Posted 2014-02-02 9:39 PM Subject: Teaching colts to "bend" ribcage for barrels
Veteran
Posts: 215 Location: The money window
Does anyone have any pointers for teaching colts to bend their ribcage to your hand and leg?
I know I need to teach them to do this to scoop into the smooth turn my finished horses do, but when I try it they get stiff and resist.
I've read some Clinton Anderson stuff on this, and it's helped a little, but I'd be interested in a barrel racer's take on how to get that perfect bend for the approach/turn.
What do you do with YOUR colts?
Posted 2014-02-03 7:11 AM Subject: RE: Teaching colts to "bend" ribcage for barrels
Location: South Dakota
Teach the basics...side passing...counter arcs...moving the front quarters...move the hind quarters...Les Vogt's dvd 5 Easy Pieces, does a great job of showing how to train this to your horses....great for all events..
Posted 2014-02-03 7:50 AM Subject: RE: Teaching colts to "bend" ribcage for barrels
Accident Prone
Posts: 22277 Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR
Some of them will pick it up just learning to move away from pressure and mold themselves to your body. Asking the hip to step in with your outside leg is part of this movement--I think some struggle because they forget about the outside and the hip when concentrating on shoulder/ribs/nose. It all works together. For the horses that don't pick it up as easily, I will put them on a steep hill and ask them to turn around my inside leg. To move forward and turn at the same time on a hill, they have to bend ribs to stay balanced. So you're setting them up to succeed and it usually doesn't take much repetition to have a lightbulb moment.
Posted 2014-02-03 9:35 AM Subject: RE: Teaching colts to "bend" ribcage for barrels
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
I work on reverse arcing and bending at the ribcage in corners of the arena.
I tip their nose out and put my wall leg on them about 2 strides from the corner hold the position until after the corner then release and repeat at the next corner.
Posted 2014-02-03 10:00 AM Subject: RE: Teaching colts to "bend" ribcage for barrels
The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411 Location: North Dakota
Go back to basics so they know to soften to your hand and then I do Dena Kirkpatricks "S Move" . I will also counter arc and right when I get the shape I'm desiring I break them off into a lope and lope a small circle with the shape.
Posted 2014-02-04 3:05 PM Subject: RE: Teaching colts to "bend" ribcage for barrels
Veteran
Posts: 215 Location: The money window
Thank you to everyone! This stuff should help.
I've only been working somewhat consistently for a few months with one of these colts, and the other I got just a few weeks back and have only been able to ride a few times so far. They're getting it in small pieces :)
Teaching colts to "bend" ribcage for barrels
