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Expert
Posts: 2685
   
| So my tree trunk is better and I have been lunging her everyday and this morning I rode her and wow she is a different horse after everything I have done for her feet (navicular horse). She takes big long strides now. It feels sooo good. Anyways we have been planning to go to Duncan for sometime. I took the horse with me to work last night and had her looked at by one of the vets that have helped me in my horse health journey and I got cleared to go. I knew she was fine but I needed someone with they eye & PHD to tell me she is good. The vet said she looks like a completely new horse from when she saw her a month ago :) So I was planning on making a run on her for the first time in a long time last weekend. I was planning on actually sending her from the back 40 and seeing what happened but she came up tree trunk that Thursday. So my only option to make a run before Duncan is tomorrow. I am SO nervous.. She's 10, she knows what she's doing but she still needs help to be correct because she's had baboons on her for a few years now and I have been retraining her brain the past few months among getting her happy & sound.
She is a butt dragger when she is asked, she has a ton of speed under there but you have to find it. I'm afraid of sending her and her running by but that's better than loping up there and not having the momentum to turn? I'm afraid of safetying up and can crashing. Before I found out she was navicular, before she came up lame I had a lady come try her and I had not worked the barrels on the mare in forever. I was nervous and told the lady she had not been worked on cans in a long time. When I ask her for about 75% she gave me what felt like a beautiful pattern but she kind of puked on the 1st barrel the first time around. Idk I'm thinking of all of the horrible things like crapping out on the 1st barrel, smashing 2 (I look at it, she drops her shoulder and creams it) and running by 3 (I have to rate that barrel sometimes).
My confidence is shot due to a rough road with my 5yo that is currently laid up and I have not just "jockeyed" a horse in years. I have been on babies. I'm like "just go buy an exhibition" worried but I am excited to go to Duncan because it will be a get away for me away from life. I feel as long as we clock I'll be happy. 
Edited by RoaniePonie11 2014-08-31 10:29 PM
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | Just go and have FUN, thats the best way to think about it  |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Think positive, do not think about the what ifs
Focus and picture the perfect run, what YOU are going to do and when YOU are going to do it.
All you can do is control what you do, the horse with either respond or not. If she doesn't then you develop a different game plan.
Biggest thing go out and have fun.
Good luck |
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Location: midwest mama | Just head up the alleyway, turn the reins loose, and let her choose how fast you go. Just concentrate on sitting in the middle of her and have a smooth run. You'll do terrific! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | Sister, you sound like me =)
I get so in my head that I end up overthinking things and I worry about everything that needs to be done during a run and I forget that it's just 3 turns around 3 barrels. That's it. Just 3 turns. Surely we can do that, right??
I would beat myself up over not doing well or not being farther along than where I think I should be and that it was all my fault, I wasn't riding well enough, I should've done this, I should've done that. It wasn't fun anymore. I wasn't thinking positive. I had faith in my horse - I knew she could do it, but I was the reason she wasn't clocking. The one thing I was missing was believing in myself. After giving up on my love of horses and riding and barrel racing, I came back and I have a total new attitude. It's hard to not be negative, especially when you're surrounded by some tough competition who kick your butt on a daily basis and look at you like you don't belong in this world. It's so much easier to listen and believe those negative thoughts than it is to stay positive that it'll all come together. It's a work in progress. I actually went so far as to find some motivational and positive thinking quotes and I read and reread them to remind myself that I do belong here, and I can do this.
So, go find you some quotes that'll help you get back in the game. Think positive. Believe in your tree trunk. Trust your tree trunk to do her job. Don't worry about what could go wrong and start thinking positive about what could go right. Tree trunk will feel that positive energy rolling off of you. And remember, it's just 3 turns.
Kick some booty in Duncan. I don't know who you are, but I'll be there too, rooting for you and Tree Trunk =)
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | think positive! good luck! you deserve it :)
before I run, I don't actually execute everything, but I make my hands do what they are supposed to to make the perfect run. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| Thank you everyone! I'm trying not to over think it. Just gonna go make a run and see what happens. I had to work this morning which is good or I'd be sitting at home thinking about it. Instead I'm at work getting paid to think about it XD
Dreamingofcans, good luck!!!! This will be my first 3 day barrel race since I was 13-14yo. I'm so excited (and nervous) to go. I need a get away but it's like "hello big world of barrel racing like a big kid" lol. Since I moved out and bought my own horses and what not at 15 I've had babies (horses) and been to broke to go to the big stuff accept one Friday night at a D&G at Waco a few years ago. My mom is going with me (half way kinda horse person- more support than anything- very good cheerleader lol) so I won't be alone but still so nerve wracking. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | RoaniePonie11 - 2014-08-30 10:09 AM Thank you everyone! I'm trying not to over think it. Just gonna go make a run and see what happens. I had to work this morning which is good or I'd be sitting at home thinking about it. Instead I'm at work getting paid to think about it XD Dreamingofcans, good luck!!!! This will be my first 3 day barrel race since I was 13-14yo. I'm so excited (and nervous) to go. I need a get away but it's like "hello big world of barrel racing like a big kid" lol. Since I moved out and bought my own horses and what not at 15 I've had babies (horses) and been to broke to go to the big stuff accept one Friday night at a D&G at Waco a few years ago. My mom is going with me (half way kinda horse person- more support than anything- very good cheerleader lol) so I won't be alone but still so nerve wracking.
