ArizonaRealCountry.com 7 September 2017 direction.” The reward to the horse is to release whatever pressure is being placed on him. Starting to teach a horse to breakaway rope is often the first step Doll would take when teaching him to be comfortable in the box and then to score and leave the box. “Leaving the box and following the steer – that is what is familiar to them so that is a good way to build confidence in the box because they can understand tracking a steer,” Doll explained. He added that once the horse gains confidence in the box and understands that he needs to find the steer and go to him after leaving the box, then the trainer can assess the horse’s strengths and weaknesses and determine the event in which the horse is likely to excel and enjoy Doll has started both green horses and broke horses in the box. He likes to give green horses plenty of pasture time, to get them comfortable around cattle and to teach them some of the basics. “When I’m starting to work with a young green horse I might spend a day in the arena and then spend the next few days cowboying out in the pasture, that will do his mind a lot of good.” He adds that a well-broke horse might progress a little faster with box work. When working with a horse that may have been soured in the box, Doll said consistency is the key. “Use repetition so the horse gains confidence in understanding what you’re asking of him. Do things the same every time and when he responds how you want him to and does something you’ve asked – even if it’s really small – be sure to reward him. It’s crucial for that kind of horse to gain trust in what you’re asking.” Doll suggests that for a newbie to the training world, riding an experienced, responsive horse will help to gain an understanding of how a horse should feel. When training a bulldogging horse, he likes the horse to be aggressive, run fast and to drop down and move out as opposed to a horse that travels higher. “When they run, they should lower their center of gravity and accelerate into it. They should push off when leaving the box, rather than jumping ahead.” A big part of the horse leaving the box low and digging aggressively with all four feet is scoring. “When scoring I keep slight pressure on the reins and want the horse to be alert and watching the steer but not to leave the corner of the box until he feels me release the pressure on the reins,” said Doll. One way to teach this is to use a tie down, which gives the horse something to push against. “The tie down will aide you down the road when you are competing and trying to score cattle, it gives the horse something to push against and hold the pressure.” In the pasture, Doll forgoes the tie down. He adds that he usually uses a ring snaffle for early training and then will work into a broken mouthpiece with a short shank.