The Left to Right Hip Shot

Learn one of the more difficult—and impressive—ranch roping shots.
by Pat Hooks

Editor's note: If you missed Pat Hooks' previous article on Ranch Roping, "Basic Head Shots," in our June 2009 issue, you can read it online at http://content.yudu.com/Library/A17swc/NWHSJune2009/resources/30.htm. Or go to nwhorsesource.com, click Past Issues in the menu, and scroll down to June 2009.

This go-'round, let’s cover the Left-to-right Over the Hip Shot for roping. Better think on this one for a moment. We are going to use the hip (target) of the animal or dummy to hinge our rope (base) on, causing the tip to travel back toward us to form a trap in front of the rear legs. In this left-to-right (L/R) position, the right-handed roper has to throw a houlihan swing (see June 2009 article noted above) in order to rotate the rope's tip in front of the legs. A forward swing by the heeler would wrap the tip behind the legs. A fellow would call that a "wad up" shot: just wad the loop up in the air and hope for the best.

Click here to read the full article with photos.

Trapezoid Conformation

Understanding your horse's performance with a little basic math

by Patrick Hooks

Hey folks, this go 'round, I would like to share some ideas about conformation and how it can directly affect your horse's performance. First, I need to give credit to the fellows I picked up this bit of knowledge from, Doug Milholland and Bob Loomis. Years ago I had the pleasure of riding with Doug. He drilled the idea of riding in time with the horse into my head. As I continued to search and learn about riding a reining horse, I picked up on the knowledge of another successful reiner: Bob Loomis. These fellows' abilities and their horses' performances amazed me as a young man.

The Trapezoid Theory

At the all-knowing old age of twentyish, I found myself in a trap. I knew I had the timing and the mechanics of the horse down pat, so to speak, but I couldn’t always get that set of elevens I was looking for in my stop, no matter how hard I tried. Believe me when I say that I punished a few horses before I figured this out. I finally had to accept the fact that some horses were simply bred and conformed to do certain events better than others. However, I learned that there was one common denominator in all horses that performed well in their events. It is called a trapezoid. Yes, a mathematical figure to be found on the horse if you know where to look. 

I have learned to look for this trapezoid figure in race, barrel, cow, and ranch horse versatility horses, so the theory isn’t discriminating in any way. As a matter of fact, I used to do extremely well at the track using this theory until what made Milwaukee famous changed my mind about betting one more daily double or trifecta. Oh, the pain of growing up!

The whole idea of the trapezoid theory is to find a truly balanced horse. When artist Jim Reno made the bronze of Secretariat, he used a trapezoid figure for the base of his sculpture. The angles of Secretariat’s shoulders and hips were heaven-sent for power and speed. Don Burt passed this theory on to the performance and show world, and I give credit to Bob Loomis for sharing it in his book Reining: The Art of Performance In Horses.

How it Works

First, divide the side of the horse into thirds, as in drawing A. The first measurement is from the point of the shoulder to the girth (1). The next is from the girth to the flank (2), and then from the flank to the point of the buttocks (3). These lines should divide the horse into three equal parts. 

Next, connect the dots and lines. Imagine, measure, or draw a line from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks. This is your bottom line. Next measure or draw a line from the buttocks to the top of the croup. Then measure or draw from the croup to the withers and finally from the withers to the point of the shoulder. A true trapezoid will be balanced in measurement (see figure B). The parallel lines of the shoulder and hip should be identical in measurement and angle. To put it in cowboy terms, a short back and long bottom line with chest and butt angles to match. 

Now consider the neck. The horse balances itself with its neck. The neck should be the same measurement from the poll to the wither as the measurement from the wither to the croup, or from the croup to the point of the hip, or from the withers to the point of the shoulder.

Next, consider your shoulder and hip angles for speed and power. The length of the horse's stride will be found in the angle of the shoulder; the power and stopping ability will fall in the angle of the hip.

