Part Time Cowboy

Well....this was our 1st competition. A pretty low key event held by Jokers Wild in VA. Usms2020.com Cody was brave. I should've done a better job at shooting at 3 o'clock or behind. Accidentally shot a few times at 1 and 2 o'clock.

I think we're doing OK as a team. Cody pushed in to the left after the 5th balloon. So we just went with it and switched sides for the run down. It worked.

We had a great 2hr lesson with Cloud Rider Services in Franklinton, NC

Harley is riding nicely. He's not a future shooting horse but he rides really nice.

Harley is riding nice and listening well.

Weather is finally cooperating and we're getting some good sessions in. Today we're back to shooting.

Cody is doing great. He certainly knows his job better than I do.

This is my typical warm up. Walk the area both directions with circles at the corners followed by trotting the same. I try to use as little rein as possible. I like to see if the horse is respecting leg pressure during this warm up.

So....learning to use my new camera system. The auto tracker lost me for a short bit. For this video I'm showing my general warm up. Some walking with doing circles at each corner going in both directions. Followed by the same exercise at the trot. Gives the horses some time to get warmed up and let's me know what kinda day it's going to be.

This is a fun exercise. Similar to Craig Cameron's "Circle Within a Circle". We canter a large circle around 4 cones, a medium circle inside the 4 cones, and small circles around an individual cone. Cody did really well.

Coming out of the run after a few weeks off due to weather I figured we would start off with some walking and checking how he responds to basic leg pressure. He did pretty good. dpwaterer.com

Loping off on the right lead. we missed it the 1st time but got it straight away. Cody is fun to ride. He loves to move out! If you're near South Carolina and looking for a great trainer give Elizabeth at Double E Performance Horses https://www.facebook.com/DoubleEPerformanceHorses/

Alrighty....trotting went ok. Cody definitely wants to move out after sitting a few weeks. This weather has been unbearable for someone wanting to get out and ride.

Well....we've walked and trotted. We're ready to lope some circles so Cody can let some steam off. After sitting a few weeks he's got some energy. Headed to the left...

A novice horseman making novice video. LOL This is another exercise I learned from Pam at Cloud Rider Services. Check them out. https://davelohreytrainingcenter.com/cloud-rider-services

I watched a video of Craig Cameron doing this exercise. He had more cones than I do but we're making it work anyway. Just a novice horseman having fun.

I learned this from the Pam at Cloud Rider Services - Dave Lohrey Training Center. I do not profess to be doing it exactly correct so check with them if you are near North Carolina. Tell them I said HI! I will be taking more lessons. https://davelohreytrainingcenter.com/cloud-rider-services

Another fun exercise I learned from Pam at Cloud Rider Services. Always starting my exercises at a walk and moving to a trot. Cody and I have some work to do but we're on our way. https://davelohreytrainingcenter.com/cloud-rider-services

Decided to see how Cody would do under saddle crossing the tarp with the flag near by. He did pretty well. Not in the video but we tried picking up the flag and carrying it. He wasn't having it. So...baby steps. We'll keep working on it.

So Harley isn't destined to be a shooting horse but he's fun to ride around on.

I figured we would give Cody a break from shooting and see how he would do crossing a tarp. No surprise....Cody did great on the ground.

So...on Cody's day off from shooting (we don't ride every day) we're trying out a few thing she may see at a competition. Flags being one of them....we have more work to do. I think I may need to take this one a little slower.

Well....ground shooting went well. This time from the saddle. Cody is doing great.

New Year's Eve Day is our 2nd day of shooting. Cody is doing pretty well from the ground.

Just seeing what Harley thinks of walking across a tarp. Honestly he really didn't care about it at all.