Dobe doing his thing with cattle....LOL

Well, finally managed to get some pictures of Dobe when he's loading cattle on a truck. He hates cattle...has ever since a fat holstein tried to flip him over while he was working in the feedlot. Plus, since he's a bit of an aggressive personality anyway (unquestionable herd alpha), it's only natural for him to harbor some aggression toward cattle. Most of the time, I don't stop him from doing his thing unless it is interfering with what I need him to do. Where other riders normally have to carry whips or prods on horseback to get the cattle moving, all I have to do is point his head and apply a little leg and he gets them going.

Some folks may think it's cruel, it's really not. He's not hurting the cattle, just reminding them that trying to run him over is a very bad idea. Did have one manage to crawl underneath us though. That was fun....not.

Anyway, here are some pictures showing how Dobe likes to move cattle. I'm hoping I can get some video when we ship out the rest of them.








This heifer tried to run into his chest. For some reason, he reaches for the ears on cattle like that.




You can tell it was a farmer that built these pens instead of a cowboy. The gate latch is about knee-high to a horse and is right in a corner....so this is how you have to latch/unlatch it.


Dobe telling the heifer that it's just better for everyone if she gets on the truck willingly


Sorry these are so blurry




Spitting out the hair that he just pulled out of that black heifer's ear


Here's Dad, me, and Brother pushing another group up into the loading pen for the truck


Some of them got a taste of Dobe's feelings on the drive to the corrals, so they wanted out of the way in a hurry.


Peek-a-boo

Instead of trying to latch the gate each time (the chain is about knee high like all the rest), we just smash the gate between Brother and I with Dobe blocking the opening. That way, it pretty much just takes a cow running Dobe and me completely over to get them loose...and it is a lot faster and easier than trying to run the latch each time.




Move it, red heifer!


You too, whitey!


Blackie, you're turning in the wrong direction




Spitting out more hair




He does a lot of head snaking and bobbing before he bites at them




I don't know where his ears went in this pic LOL. They disappeared




Just watching that last heifer get on the truck. She'd already tried to run over us twice




And, the day is through, loaded up and heading back home

I loved looking through these pics of you and Dobe working. :) Video would be great to see! Thanks for sharing.

Great pics ! I love the explanations lol

Just never enter a cutting competition. Biting is a real no no. However, I think your horse is a HOOT!!

Tee he...I love a horse that cows hard! Yea Dobe!

Stilts does the same thing in close quarters...it makes me giggle.

I know he can't do it in the show pen but he seems to have figured out the difference. I think he honestly thinks he knows sorting, scales and loading between boxing, fencing and circling. I have only had to reprimand him once.

Dobe horses are worth their weight in gold! Love the pics!

Thanks!

Allison, he'd never be worth a darn in a cutting competition anyway, he's got zero natural cow savvy (other than charging in to bite at them). He loves to go to the hip for roping and I have to really get after him to get up to their head to turn them. That's okay, though. He is an amazing horse for what I need.

Chick, I know! In the pictures you can see of my face, I'm often laughing just because he's so darn funny when he does it.

Lol! Thanks for sharing

I think Mr. Dobe is going to need a good flossing or two....

Hahaha Dobe is such a nut. I love it!