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I am a Freak
Posts: 3326
   
Location: Nowhere Special | I have posted on here before about the gelding I am running.. We have had more then our fair share of issues to work through. He is a VERY athletic, talented and well bred beautiful gelding but I'm about to ship him down the road and start new.. He has had 2 years of reining training, 60 days on barrels, 30 days with cutting trainer (outside of what I have done with him). He can rope both ends, used as a turn back horse, works a nice reining pattern and on occasion when he feels like it will run a 2/3D pattern without actually even trying..
Now I sent him for 60 days on barrels two years ago, I then hauled him for 3 months last year and I brought him to tx in Jan of this year. He WAS doing pretty well and was consistently improving.. 17, 16.8,16.0,15.8.15.5 (winning time is usually high 14 low 15 sec pattern) So I was pretty happy with his progress and he still had a LOT of room to improve.. He then cut his face in April, required stitches and I gave him 3 weeks off to rest and heal.. He came back a big jerk!! Right back to the 17 sec pattern fighting me, running past the barrel, just to put it simply he just ran out there and flipped me off. He just would not work and ran around like an idiot..
I put him with the cutting trainer and he has started to improve (some) 16.8 16.0 15.8 but hes diving into the second now, if I hold him off its a fight. He ran decent last night, tipped the second but hey atleast he got close enough to it to knock it over because its either this big wide hop around the barrel or he dive bombs it.. Worked him this morning with the trainer and he was a WILD idiot! I mean as bad as hes ever been, ran past every one of them, then did the whole I'll bend my neck but nothing else and hippity hop around them.. It was just AWFUL! He also attempted to cow kick me when I went to get on, HE HAS NEVER DONE THAT OR OFFERED TO KICK EVER.. This is a quiet really really well broke horse and this morning was a deliberate I'm mad pop shot. But he disrespects me constantly and does not do this to anyone else! I am frustrated beyond a level with him at this point.. I raised him and hes a really nice horse for everyone but me! Do I keep trying? The amount of money I have into this horse at this point even if he was running 1D times I would not recoupe it.. Hes a nice horse and the potential is there but dam I'm tired of the unconsistency and the tantrums
(this is not a pain issue he has been chiro, injected, flex tested, gone thru with a fine tooth comb)
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| My money is on the horse has ulcers |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I would still say something hurts. I didn't used to believe that until I went through several vets and nothing wrong and also gave injections. He has broken his pelvis at some point. He would lay down a couple nice patterns and then nada...then he started to hate to be caught, would stress out in the trailer to a barrel race, hated the arena, ran past first, wouldn't turn 2nd, but 3rd was fine and he would run home like the hounds of hell were after him.
Try saddle fit too. I have another gelding that was not much fun to ride in the 6yrs we have ranched on him. New saddle and I got a new horse. He's actually kind of a blast to run. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| I know you said no lameness issue but could he have done some nerve damage to his face that could be causing the issues on the pattern?
Sometimes you just don't get along with a certain horse..... I raised a really nice, stout King bred colt that I really liked and really had high hopes for but when he got older we absolutely did NOT get along. By the time I sold him, I hated that horse!! If he's got no respect for you, you've got to make up your mind how much you're willing to put up with. |
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| cheryl makofka - 2014-07-25 4:24 PM
My money is on the horse has ulcers
That's a good idea too!!! |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | Sometimes you have to get off, face the horse and say, "This is not my horse." Then, you move on. If it is not fun anymore and you have made your attempt(s) through training and lessons with a trainer / coach and there is no break-through, then in my opinion, the fun has ended. Horses ARE expensive -- especially if you own them as a hobby. Hobbies ought to be enjoyable and fun. Not miserable frustrating money pits.
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 Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
Location: Way up North | Everybody has their own breaking point and sometimes that point comes sooner than later. I finally reached mine with my mare. It broke my heart to list her and I know I won't get a fraction of what I have into her back out if anything but I can't figure out what is wrong and my husband has turned off the money faucet where she is concerned. I think once she actually leaves it will be a little easier but every time I see her standing in my pasture it breaks my heart all over again. Some things just aren't meant to be I guess. |
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I am a Freak
Posts: 3326
Location: Nowhere Special | Thanks all I am just so frustrated I have never had a horse with so much training be so diffiuclt on the pattern or take this long to lay down some runs. Hes heading back north with me and will get some RnR out on pasture and I'll try him in some bigger outdoor pens to see if we still have problems if so then I think its time to move on.. |
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 Keep those crap slapping tails away!
Posts: 8871
Location: Around here somewhere... | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-07-25 3:25 PM
I would still say something hurts. I didn't used to believe that until I went through several vets and nothing wrong and also gave injections. He has broken his pelvis at some point. He would lay down a couple nice patterns and then nada...then he started to hate to be caught, would stress out in the trailer to a barrel race, hated the arena, ran past first, wouldn't turn 2nd, but 3rd was fine and he would run home like the hounds of hell were after him.
Try saddle fit too. I have another gelding that was not much fun to ride in the 6yrs we have ranched on him. New saddle and I got a new horse. He's actually kind of a blast to run.
This. Especially the saddle. Even if the saddle fit before, I suspect the saddle (especially since he wants to kick you when mounting!) Another thing to keep in mind- perhaps he's feeling too much pressure? I may have missed something in the OP but it looks like he has around 5 months of barrels on him altogether- some horses need more slow work for a longer period of time. |
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Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
Location: Way up North | I wanted to add, some of the things you mention him doing are things I have read on here that horses with kissing spine or EPM have done. I know all to well how easy it is to throw money looking for something that may or may not be there but I wanted to mention it. |
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How frustrated do you get before you just throw in the towel?