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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
 
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | Just looking for some incite.
This weekend was my geldings first over night stay at a barrel race. Keep in mind he is still somewhat greeb. He was stalled overnight, he was as good as could be expected. The first day went well we exhibitioned and he spooked a little at the pop up barrels, i think because he had never seen a set before. But the next time around he was great. The warm up pen was very small so that was new to him bc he was in close quarters and people would get VERY close.
Stalled him over night brought all his food and he drank so he was in good shape for Sunday. The only thing was there was a large storm overnight. The next morning he had a little a attitude but i lunged him and rode him, he seemed all better, I did bump up his bit from an o ring to a jr cowhorse for a little more control bc i was going to try to push him a little faster ( slow lope) in our exhibitions.
Then it happened- the announcer was slamming the microphone down on the table and made a large banging sound. The first one he jumped but he calmed down right away and we stood next to the alley on the other side of the pipe fence so he could condition, then the microphone made the loud thud again and he was scared but ok, took longer to settle down. It happened 2 more times and by then he lost it mentally.
He ran back wards, lunged, spun, shook, jumped sideways. He is hardly ever shaken, i have never seen him like that and his first instinct always seems to take care of the rider ( a spook for him is a staring contest with whatever it is and then moves on) this happened the second hour of being ridden it was around 10:30 am so still early.
I had to have a person on the ground grab him and hold him while i got off. Took him out lunged him, he was so scared he did not want to even go back into the arena, I tied him off to the side off warm up pen and rode him about 30 min later around the warm up pen several laps at a walk and trot. And then loaded up and went home (I'm not into tempting fate) he was even a jerk loading in the trailer.
What bothers me is how helpless i felt, i could not calm him down it was like he was being attacked by this unknown sound, that bothered no other horse.
Have you had this happen before, what can i do next time to turn the situation around? This seemed so out of the blue, i rode him when we got home first thing and no problems, at all was a gentleman. Was this just firat jitters from his overnight? Sensory overload? Again this is not a reoccurring problem so far this is the first experience like this with him.
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
  
Location: Texas | Welcome to the joy of seasoning a barrel horse
I think you handled it well, I would have tried to stay in the arena/warm up arena though, I feel like when you take them away from whatever scared them it rewards them and they begin to think if they act like that they will get to leave. But with that you also have to keep everyone safe.
It's a learning experience, but it will get easier with each trip. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| My paint horse is 11 and far from green. If the speaker crackles he gets bent out of shape. I think it is because they can't figure out where it is coming from. When you combine that with an unknown sound some horses just have a hard time tolerating it. Have you ever noticed how many horses have ear plugs in at the NFR? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Oh heck I even jump when that happens.. I'm sure you were at Seguin and boy it can be super loud when that microphone does that.. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | Thanks guys didn't know what i else i could have done but wasn't sure if there was any exercises or training as far as sounds like that. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | I know I'll get flamed for this but I don't care.
I use Ace on the greenies because seasoning is so scary for them. And now that I'm an oldie, it's scary for me too. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Fun2Run - 2015-05-17 11:07 PM I know I'll get flamed for this but I don't care.
I use Ace on the greenies because seasoning is so scary for them. And now that I'm an oldie, it's scary for me too.
LOL.....I'm an oldie too  |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | It's hard when they're green..don't take their reaction as a reflection of your skill...every horse reacts differently and this one obviously was in sensory over load and I can only imagine how loud that was and to them it's amplified beings as their hearing is so much more sensitive than ours. .you did the right thing for you and the horse. ..part of being a good trainer is knowing when you've had enough and when they've had enough. ..i bet next place you take him he will settle in even better ...sometimes it's the little wins that get overlooked but hey he stalled in a foreign place and kept it together and he was exposed to the warm up pen and sights and sounds . ..definitely not a wasted weekend! ! |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-17 10:56 PM
Thanks guys didn't know what i else i could have done but wasn't sure if there was any exercises or training as far as sounds like that.
Yeah... Get a P.A. system at home... Put...pretty much anything by Pink Floyd on a repeating cycle for him to listen to... By the time you get him to a race, he'll be ready for lions... |
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Veteran
Posts: 139
Location: Abbotsford B.C. Canada | I think he may have been set up for this as everything was quite new and different, but the key may be the storm the night before. If there was lightning or just a charge to the atmosphere a horse will feel that and it can be pretty scary. Horses are very sensitive to the electricity in the air and with steel shoes are good conductors. He may have been feeling wound up from the previous night then throw in the noises next day which are new to him and disaster strikes.
I can ride my TB mare past a truck with a guy on a boom chainsawing trees and a tree shredder working, then sqeezing between the truck and a deep ditch yet am working on retraining her to trailer load at 22 years of age. so why is a trailer a big deal ?
We may not know exactly why that sound set him off, but he may have been literally charged up from the night before.
Coastal Rider
Better Spelling
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Veteran
Posts: 197
| Ha. I had a teenage daughter in full melt down yesterday. I would take seasoning a green horse ANYDAY! At least you can reason with a horse.... |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | komet. - 2015-05-18 1:03 AM
kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-17 10:56 PM
Thanks guys didn't know what i else i could have done but wasn't sure if there was any exercises or training as far as sounds like that.
Yeah... Get a P.A. system at home... Put...pretty much anything by Pink Floyd on a repeating cycle for him to listen to... By the time you get him to a race, he'll be ready for lions...
My husband has some slip knot, will that work? Or will that turn him into a moody teen?  |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | I think you handled it well. to stay would have caused more issues since it wasnt him just being a jerk. he was scared over that noise which can be frightening and the storm the night before plenty of energy in air.... and by that time it was to late to try to teach them a lesson by staying .. like someone said we all know our horses and part of that is to understand when the horse has had enough mentally.. |
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 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Fun2Run - 2015-05-17 11:07 PM I know I'll get flamed for this but I don't care.
I use Ace on the greenies because seasoning is so scary for them. And now that I'm an oldie, it's scary for me too.
Me too, especially if they are a nervy horse anyway. Not enough to knock them down, just enough to ease their anxiety a little bit, but hey, i'm an oldie too. |
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 Party Reptile
Posts: 1545
Location: Magnolia, Texas | Funny story. I was seasoning my horse many many years ago - she was 3 (she's in her 20's now). I was sitting on her at the side of the arena watching the barrel race, the alley to get to the back of the arena/warm up area is where we were, so lots of horse traffic back and forth. This was about her 3rd outting, she was handling it like a champ I was so proud......THEN a frog - yes a frog ribbitted (sp lol) she went striaght up in the air - all 4 feet were at least 3 feet off the ground, she spun around headed full speed to the trailer, couldn't stop her, she was bound and determined to get away from whatever that sound was. She was trembling, head was up, ears were perked, snorting, just terrified. It took me a good 15 minutes to get her back down the alley. She was convinced the booger man was there and was going to jump out and get her at anytime. And I guarantee you if I took her back to that arena today, she'd tiptoe past that spot, she never forgot it. We did go back and run there for years but she never forgot.
I"m an oldie now too!!! |
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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | No advice, just wanted to say I love this thread and have learned a lot! I'm in the same boat with my 5 y/o. This process scares me! I need more ace info!!!
ETA: last arena I took him to, it was REALLY scary...shadowy and dark, with creepy fake palm trees, etc. I was ponying my 5 y/o off of my 21 y/o. He was doing great!!! Until....my 21 y/o saw his shadow and jumped sky-high! Of course, my colt thought something was attacking him and jumped -- the opposite direction -- and I fell in between them, thankfully partly wrapped around my old man's neck, so I didn't hit the ground. Jerks.
Edited by just4fun 2015-05-18 9:02 AM
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 Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | I had mare that would freak out over loud music.... was steady as a rock with everything, but that. I usually would keep her away from the arena before our run, but amazing during the run the music wouldn't bother her. |
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 Regular
Posts: 67
| My finished mare saw something way scary coming out of the pen this past weekend. She spotted the scary whatever on the way out way before the time clock, I kick and kick, we get slower and slower then POOF she jumps sideways and about rams the panel. Stuff happens. Feels like sometimes it only happens to me . |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation.
I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal.
The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did.
He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off.
I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response.
After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | cheryl makofka - 2015-05-18 1:41 PM
I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation.
I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal.
The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did.
He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off.
I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response.
After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena.
So at what point if your horse isn't calming down do you get off for safety. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | cheryl makofka - 2015-05-18 1:41 PM
I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation.
I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal.
The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did.
He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off.
I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response.
After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena.
So at what point if your horse isn't calming down do you get off for safety. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-18 7:38 AM
komet. - 2015-05-18 1:03 AM
kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-17 10:56 PM
Thanks guys didn't know what i else i could have done but wasn't sure if there was any exercises or training as far as sounds like that.
Yeah... Get a P.A. system at home... Put...pretty much anything by Pink Floyd on a repeating cycle for him to listen to... By the time you get him to a race, he'll be ready for lions...
My husband has some slip knot, will that work? Or will that turn him into a moody teen?
I know what A slip knot is.... But I get the feeling you're talking about something else... I suggest the album Animals by Pink Floyd... That will get him used to dogs, pigs and sheep... One of the most powerful pieces of music I ever heard was Sheep..... If you listen to the lyrics it's very insightful...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqlsVZ1zxMk |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | I have a 6 year old mare that is rock solid on everything from barrels to trail riding. Except she is scared to death of miniature ponys. Go figure. What does she think that they are going to do, shrink her. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | BS Hauler - 2015-05-18 4:16 PM I have a 6 year old mare that is rock solid on everything from barrels to trail riding. Except she is scared to death of miniature ponys. Go figure. What does she think that they are going to do, shrink her.
Oh get a clue!! Everybody knows those are horses-eating monsters.... They just LOOK like horses to make it easier to sneak up on the stupid ones. |
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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-18 3:51 PM cheryl makofka - 2015-05-18 1:41 PM I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation. I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal. The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did. He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off. I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response. After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena. So at what point if your horse isn't calming down do you get off for safety.
I get off when we start spilling my beer. It's bad form to waste good alcohol. That's when I know it's time for us to go have a cold one together and figure things out. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-18 3:51 PM
cheryl makofka - 2015-05-18 1:41 PM
I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation.
I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal.
The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did.
He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off.
I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response.
After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena.
So at what point if your horse isn't calming down do you get off for safety.
I don't know your horse, and I wasn't there so I can't tell you when safety comes into
As I said when the horse was starting to get worked up, I would have rode the horse out of the arena to a safe spot, if this means riding the horse back to the trailer, into the back forty if there is one, this is what I would do.
I would let him even prance or dance half way there then I would have started circling him to calm him down getting his brain to think.
I would also try to be relaxed and sit deep in the saddle to give him reassurance it is not scarey.
Once he settled down and relaxed then I would ride him back to the arena and when I got to the arena I would stop him, get off loosen the cinch give a crunchy.
It takes time for horses to get used to the sights and sounds.
The next time focus on setting him up for a positive experience, get there early before the announcer is there, and stay until the event is over and when the last 5 are running ride him up close to the arena so he can see the sights and sounds.
If you have a quiet horse haul him along and have a friend or so ride the horse with you, have them stand beside you in the holding pen. Horses always do better when they have a buddy who is quiet. |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | One of my mares has issue with noise you might want to consider ear plugs or cotton to cut down on what he hears. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | My seasoned (barrel races, college rodeo, ammy rodeo) 15 year old mare had a full blown meltdown at a jackpot one night. Want to know what she was scared of? The trailer parked next to us. A normal, 3-horse, Trails West trailer. Absolutely lost her friggin mind the moment I unloaded her and never settled down, she was so terrified of it I had to lead her several trailers away, have my girlfriend hold her, and then bring all my tack over to her just to get ready. When we first got there the trailer had 3 horses inside of it, and while this mare isn't exactly bombproof she's not normally this ditzy either, but I thought maybe she didn't realize there were horses inside and thats why it was moving and making noise. But even once the horses were unloaded she was still terrified of it. She's been to that arena a million times and that's the only time she's ever done that haha.
Oh she also spooks at the gate leaving the arena. Here in the PNW most of our runs are to closed gates so they have to open it for you when you're done and she thinks the gate swinging open is sketchy.
So I guess what I'm saying is, sometimes even seasoned horses have meltdowns and everyone has been where you are. The mare I'm talking about is the kind where if she really loses her mind, I have to get off of her because she won't care if she runs into other horses and it's better for everyone if I just get off and get control of her that way. I usually hand walk her until she settles back down and then try again.
I have a gelding, he's 17 now and was 2 when I got him, and he was very very very spooky about the seasoning process. Every new arena was terrifying. It took him a few years to get to where I could haul him and not have him be nervous at a new place.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2015-05-19 12:12 PM
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We had a meltdown today.