Week Two at Croydon Ranch

Today I think was our reall first day where Brendan put us to the test at Croydon Ranch. We woke at our usual 6AM but this wasn't going to be a typical day that we have been adjusting to for the past week.
Brendan was leaving to go to town tomorrow and wanted to give us some more insight on what needs to be done. We started with instaling a new washing machine (that still doesn't work... looks like we'll be driving into town tomorrow to a laundry mat do touch up on our work clothing), Trevor worked with Brendan for most of the late morning and early afternoon on oiling machines and other manly things while I was handed the duty of exercising some of Croydon's prized posession horses. These horses are worths thousands of dollars and have to be worked properly to maintain their top tier physique.

I grew up going to my grandpa's farm every summer to help with the horses and cattle leading trail rides, showing people how to ride, herding cattle and horses, maintenance on horses and cattle then some fun things as well such as barrell racing and a sport called team penning we did every weekend. Thinking all of this knowledge and understanding from working on my grandpa's farm would give me somewhat of an advantage coming to Australia and working with horses on a ranch, I came into the farm life comfortably soon to receive a little awakening.

Australia's Western style of riding is not like the Canadian style. Canadians show the true laid back cowboy persona as soon as their boots slip through the stirrup. Reins loose in one hand, the other hand on your lap or gently swaying back and forth with the rhythm of the horse, heels down, toes up in the stirrups, slightly leaning back and most importantly you move with the rhythm of the horse. Your body should move back and forth as the horse takes each step and when the horse eases into a trot, your body should still be working with the rhythm of the horse moving back and forth etc.

Australian's seem to have adapted a style of riding that I would qualify as a combination of Western and English style riding. On an Australian saddle there is no saddle horn for roping your cattle, you are in more of an upright position, typically they ask to have your reins fairly tight and here's what got me... You rise during a trot. Yes, like you see in show jumping where the jockey rises up and down with every second step the horse makes. This was something I had never done, it was actually shunned at my grandpa's ranch when we had riders coming in for trail rides trying to convince my grandpa that they were experienced riders.

Anyway, after some trial and definitely some error I managed to get myself in sync with the horse in a trot. I must say, after a while, I quite like the rise during a trot instead of trying to move your body quickly to the rhythm of the horse while trying to keep your ass in the saddle. Australian style riding does require many more muscles than what I'm used to. I can honestly say after exercising the horses today for a couple hours, I had definitely exercised myself as well!

The remainder of the week will consist of myself working a handful of horses each day to prep them for an upcoming camp draft Brendan will be taking the horses to in hopes to either sell, buy or win some cash in competitions that are entered in different sections depending on what each horse is strong in.
On a side note of horse exercising, Trev is becoming an expert on the big tractor here at Croydon! Check him out! (pic)