My beautiful thoroughbred mare was highly bred but sweet and kind and absolutely reliable with no tricks. She was always outside with a run in shed. My thoroughbred gelding was the most reliable horse I ever owned. He was unflappable. He once backed up the side of a cliff under saddle to rescue a scared mare and impressed the western riders. He àlso got a front foot caught in a coop jump while jumping it , but stood quietly while I tried to get his foot out of the hole. He waited until I gave up then wrenched his foot out and stood, waiting for me to decide what to do. He was OK but we walked home anyway. I could ride on trails for miles, if I got lost I could just drop the reins and he would come home. This worked anywhere we happened to be living. He spent a winter outside in Minnesota with only a run in shed. He was fine, I was afraid he would freeze his ears off. I will never forget them. I have had seven horses over the years. They all were obedient and kind. They all liked their home.
Thanks for sharing this. The majority of the horses here are Quarter Horses, but I do see a few Arabians in the mix. Personally, I have a pasture full of Arabians and only one Quarter horse. Most of my horses were bred and raised here on my ranch, they are handled from birth and at 2 yrs old are turned out with the herd, just to be horses. They are confident with their herd, have a place and their life as they know it, is barely disrupted. They are brought in for small training tasks, vet care, trimming, grooming etc. but not fully started under saddle until they are over 5 years old. Each and every horse on my ranch are quiet, friendly, willing and quick to learn, none are spooky or flighty. None have to be "caught" they all come to me. They don't kick, bite, pin ears or have any aggressive behaviors, including the stallions. Now, I live in quarter horse country, with mostly Arabians, and I get told all the time that my horses will blow the thought of "hot Arabians" right out of the water. Even most of my Arabians can be mounted with in 15 minutes of wearing their first saddle. We have harsh winters here, and often no pasture remaining. They still live outside with plenty of room, no blankets or rugs, and have a round bale in front of them 24/7, and mind you, they all typically live to a very old age for a horse, and are still quite ridable as senior horses. In my opinion, they live like horses are supposed to live, and yes are treated as a partner, but not treated as a puppy dog or pet. Thus the difference between ranch horses and the others.
My cousins used Arabians for ranch horses, except where the muscle of a big quarter horse was needed for roping and branding. As roundup horses and fence riding they were great.
Thanks for sharing, you have amazing knowledge and respect for Arabians and they have respect for you. Takes lots of patience everyday to achieve a well managed herd.
Those horses probably are not kept in stalls normally either. Here on the west coast of the US, where there's milder weather, people commonly keep their horses outside where they can move around and get exercise when not being ridden. I think that may help horses a lot physically and mentally.
🤠That was so good to see.......laid back riders, laid back horses.......different planet!! ( I feel very slightly embarrassed to be a rider from England.) . Not a crash hat or back protector in sight. Beautifully accepting , relaxed horses.......heaven.... 'beam me up Scottie'.!! .....Health and Safety here would be closing it down. ( I loved the 'little 'uns hitching a ride...). Thank you for sharing Steve!
One thing I have always liked about quarter horses is that most of them can be oh so calm in a normal situation but can turn on the spirit and speed if they are in a contest. I remember going to a show with a person from my barn who had a little buckskin. I didn't know her really and I'd always seen her slowly hacking around the property. The horse seemed to have the slowest trot and lope. At the show, she entered the contests that involved speed. That little horse just flew. I was astonished.
It is amazing to see them hit that switch. A solid quarter horses frame and muscling is build for bursts. We have a quarter/draft cross who comes from very “Cowy” quarter horse lines. To watch a horse built like a tank get up and dance on his toes is a sight to see.
yep a ring full of ropers waiting for their numbers to be called to go rope. what you are supposed to notice is that horses are standing, walking, loping, regardless of what the horse next to them is doing
Thought I better help explain the LARGE BACKPACKS to fellow (riders) English. Here in the States, especially out west riders go on long rides for days/weeks in the outdoor wilderness. They use the backpacks of course to contain their items. Many people during shows and events wear those backpacks so the horse gets more used to the weight and carry and stuff around like that so when they go out in the wilderness for days and weeks, the horse is more accustomed to it. Love from 🇺🇸. Steve/Tanya ENJOY…I’m so jealous. ❤
I have never seen bags on riders backs as that...maybe in the newer show world as they move stuff from one place to another as many show stalls are far from the show area?