You'll have a blast, even if you run up the fence and hit all three barrels in the same run!! I took a 7 1/2 year hiatus from horses (quit when I was 17) and I've since came back and been doing it 100% on my own (with the exception of being married and having a joint bank account) and I'm just so grateful to be able to go down the road and be back on the back of a horse that I've only picked up one check so far and I'm still excited for every little jackpot.. I had forgotten just how kind and helpful the barrel racing community is and I enjoy going and just making small talk with people and watching good horses run. It helps remind me that hard work pays off and even if I'm not going to have a great run that I'm on the right track because the passion is there. Don't sweat thee small stuff! Give yourself a pat on the back and let that horse run! Good luck!! Wish I was going! |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | So how did it go? |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| It was.... Interesting. I did not trust her as much as I should have. I hung on her (really I asked her to turn and that's a big no no). She over turned every barrel and paused behind every barrel like GET OUT OF MY FACE. I have a VERY light but on her but I tightened the curb out of distrust and that was bad on my part. She worked her heart out but we looked like a circus act. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | Sister you want to see a circus act you should come watch me. Seriously. I swear I'm the laughing stock of the barrel racers out here. But that's ok =)
I seriously doubt it was a circus act though. It's hard to trust your horse when you're not confident in yourself and how you'll do or how they will do. After every crappy run, I always try to walk away with something I learned from it, no matter how small that something is. You have to focus on that one positive thing. And it's soooo hard to do, but I promise it helps. It helps you stay positive for the next time. It may take baby steps, but you'll get there. And after every run if you take away something positive and something you learned from that run, whether it was something you need to do or not do, it'll just improve your next run. And at least you have the b@lls to go to D&G and throw down a smoking run. I chickened out. I've already got enough people laughing at me behind my back, I don't need to fuel their fire. lol.
You and tree trunk (what's her name by the way?) will kick arse in Duncan this coming weekend. Drink a beer before your run, it'll help chill ya out. Trust yourself and your horse. It's just 3 turns =) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| RoaniePonie11 - 2014-08-30 11:23 PM
It was.... Interesting. I did not trust her as much as I should have. I hung on her (really I asked her to turn and that's a big no no). She over turned every barrel and paused behind every barrel like GET OUT OF MY FACE. I have a VERY light but on her but I tightened the curb out of distrust and that was bad on my part. She worked her heart out but we looked like a circus act.
The positive is you know she will listen and turn, so now you can adjust your riding accordingly |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| Dreamingofcans - 2014-08-30 11:47 PM
Sister you want to see a circus act you should come watch me. Seriously. I swear I'm the laughing stock of the barrel racers out here. But that's ok =)
I seriously doubt it was a circus act though. It's hard to trust your horse when you're not confident in yourself and how you'll do or how they will do. After every crappy run, I always try to walk away with something I learned from it, no matter how small that something is. You have to focus on that one positive thing. And it's soooo hard to do, but I promise it helps. It helps you stay positive for the next time. It may take baby steps, but you'll get there. And after every run if you take away something positive and something you learned from that run, whether it was something you need to do or not do, it'll just improve your next run. And at least you have the b@lls to go to D&G and throw down a smoking run. I chickened out. I've already got enough people laughing at me behind my back, I don't need to fuel their fire. lol.
You and tree trunk (what's her name by the way?) will kick arse in Duncan this coming weekend. Drink a beer before your run, it'll help chill ya out. Trust yourself and your horse. It's just 3 turns =)
Her name is Dot :) she was born with 2 black dots on her butt (now she has a ton). Sometimes her name is a lot uglier than that lol. If I don't go to Duncan mom will be heart broken. I'm going to take her and breeze her through at a local arena I have access to Tuesday for my sake and to show her I promise I wont pull on her face anymore. Ya know, I seriously thought about taking beer to Duncan. I really have thought about doing that. I handled everything fine and I was thinking properly until the hiccup behind the first barrel then I all but threw in the towel.
She shut down to turn a few strides early and instead of crashing it she tried to lunge forward to get by and she was in a horrible position to come around it on the backside so I was pulling (not hard, just guiding) her back around to go to 2 which was BAD. I needed to not be touching her face at all and just applying outside leg. Very hard to do. So she lined up with 2 and shook her head at me. Other thing I did last night that I think is the reason she hauled butt so hard and fast was I rode her without a tie down. She has been "ran" with a tie down her whole life but I hate that so I haven't rode her in one since I first brought her home in June.
The 1 plus I got from last night is she HAULED butt and whoaed and turned very well, we were just very choppy and just weren't communicating well. It was kind of a wreck. I would have felt better if they announced I got a no time. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| cheryl makofka - 2014-08-31 10:21 AM
RoaniePonie11 - 2014-08-30 11:23 PM
It was.... Interesting. I did not trust her as much as I should have. I hung on her (really I asked her to turn and that's a big no no). She over turned every barrel and paused behind every barrel like GET OUT OF MY FACE. I have a VERY light but on her but I tightened the curb out of distrust and that was bad on my part. She worked her heart out but we looked like a circus act.
The positive is you know she will listen and turn, so now you can adjust your riding accordingly
Very true. I hope me adjusting my riding will do the trick. I don't want her to anticipate me touching her face and act like a butt anyways. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I put split reins on my running bridle tonight and rode her in the pasture. I assume because she knew I had a bigger than the usual ride bit on her (normally I just ride in a dog bone o ring but run in a dog bone jr cowhorse) she started to ride with her head up. I got after her for it and she quit. I think that was part of our problem last night. Too busy fussing with me (granted I was more in her face than need be but still she definitely was drama queen). So anywho we long trotted and loped both ways. Then I went to arena and trotted the barrels twice focussing on being forward in my body and keeping her moving. Trying to make the barrels a smooth motion and not a source of nerves. She did good. I need to go 1 step by the 1st with a smaller pocket but 1 step at a time... |
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