The 10 Emotional Stages of Working a Cow

Working cow horse is one of the fastest-growing disciplines out there. But what’s it really like to go down the fence?

Top photo Kathryn Schaller, used with permission.

You step up to the pen after your reining pattern all like:

And then your cow comes out all like:

Which makes your horse like:

But you settle down to box and everything’s cool:

And then you take it down the fence for your first turn and everyone’s like:

But then you do stop,  your cow turns, and you and your horse are like:

Then it’s time to circle, and it can either go really well:

Or really really badly:

And when the whistle finally blows, you’re all like:

And even though you and your horse are dripping with sweat and totally spent, you walk out of that arena like:

Go cow horse!