Re-Purposing the Horse and Rider for Team Penning and Ranch Sorting

Re-Purposing the Horse and Rider for Team Penning and Ranch Sorting

Written By: Heidi Banks

Garth Brooks put it best when he said, “It’s the bronc’s and the blood, the steers and the mud, and they call the thing a rodeo.” While team penning and sorting is a bit different from a traditional rodeo setting, it has many of the same elements of excitement, without the risk of strapping yourself to the back of a 1200 pound bull. What person doesn’t love imagining him or herself donning a cowboy hat and chasing cattle around, circa the 1900’s? Maybe it was this dream that initially sparked your interest in horses and riding; however, chances are that you actually pursued your interest in a manner quite different from the traditional cowboy way of life. Perhaps you got your start in hunter jumpers, dressage, western pleasure, or any of the other hundreds of equine sports available in your area. What you may not know is that you probably already have the skills and horse power to make your childhood fantasy come true RIGHT NOW!

The USTPA, or United States Team Penning Association, was formed in 1993 as the only non-profit association world-wide to standardize the rules of the sport and provide events throughout the country for equine enthusiasts to participate in. Now, that’s all well and good, but you’re probably still wondering, “What exactly is it, and why would I want to participate?” The sport of team penning includes a herd of thirty cattle labeled zero to nine at one end of the arena, with three calves to each number and a three-sided pen at the opposite end. The goal is for a team of three riders to effectively draw the three cows with the same number out of the herd, and get them into the pen in less than sixty seconds. Ranch sorting requires that two riders move a herd of ten cattle in numerical order from one round pen into a separate adjoining pen in sixty seconds or less. There is a twelve foot opening between the two pens, and also two un-numbered “trash” cows that are mingled throughout the herd. In both penning and sorting, the numbers do matter – so any cow that crosses the line, either out of order or carrying the wrong number, will result in a “no time” for the team.

So now that you know the basics of the sport, let’s discuss how to take that first leap into the pen. I spoke with USTPA President Elect, Larry Kuyper, at length about how to bring both you and your horse into the ring for the first time. Larry has almost 60 years of experience riding and training, and told me, “If you get bored team penning or sorting, then you must be doing something wrong!”

The first thing to think about before you even get on your horse is how you think you will handle the cattle yourself. Larry recommends asking around and finding someone who owns cattle, even just a herd of beef cows out in the pasture, and going in to work them on foot. The key here is not to chase the cows (you’ll quickly get tired doing that!); but rather, just walk along and learn about where your body position aligns with the cattle in order to move them towards their intended destination. Think of the cow as having three sections; the hip and rear are your accelerator, the ribs are neutral, and the head and shoulders are your steering wheel. Although you’re on foot, you should be able to move the cow and turn it by just using your own instincts. Even if you’re in the best shape in the world, I’m sure it won’t take you long to figure out that it’s a whole lot easier to watch the cow and try to predict what it’s going to do next, than to chase it for very long! Once you get behind the cow, you will also probably notice that every time you approach, you press that “accelerator,” and the cow will get faster and faster, leaving you in the dust, and bidding goodbye to any hope of control.

Once you feel that you’ve gotten a start on your own abilities to read a cow, it’s time to get on your horse. But before you even show your horse the first cow, there are some exercises that you can do at home in the arena that will prepare you both for the elements you may encounter while working the cow. Whatever previous experience your horse has under saddle, a broke horse is a broke horse, and you can use that experience to your advantage. The more easily that you can move a horses hips and shoulders, turn him around, and just generally be able to handle him, the better off you’ll be when you first start working the cattle. In my interview with Larry, he talked about working an “S”. Begin by setting up cones, buckets, or whatever you have around your house to use as markers in a straight line down the long side of your arena. You now have a visual of where to weave your horse in and out. While trying to keep complete control, start at the walk and move up in gaits as you feel comfortable. Be sure to use your legs as much as your hands, and think about lifting that horses rib cage as he rounds each marker. Close your eyes and try to feel each step that the horse makes as he disengages and reengages his shoulders and haunches around the turns. One thing to watch out for in this exercise is that you’re not letting the horse drop onto his front end. This can happen when the rider leads with the horse’s nose and doesn’t provide support through their legs to keep the horse balanced and rocked back on his haunches. Make sure that you’re keeping your hands low and together, and whether you’re in a snaffle bit using a direct rein, or attempting to neck rein through the course, try to stay as soft and quiet as possible. Meredith van Benthuysen, Executive Director for the USTPA, relates penning and sorting to a chess game. “The winner is not necessarily the one who runs their horse the fastest, but it’s rather a game of skill and calculations.” Starting the described exercises slowly will give you the foundation to add speed at a later time.

Another exercise that Larry described is called “the perfect circle.” The goal is just as it sounds; to ride a perfectly round circle with your horse. Pick a spot in the arena as your center point. While beginning at the walk, try to track a path as round as possible. You’ll soon discover that it’s not as easy as it looks! Once you master the exercise at the walk, move up to the trot and then the lope. The key is to gain confidence and control, while encouraging flexibility throughout your horse. Once you have the circle down at all gaits, then it’s time to start thinking about the fence. You’ll often see people warming their horses up by working alongside the fence/rail before a penning or a sorting, as it can be a key tool in getting your horse to increase his responsiveness. When you first start working the fence, as in all exercises, start at the walk. Begin by walking perpendicular to the rail, but about 4 feet off of it, and then ask for a stop. The first time, pull equally with both hands. You should feel your horse suck back uniformly onto his hocks, and tuck his nose while giving to the pressure of the bit. If your horse tosses his head and shows resistance, keep asking softly until he gives, even if it is just for a half second, and then immediately release. Next, pull with your outside rein (the one closest to the rail) to your outside hip while applying pressure with your inside heel close to the girth, and ask the horse to step around his hind end with his front feet. The rail should give you a boundary to keep him from walking off too much while he learns what you are asking him to do. Once you get the stop down in both directions using equal pressure at the walk, jog, and lope, try using your rail side rein a little harder than the inside rein, and making the stop and turn one motion instead of two. This is called performing a rollback, and is used not only in sorting and penning, but also in other events such as reining and working cow-horse. By using your outside rein, your horse will naturally prepare for the turn to the outside during the act of stopping, which will allow him to get around himself quicker and more efficiently.

