Magic and I went to the Krooked Kreek Cowboy Church cattle sorting practice today. That is a mouthfull but that is the name of what we did today. Cowboy Church has built an arena at the sale barn north of Harrison. Someone brings cattle, actually roping steers, that are put in the arena and you can ride your horse and cut, or sort, cattle. It happens every two weeks weather permitting. They put a fence across the arena with an opening, or gate, in the middle. There were about 20 people and maybe 15 horses in attendance today. There is also a time to run, or ride, barrels and rope steers if you have such an inclination. It is very informal, costs nothing and everybody is nice. It was the first time for Magic and me and we had fun.
Tommy and Wanda were there with Levi and Rio. Paul Roten attends regularly and was there today. I met Paul about 20 years ago on a cattle drive Don Miller had to move his cows the 5 miles from his pasture on Well’s Creek to the home place at Macy Spring. Paul had trained a horse named Wendy for Don and we got to talking about horse training. Paul told me that there was a new trend in the horse world to train horses with gentle methods and more consideration for the horse. I was raising three kids and not active in the horse training world but it was something that interested me and I remembered what he said. Paul has been to many, many clinics and seminars. He seems to pick up something from each clinic, or “performance” as he calls them and he uses what works for him. He is very interested in horse training and the human – equine relationship. He is very willing and eager to share what he has learned. Not everybody wants suggestions but Paul has figured out that I am interested, I want to learn and welcome suggestions. So he talks to me a lot. This is a good situation for me and Magic. I am very lucky.
Magic loaded good with the help of a rump rope. He was excited at the new place with new horses, the stockyards, cattle trucks with jake brakes, etc. He is very good when I am on him but tacking up involved quite a bit of moving around which I am sure Paul noticed. We rode in the arena for quite a while before the working steers arrived. Magic was excited but he does not act up when I am on him. There were lots of kids running their horses and Magic paid attention. When we started working the cattle, Magic was unsure of what was expected of him. “Are you sure you want me to walk into the middle of that herd of horned beasts and start pushing them around?” I think Magic learned from watching the other horses. We made lots of improvement and I was happy with the way he was cutting, moving and heading the cattle.
We had a lot of fun. We learned a lot. We found a very good learning resource in Paul. And Nobody made fun of the only helmet and English saddle that has ever been to a Krooked Kreek Cowboy Church cattle sorting practice.