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Regular
Posts: 59
| What are some things that you like to do to prevent alley way issues or help a horse with alley issues even when they are not having any pain or ulcers. Simply asking for a friend and future advice for myself! |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
   
| Mine all have maintenance regularly. Certainly keeps them feeling good and firing. Rarely ever work barrels, work on basics instead. Mine love their jobs. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | I address any misbehavior as soon as it happens. I pretty much let them know I expect them to walk in and out of the arena, under control. Just like any other problem on the pattern. I work on the issue as soon as I see any hint of it. I will haul to the arena where we compete regularly and walk in and out of the alleyway. I have also spent money on exhibitions just to use my time to walk in and out, if they start to anticipate running the pattern too much. |
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 Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | A lot of scoring in the alley (when producers allow it) as well as the first barrel at home. |
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Expert
Posts: 1446
Location: California | Attend a Ryan Lovendahl clinic (even as an auditor he takes questions) and ask him for his advice, or even bring your horse. The man is amazing! |
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Expert
Posts: 1446
Location: California | I've been fortunate and I've never made a horse hot or to have gate issues, and I've had success working with horses who had prior gate/arena issues, but it's really hard to explain through the computer, so much simpler to explain in person and with demonstration, that's why I recommend a clinician. It's a lot of pressure and release and feel of the horse. |
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Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Posts: 2734
| I know that you said no pain or ulcers but just food for thought... Most of my alley issues and anxiety came up when my horses were bleeding. They had no other signs during a run like running off, shutting down or coughing but just a lot of anxiety and gate issues. They bled silently. It was like that for a couple horses. Like I said it may not be the problem but just throwing it out there. |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Their teeth are something that should not be over looked. Feet and teeth are the two most important things that need to be maintained. |
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 Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
| I make sure they're not sore, bleeding, and my tack fits well. Then I don't ask more than one is mentally ready for. I make sure they know that I will tell them when it's time to get ready to run. Until then, they can simply relax. And I make sure the arena isn't a place of torture. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 966
Location: Loco,Ok | Don't drill them until they hate them. Ours have other jobs. Barrels is where they rest. They will tell you early if there is a going to be a problem. Listen to them. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | When I have a hot horse, I wait to tighten the cinch and get on until they're almost ready for me. If I'm 4th out, the 2nd runner needs to be at the third barrel before I start final preparations. I snug the cinch, hop on, band my feet (on most horses....particularly the ones I may have to trick ride to get past the barrels), and head for the alley. I don't pick up the reins with both hands until we're close and I try to sit relaxed and calm in the saddle. They feed off of us!!! If we're tense and nervous, that goes right through the saddle & down the reins to the horse. As soon as I run, I get off and loosen the cinch. They are NOT going to stand there cinched down tight with me on them very long at all. Actually that's my routine with all my horses. Even the calm ones. That's a big part of why mine are staying calm for years and years I think.
Last August, I picked up a super nice horse dirt cheap because of his alley issues. I guess he'd slam you into panels, run backwards into things, etc. He has tried me about 2X. My boyfriend walks us to the alley but he's doing less and less all the time because he has figured out that he can't bully us. Matt will softly smack him on the nose if he's being a butt, and I learned quickly to never try to whip him into the gate. It backfires in a hurry! Instead I sit quietly with one hand on the reins until we're close, then I pick up the outside rein and usually have to hold him up a couple steps to get a better approach to 1st. We come out and I immediately step off, loosen his cinch and start petting him. This horse won $1,300 at rodeos in 6 weeks and every one of his checks came at a side gate rodeo. We had to dodge fans, tractors, ambulances, mud pits and everything else you can think of, but he's fallen in love with barrels again because we got him feeling great and I stay relaxed the whole 3 minutes I'm on him to make our runs.
I just brought home a client horse last night that has started stalling at the gate and refusing, and my/our job is to figure out how to make barrels fun for him again. I'm hoping that if we put a more relaxed rider on him, stay on for just a few minutes - long enough to make a run - and then get off & loosen his cinch, he'll come around. His owner has another horse that's had gate issues, but she's started getting on at the last minute, having me walk to the alley beside them and smooch to the horse the whole time, and this weekend, he RAN away from me going TO the alley all 3 days. I've also been on her case to get off immediately after he runs. He needs to feel that release of pressure after he does his job. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | streakysox - 2017-11-23 7:53 PM
Mine all have maintenance regularly. Certainly keeps them feeling good and firing. Rarely ever work barrels, work on basics instead. Mine love their jobs.
This. I have one that I know needs some maintenance done right now (injections) so I won't be hauling him until I get it done. |
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Alley way issues and how to prevent them