Californio Horsemanship

Californio Horsemanship Starting horses the Californio way, with sense and feel. Perry

Building foundations for horses and riders with respect and dignity that will serve them for the rest of their lives
-A.J.

01/29/2025

Fishing season… Here’s something real and practical, not every shot in the branding pen is going to look like some sleek and sexy team roping shot in the NFR. Situational awareness and teamwork are paramount. After all, what we’re there to do is get calves vaccinated and tagged and sent back to their mothers with a new tattoo and fewer balls as quickly and safely as possible. If that calf sets back on the header, you’re probably not going to scare it forward by running up on it. So how do you get your heel shot if it’s not moving? Drop a big ol loop over it’s hip and let the header slide rope and give the calf some slack, it’ll back over your loop and you just fish it over their legs and carry on. It’s not flashy, you won’t win a buckle for it, but the calf might thank you for not forcing the header to choke it out and drag it forward just so you could get a heel shot.

12/04/2024

I’ve been spread a little thin lately since the arrival of my son, so my social media has taken a hit but since we’re back in action I figured I’d share an older video that was part of a series I did for a client with a young horse. The focus of the videos was a progression in training; from green horses that make a lot of “mistakes” and how to deal with them, to the things we need to look for and come to expect with our more trained horses.
So here I am on Pendleton talking about hackamore cues and seat control. The idea is that we need to develop a connection with our horses so that we can ride with our seat and legs instead of pulling them around by their face the entire time. In training this requires the rider to make contact with the horse in a way that encourages them to make contact with you. Both our seat/legs and our hands need to have this feel. When you lift the rein, the horse should seek gentle contact with your bit or bosal, you shouldn’t be pulling them into position. When you apply your leg, the horse should bend around it, not run away from it. It is only through contact that the horse can learn to carry themselves in a way that doesn’t require the contact anymore.
Anyways, here’s a piece on seat connection, hope it helps!

Angry Drunks… Sedating a horse is never a simple task. Like anesthesia in general, there’s a delicate balance between dr...
10/23/2024

Angry Drunks…
Sedating a horse is never a simple task. Like anesthesia in general, there’s a delicate balance between drugs and body mass. The other kicker, is that some horses push through drugs like Keith Richards, others are lightweights. Getting the pony down is the easy part, making sure they get back up and get back up safely is the hard part.
Now, what you see here is the whole team acting like a NASCAR pit crew because this mustang had a few reasons to get knocked out. He needed to be gelded and get his face x-rayed, and since he was down there we decided to get his feet taken care of on account of the fact that he’s still a little picky about when and how you touch his feet. Notice where I’m sitting…
I’m probably in the second worst position possible to work with a sedated horse. If Kristen were sitting by those hinds, she’d be in the absolute worst position. As it was I had to be mindful of the first moment he twitched a leg and I would have had to have gotten out of there. I was only down like that for a minute because I wanted to make sure I had a balanced trim and standing perpendicular to the hoof made it hard to gauge.
A horse can slowly come out of sedation like a Disney princess or they can pop up like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. You never know until you’re there. As it turns out, Luke was a very angry drunk. When he finally came up, he was combative and staggering all about. That’s a great opportunity for a horse to hurt themselves when they lose balance, so it takes a delicate yet strong hand to keep them upright without picking a fight.
Moral of the story: just because a horse is sedated doesn’t mean they’re safe. One must still be vigilant and careful of all things, and if you have to put yourself in a bad position, always have a clear exit strategy. I don’t recommend sitting below a sedated horse’s feet.

10/19/2024

There’s something about working cattle that brings out the best in people and the worst in people. I think it’s because we’re faced with a reality that can change at any moment. One false step can send a whole herd running for the hills, and one good push can get them through the gate. Everyone gets an opportunity to be a hero if they’re paying attention. If you’re not paying attention to the right thing there’s a thousand different ways to make a mistake. I think your mentality plays a big part in how the day is going to go. Once you get angry, the jig is up. All you can do is fall in line and do what you’re told because there’s no way to make the right decision when you’re angry. Yet, nothing can make your blood boil faster than uncooperative cattle. Kinda funny how it’s all proportional. I saw a shirt that said “I’m sorry for what I said working cattle” and I’ve earned the right to wear it plenty of times. Sometimes you just don’t have time to ask nicely. More often all you need to do is laugh it off and get ready for the next one.

