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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
 
| What exercises and different things do you do to get a smooth one motion turn for a horse that's a little stiffer and harder mouthed? | |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
 
Location: Kansas | rodeochick123 - 2014-04-07 9:57 AM What exercises and different things do you do to get a smooth one motion turn for a horse that's a little stiffer and harder mouthed?
When they're a little stiff and that seems to be their style (not just a case of they don't know how to bend), I drive a little deeper so they have room to make the turn without hanging up to avoid the barrel or hitting it on the way out. As you can see in this video, I didn't get deep enough on the second barrel and he hung up leaving it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iTkss47FjY&list=UU3h0VmyuYbqBRUor4JBQVlA I have a lot of trouble getting him deep enough to make the turn without losing momentum. I really really want them to have at least some bend when they're starting out, but some horses are faster if they stay a little straighter in the turn and I'm ok with that but I still keep working them on being round and bending through the ribs.
If a horse wants to be hard mouthed, that is something that needs work off the pattern. When I move my hand, I expect a response at any speed. You have to be able to handle them in a pinch during a run, so hard mouthed is not acceptable. | |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | The first thing I would ask myself is "why is the horse hard-mouthed"? | |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
 
Location: Louisiana | My mom's young horse is somewhat hard mouthed and stiff, naturally. He has never had a harsh bit, or been ridden with heavy hands. He's also pretty dull sided and we don't even ride with spurs. He is kind of generally lazy and unresponsive. His turning style (which is still being figured out since he's young) is kind of a rollback, but he is still learning how to turn.
I have been "coaching" my mom some at home with him. I have her really use her inside leg to get bend, and really get his nose. I had her do tons of "perfect circles" with him flexed around her leg. I also had her just stand and work on getting him to give his nose, which seems to be a step that was skipped somewhere along the way. I also put him back in an o-ring for slow work like that, since my own gelding seems to do better with one when we do basics like that.
I like to do a lot of "basics" with my finished horse. I feel like it gives me a more responsive partner when everything speeds up, and keeps his using himself correctly.
On the pattern, I have her lope perfect circles around the barrels, instead of allowing him to rollback. This is my theory- He is a cowhorse. When he speeds up and starts running, he WILL rollback. There is no question that that will be his own style. To keep him from dropping his shoulder, hitting barrels, etc, I want her to keep him up and round like he is going to run around the barrels. I feel like this will teach him to drive with his hindend around the barrel and free his shoulder, instead of having him "chase" the barrel like a cow and dive in with his front end. I think it will also help with his momentum around the barrel. It's also giving her more control.
After a week of me yelling, "Inside leg, leg...MORE leg!! Get his nose, get his nose, you do not have his nose, slide your hand down and get his nose!" She went to a barrel race Saturday where she rides him in the $100 class. She loped one of the prettiest, smoothest, protest-free patterns since she's been riding him! So, daughter does know something LOL.
She also has decided to take him to the left barrel first. Not only is he better with his right turns, she has a bad back and we realized she can't turn her upper body as far to the left as she can to the right. Which could be why he is better to the right. So she decided to go to the left first since it's their weaker direction.
So I guess the gist of my post is saying, go back to the basics and work on responsiveness and flexion away from the pattern. Then when you have that, carry it over to the pattern.
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Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | dashnlotti - 2014-04-07 12:15 PM My mom's young horse is somewhat hard mouthed and stiff, naturally. He has never had a harsh bit, or been ridden with heavy hands. He's also pretty dull sided and we don't even ride with spurs. He is kind of generally lazy and unresponsive. His turning style (which is still being figured out since he's young) is kind of a rollback, but he is still learning how to turn.
I have been "coaching" my mom some at home with him. I have her really use her inside leg to get bend, and really get his nose. I had her do tons of "perfect circles" with him flexed around her leg. I also had her just stand and work on getting him to give his nose, which seems to be a step that was skipped somewhere along the way. I also put him back in an o-ring for slow work like that, since my own gelding seems to do better with one when we do basics like that.
I like to do a lot of "basics" with my finished horse. I feel like it gives me a more responsive partner when everything speeds up, and keeps his using himself correctly.
On the pattern, I have her lope perfect circles around the barrels, instead of allowing him to rollback. This is my theory- He is a cowhorse. When he speeds up and starts running, he WILL rollback. There is no question that that will be his own style. To keep him from dropping his shoulder, hitting barrels, etc, I want her to keep him up and round like he is going to run around the barrels. I feel like this will teach him to drive with his hindend around the barrel and free his shoulder, instead of having him "chase" the barrel like a cow and dive in with his front end. I think it will also help with his momentum around the barrel. It's also giving her more control.
After a week of me yelling, "Inside leg, leg...MORE leg!! Get his nose, get his nose, you do not have his nose, slide your hand down and get his nose!" She went to a barrel race Saturday where she rides him in the $100 class. She loped one of the prettiest, smoothest, protest-free patterns since she's been riding him! So, daughter does know something LOL.
She also has decided to take him to the left barrel first. Not only is he better with his right turns, she has a bad back and we realized she can't turn her upper body as far to the left as she can to the right. Which could be why he is better to the right. So she decided to go to the left first since it's their weaker direction.
So I guess the gist of my post is saying, go back to the basics and work on responsiveness and flexion away from the pattern. Then when you have that, carry it over to the pattern.
AMEN!!!!
You have to work those stiffer style horses on staying round all the time or they become super super super hard to ride during a run. I figure you lose some bend at a run anyway, so you better start out with at least some or its not going to be pretty or fast. | |
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 Forever Young
Posts: 6768
Location: relocated to Texas | Why do you think that you have to "work with" them being hard mouthed and stiff? There are some horses that are more lazy than others, but that just means you work with them differently in getting them broke. Fix the hard mouthed and stiff part. Get them better broke, Don't try to work around it when training them for barrels because it is a hole in the horse's training and it will show up.
Barrels are just a pattern. If you have a horse that is truly broke, you can do most anything with them. | |
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