Several videos below. They progress from India's first cow to her fifth and last cow. Watch as she begins to figure it out, especially the part of stopping and waiting. At first, all she wanted to do was run at the cow. Jenny tells me that most horses like cutting cows. For once, they get to be the predator and not the prey. I think it's very empowering for them. Sorry for the loud noise you hear in a few of them that is not either the wind or cows mooing. You'll hear that too, but the loud squeak is the cutting saddle I was riding in. I had no idea it was so noisy until I was watching the videos.
I got to cut cows, too, on Jenny's mare, Wendy, who loves to cut. I had a blast trotting along, keeping the cow from cutting back to the herd, stopping and waiting, moving the cow, anticipating what it was going to do, and just generally grinning from ear to ear at how much fun it is to play at being a cowgirl.
India is having to put together all the stuff she's been learning in the ring. Cows show just how well she's learned her lessons. She shows real promise. Yay, India!
The eventual plan is to have India in an English saddle, but you know, she was meant to be a cow pony. She moves like one, she shows aptitude, and cutting cows is great fun. So, let's go with what we got rather than force her into being something she's not. She's a cute cow pony and one day she might end up in the hunt field and she'll acquit herself nicely there. She's learning to stand quietly, to yield to pressure, to find softness in her transitions. They're not all there yet, but Jenny and I see it clicking in India's brain.
Starting this week, Jenny has been working India three times a week, rather than just once. It's expensive and I really can't afford it right now what with Kudzu's chemo treatments, but India needs it. In just one week she's made a huge leap forward, which shows that consistency and practice pay off.
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