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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | I feel like lately I've been at war with myself and I am unsure what to do. To start off, my current horse is a registered gelding that my husband and I have owned since he was a weanling (he is now 7). We broke him, started him on barrels, did all of his training. Broke very nicely; can move his shoulders left or right at a walk, trot, or lope and we can also move his hindquarters left to right. We are now getting him used to roping and tracking cattle but it's only when we trailer to someone else's place since we do not have the facilities ourselves. He has a great personality, very curious and sweet, would be a best friend to anyone.
I've been confused this year as to sell my horse. He took a year and a half off due to me being pregnant and slowly getting back to riding and I started riding him again last fall. My biggest thing for me riding and barrel racing right now is to have fun. I don't need to have to fastest horse at the barrel race but I would like one that I can trust to do his job in the arena when I trailer somewhere. My current horse is on the hotter side and this year has be inconsistent going somewhere, even if he is doing great at home. We have won the 3D together and been at the bottom of the 2D his 5 year old year, but this year it's like I can't get back in sync with him and it makes me worried about entering anywhere.
I've been concerned that he is hurting so we had our local vet do a lameness exam and he didn't notice anything. We also got his teeth done and he did need a little work in there but it's all nice and filed down now.
I fear that maybe I am not the right rider for him or that he just doesn't like running barrels. My husband has told me "just give it time" but I wonder if it will always been this way with this horse or if I should just sell him and buy a slower horse that I can trust to do their job in a jackpot. I've had him for sale in the past for about a month before I pulled him off the market because I was wishy washy about selling him.
Being a little broader...
Have we done drills of sorts? Yes
Have you just exhibitioned him going places and went slow? Yes
Ulcers? We are working on finding out if he has any
Change bits? His mouth "attitude and liking" wil change time to time so bits are a struggle
Hackamore? He doesn't really like hacks but I'm curious as to a chain rubber hack...
Have you tried just doing slow work at home and then competing? Yes, he needs some fast work done at home to remind him not to be too strong
Have you just trail ride him at home the competed? Oh dear, yes and it was awful.
I am unsure what to do; stick it out longer and see if he comes around or cut my losses and try to find a different horse?
If you have something mean to say, please just msg me and maybe I can tell you something that I may have left out in the post, for fear of it being WAY too long, and it might help you.
ETA: What I mean by inconsitstant is that one day he can make a smoking run then the next he will be a derp and not pay attention to the barrels.
Edited by cecollins0811 2016-05-29 8:03 AM
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 Three in a Bikini
Posts: 2035
| I would agree with your husband.
This sounds like the seasoning process. While he is 7 now, he has had quite the break from running, especially if he was only getting started at the age of 5.
If he has the talent then I would keep with it. |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | You have changed also since you have had a child. I have seen it in my daughter. She is not near as aggresive a rider now as she was. Part of it is mental and part is physical. Part of it is the horse also. You gave him a year off and he doesn't think that he has to work for you like he used to. |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | I struggled with a similar issue, although I did not have a child, with school, work, and lameness issues my horse has had a fair amount of time off. We would outrun the best somedays and not even make the 5D others. We were back and fourth on lameness exams and I started blaming my riding. I offered the horse for sale several times and decided I just needed something that would teach me. I ended up decided to keep him and now i'm really forced to sell him and I have this horse memorized and so consistent on the pattern I can't even believe. We consistently run in the 2D at big shows and sometimes 3d when I slow him down. My horse is 10 now I got him when he was 5, I say give your horse atleast another year.
I also had "hotness" issues with my guy, tried all the calming stuff and even lowered to using a drug once(by vets recc.) he wasn't dangerous just on the muscle all the time. Now just with a bit of age he's a dead head, he only perks up in the alley, but still just trots right in there and then back to a walk after the run.
Of course yours might not turn out like mine but I say give him a chance! |
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Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | Thank you everyone for giving their honest opinions about this.