10/11/2024

Here’s a clip from a liberty session with Lucca, a 2ish year old. Young horses are notorious for their short attention spans. We’ve got no room to judge, though, look what social media has done to our attentive abilities.. So what do you do when you’ve got a horse that doesn’t even want to look at you when you’re in the round corral? Well you could try to bribe them with cookies, but then you’ve set a precedent. There’s an anticipation to reach a goal. I’ve never met a treat trained horse that didn’t do their circus tricks on their own in an attempt to get a free cookie. Doesn’t mean they’re not out there, but I’ve met a lot of horses.Or you could watch them long enough to find a way to genuinely communicate with them on their level. When you get a dialogue going, some really cool things can happen. You get to jam off of each other and it looks and feels pretty seamless. I challenge anyone to tell me which parts of this were my idea and which parts were Lucca’s.

It’s Simple…Picture this: there I am, dusty hat, muddy jeans, still wearing my spurs (I didn’t feel like wrestling off t...
10/09/2024

It’s Simple…
Picture this: there I am, dusty hat, muddy jeans, still wearing my spurs (I didn’t feel like wrestling off the heel strap I’d rigged too tight) walking into the riding school of Bückeburg. My spurs clicked the polished concrete walkways and sent ringing sounds down the corridors. The other tourists thought I looked pretty funny. I’ll admit, I thought I looked pretty funny. The feeling went away when we were welcomed by Diana, the most well-educated equestrian I’ve even met. In a moment I went from feeling out-of-place to feeling like a welcomed guest in “just another barn”. We went through the stables where people shyly looked through the gates at the horses and she swung the doors open to show off their prized ponies. She told stories, we laughed, I was green with envy at their little library holding 500 years of knowledge that was inaccessible to me simply because I don’t speak German. I was like a kid in a candy shop, but soon it became overwhelming. What was I even doing there? This was no place for a guy like me.
Watching her father work on a few horses, still feeling awestruck at the rich history and precise methods of horsemanship, I felt like I didn’t have much to offer. I was resigned to the role of “enthusiastic student” and forgot myself in the process. I wasn’t a “trainer” or “cowboy” or any other thing I’ve called myself or other people have called me, I was plain insecure. One passing comment brought me back to reality.
I said to Diana something like, “It’d be great to get my horses moving like that, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.” She didn’t even look away from the demonstration, just tightened her brow and said, “It’s simple. Just like anything, reward the good, ignore the bad.” I doubt she even remembers saying it…

I’ve said it many times in many ways. I’ve told students, “don’t worry about making the wrong thing difficult, just make the right thing easy.” Or “the grass is greenest where you water it, don’t water the weeds.” Or simply “ignore the ‘mistakes’ and just reward the success.” It’s a simple mentality that good horse people share. I think it makes all the difference between good horsemanship and bad horsemanship. In order to practice that mentality, you have to truly understand the reality of the situation. The reality is often that you’re working with an animal that doesn’t speak your language, and you’re trying to level with it to reach a common goal. If they don’t reach that goal, it’s only because it wasn’t communicated properly. Not because of some vindictive conspiracy by the horse that deserves a swift punishment.

