SC FEATURE A view of The Bull Pool and the chute leading in and out of the water.
Swimming: it’s long been recognized as an excellent way to exercise. Competitive athletes and world-class race and competition horses use it as a rehab tool, however its scope has broadened and today the bucking bull world also embraces this low impact exercise and rehab tool. The Bull Pool has been swimming bucking bulls for a just a little over a year and has found the practice adds stamina, lean hard muscle, helps rehab injuries to the feet and legs, and serves as a relaxation tool. Swimming adds to the air intake capacity in their lungs, makes them freer moving, lighter on their feet and strengthens their joints. It is especially helpful for older bulls with arthritis that have been retired from bucking, but are still used for breeding.
Marty Foutch and partner, Mike Warren, who are heavily involved in raising bucking bulls and coordinating bucking futurities, opened the facility near Canton, Texas, which is halfway between Dallas and Shreveport, Louisiana in May 2014. They swim their own bulls, but also take in bulls for a 60-day period. Bulls swim twice a week and a swim is considered one lap around the pool. “It’s easier for horses to do the swim than a bull. A bull has considerable more weight to deal with and as the bulls near the end of their two-month stay, some will be able to swim two laps. We have found that the 60-day period is vital. You can’t just swim a bull one or two times and get desired results,” describes Foutch, who grew up in the cutting horse industry and has extensive knowledge and experience in swimming horses.
May 2015 • theshowcircuit.com
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