Story by Jennifer Denison

Photography by Darrell Dodds

A cow is one of the best horse-training tools Idaho clinician and horseman Martin Black has found. He uses the natural behaviors of cattle and horses to teach his horses discipline, speed control and direction.
Cattle and horses are both herd animals that go to their mothers or the herd for security. Both animals also have comfort zones around them that, if entered by another animal, engages their self-preservation mode. Their first defense is flight, and if that’s not an option, they fight. Cattle and horses also respond to pressure and relief—both physically and emotionally.
Using these simple principles, described in detail in the February 2008 Western Horseman article “Cow Control,” the second in a six-part series, you can enhance communication with your horse and the cattle you work. Here, Black shows a few examples not published in the magazine.