And with that statement, I was no longer caught in my insecurities at not being trained in some fancy lineage. I couldn’t bash myself for never having the opportunity to see something like that before. While they have their practice and I have mine, we were equals in our passion for a greater understanding of our horses and the reality we share with them. I felt again like a welcomed guest because it really was “just another barn”. Complete with the same problems that any place has being too close to town, bad entryways for hay trucks and the constant battle of keeping stalls mucked… It just happened to be in a castle in some far off land.
Yet at the same time, we were as far from equals as possible! For Christ’s sake she’s a Ph.D in equine science and a member of their historical society. I’m just a guy from California that learned a thing or two about horses and cattle. I might be a little handier with a rope than her, but she could probably train and command an entire cavalry division if need be. It’s no use comparing. So let it all be true. Don’t compare yourself to your neighbor or your trainer or someone you see on TV, just look for what’s real and not for what you’ve made up in your mind.
I can’t wait until I have the chance to visit again and hopefully learn more from their wonderful lineage. Visiting for a short moment gave me great inspiration for my horses at home.

Old dogs and new tricks…Here’s a situation that some of us may be familiar with: you pick up a horse between the ages of...
10/01/2024

Old dogs and new tricks…
Here’s a situation that some of us may be familiar with: you pick up a horse between the ages of 15-20 and it turns out they’re not “fancy broke”, “push-button”, “great for kids”, or any of the things that the person on the internet said they were. Heck, they ride like a 2x4 and can’t even bend around a corner.
You’re presented with two options: stick a spur in their rib and ride them until they bend around your leg because, “They’re aged! They should already know this, and I’m gonna prove that they’re just being a jackass.” Or you “waste” a bunch of time “re-starting” and are annoyed that you bought a 15 year old c**t.
Well something I love about old horses is that they know plenty, it just might not be what I want them to know. I like to take the time to figure out what they know and build off of that, I don’t think if the time as “wasted”. Sure they might not have a nice bend but they can move their feet in a good rhythm, great! What if I present an opportunity for them to find good rhythm?
This exercise is simple, just set out four poles and try to get your math right regarding the size of your circle, and try to get your pony to step over the pole with their outside front foot first. If they can do that, they can reach inwards with their outside leg (that’s part of bending too, not just standing up on the inside shoulder). If they figure that one out really fast and keep a nice rhythm, you might notice that they fill in a few of the gaps in knowledge on their own based off their current understanding. They might not… they’re a horse, after all… but I’ve noticed that if I give an old horse an opportunity to succeed, they usually find a way to get the job done as best as their health and confirmation will allow.
Now this exercise isn’t going to solve anything, but it’s going to get you to understand what the horse needs in order to succeed. So long as you pay attention, you can apply what you’ve learned to solving the other problems that came along with the purchase.

Just got home from a unique experience. A while back I got invited to teach some horsemanship and stockmanship in German...
09/27/2024

Just got home from a unique experience. A while back I got invited to teach some horsemanship and stockmanship in Germany. I’m so incredibly grateful for everyone that put on these events and even more grateful to the people who took a chance to learn from some guy from California with minimal social media presence (guess it’s time to change that). I couldn’t begin to explain all that happened in one post but we covered just about everything from groundwork with Icelandic ponies, to c**t starting conversations, to mules both bridle-wise and green-broke, to reading cattle, I think we did just about everything. More importantly we all learned about ourselves, our horses, and how to better communicate what we need from them.
I was so lucky to have met all kinds of trainers from different disciplines and sit in on lessons, from baroque riding to liberty work and even met part of the ranch roping community out there.
Still getting my act together from the travel days but I’m sure to post more when I’ve mentally processed everything. I got some great inspiration for work with my horses back home and I’m really excited to go back next year!

Let’s talk about a good way to lose some teeth. How many times have you been out somewhere and needed a second hand? How...
07/12/2024

Let’s talk about a good way to lose some teeth. How many times have you been out somewhere and needed a second hand? How many times has that gate latch been a little too rusty? How many times has there been a dead branch crossing the trail at eye level that just won’t break with your off-hand alone?
Do you drop your rein? What if you’re on a green horse? What if you’re doing something dynamic like trimming branches and need to move a little?
I’m not suggesting that anyone put a rein in their teeth, all it takes is one tug from your horse and you’ve earned yourself a trip to the dentist. But if your horse understands the bit, and has learned to soften to the subtle changes of your hand, you might have a few more options available to you.

