Start your ranch sorting resolutions off on the right foot with RideTV’s latest ranch sorting series: Sorting Smart with Kody Ward. Complete with a downloadable workbook to check off your progression at home, his first playlist releases feature futurity-level ranch sorting horses, demonstrating how he builds foundation and confidence before stepping into live cattle. Viewers watch him introduce dry work drills, develop cow sense through flag work and warm up a 4-year-old cutter transitioning into the sorting pen. Each session offers practical insight into equipment choices, timing, responsiveness, and training for success in the pen.
1. Dry Work on Futurity Ranch Sorting Horse
Kody Ward introduces “Old Yeller,” a promising young horse in training for ranch sorting. In this session, Ward walks through the equipment he chooses for this horse and explains why each piece is important for building responsiveness and control. He then demonstrates key dry work drills, focusing on collection and teaching the horse to stay soft and behind his hands—laying the foundation for success in the sorting pen.
2. Flag Work on Ranch Sorting Horses
Kody Ward works “Old Yeller” on the flag, teaching him to frame up and follow the cow’s movements. Ward explains that a ranch sorting horse almost needs to be a cutting horse first, and he demonstrates how flag work helps prepare a horse to “do what the cow does.” This session highlights the importance of timing, positioning, and responsiveness before stepping into live cattle work.
3. Warm Up Session on a 4-Year-Old
This talented mare, who earned money as a 3-year-old in cutting, is now transitioning into a ranch sorting career. Kody Ward demonstrates how he warms her up, focusing on responsiveness, body control, and setting the foundation for success in the sorting pen.