September 2017 6 News from Copper State PERUVIAN PASO CLUB By Liz Potof The COPPER STATE PERUVIAN PASO CLUB is back from summer break. Members have had some amazing “so what did you do this summer?” tales to tell. One of the newest couples to join our Club are David and Lorraine Shaw. Originally from England, they have lived in the US for some time and are “horse folks”. Lorraine frequently goes on the Internet looking for horse information. When she found a Peruvian Paso that was headed to the “kill pen” in Louisiana, Lorraine said “no way” to that. Worried about what would happen to such a pretty young horse, she put in a bid, bought this young mare and had her shipped to their ranch in Rio Verde. You can see the “before” and “after” pictures. From all reports I think the Shaw’s are going to have several nice Peruvians to ride on the trails this fall.  The Board of Directors of CSPPC is meeting in September to plan the agenda for October through May. Scheduled so far is a Meet and Greet training seminar with a chalan “trainer” from CA. Next is our annual White Elephant Xmas Party. Date: to be announced. The board is asking its members for their suggestions for activities and what we can do to involve more gaited horse owners in this digital age. The NAPHA National Show will be held at the John Justin arena in Fort Worth from October 20 through the 22. Plans are fully underway, sponsorships are being sold and many large ranches have stepped forward to underwrite the live-stream broadcast of the event so the show can be seen across the world. Two announcers will report on the action in the arena during the show to keep viewers up to date. Check the NAPHA.net website for information. Join CSPPC on our Facebook page and like us. We look forward to hearing from you. If you have questions or comments, please call Liz at 602-799-4913 or Michele at 602-540-2135. Mimosa, Before Mimosa, After Tavis Walters has trained with some of the industry’s top trainers (JD Yates, Jody Reimer and Robbie Schroeder) and is a four time AQHYA World Champion in heading, heeling, and tie down. He shares his thoughts on how to properly start a rope horse in the box. Tavis believes the foundation of a good rope horse is how he’s started in the box. A run begins with how well the horse scores and if a horse doesn’t score well then it’s more difficult to succeed. Scoring refers to how a horse waits or stands in the box until the rider cues his horse forward. A lot of trainers and ropers will score several steers on their horses when they are practicing, meaning they will make their horse wait in the box even though the steer has been released through the gate. This helps teach the horse to listen to its rider about when to go and not automatically run forward every time a steer goes out the gate. Most good rope horses according to Walters need to be “broke” before they ever enter the box. He prefers to first track a steer or calf loose in the arena. This allows the horse to learn how to track and stop. Tavis said, “First off try not to make being in the box a pressure situation and remain calm. Don’t expect perfection from the beginning.” Another suggestion: “There are several ways to score horses and use what works best for you and your horse.” Also, consider the box as a place the horse can rest especially if a horse is antsy in the box, try loping him in circles in front of the box and then take him back into the box as a stopping point or a safe spot. Walters reiterates, “The longer you can go slow and remain calm the less problems you will have in the box.” According to Tavis neither young nor old rope horses need to rope every steer! The rider should devote some time to score the horse in order to increase their responsiveness. “The more steers you can score the further ahead you will be,” says Tavis. Ideally, you want your horse listening to you and not the surrounding noise and commotion. So, when starting your horse in the box make sure he’s broke and ready to be in the box. Try tracking steers or calves in the open, teach him to properly stop and use the box as a safe spot or reward. Clint Doll has observed and worked with veterans like his dad Doug Doll, past Central Wyoming College (Riverton, WY) assistant rodeo coach Randy Suhn and South Dakota breeder Brian Fulton as they start, train and finish timed-event horses. Box work is a crucial element to preparing a young horse to perform in the arena, says the young rancher from Prairie City, SD. “To begin with, I just make sure they are comfortable in the box – I don’t apply any pressure to them at first but I gradually work into that. I ride the horse in and out of the box, then I might start roping on them to give them a job but I start with slower cattle so I don’t have to ask them to run as hard as they can right away,” Doll said. He said it is always best to start slow and to keep as much of a controlled environment as possible until the horse gets more confidence in what is being asked of him. “I try to stay calm and confident myself and that transfers from the seat of your pants into your horse,” he added. “It may seem odd to us that the horse doesn’t pick up on the training right away but just because we know what we want the horse to do doesn’t mean he has a clue what you are asking for … so you have to reward him for the smallest correct action so he can get on the same page as you that much faster.” Doll said that if the horse takes a step in the right direction, the rider should reward him. “And next time you’ll get two steps in the right HOW TO START A ROPE Horse in the Box