By Jessica Gonzalez
The Cortez Journal
Anyone who ranches knows it’s hard work, and making the most efficient use of sunlight is crucial.
South Dakota stockman Curt Pate offered tips on Thursday to streamline equine groundwork during his “Horsemanship for Everyone” seminar at the Four States Ag Expo at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds on March 19.
““I hate groundwork, but I believe in it,” said Pate.
One of the overarching tidbits of advice Pate gave the crowd was to the watch and listen for distress in your horse, and alleviate it.
“I don’t like horses in trouble, cattle in trouble, or people in trouble. It’s real important to understand when your animal is upset and do something about it,” said Pate, who also cautioned the crowd not to impose human emotions and thoughts onto animals.
“Ranching is about time, and you can’t spend an hour capturing your horse if there’s work to be done,” he said.
Pate said he often feeds and brushes horses with bare hands, and for smaller mares lower to ground, he advised brushing their undercarriage to rid them of any burrs caught from brush.
“When out there, it’s not about making them look, as it is making them feel good,” said Pate.
Among the tips for capturing, moving and saddling a horse was focusing on their two front feet, and the “three-point contact” rule.
“The main thing I learned that helped me more than anything else was three point contact,” said Pate. “For some reason when you make contact with the horse in three spots, and then touch them, brush them ... it helps the horse not get bothered.”
Working dogs showcase agility
Shawna Davis showed how her border collie Sara Jane can herd goats through an obstacle course at command.
She explained that border collies like to work at a distance as they herd. She yells “sit” when she wants the dog to take pressure off stock.
“As long as they stop moving their feet, that’s what I want,” Davis said.
For beginning training, it’s most important to ensure the dog will “call off” the stock “even when the sheep are running away.”
Beginner trainers can use any commands they want for left, right, forward, back, and stop, as long as it is consistent.
Trainer Darla Welty and her 9-year-old German shepherd Stolie took an impressive run on the goat-herding course.
“They help with penning livestock, or moving them to different pastures,” she said. “The older dogs are better because they are less excited.”