05/03/2024

Bo is a 2 y.o. Stud c**t from the McDermitt herd. After a roundup, he found himself filtered through the Fallon feed lot and we scooped him up along with his buddy and now we have a matched pair of mustangs to work with.

So how the heck do you get ahold of a horse that wants nothing to do with you. The first thing you oughtta do is throw your watch away, you won’t be needing it anytime soon.

You could bribe them with food, making yourself the only thing standing in between the critter and a good meal. You could run them into a chute and scratch on them from outside the fence, essentially harassing them until they give in and realize you’re not trying to kill them, only lock them in a box and poke/squeeze them until they shut up. You could follow them around the pasture for 8 hours a day until they finally start wondering what it is you want of them, just bring comfy shoes. Or you could bust out a rope and go to work.

Now, if you walk into that corral and start swinging, you’re likely to see a horse crawl over a fence. As that big loop swooshes around in the corner of their eye, they’ll be sure that death is imminent. It might be best to establish some ground conversation. Walk around their right flank until they break left, let them trot it out. Yield some space and let them turn in to you to rest. Move around their left. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat…
If you do it right they’ll square up and calm down eventually.

If you’re confident, throw a big loop with one swing or no swing, but not so big you could get a leg through. For the love of God if that horse runs off don’t suck down on that rope and choke him out, let him run. He’ll calm down. Remember all that ground work we were doing before? Do it again without pulling on the rope. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Now maybe when you yield space, give the rope a little pull as he’s coming your way and release as he faces you.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Now take up a coil and shorten your rope when he turns in.

Repeat. Repeat. Maybe take up another coil. Repeat. Repeat.

Oh yeah, when you get up close don’t get bit or stomped… they’ll tell you when you’re moving too fast. The more you want to grab ahold of them, the less likely they’ll want to stick around.

Send them on their way once you get your rope back, and start again tomorrow.

03/28/2024

Here’s a hearty 5y.o. Friesian mare learning how to keep her feet underneath her and pick up a proper lead. Now, we’re riding with a little more contact than I’d like, but she’s still a little unsure of her body and needs help deciding where to put her head. We can see as I come around that I’ve selected a rein position that allows her to release contact by taking a “more collected” frame, the way she’s built really encourages her to tuck her chin and reach through her shoulder on turns.
Now, disregard that as I get to my point. Subtle cues and lag time: at 12s and 34s I cue her into a lope. There’s roughly 1.5s of lag over a couple strides after the first cue. When it comes to educating a horse, you have to be in tune with how your horse thinks. I know that when someone asks me a question on a subject I’m unfamiliar with, my first thought is half-baked and partially correct if I’m lucky. If I sit for a few seconds and wait to answer, I usually have a better chance at giving a better answer. I could still be completely wrong though.
Now imagine this; you’re asked a question and then while you’re thinking, the asker starts whacking you with a crop, or raking your ribs with spurs. I know I’d sure spit out an answer fast, I don’t know how correct it would be. I don’t know if I’d care about being correct, I’d probably just want you to quit whacking me.
By continuing through our cue and riding as if our horse transitioned properly, the way we move in the saddle changes. Horses and humans are rhythmic animals, the same way you can’t help tapping your foot to good music, a horse can’t help but to move with the rhythm of their rider for comfort’s sake. By changing and maintaining our rhythm we create a definitive change in what we’re asking our horse to do, as opposed to amorphous and undirected whacking and kicking. If we give the critter time to find our rhythm, they will. With repetition we develop the pathways of the brain to understand the change, and the transition comes faster and faster.
At 34s we notice that she tried to break into the lope and wasn’t quite confident about it. No sense starting over from scratch, no sense whipping on her, no sense kicking more, we just kept on, and found our footing.
In short: be confident in your cues and your seat, be patient, be kind. Horses don’t give “wrong” answers, we ask questions poorly.

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