Hello from New Zealand, hope all is well across the world. I am looking at buying a 60ft waxed cotton rope for general ranch work from 3:10 ranch life and am unsure on the whether to get a 5/16 or 3/8th. I’ve only ever used 3/8th ropes before but seems like the 5/16 are more popular in the waxed cotton. Do you have a suggestion on what might work best. I’m not a skilled roper but would like to go to the next step. Thanks for any advice Cheers Ben 

Alright, realising that my main ride has close to no direction off of my legs, and I'm wondering how to approach that when all she does when I add my leg is gain speed. 

Anyone going to be in the Fairplay, CO area this weekend?  I'll be holding a clinic at the fairgrounds.  Come by if you can!

Saddling Blowups 

Richard Boatwright Mr. Boatwright (and the rest of the B1 Community) - I'm puzzled by some recent behavior by the 7 year old gray horse I've got. Recently he has started blowing up with the saddle on once saddled. 

What it looks like:

I've included a video, but he generally starts blowing/snorting once I saddle him. Once saddled, he'll pop once I start moving him around a little bit. This started a few weeks ago. He was tied and popped a cork - I was unable to see anything that scared him or pushed him back. Since then he's been 100% consistent in some kind of blowup when saddling. Once he wraps up he rides around just fine. This is entirely new - he's never bucked doing warmups since his first few rides.

Video: https://youtu.be/fUi__L1UbGc

What I've tried/am trying:

• Different saddles, cinches, stirrups, back cinches, tightening back cinch, moving back cinch.

• Warming him up before saddling.

• Currently I'm on day 5 of putting him in the round pen and attempting to get him to think about it. In these sessions I attempt to associate the saddle with rest and work him without it, then put the saddle on him and let him rest, etc.

What I'm thinking of trying:

• Getting him checked for 'beans'

• Saddling him from the off-side to see if it's an issue with seeing movement there. 

• Continuing the work with the saddle is rest approach (he has seemed to lose some of the intensity in these).

• Any ideas you or the group at large might have.

Catching a horse who hasn’t been handled, I have a new gelding who has been sitting for 2 years without being touched. He was only caught to get his feet done but he really is stressed about being caught. Any ideas? I tried sitting with him, he will come and sniff me, take treats out of my hand but then runs away if I try to touch him, or getting the halter around him. Once you catch him he is SO sweet. Just the initial human interaction is lacking. Any advice??

My biggest “hole” in my training (that I know of) is my knowledge of bits.  You explain pretty good about the snaffle bits.  I don’t have a couple grand to go out and buy a bunch of tom balding bits.  With that said what bits would you say are “must haves” and what do you stay away from?  The only snaffle I have is an old O ring that’s super heavy like literally probably 3lbs.  I worry it’s too much for most young horses.  I got it to soften up an old stiff rope horse years ago.  

Hey there!  Question - how is Ike doing?  I haven't seen anything about him, it's possible I missed it!

I had a question when I get off my horse to doctor a calf my horse ends up walking away and I have to go get her, is there a way to get her not to do that? 

I have a 3 year old filly and am excited to work with her and the ES 20 Program. I have a question about Day 1 already..lol should she have wolf teeth removed before starting with the snaffle or are we ok to go ahead now? 

When I do one rein stops or work on speed control by getting my 3 year old filly’s attention she has started to try to bite my foot.  I’ve kinda ignored it or just bend her the other way but every day it’s getting worse and not better.  Is this just an immaturity thing or is there some underlying issue, like could she be hurting?