Don’t forget the height of the withers--that is the balance point. For example, if the withers are lower than the croup, the horse will feel as though it's running downhill all the time. This horse won’t move his front end as well. Lower withers will also affect the size of your hearth girth, which is where the horse's lung capacity is.

As you discover the math of this trapezoid figure, you will be able to measure the ideal length of all the horse's limbs. I highly suggest referring to Reining: the Art of the Performance Horse for further research and understanding of this theory.

Always remember, “There’s one bit that works on all horses: a bit of knowledge.” 

God bless, 

Pat

Tying a Hackamore

Train yourself to create your own hackamore

by Patrick Hooks

This go-'round, I would like to share with you how to tie a hackamore. For the most part, the bosal is a very good tool that has been left to gather dust in the tack room, chest or trunk, usually because the instructions to tie the mecate line onto the bosal aren't in the Webster’s. Or, if a fellow makes the mistake of untying the line while trying to adjust it to a different horse, well, he can always say, "That was all Granddaddy had to use and he didn't know about all these new bits and gimmicks we have today." That way he won't have to admit he can't re-tie it. 

Let me take a shot at sharing the way I was taught to tie a mecate line onto a bosal, making what is called a true hackamore, known in Spanish as jaquima. The horseman who taught me was around 90 years old at the time he passed this knot along. I'm betting he knew his stuff...

(click here to read the full article with step-by-step photos in our digital edition)

Work With Your Newborn

By Patrick Hooks

The older I get, the easier it gets for me to admit that getting the little ones sacked out real good at birth makes it a little easier for me to start them in their twos and threes. Imprinting or giving a little TLC to your foal is a real good place to start. The foal pictured in this article is only a few hours old, and already she has been sacked out with a rope and blanket. A few short sessions spent with a foal at this time in its life will build great trust with humans, so when she reaches an age to be handled daily and ridden, the dividends from the time spent now will be priceless.

Here's a tip for you buckaroos: take a moment to notice the boots I'm wearing in the photo at right. They're steel-toed. The babies are going to step on your feet when you handle them at first, not out of bad nature, but from survival instincts. My language and emotions are spared with a little foot protection. It is much better to swear by the boots than to swear at the foal. I also use a soft cotton or wool blanket to sack the foal out with. Naturally, sacking out should feel pleasant to the baby. The rope I use is XXX soft and has a metal honda (the small loop at the end of the rope that you use to make the throwing loop). The soft ply is not as likely to burn, and the metal honda will release quickly if any slack is thrown into the lariat.


I break the foal’s sacking out into a series of steps. The photo at left shows the minimum amount I like to accomplish with foals before I continue with their health care. First I place myself between the mare and foal while the mother is either pacified with a little feed, tied with a loose wrap, or restrained to the outside of the pen.

When you first show up on the scene, the foal will move away from you, then it will try to return to its mother. Simply keep placing yourself between the two. It helps greatly to kneel down to the foal’s eye level as it returns to its mama. This lower position lets the foal see you in a way that is not so predatory as when you were towering over it. Eventually, the foal’s curiosity will allow you to slip in a rub or receive a sniff. Build from this point.

Next, I pet the foal all over and restrain it lightly. Then I work my way down and pick up each foot. After these starting points, introduce the blanket, rope and other objects. Take your time. If the foal wants to return to mama and get a little milk for security, that's just right. The biggest problem is keeping the mare calm, as it is her instinct to protect her baby.

Once I get a little trust built, I like to treat my newborn with three deals. First, I spray the umbilical cord with iodine. This treatment helps greatly to prevent infection, promote healing, and dry and loosen the umbilical cord. Simply spray the cord from several different angles, making sure it is completely covered, as in the photo below. Some folks prefer to dip the cord rather than spray. I have learned that a little iodine at birth will help prevent those ruptured-looking knots you see on yearlings' bellies.



After that, I give a tetanus shot and finally a shot of vitamins. This is all I do at this time. The foal’s individual vaccines will be administered at a later date. In the meantime, its immune system draws from vaccines given to the mare during late pregnancy.

