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Expert
Posts: 2685
   
| So I have kind of an off the wall question about slow working horses on the pattern. What makes you think "oh I should do slow work today"? Do you only do slow work when you have a problem? Like when your horse is getting pushy or doing something wrong at a faster speed? Do you intentionally do slow work once a week?
At first I was a huge fan of slow work but it seems the more I just lope through and try to be as perfect as possible the better they (and I) are getting rather than the stop, back up, circle a few times (ect). Now I have only been making them trot and/or correcting them is if it's a prominent mistake. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
 
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I usually have a goal in mind based on how they did the last time I rode them. If we had some issues that slow work would help, then I do that. If they just nail it, then I may move on to something else. If they seemed stressed with the speed, but really trying to please, I may just do a trail ride instead and trot a few miles. Just free them up a bit. I don't think you can go wrong with slow work anytime unless you never progress from it. It seems all the future issues arise from too little foundation and slow work. |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I also remember reading an article that Bo Hill had mentioned she doesn't have time to just walk and trot all day, fast pace of the futurity world and all that. If a person is a good enough rider to keep at a lope all the time and progress that way, more power to them. I don't know if it is right or wrong? |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | I do slow work when we have an issue...whether it is me or the horse. Otherwise my mare and I do fine with just going to a barrel race and keeping legged up in between times. Our slow work usually consists of trotting through a couple of times and maybe loping through a time or two, and then just doing some exercises (like turning the barrels all the same direction both ways, doing figure eights, things like that) mostly at a trot, or at a lope if it is something that is only an issue with speed. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-09-11 6:15 PM
I also remember reading an article that Bo Hill had mentioned she doesn't have time to just walk and trot all day, fast pace of the futurity world and all that. If a person is a good enough rider to keep at a lope all the time and progress that way, more power to them. I don't know if it is right or wrong?
I still consider loping through as " slow work" ??
I saw a video where Bo was talking about the same thing though. She raaaarely trots a horse if ever. Said she rides too many and it's hard on her hips. Even if she just trotted each horse 5 minutes, when you ride 10-15 head a day that adds up. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| At home my guys only walk or trot the pattern. Xena doesn't have an in between speed - it's walk or run. Zan could lope, but I don't trust my ground (very deep shifty sand with no clay), and I won't risk an injury to either of us.
I work on all the human and horse issues at a walk or trot. I've improved my hands, seat, shoulders, looking around. I've corrected a lot of Zan's first barrel issues by changing his pocket, at a walk and trot. And I've completely retrained Xena on her second barrel at the walk. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| Thank you everyone :)
I personally consider slow work anything on the barrels (pattern or not) and anything slower than loping all the way through (like loping and stopping or circling is still slow work to me).
When I slow work I try to make a solid lope through be the last "work" they do. Then I'll walk through the pattern to show they don't have to go fast all the time. I have a 3yo that I am currently patterning and I have only been trotting her through if she bobbles loping through it. Then I'll go and trot it and correct her and lope through one more time and make sure whatever is corrected. So far, this has worked. I just wondered how common that way of riding one is. If I'm not doing enough slow work? But she is broke- broke and isn't going to fast, getting nervous or falling apart so maybe I'm doing something right. I'll post a video one day. I'm so proud of her. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| When I went to a Lance Graves clinic he said you should always do each gait every time. Walk, trot, lope, run. Usually only 1 run because by the time they do each gait, you have taken them through enough that your fast one should be pretty spot on. He would walk them through after each faster gait was completed to assist with corrections and muscle memory for the rider. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | If a horse is finished on the barrels, I only do slow work if they need it. I stopped doing slow work on Red in about May or June. Then he tripped on t he first barrel on 2 runs and then thought it was okay to run by it a bit. I did slow work one evening with him to remind him he needs to turn that first barrel. And that's all he needed.
But everyone is different. If you want or need to do slow work more often with your horse, more power to ya.
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 Saint Stacey
| We do a lot of walking. Vegas is extremely ratey and turny. She runs right but we do a lot of walking left to keep her sharp. She is also on the hit side so walking helps. Kay Young and Judy Townsend both have made the comment to me "for every one time you go through fast, you'd better walk 20". That theory has never fried a brain yet that I've seen. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | SKM - 2014-09-12 9:39 AM We do a lot of walking. Vegas is extremely ratey and turny. She runs right but we do a lot of walking left to keep her sharp. She is also on the hit side so walking helps. Kay Young and Judy Townsend both have made the comment to me "for every one time you go through fast, you'd better walk 20". That theory has never fried a brain yet that I've seen.
I don't think you can walk the pattern too many times.... Ed Wright told me not to walk it more than 50 times a day... LOL.
That being said, I don't care if you're walking, jogging, loping... DO IT CORRECTLY or not at all. Walking the pattern does not mean slouching and riding sloppily yakking on your phone. Same body position and cues as you would use at a run.
