The Bum Calf Down the Fence

Posted in: Featured, Horse Training

down the fence

How bad do you want it? How hard are you willing to work? Train? Rain or shine, early mornings, late nights, kids in tow, that’s how bad it has to be. The all consuming drive that keeps you up at night, thinking of ways to work on the maneuver, fix the problem horse, ride the colt. As I sit on a three year, roan mare, who was known for being more than squirrely, my mentor told me, “You don’t want it bad enough until it wakes you up at night, thinking of that one horse you need to work tomorrow, then you know you want it.” Settling in, I set up my horse for one more try. Working on cattle today, I wonder if going down the fence will ever feel natural. Today, it feels hard and awkward, something that may never be achieved. Here in the perfect setting, with endless cattle, a mentor, an indoor arena, a good horse it feels easy to practice, to try again and again… When all that is gone though what will it look like? 

A few months later I was on my own as a trainer. Starting horses out of a rented barn with no cattle to work, prepping for a reined cowhorse show, I wasn’t sure I had any business competing in. I hear a truck pull around and the door of the barn swings open. In backs my now husband’s trailer as he unloads a single bum calf. Now this calf looks like she was born late. She is small and scrawny, looking all wrangly, I sigh, this calf is all I have. She is my only chance to go down the fence. This is all I have at the moment. The drive has to be bigger than the problem. I mutter to myself.

Warming up, I practice every maneuver I can think of before actually working the bum calf, trying to preserve the calf as much as possible. Turn around, stop, right turn, stop, left turn, stop. Run. Stop. Try again, make it perfect. Try again, Sliding stop, rollback, run, stop. It’s nowhere near perfect and I am beyond frustrated; with myself, with my horse, with my situation. But I want it. I was up the night before running over fence run after fence run, thinking of anything and everything I can do to make a good fence run this weekend at the show. I feel so intimidated being on my own. A little horse trainer, trying to show up and not fail. Sighing, it’s time to go down the fence. 

Lining out my husband to stand in the roping boxes to try and make a more complete arena for this run, I bring the calf out and taking a deep breath I begin to box the little critter. Right, left, stop. I can tell I do not have a lot of cow here and I begin down the fence. Now I would love to believe this was the run that changed my entire life, but truthfully it was just a smooth fence run. Nothing amazing just smooth, but to me it felt amazing, it felt like I could win the world. That little bum calf went down the fence a few times that winter and I appreciated what she was. Sometimes training horses isn’t pretty, sometimes dreams aren’t perfect, sometimes things are messy, like taking a little, straggly bum calf down the fence.

down the fence

Posted in: Featured, Horse Training


About Anna Foulger

Hey there! My name is Anna Foulger, I am a young mom of soon to be two; a toddler daughter and little boy on the way! Me and my husband ranch in Eastern Montana with his family and we love every minute! My background is in...

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