Remember, this is equine, not bovine, we're dealing with. I find it is much easier to give the shots if you insert the needle by itself first, as in the photo at right. Then replace the syringe back to the needle and administer the shot. This will allow a rubbing and stroking action from your hand before you insert the actual needle. I have found that giving the shots with all the components attached together is very awkward, and I end up jabbing the needle rather than inserting it smoothly. If you aren’t experienced with giving shots, better contact your local vet for advice. Of course, the biggest percentage of folks who read this article won't be vets, but I'm sure they will have enough common sense to recognize a horse's butt when they see one.

Hope this tidbit helps you with your foals this season. Always remember: There is one bit that works on all horses, a bit of knowledge. Until we meet again, hope the good Lord blesses you, your family and your livestock.

God bless, Pat Hooks

[editor's note: nwhs urges you to consult with your vet for training before any administering injections or medication to your horses]

Tying a Catch Line: A Handy Deal

Article and photos by Pat Hooks

Here is a handy deal for you to learn. Some people call this old tool a war bridle. I don't want a war with my horse, so I don't think in that manner--I call it a catch line. Be very sure your horse can respect a neck rope, knows his groundwork, and can be led before using this handy deal. Otherwise you will have a horse dragging you off and probably lose your catch line, to boot.

When I was a kid--and still to this day when I'm in a jam--I used a piece of bailing twine or scrap string for a catch line. When possible, I prefer a small diameter soft yacht rope, around 22' long for this purpose. The catch line is very handy to carry in your pocket. I have found that is a little easier to catch your horse with a hidden catch line, rather than going to the pasture trap carrying a work advertisement that reads halter and lead.

Pictured at left is a tied catch line. You will notice that at the bottom of the throat latch is a bowline knot. This knot will not slip. After the bowline knot is tied around the neck, you make two double hitches. Place one over the horse's poll and the other over his nose. Here's how, step by step:

The Bowline
The photo at right (click the photo for a larger view) defines the parts of the catch rope. Starting at the bottom left hand corner is the tail. It is hanging vertically and has a leather popper spliced in the end. Moving upward to the top left of the picture, the rope turns and horizontally travels to the right--this section of rope will go over the horse's poll. Next, follow the rope down to the middle of the photo, and you will see a loop. This loop is called a nine due to the resemblance of the number nine the rope makes. The nine is made by turning your wrist up, over, and toward the tail. See where the rope crosses over itself to make the figure nine? This is defined as a bight. This is the grip of the knot. Next, moving downward from the bight, the rope makes a half moon called the standing lead or slack. Finally, traveling back up to the hanging circle of rope in the top right of the photo, you have the coils.

As you learn this and other knots, it is a good idea to make up a rhyme to help remember the mechanics or pattern of the knot.
· Face your horse.
· Lay your catch rope over his poll, leaving enough length of tail on the left to tie with (approximately three feet). Drop the lead and coils down on the ground.
· Form and hold the nine in your right hand. Place the tail of your rope through the number nine with your left hand. See photo at left. Start your rhyme: "The rabbit ran through a hole..."

· Take the tail that passed through the nine and place it over--or in front of--the standing lead, going to your coils, as in photo C. I would add to my rhyme and say "...and jumped over a log." See photo at right.

· To continue the knot, look very closely at the photo below. The tail is doubled over and run back through the hole in the number nine, entering from the bottom and exiting out the top. With your left hand, reach through the number nine, double the rope (forming a loop), and pull the loop back through the nine. Now add to your rhyme again: "I reached in the hole and pulled the rabbit by his tail."

· Now that your tail is doubled and through the nine hole, pull your ends tight and form your bowline knot. Make sure this knot is correct. Practice over some still obstacle before you tie it on your horse. If the knot is tied correctly, it will not slip.

The Catch Line
To proceed with the catch line, tie a bowline knot around your horse’s neck. (Note: you'll need more than three feet of tail for this one.)

· With the remaining tail, make an extremely large number nine as in the photo at left.