@@nettiejean1572for these guys they’re transporting multiple ropes, ankle protectors, rein sets etc back and forth. The main arena can be a 20min ride from your trailer or stall. Saddlebags you wouldn’t want to rope with. Now as for the example of why a backpack vs saddle packs if out on a multi day trail trip; that’s my survival gear. If I get unceremoniously separated from my horse, I don’t want him running off with my shelter , clothes, tools etc.
Also, if they didn't have the aptitude for all that's involved with being a roping horse, they wouldn't be there. I agree about having a job to do. This applies to people and dogs. Don't get me started on people who buy breeds of dogs that were created to do specific types of work and then are upset because the dogs "misbehave" as a result of being idle.
Oh my gosh, thank you for covering this! This is what I'm used to here in the western US. Calm, willing horses. The horses I know are working horse, but that doesn't mean they aren't loved, part of the family. A lot of them move from working to packing the kiddos with ease. About half the people I know feed treats by hand and the other half don't. The biggest take away for me is just doing everything with your horse, it builds so much trust and partnership.
I definitely feel this is largely attributable to the influence of Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt and that lineage and surely there were others along the same vein.
Well I've had an epithany...Seeing so many well balanced and chilled horses is telling me this is the real deal way of working with horses. Being properly sensitized to everything and so relaxed is telling me its a world away from the elitest world of dressage or high- performance, bubble- wrapped and totally synthetic approach to modern competitive riding where horses arent allowed to be horses. Today is lottery day in Spain and I swear if my number comes up the first things im going to do is help my mate Rhiannon( pearl) and carmen out weith their horses and book a riding holidsy in the US with this approach of riding. Thanks Steve for opening my eyes and Merry Christmas and peace to all.
What you are seeing is the hallmark of most ranch people which is where rodeo comes from. If your a real cowboy, your horses skill while working is a indicator of how good of a horseman you are.
Thanks...... it gives you a greater appreciation for the American cowboy and their amazing horses. Wondering if you missed your own horses Steve? so you could have joined in with them!?!?!!?
Gotta love the cowboys and their horses. That was beautiful, So glad you got to experience that Steve. I remember you talkin in a video and Tanya making you wear your cowboy hat. You do know they serve a purpose. They help keep you dry when it rains and the sun out of your eyes, and some shade out on the range. This was awesome. Thank you for sharing. Made me miss Texas and country livin all over again. ♥
The tie downs are to make sure they don't extend past frame and upset their balance when the weight of the steer hits the rope and is dallied to the horn. Because when you are roping you are watching the steer you can't issue corrections with the reins to help your horse maintain frame so if their head were to pop up and then the steer hits the end of that rope you could tip the horse and have a bad wreck. It's just their for keeping them from extending past a balanced frame and also to prevent them pulling on your hands as they run. That's why they are so loose, they don't get tight until the very outer edge of correct frame for the horse so in the heat of the moment you don't wreck or have your hands tugged around unbalancing your rope handling and cow reading. In short it's a safety device not a restraint of any kind. Another thing to remember is that the horses at these larger events tend to be the best of the best. Their behavior reflects their breeding and training which is generally top of the line in every respect. You don't bring any dinks you have in your string to an event of that size.
How super cool! These horses are so content because they have a job and they have leadership. They know they have value and purpose. It’s amazing. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have safe travels now! Sounds like your heart is full! Merry Christmas 🎄
When I immigrated to Canada from Ireland I was immediately addicted to quarter horse sports. The best time of year was Quaterama!! So many amazing horses! I was lucky enough to have showed/campaigned one of those super horses, Paisano Black. He literally won every time we walked into a ring didn’t matter English or western. I used to have two layers of clothes on for quick change from western to English and we would literally change his tack on the trot from one modality to the other. When I say he was a super horse I truly mean it. They don’t come into our lives often so I treasure that experience. This makes for some happy recall, thank you!
