Handling the reins is an 'art'
By James Barron | The New MexicanPosted: 2/9/2012, 10:00 PM Mountain time
In ranch horse competition, fear is transferable.
Charles Padilla is acutely aware of that.
"If you make a mistake on the horse, your hands will shake and it goes through your rein, into his mouth and through his body into his legs," Padilla says. "So the horse will tell you that you're nervous because he will be nervous, too."
It takes nerves of steel to be an accomplished ranch-horse rider, and Padilla is determined to show it. The 60-year-old Santa Fean hasn't had it this good on the ranch-horse circuit, and he credits his quarterhorse, Ruff Around The Edges, for the success the pair has had since he bought him in August 2011.
It resulted in an overall third-place finish at the Versatility Ranch Horse Association National Finals in Colorado Springs, Colo., in September 2011, and 2012 has been even better.
The duo took third at Denver's National Versatility Ranch Horse Classic in January and then second at the Sun Country Classic in Scottsdale, Ariz.
His 9-year-old gelding was trained primarily as a reining horse, but he transitioned smoothly into this type of competition. The transition to a new owner was almost as easy.
"It took him but a couple of tries to say, 'Oh, I know what you want to do,' " Padilla says. "It's just his native thing, it's where he lives. You don't have to train that into him."
The encouraging improvement has landed Padilla and his horse a spot in the Versatility Ranch Horse Championships in Houston in 2013. That gives the rider time to match the skill level of his ride.
Padilla, a seven-year veteran of ranch-horse competition, put the second-place finish in Scottsdale squarely on his shoulders.
"I think it came down to pilot error -- it sure wasn't the horse," Padilla says. "It's me that has to become more steady and more experienced. I have to be able to guide him."
That's because it's a team effort. Ranch horse competition tests riders and horses through a variety of events, which include herd work, cow work, reining, roping and ranch trail.
The events test a horse's speed in events like herd work, while others -- ranch trail in particular -- encourages patience.
Ruff Around The Edges has shown Padilla work ethic that he likes.
"His mindset is that he is going to work," Padilla says. "He's just steady. He doesn't get excited or nervous. You get him out of the trailer and he's ready to go. That gives you a lot of confidence."
A hindrance to their growth is that Padilla doesn't have a ranch to work on. He often travels to Watrous, meaning he travels 100 miles round-trip. He also gets help from Terry Berg at the Equestrian Park to help with his rein handling.
"It's an art that you have to practice constantly," Padilla says. "There are so many nuances to being able to take a horse out for five events."
Like fear.
It's as if the horse can feel it.
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