· While holding the top part of your rope (the bight) with your right hand, reach through the number nine hole with your left hand and pull the tail of your rope back out the hole, as in the photo at right.

· In the photo below left, notice my right hand. I let go of the top bight of rope (where the rope crossed over itself making the number nine). I continue to hold the piece of rope coming directly from the horse’s neck with my right hand.

· My left hand holds the new loop formed after I pulled the hanging tail out of the hole. You have now formed two hitches.

· In the photo at right, I take the loop formed and held in my right hand and place it over the horse’s poll, and I take the loop formed in my left hand and place it over the horse’s nose.

· Remove the slack and gently tighten up the rope on your horse.

Congratulations! You have successfully learned to tie a bowline knot and combined hitches to make a catch line. See once again the photo at the top.

Good Luck and God Bless!
Patrick Hooks

Bit Of Knowledge for Sliding Stops

by Patrick Hooks

Stopping your horse at a lope can be very rewarding if you fix it up for the horse so he can learn to stop. It can be a nightmare if you force it! Also consider the ground. Please, don’t try a 15-foot sliding stop on hard ground! About three times of that and you will have no stop at all. Remember, professional reiners spend much time and effort just preparing their dirt.

Hands and Seat
Be sure your hands and seat are in time with your horse’s head as it travels up and down. As the horse's head and ears go up and down, so should your hand and seat. Reason being, if the rider is out of time with the horse's head movement, he or she will bump against the horse's face, which sends signals of "stop" or "slow" to the horse. Too many rounds of that and your hand cue will mean nothing.

This is also where your speed control comes into play. Hand and seat forward = more speed. Hand and seat back = less speed. Keep an active leg and a supporting leg at the lope. If my horse is in the left lead, my right leg will be active, bumping in time with the horse's stride. My left leg will be supporting, helping to guide the leading shoulder.

Footfall
Learning to be in time with the horse’s feet will take you the most time and effort in teaching a nice stop. A quick look at the three beat lope:
· The leading rear foot strikes the ground first.
· Next, the leading rear foot and its front foot diagonal are on the ground together as the horse balances its stride.
· The rear end and front diagonal start traveling up, and the leading front foot is last on the ground.
· Last, the horse's leading front leg will lift up off the ground and gather with the other feet. In this last portion of the stride, all four legs will be off the ground.

When all four feet are off the ground at a lope or gallop, that piece of the stride is called suspension. The stride starts over again as the trailing rear leg travels down for the first step in the next count. For a more detailed look at the footfall, see the diagram at right.

Training for the Stop
To teach a nice stop, I start just as the horse's head begins its downward motion. I want to ask the trailing rear leg to come up and stop by the leading rear leg while the horse is in suspension. To place myself in time with the suspension, I start my cues for the stop as the horse's head begins traveling down. Human reactions are slower than a horse's movement. Cues need to be smooth, so you must start your cues ahead of the horse's movement in order to be in time and to prevent any quick, hard jerking motions.

What has worked for me is to first let the horse think about stopping before I ask him to stop. Let the horse be a little tired and want to stop before you ask for the stop.

This would be my thought pattern for the stop at the lope or gallop on the left lead (see photo):

1. I’m in time with my horse's head as it starts down. All four of my horse’s legs are about to be off the ground.
2. As the horse's head starts down, I say "Whoa."
3. I take the life out of my body and sit down (don’t rear back).
4. I take my right rein, connecting it to the trailing rear leg (in this case the right) and make a pull back to the right side of my belly. My left hand supports asking the horse to stay tucked at the poll.
5. I put slack back into the reins as the slide ends.

The biggest tip I can give you is that after my horse, Newt, has stopped, we will visit for a while. This lets Newt know it was a good thing to stop. Take a break or read a little text while you're letting the horse rest and get his wind back. This will keep your patience in check and truly let the horse rest.

I’ve enjoyed doing this article. I truly hope it has you thinking. Please remember: “Only one bit works on all horses. A bit of knowledge.” Until I see you again...

God Bless,
Patrick Hooks