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | I work barrels a lot. If they are set up in the arena, I will at least do all lefts or all rights. I walk through a lot. I like to get at least 1 run a week on my horse, I think it keeps those muscles toned like no other work can. So, if I'm not competing that week, I'll run 1 through. |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | SKM - 2014-09-12 8:39 AM We do a lot of walking. Vegas is extremely ratey and turny. She runs right but we do a lot of walking left to keep her sharp. She is also on the hit side so walking helps. Kay Young and Judy Townsend both have made the comment to me "for every one time you go through fast, you'd better walk 20". That theory has never fried a brain yet that I've seen.
Perfect line of thinking. My grandpa has trained numerous good rope horses and he never had one act up in the box. He scored 3x as many cattle as he actually chased out of the box and roped. I'm sure that theory holds true to barrels as well |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | i slow work them at the beginning and then once they kinda got it, i will haul them to jackpots and enter........lots of baubles but they are getting some seasoning and qualified....i haven't had barrels set up at my place since may...........my arena is actually all grass right now..lol
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Saint Stacey
| I told my daughter the other day that Vegas needs to be able to run left too. You can't hold her through the gate. She runs in the Ugly or Bozo so when she decides to go, she goes. Being able to run left would really help because a lot of arena's favor a left handed horse. Not to mention the ruts when you are on the bottom of the ground. Lefties have the advantage then because they gave a different track they take. |
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 Keep those crap slapping tails away!
Posts: 8871
Location: Around here somewhere... | I do it pretty much every ride at home, after I ride them out through the woods and fields, etc. I also do reining type slow work at the beginning of every ride. I walk and trot around the pattern a few times, then let my horse fast lope it- they see it as a reward and it's a great highlight to their day, a great way to end a ride. My horses absolutely love to do the pattern even at a walk, there is nothing better other than eating hahaha |
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Keep those crap slapping tails away!
Posts: 8871
Location: Around here somewhere... | SKM - 2014-09-12 9:53 AM
I told my daughter the other day that Vegas needs to be able to run left too. You can't hold her through the gate. She runs in the Ugly or Bozo so when she decides to go, she goes. Being able to run left would really help because a lot of arena's favor a left handed horse. Not to mention the ruts when you are on the bottom of the ground. Lefties have the advantage then because they gave a different track they take.
I teach my horses to run both ways, then mainly run them whichever way they are best at/prefer... It is GREAT being able to switch it up if you need/want to :) Avoiding other people's tracks is a nice benefit, too, I never care about where I am in the rake :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| Blaundee - 2014-09-12 11:08 AM SKM - 2014-09-12 9:53 AM I told my daughter the other day that Vegas needs to be able to run left too. You can't hold her through the gate. She runs in the Ugly or Bozo so when she decides to go, she goes. Being able to run left would really help because a lot of arena's favor a left handed horse. Not to mention the ruts when you are on the bottom of the ground. Lefties have the advantage then because they gave a different track they take. I teach my horses to run both ways, then mainly run them whichever way they are best at/prefer... It is GREAT being able to switch it up if you need/want to :) Avoiding other people's tracks is a nice benefit, too, I never care about where I am in the rake :)
I cant ride a lefty to save my life but good points you both made. I never thought about the ground advantage lol. |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | I do slow work everyday, not just if my horse has issues. Lots of issues can be PREVENTED and you can really sharpen a horse by just walking the pattern. Slow work doesn't even need to be on the barrels. There are plenty of drills that don't even require barrels that will help you on the pattern. JMO. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I did a lot of slow work with my free runner because it kept him from getting pushy and in the beginning his legs moved way faster than his brain so I practiced EXACTLY the way I wanted him to run so that it became muscle memory for him. He's older and doesn't need it as much anymore.
My current barrel horse I don't really do slow work with her. I usually will set up three barrels in a row and spiral up and down the row just to build the muscles she needs to turn, but I only do that if she's had time off and I'm getting her back in shape. Otherwise I don't really practice with her at all. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1094
Location: Idahome | WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2014-09-12 10:40 AM
I do slow work everyday, not just if my horse has issues. Lots of issues can be PREVENTED and you can really sharpen a horse by just walking the pattern. Slow work doesn't even need to be on the barrels. There are plenty of drills that don't even require barrels that will help you on the pattern. JMO.
Same here. I consider my horse finished, but he still gets some anxiety going to the first barrel. I trot the pattern 2-4 times a week depending on our schedule and that has made a huge difference with him. I never lope or run him at home anymore. Trotting to and walking around the barrels. He is also one that needs to have consistency. I have to ride him in the same bit I run and never switch it up otherwise he gets lost. He need constant structure. |
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When do YOU do slow work?