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During the event, Mike completed Round One of the competition with both colts. Mike then selected to continue into Round Two and the Finals of the competition, with Talking Cows, after Guthrie Whiskey proved to be a little sensitive and needed more time to gain confidence.

After the event, Mike Major purchased both colts from the 6666 Ranch to continue their training. In this video series, Mike shows his continued journey with Guthrie Whiskey!

The Colts:

#3 Talkin Cows
March 21, 2020 Sorrel Gelding
(Natural Bottom – My Sweet Talkin Baby, by Triage) 

#8 Guthrie Whiskey
May 12, 2020 Sorrel Gelding
(Guthrie City Limits – Frenchmans Whiskey, Paddys Irish Whiskey)

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Mike Major rested Yellowhouse Canyon (aka. Yellowhouse) on his return from Road to the Horse 2022 in Lexington, Kentucky. After the event in March, the colt had a dental appointment and settled into his new surroundings in Bowie, Texas.

Mike Major has grown fond of the colt and has been working on softening the colt on the ground and under saddle, working on maneuvers such as hip control, lead changes, and spins. Mike is looking forward to a strong future together, as he feels the colt has an abundance of natural athleticism and talent.

While on location, Yellowhouse Canyon decided to enjoy his time in the pond, taking Mike down with him after he unexpectedly rolled in the water to cool off! Some great photographs were captured of the moment and you can find the entire scene on Road to the Horse Facebook.

In addition, Road to the Horse partnered with YETI coolers to present Mike with a new YETI cooler, after his was unfortunately stolen from the back of his truck on his return from Road to the Horse. Thank you to our friends at YETI for their generous donation.

Follow Mike Major and Yellowhouse Canyon on Facebook at Mike Major Horsemanship.

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Road to the Horse Director of Operations Tammy Sronce conducts a brief colt starting Q&A with Craig and Cole Cameron of Craig & Cole Cameron Ride Smart Horsemanship based at the Double Horn Ranch in Bluff Dale, TX. Cole Cameron will compete as a Championship Competitor at Road to the Horse 2022, which will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY on March 24 – 27, 2022.

RTTH: What is the most important fundamental principle a colt must learn under saddle?

Craig Cameron: I always say that one of the most important things you want to teach any horse any day, but especially a young horse, is – take the fear out of that horse. You know, you’re not going to do a good job if he’s afraid or if he’s scared. To me, you know, I’m not trying to take his instinct of survival away. I just want him to figure out he doesn’t need to use it. In other words, he might have to get scared to realize he doesn’t need to be scared – you know, just like he might need to buck to realize he doesn’t need to buck. So, once we get that brace, that fear, out of that horse, shoot, pretty soon, they’re just working with you, and not against us.

RTTH: Cole, how many rides do you put on a colt in the round pen before you open the gate?

Cole Cameron: Lately, it’s been about one, and actually lately, I’ve even been starting some in the arena.  So, it just depends on the horse, but then, there’s some where we could spend a week in the round pen. And, I’d say my most important thing under saddle with a colt is getting them to go forward.

Craig Cameron:  Control forward movement – that’s exactly right, and I think he’s correct on that other answer. Every horse is an individual, so some horses you feel like you could ride out right away and others just like you say, geez, you might think that he’s  not quite ready for a week or so, so we keep listening to the horse.

Check the Road to the Horse Training and Horsemanship Archives every Tuesday for a new “Training Tips Tuesday” post, and search the archives for training tips and horsemanship wisdom imparted by industry experts. 

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Colt starters mount horses the incorrect way when they grab the cantle, placing a lot of weight on the back of the horse as they shift their weight into the saddle and swing their leg over the horse.

Riders who grab the cantle when mounting a young horse place themselves in danger. Judge Williams strongly advises colt starters to mount young horses while standing by the shoulder of the horse.

“We always want them to step up on the shoulder here – even if they have to turn the stirrup facing the horse,” Judge Williams explained. “We don’t ever want them to grab the cantle.”

Mounting a colt from a position at the shoulder keeps a rider out of danger from the colt’s hind legs and allows for the rider’s weight to be evenly distributed. Grabbing the cantle while mounting a colt is not only dangerous, but allows for an uneven distribution of the rider’s weight, pulling the colt off balance. 

The rider should dismount in the same way so that they end up in the positon that they started the process in, which is at the front of the horse by the shoulder.

Photo: Jeff Williams instructs Beau Rees (from Casper College) how to safely mount a young horse for the first time

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Craig Cameron of Ride Smart Horsemanship and his son, Road to the Horse 2022 Championship Competitor Cole Cameron, sit down with Road to the Horse for a discussion on their go-to bridle for starting colts.

