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 Peecans
    
| What are some of your favriote areana exersizes for really ratey horses, to help free them up a bit, espically inside smaller areanas. |
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Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
| I try to breeze mine out fairly regularly. When doing pattern work I never stop at the barrel or transition down, but a lot of times I will transition up. Trot to the barrel then lope around it, or lope to the barrel and have them fire really hard around it. I also do a lot of one barrel work with varying circle sizes, start large then go smaller then back to a bigger circle.
I still have a lot of trouble with my ratey one and need some other suggestions on freeing her up, so would love to hear others input! |
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| I just recently bought a very very worky gelding, hunts a barrel where ever he goes. And some days mostly weekend shows by the end of the weekend is bowling for barrels. Previous owners sold him because they just couldn't keep barrels up.
I've been breezing him on the track once or twice every 2 weeks, LOTS of long trotting really getting him to extend and reach, if I can I work barrels in a field (I have a large arena but if you have a big open field that's much better) and I just lope up, and when I get close to my pocket instead of stopping just really exaggerate picking that shoulder up and moving over and do lots of big circles, keeping him moving forward and fluent. Like above post says, no stopping!
When I first bought him I was exhib him sending him up to the fence esp his second barrel, and counter arcing away from the barrels and going on to the next and for awhile that was working but lately it hasn't. Sense I started his new routine for the first time EVER he took a half stride past the 3rd barrel!! Haven't hit anything in a month or so... So hopefully it sticks!!
He is by far my favorite in the barn even if he gets a barrel he is still such a fun ride! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | Lope bigger faster circles around the barrels. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 396
| I started doing the same as above. I walk the pattern, and instead of stopping at the rate point I trot around the barrel. |
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Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
| Barrelhorsehelp1 - 2016-06-13 8:47 PM I just recently bought a very very worky gelding, hunts a barrel where ever he goes. And some days mostly weekend shows by the end of the weekend is bowling for barrels. Previous owners sold him because they just couldn't keep barrels up. I've been breezing him on the track once or twice every 2 weeks, LOTS of long trotting really getting him to extend and reach, if I can I work barrels in a field (I have a large arena but if you have a big open field that's much better) and I just lope up, and when I get close to my pocket instead of stopping just really exaggerate picking that shoulder up and moving over and do lots of big circles, keeping him moving forward and fluent. Like above post says, no stopping! When I first bought him I was exhib him sending him up to the fence esp his second barrel, and counter arcing away from the barrels and going on to the next and for awhile that was working but lately it hasn't. Sense I started his new routine for the first time EVER he took a half stride past the 3rd barrel!! Haven't hit anything in a month or so... So hopefully it sticks!! He is by far my favorite in the barn even if he gets a barrel he is still such a fun ride!
I do this as well occasionally. It's the second barrel that my mare really anticipates, so sending her past it once in a while seems to remind her to listen to me and is also good for me. I am not an aggressive rider, so I have a really hard time with riding a horse like this. I have to really work on myself and make sure I stay upright driving her deep into her pockets and try my best to look to the fence when I'm running to the second.
I also like counterarcing, getting her shoulder up and keeping forward motion. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1261
| The thing that helped mine the most was to stop really doing pattern work. She knew her job but I was doing weekly lessons and practicing a few times a week outside of that. I stopped lessoning and just riding to keep her in shape and riding how I like them to ride and all of a sudden our runs started improving ten fold. I also changed to a way softer bit and realized the less I do with her face and the more I just ride with my body the happier she is and the better runs she makes. That's just what worked for her. |
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Peecans
| Thanks!
I do do lots of above, and it is also 2nd that I have the hardist time with as well.
I do not do a ton of pattern work but I have not ran much in the last 4 years at all, so I need to work on my self on the pattern and she just needs to deal with that LOL.
1St and 3rd are great, but I am really struggling with 2nd and getting her past it.
Some great things to try thank you. |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | My ratey mare I typically either walk or trot to the barrel and then go up one gait around the turn and leg yield out as we do, lope a couple big circles out about 6-8 foot off the barrel and then on to the next barrel and repeat, or never actually turn any of the barrels, trot up to our rate point, counter arc away and go onto the next barrel and repeat. My 2nd barrel was our biggest issue too, occasionally if those were keeping her honest we'd do the break off drill on that barrel. Lope up to our rate point, counter arc away from it and then breeze her hard away towards the fence out between the 1st and 3rd barrel, breeze the perimeter of the arena, make a large loop behind the 1st barrel and head towards the 2nd barrel again. Repeat if she didnt' stay honest and stay between my hands and legs. The other thing with her was if I tried take her in with a bigger pocket the harder she tried to rate and get into the barrel, found with her that she was better off going in with a normal sized pocket (she is a big mare but wants to turn like she 14 hands, on top of the barrel) and just working on keeping momentum and staying standing up in the turn. |
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 Unknown Drip
Posts: 5624
Location: Back in MT BABY!!! | wishes4kissez - 2016-06-14 10:34 AM The thing that helped mine the most was to stop really doing pattern work. She knew her job but I was doing weekly lessons and practicing a few times a week outside of that. I stopped lessoning and just riding to keep her in shape and riding how I like them to ride and all of a sudden our runs started improving ten fold. I also changed to a way softer bit and realized the less I do with her face and the more I just ride with my body the happier she is and the better runs she makes. That's just what worked for her.
Agreed...Unless my ratey horses need a tune up I usually just let them be. If they need tuned up I will usually figure 8 the fence to get more snap into the turn and work on getting them to fire out of the turn. If I feel they actually need pattern work I will do what the others have suggested in regards to speeding up at the barrel. As the far as the run goes...I try to do very little with the reins/bit and ride with my body. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| It was suggested to me as well with my ratey one to stay 2 handed a little while longer.
Haven't made a run like that but practiced last night and the theory seemed to be effective. |
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Veteran
Posts: 276
| I like to do corkscrew drills or work the poles to keep the shoulders up and turns fluid. I'll do a lot of flexing wide around the barrels, ask them to do large circles, down to small, and back out wide. Whatever I can think of to keep them listening to my cues. |
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 A very grounded girl
Posts: 5052
Location: Moving soon..... | My gelding is seasoned so I don't go around the barrels at home. However, if I have not been in 3-4 months, I will just walk him around them more for me than him. I keep him in shape but have not been able to haul much this year. |
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