@@judykathrine2485 well this filled my heart!!! Hello friend!! I’m so glad you commented. It was truly an awesome event! Who knows if/when or how often you and I may have met or seen each other. Crazy new world with this internet😁 Seeing Steves video flooded my brain. Oh I miss that camaraderie of all the horses and people. Good times I wish every young rider could experience. Thanks again!! Was Great to ‘meet’ you!! Cheers!!
I loved attending Quarterama! First one for me was 1972! A long time ago! Back then it was Quarterama, the Quarter Horse Congress, and the Gold Coast Circuit. ❤
World Championship Team Roping. These are some of the best in the world. Some of these horses are worth more than dressage horses cost. These people earn a living with a rope and these animals are highly valued and cared for. When you hear them talk about other teams they always talk about what horses that team is riding and how that affects their chances to win. Team roping is a team of 4. 2 humans and 2 horses. Lot of money involved in a good rope horse.❤❤
The big takeaway here is that the owners here don't try to wrap their horses in bubble wrap or "protect" them. These horses obviously have been allowed to have a lot of life experiences. The second takeaway is the value of getting horses out working with other horses. They enjoy it, it calms them, and they learn from each other. Too many riders view riding as a solo discipline, and that's so unnatural for horses. It makes spooky horses spookier (makes perfect sense that a herd animal, alone, is going to be more on edge.) I have seen way too many dressage riders who don't want another horse in the arena with them while they work. And then end up with horses that are a mess in the warm up arena when they finally do go to a show....
i would also add, that most of those horses in the Video live together with other horses. not like in many english riding facilities, where they live with high walls or bars between them so they don't even know how to interact with other horses. in some stables they don't even go to the pasture together, so they have no chance to socialize...
I would appreciate some people on this site responding to the recent news regarding dressage horses that have operations to make them perform better. I enjoy watching dressage but I worry about training being hurtful. I never knew any vet would amputate a tongue tip or cut a tail nerve to keep the tail from swishing. That's shocking to me 😢. Please respond.
Wow Steve did you and Tanya see anything that you'd like to take home with you.! LoL They are all so beautiful watching them. Truly amazing 🤩. Thanks for sharing this video 📷. God bless and Merry Christmas 🎁🎄.
Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your time! I loved and lived for rodeos for many years until I physically couldn't! Miss it so much! Enjoy your time here in the states the last few days now that your work is done! The NFR is amazing!❤❤
This is interesting to see as an American that lives in the upper Midwest, and a lifelong horse lover. Thank you so much for sharing, Steve. I hope you and Tanya are having a great time, and people are treating you both well. Enjoy the food! 😃❤
Yep, a lot of nice-looking Quarter Horses there, Steve. Bet there were a few Metallic Cat bred horses there!!! LOL 🤣 Love from your friend, the Retired Paramedic and Horse Trainer in Ontario, Canada, Jenn 💖 🇨🇦 PS. We now have our first foal of the year on the ground. Born around 4 am EST Saturday morning. Mom and Filly are both doing well. Filly stood up at 19 minutes after a bottle of warmed up Colostrum that I keep on hand during foaling. 4 more mares left to go now.
Thank you so much for sharing! I'm disabled and have a really hard time getting around so attending events like this is very difficult. Even though it was less than 10 mi away. So I very much appreciate you taking us along. That is just a beautiful sight!
So glad you could visit. Thank you for sharing your experience and observations. There’s so many people who think they are “horsemen “ but their methods and ignorance is painful to watch how they treat their horses. I personally don’t like to watch western pleasure because some of these horses aren’t treated well by their trainers. I still don’t understand why these horses are forced to carry their heads so low…it’s not natural. I would really like to know why they are trained to do this.
You might want to watch Jake Harvath year of the mustang. He’s riding his 3 mustangs coast to coast to showcase the mustang breed and how impressive they are with the right owner and trainer. He’s only 24 and he’s from Utah. Very impressive young man.