Craig Cameron said it depends on the horse, but they usually start their colts in a halter with one rein.

“That’s what they’re gonna understand,” Craig explained. “You give people two reins, and they start pulling on two reins.”

Craig revealed that if a horse has been halter broke at all, it’s going to be easier for that horse to follow a big direct rein, so it’s best to throw it over and follow it from there.

“Traditionally, a lot of times, we will, depending on the horse, go to like a loping style hackamore,” Craig said.

The message here is to work on the horse, but let the horse carry the bit. 

“The bit we always start with is the snaffle bit,” he explained. “We call that the true training bit because it’s easier for the horse to understand. It’s designed to work one rein at a time, and it’s a one-to-one ratio. In other words, if you’ve got one pound of pressure in your hand, you’ve got one pound of pressure on that horse’s mouth.”

Using the snaffle bit as a training tool helps a green horse learn. 

“It makes it easier for the horse, and it makes it easier for us,” Craig imparted. “We want to keep it simple so these horses can figure out what it is we want and what we don’t want.”

Road to the Horse 2022 takes place at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 24-27, 2022. Tickets are available at here or by calling 800-514-3849. Follow Road to the Horse on Facebook for the latest information and stayed tune to find out who will be revealed as the next Road to the Horse 2022 competitor. 

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Three top collegiate teams will compete for $30,000 in scholarships during the Collegiate Colt Starting Challenge, which requires each team to gentle a colt and display the highest standards of horsemanship over a two-day period. Top regional horsemanship teams will represent University Montana Western, Utah Valley University and Casper Community College.

The judging panel will consist of Road to the Horse celebrities including Jeff Williams, Ken McNabb, and Wade Black. The event schedule, brimming with colt starting action, includes invaluable clinics from Wade Black and Ken McNabb.

• Wade Black’s Clinic is scheduled for 12:00 pm on Friday July 23
• Ken McNabb’s Clinic is scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday July 24

Spectators will be able to watch the event free of charge. Individuals eight (8) and under get in free. Competition gets underway on Friday, July 23^rd at 8:30 a.m. and Saturday, July 24^th at 8:15 a.m.

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Brandi Lyons demonstrates how she helps a head shy horse overcome fear. 

“If I get a horse in training that’s a bit head shy, then I’m going to work on getting him comfortable with me touching him before I go on to bridling and what-not,” Brandi revealed. 

The first goal is to bring the horse to a place where the horse is comfortable being petted on the head or neck. 

“That’s kind of a little bit easier on them,” Brandi explained. “Pet them; play with them. Always stop and give them a break.” 

With a head shy horse, make sure you step back and move the horse’s feet and are not just continuously rubbing on the horse. 

“Moving a horse’s feet gets the horse to release some of that tension the horse is holding,” Brandi imparted.  

Go back and forth between rubbing the horse and moving its feet. Once the horse is calm with this process, take your hand and move it over the ears as fast as you can, and then rub the head and neck. Repeat these steps 100 times until the horse does not move its head. 

“He’ll start to not toss his head as you go fast,” Brandi said. “So, then once you’re going fast, and he stops moving his head, then start slowing it down. If you slow it down too much that he throws his head while you’re on top, then speed it back up.” 

Speed up the process and then start slowing it down until stopping your hand on the ear. 

“Rub, stop on the ear and then rub,” Brandi explained. “Again, be moving their feet in between times.” 

Make sure to repeat this process on both ears.  

“When you start going the other way, you gotta go fast again,” Brandi said. “Rub, go on; repeat. You can go back and forth, and again, that horse is gonna get to where he doesn’t care about this because tossing his head wasn’t fun, and you left anyways.” 

Then slow down the entire process until, no matter what you do, the horse doesn’t throw his head.  Then start rubbing on the inside, making sure to go fast at first, and then get out of there. 

“Rub fast, get out of there and move their feet,” Brandi emphasized. 

Slow down with your rub again, and after a while, the horse will be completely calm while his head and neck are touched. 

“If you want to get where you are clipping them and stuff, start using, like a rag, and then start brushing their ears, and then go to clippers,” Brandi said.

Learn more about Brandi Lyons at www.NoLimitsHorsemanship.com. Road to the Horse 2022 takes place at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 24-27, 2022. Tickets are available at here or by calling 800-514-3849. Follow Road to the Horse on Facebook for the latest information and stayed tune to find out who will be revealed as the next Road to the Horse 2022 competitor. 

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