Bronco Skip

[flaboy-]

Gale, the Idiot is doing just fine. He is a one man horse though. He is still skittish but tolerates me. I plan to do some real intensive training on him next month. He will be two in Feb 07.

Well, I did put the flank rope on ol Skip this past weekend. I had a lounge line (25') and a 25' flank rope rigged up. Got him into an open pasture and it took a couple minutes to get him used to lounging on the rope but he picked it up. Got him up to a canter with no buck so I stopped him and put on the flank rope. I sent him off and he went rodeo and I just kept the pressure on until he stopped bucking. I then sent him the other direction and pulled the flank rope tight. He did a little bucking but not too bad. I reversed him and sent him off and pulled the rope tight again and no buck. I put the reins on him and rode him off into the pasture. I got him up to a run about 6 times with no bucking. I still didn't trust him though so I held on pretty good not looking for style points.

Sunday I took him out and put the flank rope on him and sent him off. He acted like he wanted to buck but did not. I sent him the other direction and no buck. I put the reins on him and rode him off into the pasture. I got him up to a run 5 or 6 times with no buck.

He did not want to cross a ditch where I wanted to. He wanted to cross only in one spot so I rode him up to my spot and when he balked I just pulled his nose to my leg and did circles in both directions. I tried again and he went to the edge but balked. I did more circles and then he went into the ditch about 3 feet and balked. I did more circles right there and stopped. I turned him in the direction I wanted to go and across he went.

Now, I am not saying the flank rope has broke him of bucking but it sure was a more pleasant ride not having to ride through bucking.

I gotta work the cows this weekend so I won't be able to try him again for a while. I know this is part of the problem. He needs rode and rode hard. Oh, and did I mention that a roping saddle is not the best to try to stay in while riding a bucking horse? I used my 40 year old saddle the last two times with back swept forks.

MillIronQH, I did not hobble the stirrups. I let them flap in the breeze.

 

[MillIronQH]

Sounds like you got his attention. Being outside like that when you did it the flapping stirrups might have helped your cause. I just worry about them getting hung on the fence in the round pen. Stay with him and don't go to sleep. :cboy: Z

 

[Mike Franklin]

He just has to learn that cooperation works out better than buckin'. I'm a little too old and a bunch too beat up to fight a youngster.

 

[peg4x4]

Always,always,if one way doesn't work,try another with the same goal in mind----and never stop on a bad note..try your best to stop while things are going good..sounds like things are going your way,keep up the good work,he's not old enough for the bad stuff to be set in stone yet..

 

[flaboy-]

Thanks all for the replies. I am not too vain to ask for help. If my ways of doing things don't seem to work then I will seek outside advice.

I hope things are going my way now. He seems like he will make a nice one. I can attest he is athletic enough to be a cow horse. :shock:

Like Mike said, I too am too old and beat up to take too many more hard knocks. Falling off a horse is not on my list of high priority things to do.

I will definitely be using the flank rope on my idiot when I get around to getting ready to step up on him. He has tolerated the saddling process and wearing it for an hour or so very well. He did not however tolerate me stepping up on the stirrup though.