Todd & Brody Fitch

Todd

Got back from Styrbjörn and Monas last night. Spent the weekend there attending a clinic with accomplished Idaho Cowhorse trainer Todd Fitch and his son Brody.

Brody
Got a lot done and even got some homework, stuff to work on at home. Todd and Brody were a real pleasure to ride for and get to know. You couldn´t find more humble and agreeable people! Cast in the same mold as my friend Jeremy Dunn, they are softspoken, thoughtful and very good at communicating and relating to both horses and people.

Brady did pretty well also. He´s not been hauled a whole lot and really doesn´t care much for covered arenas or crowds. Once he got over that we started working on some reining exercises like spins, backing with a little more life, moving the hips to get him to plant better.

Me & Brady.(Photo courtesy of Quarterhill Ranch)
The cowwork went really well. He rated good turned better and showed that he´ll watch a cow. Wanted to work on cirkling and Todd and I picked out a slow one, or so we thought. Turned out to be the fastest one in the bunch! Got Brady up on her hip, were we usually park for rating and before easing up there to turn. But that´s as far as he wanted to go. Had a real problem getting him up even with that cow. He sped up when the cow did and slowed when she did, but I couldn´t for the life of me get him up paralell to her. After that session I was exhausted, more so than both the horse and the cow!

Sunday morning we started with the cowwork and picked up where we left off on Saturday. The boxing, fencing and turning went like a charm but cirkling was the same as the day before. You could get him up to her hip but no further. Todd advised me to use another horse and rider to play cow and have Brady learn to get in possition to cirkle that way. So, Annelie and Avenir, get ready!!

The afternoon session we just took it easy, worked some more on spins and getting that hip and plantleg up under him. Asked Todd to check our stop, draw and turn on the flag as finale. No problem there and he´s a lot more comfortable and consistent working the cow now.

A big thank you to Styrbjörn and Mona for getting Todd and Brody to come over, share and work with us poor, dumb Sweedes!