Well...that painfully low and slow western pleasure thing started in the 80s...that's why we called them peanut rollers. By the time the late 90s and on rolled around, they were doing a crippled looking sideways 4 beat lope with ears by knees and barely moving. AQHA (Quarter horse assoc) said they were training judges NOT to place them...but of course that's what won, even with rule book saying otherwise. It's a little better today with mostly 3 beat lope and ears at withers or below. One thing that's helped is breeding naturally low and slow horses for western pleasure. But it's at the expense of versatility the breed is known for. Horses are bred for disciplines now instead of all around versatility. As for cruel training, it's in all breeds and disciplines. Dressage rollker? Ridiculous cross country courses? I can go on and I've spent 50+ years with horses in different facets of industry from TB race horses, Paso finos, jumpers, eventers, barrel racing, racking horses, cow sorting, etc. There are always shortcut trainers or trainers who make a horse do it to earn a living. IMO it's worse today because many owners/riders want instant results and will move horses if they don't get them.
This is not western pleasure though, and even many in the USA, don't agree with the new style of western pleasure. I can tell you that many lines of Quarter Horses carry their heads low or at least even with their withers. It is natural for them. I have Arabians, so it would always take some getting used to, but I can tell you with 100 percent certainty a lot of times it is their breeding. They are ranch horses, and throwing a rope off of them is important.
@@tracyjohnson5023That abusive “new” form of Western pleasure did not exist when I started riding quarter horses in the 1960s. By the 1990s, it was rife. In the warm-up ring, horses would have their bridles tied to their girths in order to pulley their heads down to their knees. It crippled them. A friend of mine who is an equine massage therapist said that the quarter horses who performed in that kind of environment were more in need of chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture than any other breed of horse that she worked on. The people who ride that way are not horsemen. They are ribbon chasers. They want to get their pictures taken at the AQHA Congress with the logo in the background. I wish that all quarter horses could be ranch horses. The ones I rode growing up were phenomenally intelligent, quick on their feet, easily able to transfer their weight to their hind ends because their withers were higher than their rumps, and cat-like in their movements. They had substantial, large, tough hooves. I thought those attributes, they managed to be quiet, sensible mounts. There are still old-time foundation quarter horse, breeders out there, but you have to look for them.
@@fleetskipper1810 the late 80s/early 90s started it, but it got so much worse! Hopefully they won't screw up ranch rail which is what western pleasure is supposed to be. I sure don't want to take 30 minutes to lope to that mailbox I can see already lol. There's always been bloodlines that were better at certain events, but you used to be able to take about any QH to a show and do halter, pleasure, barrels maybe jump a few, same show, same horse and do ok. Not anymore. The English horses are 16.2! I try to stick to the older lines with my own horses, but I'm old enough now zippo pine bar and zan parr bar are old lines 🤣 Got a gelding that's ol' man on top and peppy San on bottom, a king mare that's a red devil, good doc bar/lady bugs moon colt and a peppy/nu chex to cash filly. Just for fun I've got a Frenchman's guy/howie bar mare too.
You gotta love a horse that can stay focused and obedient while in a packed warm-up pen. I've ridden in some busy warm-ups like that. It make such a difference to be on a horse that isn't bothered by all of the commotion. My big AQHA that I raised and showed on the AQHA circuit would cruise right around ignoring everyone including reiners sliding almost into him. Bless a horse with a good brain!
It was such a treat seeing all the horses in such close quarters behaving so well. Those horses just were so "no nonsense". They were all business and really knew their jobs. My new lease horse is a big ole quarter horse. He's a cool dude, but i can only dream of him behaving so well someday. 😂
So glad you have had such a wonderful experience in Vegas. I live in Reno, NV and still have not made the trip to Cowboy Christmas and the rodeo. Thank you for sharing!!!! I will make a point to get there next year
I like how you differentiate the horses from working vs. pet. I think we mostly see pets on your channel, per se! I guess the majority of these horses are Quarter horses or crosses! Looking forward to the other VLOGs of your trip … hopefully they won’t all be slotted for the members only channel! Wondered if it’s hard for you Steve to be sitting in the stands watching vs. rising? Thank you for sharing this show … as you said, it’s an awesome sight! Can’t remember when I’ve seen so many horses in one arena. Tally-Ho! 🙏🙌❤️🇨🇦🐎🐴
What a fun experience for the little child! 6:25 My British health and Safety nerve is twanging, not of course that the child is there, but because it's such a busy environment... but such fun.
