|
|
  
Location: midwest mama | I have a gelding that is pretty nice, but as I am adding a little speed to him he is wanting to hurry in the turns too much. He gets just a little panicky and wants to drop, come back hard and launch like I hit the nitrous bottle. Once he's a solid experienced horse that wicked move will be awesome, but right now he kind of scares himself a little and gets rattled, so I want to keep him together.
Does anyone have any exercises you can recommend for a horse that is hurrying too much in the turn? Or any resources for me to research?
Thanks! | |
| | |
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| Be mindful of your hands lope relaxed smooth circles around each barrel moving small to big and really slow your hands down this is what works for me. | |
| | |
 Regular
Posts: 73
| When you go around the pattern, stop where you would normally ask for rate. Make sure your horse's body is straight, and if not use your leg to move his hip. A lot of horses will kick their hip out when you get to a turn, causing them to drop their shoulder. When his hip is in, ask him to trot around the barrel, keeping his ribcage soft with your inside foot. Ask for a lope coming out of the barrel and repeat around the other two. | |
| | |
Location: midwest mama | Anyone else have suggestions? | |
| | |
Veteran
Posts: 155
| I agree with Tin Can. My daughters horse wanted to do the same thing. It actually took riding one handed, SUPER relaxed, and repetition until the mare just dropped her head a tiny bit, and slowed her feet. Basically her relaxation rubbed off on the horse! | |
| | |
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | dont know if this is what you are looking for...Clinton Anderson and Sherry Cervi do this: set up random barrels. Let horse go as fast as he wants, NO control, until he heads smack at that barrel in front of him, thrn shut him down...turn around quietly, ask him quietly to go to barrel, if he runs like a wild thing, let him run free, until you shut him down at barrel. I've seen horses that caught on real quick to just relax n eventually trot to barrel.Some took 8 to 10 times, but keep at it. They wear theirselves out, and decide running like crazed banshee may not be that fun after all. Gets their anticipation to RUN plumb out of them...works like a charm. ALSO: three point stops around a barrel. He just doen;t get to charge the dang thing...lope him up, break to a trot, then rock bsck in you saddle and make them take a step back n relax. Take another third of turn, stop, back up. Last part of turn, repeat... You'd be surprised how easy it is to get one of chargey mode. One week and a few exercises, he'll be a new horse! | |
| | |
 Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
 
Location: Georgia | CrossCreek - 2016-07-03 12:24 AM dont know if this is what you are looking for...Clinton Anderson and Sherry Cervi do this: set up random barrels. Let horse go as fast as he wants, NO control, until he heads smack at that barrel in front of him, thrn shut him down...turn around quietly, ask him quietly to go to barrel, if he runs like a wild thing, let him run free, until you shut him down at barrel. I've seen horses that caught on real quick to just relax n eventually trot to barrel.Some took 8 to 10 times, but keep at it. They wear theirselves out, and decide running like crazed banshee may not be that fun after all. Gets their anticipation to RUN plumb out of them...works like a charm. ALSO: three point stops around a barrel. He just doen;t get to charge the dang thing...lope him up, break to a trot, then rock bsck in you saddle and make them take a step back n relax. Take another third of turn, stop, back up. Last part of turn, repeat... You'd be surprised how easy it is to get one of chargey mode. One week and a few exercises, he'll be a new horse!
This method really does work. I had a very knowledgeable horse friend suggest it to me for a free-running mare who didn't want to rate down in her turns. I HATED it so much but I did it a few times over a two week period. Next race I went to she clocked over a half second faster than normal. | |
| | |
Duct Tape Bikini Girl
Posts: 2554
| My problem might be similar to yours. I have a mare that wants to change leads and get ready for the second before she finishes the first.  | |
| | |
I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | OldSchoolCowgirl - 2016-07-01 1:48 AM
I have a gelding that is pretty nice, but as I am adding a little speed to him he is wanting to hurry in the turns too much. He gets just a little panicky and wants to drop, come back hard and launch like I hit the nitrous bottle. Once he's a solid experienced horse that wicked move will be awesome, but right now he kind of scares himself a little and gets rattled, so I want to keep him together.
Does anyone have any exercises you can recommend for a horse that is hurrying too much in the turn? Or any resources for me to research?
Thanks!
The problem here is that the minute you add speed, your horse thinks that it's job is to be fast, not correct. There are a couple of things that I like to do for one to remind them of their full job description. First is to ride one at the walk, or trot and stop that sucker as they're leaving the barrel. I know this may seem counter intuitive, but as someone else had mentioned, we have to remind some of them of where their body is supposed to be. I have one now who will rush the third barrel and either cut it off, or doesn't finish it properly. When that happens, you bet your bippy you'll find me in the practice pen a couple of days later. I'll jog on through a set, make everything very square, controlled and correct in the turn and as soon as the back feet are level with the barrel leaving, I'll stop. If they move forward, I'll back a couple of steps. The goal is to focus on getting to all of the points properly and to slow their dadgum brain down.
Depending on how it is happening, I might also walk a turn at a barrel and then continue on a larger circle, loping around the barrel until my horse really settles. Once they're loping nice, correct, controlled circle, I'll bring them back to the walk, walk around the barrel turn again and head on to the next one.This exercise really helps to take away the anticipation for one who just tries to be an over-achiever. | |
| | |
Regular
Posts: 85
| BUMP :) There is some great advice here, any others? | |
| | |
boon
Posts: 2
| I really like these ideas!! | |
| | |
Regular
Posts: 62
| CrossCreek - 2016-07-02 11:24 PM
dont know if this is what you are looking for...Clinton Anderson and Sherry Cervi do this: set up random barrels. Let horse go as fast as he wants, NO control, until he heads smack at that barrel in front of him, thrn shut him down...turn around quietly, ask him quietly to go to barrel, if he runs like a wild thing, let him run free, until you shut him down at barrel. I've seen horses that caught on real quick to just relax n eventually trot to barrel.Some took 8 to 10 times, but keep at it. They wear theirselves out, and decide running like crazed banshee may not be that fun after all. Gets their anticipation to RUN plumb out of them...works like a charm. ALSO: three point stops around a barrel. He just doen;t get to charge the dang thing...lope him up, break to a trot, then rock bsck in you saddle and make them take a step back n relax. Take another third of turn, stop, back up. Last part of turn, repeat... You'd be surprised how easy it is to get one of chargey mode. One week and a few exercises, he'll be a new horse!
This sounds amazing!! I want to try it with my mare, but her only not so great barrel is the first barrel. I think a lot of it is from me not riding her well and asking for the turn and then getting behind he. 2nd and 3rd are amazing though. I just need to nail down that first! | |
| |
|
Best Exercises For a Horse That Wants To Hurry Too Much In The Turn