Double HH Ranch

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The Double HH ranch would like to extend it's appreciation to everyone who came out to the Handshake Sale and Clinic. We couldn't have done it without:

OUR FACILITY WE ARE A FULL-SERVICE FACILITY WITH A SIXTEEN STALL BARN (FOUR WITH OUTSIDE RUNS), A FULLY COVERED 300X130 ARENA WITH A FIBERGLASS "CUTTING CRITTER" AND A HANDHELD "PRO CUTTER" MECHANICAL COW, 140 X 140 OUTDOOR CUTTING PEN, FREESTYLE WALKER, BREAKING PENS, AND FRESH CATTLE YEAR-ROUND.
OUR PHILOSOPHY AT THE DOUBLE HH RANCH, HONESTY AND INTEGRITY ARE FOREMOST IN OUR BUSINESS DEALINGS. WE TRULLY CATER TO THE NON-PRO AND AMATEUR RIDERS. IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR HORSE HAVING FUN AND LEARNING THE FUNDAMENTALS THROUGH ADVANCED RIDING IN AN ENJOYABLE ATMOSPHERE. WE ARE DEVOTED TO HELPING NON-PROS AND AMATEURS ENJOYING THE SPORT OF CUTTING AND THE WELL-BEING OF OUR EQUINE PARTNERS. WE SELECT THE SHOWS THAT FIT YOU AND YOUR HORSE - IT'S NOT ABOUT OUR WINS AND EARNINGS - WE TAYLOR OUR PROGRAM TO FIT YOU AND YOUR HORSE AT YOUR LEVEL.

THE SPORT ORIGINATED FROM CATTLE RANCHES IN THE AMERICAN WEST WHERE IT WAS THE HORSE'S JOB TO SEPARATE CATTLE FROM THE HER FOR VACCINATING, CASTRATING, AND SORTING. EVENTUALLY COMPETITIONS AROSE BETWEEN RANCHES IN THE AREA. RULES WERE ADDED, AND IN 1946 THE NCHA (NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION) WAS FORMED. TODAY IT IS THE GOVERNING BODY FOR THE SPORT.
A CUTTING HORSE IS AN ATHLETIC AND WILLING ANIMAL THAT IS TRAINED TO INSTINCTIVELY KEEP A COW FROM RETURNING TO THE HERD. IN THE EVENT THE HORSE AND RIDER SELECT (CUT) A COW OUT OF A SMALL GROUP (HERD). THE COW THEN TRIES TO RETURN TO ITS HERD; THE RIDER LOOSENS THE REINS ("PUTS HIS HAND DOWN") AND LEAVES IT ENTIRELY TO THE HORSE TO KEEP THE COW SEPARATED. A CONTESTANT HAS 2 1/2 MINUTES TO SHOW THE HORSE; TYPICALLY THREE COWS ARE CUT DURING A RUN, ALTHOUGH WORKING ONLY TWO COWS IS ACCEPTABLE. A JUDGE AWARDS POINTS TO THE CUTTER BASED ON A SCALE THAT RANGES FROM 60 TO 80 WITH A SCORE OF 70 CONSIDERED AVERAGE.

REINED COW HORSES
THROUGH THE FORMATION OF THE NATIONAL REINED COW HORSE ASSOCIATION, THE ORIGINAL TRAINING METHODS OF THE SPANISH VAQUERO SURVIVE VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED. THE TRADITIONAL VAQUERO TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDED NUMEROUS PHASES - SPANNING SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE A HORSE WAS CONSIDERED "FINISHED" AND CAPABLE OF OF PERFORMING TO STANDARD THE VARIOUS MANEUVERS REQUIRED ON RANCHES, ROUNDUPS, AND CATTLE DRIVES.
TO START, THE SNAFFLE BIT IS INTRODUCED TO THE YOUNG HORSE. IT'S PURPOSE IS TO ALLOW A TWO AND THREE YEAR OLD HORSE TO BE GUIDED THROUGH TRAINING WITHOUT UNDUE PRESSURE ON THE TONGUE, ROOF OR SENSITIVE BARS OF THE MOUTH. IN SKILLED HANDS, THE SNAFFLE WORKS ON THE CORNERS OF THE HORSES'S LIPS, PROVIDING GENTLE GUIDANCE TO POSITION THE HEAD, TO STOP AND TO TURN. AT THE END OF A YEAR, A YOUNG HORSE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PERFORM, AT SPEED ALL MOVES NECESSARY FOR GOOD COW WORK. THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF A SLOW START AND SCHOOLING TAKEN STEP BY STEP, WITHOUT PAIN OR FRIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRAINING.
TO TEST THE HORSES COW WORKING ABILITIES, THREE YEAR OLD HORSES COMPETE IN THREE EVENTS: HERD WORK, CUTTING A SINGLE STEER FROM A SMALL HERD AND KEEPING IT FROM RETURN ING TO THE HERD; REIN WORK, A PATTERN OF FIGURE 8'S, STRAIGHT RUNS, LEAD CHANGES, SLIDING STOPS, AND SPINS; AND WORKING A SINGLE STEER "DOWN THE FENCE", CONTROLLING IT'S MOVEMENTS AT A DEAD RUN, HEADING IT OFF AND TURNING IT BOTH WAYS ALONG THE FENCE, THEN BRINGING THE STEER TO THE CENTER OF THE ARENA TO CIRCLE IT ONCE IN EACH DIRECTION.
AS THE FOUR AND FIVE YEAR OLD HORSES' MOUTHS CHANGE, THEY PROGRESS FROM THE SNAFFLE TO THE RAWHIDE OR LEATHER COVERED HACKAMORE TO GIVE THE MOUTH A REST. HORSES LEARN TO WORK OFF OF PRESSURE AND RELEASE FROM THE NOSE OF THE HACKAMORE. AS FIVE AND SIX YEAR OLDS, HORSES ARE INTRODUCED TO A LEVERAGE BIT BY TWO-REINING THEM ALONG WITH HACKAMORE/BOSAL.