I like to call the above exercises getting your horse “handy broke.” Your mastery of the above is going to dictate your success in the penning and sorting arena, as well as improve your overall relationship with your horse. The breed, age, or sex of your horse simply doesn’t matter, and all horses can benefit from learning body control skills. During all of the exercises, make sure that instead of speed, your focus is on keeping your horse calm and collected. Other training drills that you can do include teaching your horse to stand still while you open gates, stand directly next to panels (used in sorting when guarding the hole/opening), and backing through cones. Once both you and your horse can confidently do all of the above to the best of your abilities, it will be time to add the next element – the cow.

Since each horse is going to react differently to the cattle, it’s important to set yourself up for success from the start. Larry Kuyper relates the initial introduction to walking into a room of thirty people who all immediately turn around and stare at you. Most likely, one would begin to feel uncomfortable with all of the new attention focused directly on them. However, if you walk into a room with just one other person who turns and stares, you are more likely to feel better equipped to handle the experience calmly. The same goes for your horse when being introduced to sorting or penning. If at all possible, attempt to work your horse with just one cow in the pen. Allow him to push the cow, and essentially do the same work that you previously did on foot. Discover where the “gas pedal” and the “brakes” lie when you’re mounted. The main thing to remember when you’re first starting out is to work slowly. Let’s imagine that the cow you are approaching takes off running away from you. Stop and consider why that cow took off running. Most likely, you pressed too hard toward the cow’s back end. Slow down on the next approach and ride towards the ribcage of the cow. Practice turning the cow slowly back and forth, paying close attention to the exact point on the cow’s body that causes it to stop and turn. Once your horse is comfortable with just one cow, you may begin adding in others. Apply the same logistics while pulling one cow out of the herd as you did while moving the solitary cow around the pen. If at any time your horse becomes nervous or frustrated, don’t be afraid to take a step back and reduce the number of cattle in the pen. Providing your horse with ample opportunities to gain confidence while he learns the game will afford you a more solid horse in the end. Even if your horse is not bred specifically “for cattle,” you might be pleasantly surprised with the speed at which he picks up on it and relaxes. Many horses have a natural instinct for herding, and the sports of penning and sorting definitely brings out the best in them!

Before you know it, you’ll be ready for your first competition. One thing that makes the USTPA different from your local sorting (where everyone is generally grouped together) is the rating system that was specially designed to level the playing field. I spoke with Meredith about the benefits of the rankings to a beginner sorter or penner. Each new member to the USTPA is given a ranking from one (beginner) to seven (professional). Your ranking will then determine which classes you can enter. For example, in a #3 team penning, three #1 ranked riders compete against three other #1 ranked riders. Rider’s rankings are periodically reviewed and adjusted as necessary, ensuring that riders with a like skill set will always compete against each other.

Dr. Jake Wells, Veterinarian and current USTPA president, talked to me about the benefits of all equine communities being introduced to the world of penning and sorting. Dr. Wells wisely stated, “There is a horse for every rider, and a rider for every horse.” What he means is that no matter what event the horse was originally intended for, or which event the rider started their training in, that they could find a place for them in penning or sorting. With the massive amounts of unwanted horses from the closure of the slaughter plants, it is now more important than ever for us to “recycle” the perceived rejects that are floating around the sale barns and turn them into useful, productive members of society. Meredith van Benthuysen states, “The beauty of team penning and sorting is that any horse can be competitive, no matter what breed or discipline they were originally intended to perform.” While most competitors do use stock horses such as Quarter Horses, Paints, or Appaloosas, don’t be surprised when you go to a clinic or competition and see Arabians, Thoroughbreds, and everything in between.

I urge you to check out www.USTPA.com for more information on the sport, and to find an event near you. The “Ride With A Mentor” program allows new and potential members to submit their information to have a volunteer mentor contact them to answer questions and help get them started. Your mentor can even arrange a free day-pass for you to participate at an upcoming sanctioned show in your area. You can also find lists of trainers, show producers, and team penning suppliers on the website; all of which can help launch you towards this exciting riding discipline and ensure your success in the pen. Contacting a knowledgeable and qualified person or organization is an excellent idea as a first step when trying to learn any new equine sport. Probably one of the best things about penning and sorting is the true team spirit aspect where everyone helps everyone else. You simply won’t find a friendlier or more helpful collection of horse enthusiast to ride and compete with.

Again, any horse of any breed can be re-purposed for the sport, so just do your homework beforehand, prepare yourself and your horse, and you’ll be living your cowboy dream in no time!

This story is provided courtesy of the USTPA, the International Association of Team Penners and Ranch Sorting. For more information on the USTPA or repurposing horses for the sports of Team Penning and/or Ranch Sorting, contact the USTPA at: