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  Bye-Bye Jiggle
Posts: 1691
   
Location: Where ever there's sunshine! | My 6 year old has been on and off again due to injuries a baby and just my crazy life in general. He's a pleaser, takes everything in stride, and learns quickly. I'd love to say he's a dream, but he apparently has a crush on his vet so....
Anyway, he's broke and finally healed. I'm heading home this summer and would like to get him started on the pattern. Once your horse undertsands what you've been working on, how long to you wait before moving on to something new? I'm notorious about not moving along and kind of getting in a rut. I'd like to fix that | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| What has worked for me...pick out a couple drills, start simple; check youtube or trainingbarrelhorses.com; and work on those drills, swap back and forth between them until you're satisfied and then go find some more drills, etc...I personally get bored and so does my horse...so it really helps to not do the same thing every time you ride...and some nights don't do drills at all, go down the road or through the woods or set up a trail course, track cattle, etc... Definitely haul them to new places, even if it's just to ride around and see the sights. And nothings says that if you do move on too quickly that you can't take a few steps back, it's all part of the process. | |
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Location: Tenn. | I don't show them the pattern more than 3-4 times during the week. That may just be trotting through one time, or loping through once I am finished riding them for the day. There is a ton of exercises that you can do with barrels, tires, and poles away from the pattern where they can work on perfecting their body position. Keeping it fun and not burning them out on the pattern is my number one priority.
Everyone has a different technique and a different game plan, a lot of them work; but this one seems to work best for me. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| If you feel like they "get it" move on to something else. If they cannot achieve the next step, take them back to the previous step. Work on that a little longer and then attempt to move on again. Most horses progress at different paces. Its totally ok to go back to a previous step/speed if you feel you need to. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I really think that you cant walk a pattern too many times. But, the horse will get bored if you do regular pattern work too much. I use tires in a triangle, usually set up different or backwards from the normal barrel pattern in my arena. I do alot of one way turns both directions that way you can work on someting until they get it but not actually be doing the barrel pattern. I also really like the 4 barrels in a square drill, but I usually save that for when they progress and are ready to slow lope. As for how often, I think its good to do other stuff with them like a trail ride, or pasture ride or whatever you can do at least once a week. I dont do the barrel pattern itself more than probly 3 days a week when Im really working on one or just starting them. When starting, I usually will walk as many times as it takes to get whatever point I want to make that day and I never lope or go fast more than 2 or 3 times in a day. Im no pro but its what I do and it works for me. Good luck!  | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 612
| I walk or trot the pattern every time that I ride. It is the last thing that I do, whether I have actually worked the barrels or not that day. After I walk/trot the pattern, I walk them toward the first barrel and then stop them, relax and step off. I always loosen my cinch right there and sometimes even take off their boots. My horses aren't sour and anticipate being able to relax at the start of the pattern. I try and do this at shows also so that they know that going to the gate/alley can be a good thing. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 111
| JAG18 - 2016-05-04 2:03 PM
I walk or trot the pattern every time that I ride. It is the last thing that I do, whether I have actually worked the barrels or not that day. After I walk/trot the pattern, I walk them toward the first barrel and then stop them, relax and step off. I always loosen my cinch right there and sometimes even take off their boots. My horses aren't sour and anticipate being able to relax at the start of the pattern. I try and do this at shows also so that they know that going to the gate/alley can be a good thing.
Mom? Is that you?
Sorry, this is so funny. This is exactly, to a T, what I do - which I learned from mom. | |
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How much pattern work...