I perfect example of this was last week we practiced the pattern, did some rollbacks to warm up and then just did a "competition run" just a little less speed and he was great! Yesterday I had a friend come out and watch me to see if she see's something that I don't. Even though it wasn't a good day for us, I'm glad she was out to see one of his bad days. She noticed that he was really getting on the bit and lunging into his turns, even with me saying whoa and checking him. We're going to do some stops and slow work this week with a Quick Stop to back him off (before anyone says anything, he has had a Quick Stop in him a time before that was about a month long, he knows what it is and I know how to use it). |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 822
Location: Southwest New Mexico | It's hard having having a baby. I would give it time. You might regret selling him later |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I likely wont give you much clarity but based on your OP - it seems like you already somewhat have your mind made up about him. If that is the case then sell him because it wont work if you already have it in your mind that it wont. There is a lot of truth to not being the right fit. I had a hard time selling a gelding and I tried to stick it out for years and all it did was diminish my confidence in that time. He wasn't a bad horse, we just weren't a good fit. There is nothing wrong with admitting or accepting he isn't the horse for you. Someone else very well may get along with him and adore him for the reasons you don't. That was the case with my gelding I eventually sold.
But, if I am reading into it too much and you truly, honestly don't have your mind made up, I agree with the other posters. You've given him time off and it takes awhile to get back into the swing of things. Likely your balance and confidence has also been compromised due to the break just like his has.
Hope you find some answers. Just be honest with yourself, whatever that may be. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | I think in this situation you need to trust your gut and your heart. You may love the horse but if you don't feel it's the right fit, I agree with the above poster -- you aren't going to be able to force it. Especially if your mind is already made up.
I had a mare that we purchased as a weanling and was nominated to run for big money as a futurity horse. She was beautiful and well mannered. When we started her she was a rouge little thing and when I got on her finally with a month of riding she piled me third ride in for seemingly no reason. That's all it took when I look back.
I kept going with her until last summer, summer of her futurity year. She was extremely inconsistent and would get broncy for no reason sporadically. I took her to vets, chiro, you name it. I take a lot of pride in my program and my crew and because of this I struggled with 'giving up' on her. She tried to pile me at a barrel race and that was the final straw. I listed her for sale the next day and was completely honest about her issues. I continued riding her daily while she was for sale and she continued to resent me.
The first girl that came to see her fell in love and the mare worked beautifully for her... better than she ever did for me. She bought her and to this day has never seen any of the issues I had with her. Admitting defeat was the hardest thing I've ever done but for the mare, it was probably the best gift I could have given her. She never would have been happy or reached her potential with me.
I'm not sure anyone can really make this choice for you. But I will tell you one thing... if it's crossing your mind that he might not be the right fit, I wouldn't ignore it. I'm a big believer that when its right its right and you know from the get go. |
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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | Be sure you aren't sending him mixed messages. If you were used to running him for the money and going for broke, he's maybe not sure what's going on with "just having fun" and trying for a more relaxed run. He may be unsure of what you want and that is causing him to be inconsistent. Same goes for how you run him on cattle or other events -- his inconsistency may be from not knowing if he's going all out and trying to win versus just having a good time. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I agree with the posters who said you sound like you have your mind made up.
If I were in your shoes I would sell. It's so frustrating to try everything and not make progress. Each time you try something and it doesn't work, or each run he doesn't perform well, your confidence falls just a little bit more. The more it falls the longer it takes to get it back.
Go get a confidence builder! Something to have fun on! I promise you will not regret it. |
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Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | Thank again everyone for their opinions! I have just a few ads up that feature him just to get him out there but I just don't think I can sell him as a "barrel horse". No one is out there looking for an inconsistent barrel horse to work on and I'm not even sure he likes barrel racing. We have been getting him more used to roping off of him and selling him as a "roping prospect" but I feel like if I sell him or trade him, cool. If I don't sell him then that's cool too. He's a sweet guy and I feel like I've let my emotions cling onto this horse but I just need to let go and find a person better suited for him.
For some reason it makes me feel like I'm giving away my adopted child lol. |
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