Duncan’s hot tip for April is to watch Morgan Cromer’s video for a great exercise on improving your cuts. Listen to why he thinks it’s great timing to check it out now by clicking on the video below.
Click HERE to go watch Morgan’s video now!
Duncan’s Picks – Video Of The Month for April!
April 21st, 2017 by Simone CobbCan’t Remember Those Cows? – Tips for Improving Your Memory!
October 31st, 2016 by Simone Cobb
Cows look all the same yeh? I mean seriously how does one black cow look different to the next, especially when they are the same size, sex and state of health? And then how the hell do you remember 30 of them and on top of that you have to keep track of which ones have been worked or not? Arrrgh!!!! Yes cutting is certainly a mind game!
You might have a great horse, you might be a great at riding a cutting horse and even confident making cuts, but do you go into the arena knowing which cows you are going to cut?
Do you leave watching cows up to your trainer, or your herd-help? Or do you just hope that the right cow offers itself up in the herd?
Until you take full responsibility for the cows you pick, then you are really just competing on a wing and prayer. The time always comes when you have to step up and own the whole process of showing if you want to progress in the sport.
If you don’t know what makes a good cow to cut, that’s ok. The first step in the process is just to start observing them. It’s amazing how much you can learn by watching and asking questions.
If you don’t know how to differentiate the cows in a herd, especially when you have a bunch of black angus, check out our video with Gabe Reynolds and Cullen Chartier in Video Categories under Showing, then go to Herd Work , who give excellent explanations on how to do exactly that.
For many, the biggest challenge is memorizing the herd. It’s a skill the best competitors have certainly mastered. There are many things you can do to help you remember. Some are lifestyle, long-term habits you can form (which have many other benefits) and others are tips you can apply straight away.
Write it down
One of the simplest things you can do immediately is to write down every cow in the herd with a description. Writing something down instantly helps you to recall it. To make it even more effective, draw a picture of each cow and exaggerate their main descriptive feature/s. You don’t have to be an artist, this is purely for your recall. Another trick is to give each cow a crazy, unusual name about one its features that will help you remember it.
Let’s get to the lifestyle tips that will improve your memory. (Ok get the groaning and eye-rolling over with – but yes it does requires some effort!)
7 Lifestyle-Based Ways to Improve Your Memory
- Eat Right. The foods you eat – and don’t eat – play a crucial role in your memory. (That means cutting back on those burgers and baked potatoes at the Coliseum and maybe throw in a salad not drowned in ranch. Gluten is also widely linked to brain fog.)
- Exercise. …(Ok you’re good here – loping for hours definitely counts)
- Stop Multitasking. …(That means getting off that iphone while you watch those cows!)
- Get a Good Night’s Sleep. …(That means putting down the phone and going to sleep!)
- Play Brain Games. …(more on this below)
- Master a New Skill. …(Insert fun here! How about taking up whittling or playing the spoons?)
- Try Mnemonic Devices. (that’s a fancy word for memory tools – more on that below)
Brain Games
Invest at least 20 minutes a day playing various brain games, but no more than five to seven minutes on a specific task. When you spend longer amounts of time on one task, the benefits weaken (according to studies). A great online source for boosting your memory is Luminosity.com. Another is BrainHQ.com, both sites have been developed by scientists and offer some games for free.
Mnemonic Devices
Don’t be put off by the high-tech sound of these tools. Essentially, they are handy tricks and techniques you can use to help organize information to make recalling it much easier. Examples are:
- Acronyms (such as PUG for “pick up grapes”)
- Visualizations (such as imagining a tooth to remember your dentist’s appointment)
- Rhymes (if you need to remember a name, for instance, think “Shirley’s hair is curly)
- Chunking, which is breaking up information into smaller “chunks” (such as organizing numbers into the format of a phone number)
Mental Mapping
This is probably one of the best techniques for cutting. It’s a method used by two-time USA Memory Champion, Ron White. Click HERE to read a blog post he wrote about using a system of mental maps. You can easily apply this to memorizing cows. In fact you will be amazed at the amount of knowledge you will be able to store.
Vitamin D
Make sure you get some sun. Vitamin D helps the part of the brain that forms new memories. Research has shown up to 85% of the American public may be Vitamin D deficient. In older adults, research has shown that low vitamin D levels are associated with poorer brain function, and increasing levels may help keep older adults mentally fit.
