then ride on, repeating, remembering to always offer to good deal and then to get the job done. It shouldn't take to much time and your horse will be responding to your lighter cues. Remember not to overdo this though working on one maneuver over and over again, don't train on your horse, ride them with quality, changing up the routine and remember to THINK while you ride.

Here are some things you might want to think about while your riding. Am I mentally engaged in my ride, is my horse mentally engaged, am I feeling of my horse, can I feel of my horse, is my horse feeling of me, do I know where his feet are before I ask for a transition, am I in time with my horses feet when I ask for a transition, or am I getting in his way. Is my horse responding when I ask him to prepare and complete a transition, how is he responding, with understanding, with confusion, with softness, with life, with resistance, with dullness, is he responding at all, is he checking out, is he reacting rather than responding. These things are very important to know, and they can change from moment to moment if the rider is not aware of them, or is simply not thinking.

Now that you are aware of these things and thinking, you can change them. This will not be an easy task as you will need to change your riding habits and be discliplined about these changes. It is easy to keep doing things the same, but the reward will be endless if you can make these changes. Remember, be aware of your riding, try to develop feel and timing, notice when your horse responds softly, without resistance, and with life, also take note when your horse responds with resistance. If you can learn to Think while you ride, you can develop feel and timing which will allow you to refine your horsemanship and have a soft and responsive horse.

Enjoy the Journey

Nick Donohue

2008-11-13T23:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from Ricky Quinn Horsemanship and Cow Working Clinic in Philomath. Thanks again Denise for brining Ricky to town and thanks also to the Philomath Rodeo Grounds for letting them use the facility.

Starting Kumi, August 08

2008-11-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of me starting Kumi for Trish this past August. Enjoy!

About Us

2008-11-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

I was introduced to Vaquero/Buckaroo Horsemanship when I met Dan Knuth in Chandler, Arizona. Intrigued by what I learned in the first month, you could say I became somewhat of an addict! If I was not at work, I was at the ranch practicing what I had learned, watching Dan give other people lessons or just simply spending time around horses. I continued to watch Dan as much as possible and practice everything that I learned or saw. It wasn't long before Dan noticed my desire and commitment to become a horseman. He was kind enough to take me under his wing as an apprentice and spend countless hours helping me with starting colts and refining my horsemanship skills. I spent countless hours riding with him, learning to start colts and work with troubled horses using these methods, and even working with Dan’s students from time to time.

Jessie was introduced to Natural Horsemanship as a young teenager, at age 14 she purchased a green-broke 9 year old Arabian, whose history, much like many horses who cross our paths, was far from good. She knew she needed to find another way to get with Skylark and get safe, which is when she was introduced to the Parrelli method of training which ultimately led her to find the Vaquero/Buckaroo style of horsemanship.

After graduating from high school in Oregon, Jessie moved to Arizona, where she met and began working with and Dan Knuth. There, she continued to study Vaquero/Buckaroo horsemanship, following the methods of such amazing horsemen as Buck Brannaman, Ray Hunt, and later on Ricky Quinn Jr.

While in Arizona, Jessie earned her BFA in dance from Arizona State University. Through her education, she increased her knowledge of the human body and how it moves, which enhances her ability to teach students how to use their own bodies to communicate effectively with horses, both in and out of the saddle. No matter what your level or experience may be, Jessie will use what she has learned from the great horsemen, as well as her own experiences with many different horses and people, to help you communicate more effectively with your horse, creating the everlasting bond that every horseman desires.

After Dan retired Jessie and I continued seeking out help and knowledge from a few accomplished horseman of today, continuing to attend and ride in clinics of Buck Brannaman any chance that we can, most recently in Bend and Spannaway Wa in 2008. We have also had the opportunity to meet and ride with Ricky Quin Jr, an accomplished horseman who recently left his life on the ranch and set out on the road offering horsemanship clinics across the country. Jessie and I had the opportunity to spend a month on the road with Ricky, riding in his horsemanship, cow working and ranch roping clinics as well as starting colts with him on the road. This coming April 30 through May 3rd, we will be hosting a Foundation and Colt Starting Clinic with Ricky Quinn in the Portland Area! Don't miss it, it will be a great horsemanship experience.

For the past two years, Jessie and I have been working with troubled horses, starting colts and giving horsemanship lessons in Hillsboro, Or, just outside of Portland at Arcadia Farms. It is a small facility that is dedicated to the Buckaroo/Vaquero traditions and style of horsemanship. It is a great place for liked minded people to ride or for anyone interested in learning this style of horsemanship.

Through these experiences and this way of life my life has changed dramatically for the better because of the horse and what he has to offer us. These methods and traditions are not only about how to handle a horse, but they offer life lessons and life changing experiences. The journey is not the short easy one, of today's instant gratification society, but rather it is hard, rugged and long, with peaks of prosperity and valleys of despair. It truly takes grit, try, desire and the ability to change for the better, not only what you do, but maybe who you are to truly prosper. But the rewards are are endless both in life and horses.

Donohue Horsemanship

2008-11-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Jessie and I strive to offer quality horsemanship training, colt starting and lessons for those interested in the traditional Buckaroo/Vaquero methods of training. Specializing in the foundation skills, we teach our students to communicate through horses to develope a willing partnership with their horses. It is our goals to follow the traditions and styles of the Vaquero and Buckaroo horsemen the past and today and to pass on these traditions and ideas about handing horses in a way that is fair and just to the horse. We are about good horsemanship, no gimmicks, no song and dance, just quality horsemanship. If you would like to learn more about us, you can visit our website at http://www.donohuehorsemanship.com/ or visit this blog as we will be posting frequently.

Buckaroo Horsemanship

BB clinic in Redmond

Buck Clinic Redmond, Or

Ricky Quinn Horsemanship Clinic Hillsboro 2009

Riding in the Box

So I dropped the ball, I am picking it back up!

Do you have your horses attention?

Some points on Desensitizing

2009 Horsemanship Clinics and events in Oregon and Washington

Q/A about yeilding the front end

Holding yourself accountable

New Lesson Horse

Is your horse crowding you

Drifting the Hindquarters

Merry Christmas

More Snow In Portland

Ground work - Freeing up your hind and front quarters

Snow in Portland 12/14/08

Cirlcing up, Part 2 - Getting the hindquarters to un-track

Circling up Part 1, flexing the head and neck

Technical Difficulties

Upcoming blog series!!!

Buying Quality Gear Online

Congratulations Mary

Must Have DVD's

Happy Thanksgiving

Documentaries on the History of Vaquero and Buckaroo

New to Horsemanship, some must have DVDS to get you started

Recommended Reading

Thinking while we Ride

Starting Kumi, August 08

About Us

Donohue Horsemanship