Horizon View Farms and Patrick King will host an
“Intermediate Ranch Roping Clinic” with Bob Sagely

of Sage Horsemanship

A Two-Day, One of a Kind - Western Pennsylvania Experience

August 20 and 21, 2011

Ranch roping for safe livestock handling has been around a long time but it is now experiencing a revival of sorts. Ranchers are beginning to realize that roping cattle for branding and doctoring purposes is much less stressful, when done correctly, than handling through squeeze chutes and calf tables. As an equine sport it has become a fast growing horse activity in the US and abroad, primarily because it does not take an expensive or highly trained horse to participate and everything is done at the walk or trot. It is a great entry level sport or past time for those who might want to become team ropers and just plain experience the fun all on its own. It is an excellent way to improve team penning skills as you begin to read cattle better the more you rope. And your horsemanship will benefit many fold from getting your horse to learn to track cattle.

The ranch roping taught in a Sage Horsemanship clinic simulates the humane cattle handling practices of the bygone era of the Californio vaquero. The vaqueros were artists with a rope, throwing a variety of plain and fancy loops with a long reata made of rawhide and roping everything from cows to grizzly bears. Using from fifty to eighty five feet of reata or more, these men perfected the roping of livestock in the New World. No other culture, outside of the stockmen of the New World, has taken roping to this kind of refinement.

Working at a walk or a trot you will learn to read cattle, work as a team with other riders to set up shots, learn how to work as a part of the ground crew, develop safe horsemanship habits and get a better "handle" on your horse. Best of all, you will give your horse a real job to do, improving his cooperation and ability in other areas. This "so old it's new again" style of roping is exciting and available to anyone with a little heart and willingness to learn. You don't have to be an expert rider (though you should not be a complete novice or inexperienced with horses). Come join us at Horizon View Farms for a day of good, clean fun while improving your horsemanship and maybe realizing a lifelong dream. (OK, you might just get a little down and dirty with the cows) We never get faster than a trot and you will learn at your own pace, building on the skills that you learned in the Beginning Clinic earlier this summer. Before you ever latch onto a calf with your breakaway honda you will do plenty of roping of a dummy (fake) calf, from the ground and from horseback. Even if your horse has never worked cattle or been roped on you can do this with the help of some quality instruction at the clinic. And if it all goes well enough you could be roping and laying down cattle by clinic's end.

At the clinic you can:

• Learn how to develop a better cooperation with your horse by giving him a real job to do moving, sorting and holding rodear with live cattle.
• Learn how to move, sort and hold rodear without stress to the cattle, your horse or yourself.
• Learn how to rope with a breakaway honda.
• Learn what the real purpose is for the western style horse and cowboy gear you may own.
• Just have one heck of a good time with your horse.
• And maybe get a chance to handle cattle for branding and doctoring*, just like it was done in the old days.

* We will not actually be branding or doctoring animals but will only be simulating those procedures. We will breakaway rope and humanely handle cattle with the possibility of roping to lay cattle down if the ability levels dictate.

Requirements –

• A horse with a good handle that you are confident and comfortable riding. (This is not a horsemanship clinic for problem horses but you will learn horsemanship skills relevant to cow work.)
• A well-built western roping saddle. A roping saddle is necessary even for breakaway roping. (Bob will be the final judge as to how safe your rig is to use in this clinic. And no treeless saddles. Period!)
• Rubber horn wraps/coverings must be removed from horn. The horn should be wrapped with a 2" wide strip of latigo or "mulehide" (split cowhide). Covering available at clinic but get there early and have some money handy to pay for this service.
• A nylon catch rope (lariat) at least fifty foot long is recommended. It should be equipped with a removable, easy-release, breakaway honda. For those who don't own a catch rope, arrangements can be made for the purchase of the correct type rope and honda through Bob Sagely.
• Slip on or lace-up cowboy boots. No tennis shoes, work boots or other inappropriate for riding footwear.
• Must wear jeans or denim work pants (No shorts). Ought to wear a long sleeve shirt and a good cowboy hat. (Or a baseball cap if you must! ;-) GLoves - It is up to you.
• Previous competitive roping experience or completion of the Beginning Ranch Roping Clinic with Bob Sagely back in July.
• An open and willing mind.
• $240 Early Bird clinic registration fee (includes a $25 cattle/ $15 arena fees). Cost goes to $290 after August 5, 2011.

Other Items -
$25 Auditor Fee (payable at clinic)
$15/day Stall Rental Fee (payable at clinic)

Print and fill out the registration form and send along with your payment for fees to:
Bob Sagely 405 E. Brown St. Blairsville, PA 15717
Clinic Registration Form - Printable Word Document or PDF

Got questions? Contact Bob Sagely at 724-459-3873 or by email at sagehorseman at sagehorsemanship.com .