But be like Goldilocks, not too much sun and not too little, just the right amount. Of course this means getting sun exposure without wearing sunblock. It varies between skin type, time of day and the season, but an average of 15 minutes a day of sun exposure is very good for the brain and the body to ensure you get enough vitamin D. Just use your common sense and the second you start to feel uncomfortable in the sun, then cover up.
What do you do to help remember those cows? Do you have any tips or a system for keeping track of the herd? Enter your comments below!
The Excitement of Cutting Cattle For The First Time At The CHTO Chubby Turner Clinic!
May 26th, 2016 by CHTOHow many people do you know have signed up for a cutting horse clinic just six weeks after being introduced to the sport?
How many people do you know cut their first live cattle at a clinic?
It’s a big call to make, but that’s exactly what Terrell Houston did when he attended the Chubby Turner clinic organized by Cutting Horse Training Online at J5 Ranch, Weatherford, Texas.
To say Terrell threw himself into the deep end is an understatement but not only did he swim, he inspired many people with his positive outlook and determination to become a competitive cutter.
With no prior knowledge of or connection to the sport, Terrell refused to let any barriers, like not even owning a cutting horse, stand in his way and went on a mission to learn all he could.
Terrell spoke with CHTO’s Simone Cobb about his experience at the clinic and the journey he’s embarking on into the sport of cutting.
Showdown In Cowtown Makes Its Mark!
July 12th, 2015 by CHTOA brand new type of cutting competition got underway this week that’s expected to inject $2-million back into the industry!
It’s called Showdown in Cowtown and it’s the brainchild of Jeremy Barwick, owner of Western Bloodstock, who is co-hosting it with the National Cutting Horse Association.
The event is a slot cutting, the first such competition in the sport, where only 100 slots are available for sale, making the payouts highly lucrative. The top 20 make the final (when all 100 slots are filled) with the winner earning $100,000 in the open, $60,000 in the Non-pro and $30,000 in the Amateur. The bottom hole in the final still payouts out double the entry fee.
There are two separate events, one in July in conjunction with the NCHA Summer Spectacular and in December that ties in with the Futurity.
Cutting Horse Training Online spoke with Jeremy at Silverado, Weatherford, TX where the first go round of the July event was underway. Of the 100 slots available, Jeremy said 59 had sold for July, a result he was pleased with for the first ever event. He told Simone Cobb he thinks December could even be a sell out with 70 slots already sold! Press play to watch.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=12_AYHX3Cak%3Frel%3D0
With 59 entered into the July event, the payouts will be $60,000 to win the Open, $35,000 in the Non-pro and $20,000 to the Amateur winner. The top 12 will make the final.
Slots cost $5,000, $3,500 and $2,500 in the Open, Non-Pro and unlimited Amateur divisions respectively.
The slot cutting takes no ties either into the final or to win first place. If the two people tie for champion, there will be a work-off for the buckle. Jeremy said this makes for exciting cutting action for spectators.
Points are not awarded to Horse of the Year and money won at the slot cutting does not count towards world standings. However Amateur earnings go towards lifetime earnings but not eligibility earnings.
The final takes place on July 12 during the NCHA Summer Spectacular in Fort Worth.
Jeremy said he believes the slot cuttings will catch on and expects to host more events in the future.
If you’d like to have success in an event like this, join Cutting Horse Training online to improve your showing skills by learning from the best in the business! Click on the button below to get a free week’s access!
Cutting’s $8-Million Man Shares His Tips & Tactics In The Show Pen!
June 13th, 2015 by CHTOWhile he mightn’t actually be bionic, Phil Rapp’s track history in cutting certainly suggests something super human when it comes to winning events!
As the top money earner in the history of the sport, more than $8.4-million to date, Phil has truly spent his life showing and training cutting horses.
He recently shared this vast experience with around 25 amateurs and non-pros at an NCHA Cutting Academy clinic in Fort Smith, Arkansas sponsored by Waco Bend.
Phil zeroed in on rider’s skills in the herd, and emphasized the importance of driving forward for decisive cuts.
Phil revealed many gems including:
• How to clear the herd on your cut
• Why you need to use two hands sometimes to get a square stop
• Why, if you’re having trouble on one side of the arena, it’s probably because of what you may be doing on the other side
• How waiting on your cow can help you get even with the cow
• How to stay even, on both sides of the cow and why it’ll help your scores and much more….
Cutting Horse Training Online now features three videos from the clinic available to watch now!
Tell us your favorite nugget of wisdom from Phil Rapp below!