We don’t want horses thinking every time they ride in that they have to give us their lives. We score the first one a lot to help our horses relax and give them a little bit of relief.
Why it makes sense
A lot of times, these young horses, the first time you ride them in the box, they’re thinking go. We’ll ride them in there and can feel their heart beating, so we want them to know we’re not asking them for their life.
Process
I’ll score, ride them back in and, hopefully, run one with that frame of mind. I’ll ride them in, turn toward the cow (or however is most comfortable for the horse) and then ride up.
Why ride up?
People pull and hit the corner, and those are the horses that get mad in the box. We’ll ride up, sit there for a minute and ease them back. I don’t mind if they turn their head in a bit if they’re relaxed.
