07/08/05 Young cow hands

Young Cow Hands In Idaho there is a different type of training going on for kids and horses. I'm Jeff Keane. I'll tell you about it right after this. The Idaho Youth Horse Council added another dimension to their regular activities last November with the advent of the working ranch horse project. One hundred fourteen youngsters from eight Idaho counties started the project that consisted of once-a-month clinics running for seven months. Tass Heim, president of the youth council says the project was started to teach young people how to work cows and expand their horsemanship skills. I think this is a great idea and you know riding skills were expanded when the cattle work started. It's one thing to think about a certain maneuver performed in an arena and a totally different situation responding to a move made by a horse sorting cattle. The project participants definitely didn't have to worry about a repetitious routine since each monthly clinic was held in a different county, at different types of working areas with different cattle. The mostly urban youngsters in the program range in age from eight to eighteen and had to be involved in a youth horse organization prior to attending the working horse project. The program is based on a two-year cycle; so new youngsters will have to wait until the fall of 206 to begin the project. Sorting, roping, moving groups of cattle and other skills are taught in the program. I'll bet when the fall of 2006 rolls around there will be plenty of new youngsters ready to sign up and get started working cattle and learn some timeless skills. I'm Jeff Keane. Capital Press 6/17/05