Also, the backpacks are "rope bags". Most ropers will bring several ropes with them to a roping. Plus other equipment like skid boots and such. That way they don't have to go back to their trailer for anything.
At 14 Tie down was the first thing I learned with my quarter horse. Man their heads are hard. I had a lump on my forehead the size of an avocado seed. We did a lot of trail riding and just bumming around. My Saddlebred was my horse I used in Gymkhana team competition and 4th of July Parades. He was taller. And more showy. No tie downs needed.
Thank you so much for sharing, all the horses so relaxed, calm etc and riders so polite and aware of each other...other disciplines could learn from this and make it a goal.
What a video! Brought back a ton of memories of my younger years rodeoing. I kept wondering what you were feeling and thinking. I love you videos and am in awe of your skills with horses. I was so fortunate during my years of 4-H to have an instructor who d been to Madison Square Gardens 3 times as a calf roper. Our lesson were more about riding skills and performance of the horse and not about what I call teaching the horse manners and behavior. Hope you enjoyed your time in our country Merry Christmas
My husbands often used line for ANY horse with issues is, "that horse needs a job" and he's often right. A job can be any type of daily riding for purpose.
Not just riding. Any horse or pony that is sane and sound can be trained to drive. It 's very useful to be able to harrow an arena or a resting paddock, to cart manure, etc, especially in a livery stable/boarding barn/riding school situation. Small ponies excel at this sort of work; it keeps them busy, exercised and out of mischief, which can be a problem with the little ones who rarely do much in the way of real 'work' when teaching small children to ride.
@@Sine-gl9ly Absolutely! I ground drive most every horse preparing for riding, but I've never taught a horse to pull a cart. We have a mini mule that we are teaching to pack. My husband had to make him a mini packsaddle lol.
@@tracyjohnson5023 Once they ground drive calmly and willingly, it's easy enough to fit them with a breast harness, traces and swingletree (home-made to start with, if you're not sure its something you'll want to continue with) and start the process of them learning to pull. Once they'll do a bit of pulling in traces, you'll soon find a use for it when a tree branch comes down in an awkward spot! Introduction to the shafts can be the most difficult part, and is certainly the most risky part.
Very cool to see this gathering…thanx for sharing !!! …BUT…as per usual I get nervous wondering if calves are involved…seeing any terrified animal ruins it for me🤷♀️.
Watching cutting horses do their thing is about the most amazing demonstration of horse intelligence and agency I have ever seen. Dressage aside, I can't think of a more impressive manifestation of what horses are capable of with the right trainer, the right rider, and the right breeding. They are spectacular.
That’s the Southpoint! I go to watch our friends compete in QH shows there as well as the reining shows. Did you watch the roping competitions? Many people like to criticize us in the US but most of us treat our horses well. Everywhere has those crazy people though that mistreats animals. I do think that new, modern training thought has helped and new trainers, such as yourself have definitely influenced how we all work with our horses. Science has also really helped.
Hi Steve,,,what amazes me looking at all these horses and riders is that none of the horses are huge almost pony size really regardless of size of rider,,,😊
These horses have a bit of the American mustang in the breed. Their size makes them more suitable to work cattle. Their size gives them more dexterity and some-what at the level of the cow move them with more flexibility. RU-vid should have video on ‘horse cutting’. It demonstrates the maneuverability of the size horse.
Cool to see all of those horses together with no biting or kicking at one another. DID NOT like the guy cantering his horse up the road or the guy leading the 2 horses in his truck! Hope you had a great time and can't wait for Mr. Big's video
