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| My horse is getting stronger, running harder but also taking longer to shut down when exiting the arena. I am pulling but he keeps running. He doesnt "run off" with me just takes several more strides to stop. Some folks posted up right behind the alley this weekend on a golf cart with others gathered around it. I about took them out! I was shouting "Watch out!!". I told them they were brave souls for sitting there.... Anyways back to getting stopped... what are your experiences with this and what are your tips?
Edited by scwebster 2016-09-19 9:22 AM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Work on breezing at home and pulling him up.
Evaluate the alley ahead of time and make sure it's clear.
ETA I really struggle to return to races and support producers who don't make it a priority to have either a staging area for just those in the drag or have someone station near the alley/gate to keep things clear. It's just a matter of safety for everyone in a run in/run out situation.
Edited by OhMax 2016-09-19 11:17 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 878
Location: "...way down south in the Everglades..." | Agree with OhMax. Definitely check the alley before you go in and warn anyone. Also, does he stop if there's a shut gate? I know some of the pens have that option around here if you get someone to shut it for you.
When you are pulling back, I assume you are pulling straight back? Try pulling more like a seesaw...right rein, then left, then right, etc. The seesaw motion worked like a charm with my one mare. I would serioulsy suggest trying it if you haven't.
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | Good advice thus far. I like to put a quick stop on this type of animal and get this nicked in the bud quickly. If you have trouble with the double reins I just hobble the rein to the saddle and make it a different color than my common rein. I've got several horses that I've helped by doing this. The last one was for an 82 yo women who still loves to go fast! She had to run him that way 4-5 times and then took off the quick stop after the respect for whoa was there. I never tell my horse whoa when I'm checking him I say "easy" for the set up going into the turn. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | What I do is brace one hand in the mane and the other hand pulls up diagonal across the neck towards my shoulder. So for example, I brace with my left hand and bring my right hand across towards my left shoulder. I call this the e-brake. |
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Veteran
Posts: 285
| It drives me crazy when there are a ton of people and horses around the gate. If its not close to your run or their not dragging, I think people should stay away from the alley, but that's my opinion. I do ride up to the gate during drags if my horse is having gate issues but once they start running I stay away. I wish more people did this.
Edited to add that I am no help with your problem. Sorry. Your post just made me think about the alley always being blocked at certain arenas.
Edited by pepsi97 2016-09-19 1:12 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Get your horse soft in the mouth. You should be able to put them where you want when you want.
Watch videos of Troy, Mollie, Jolene, etc...
Their horses are broke in the mouth. Good resources on trainingbarrelhorses.com
It is hard stopping coming out but when you get a hold of one or sit deep and they don't try and get in the ground you need to soften their mouth and get them more responsive to you.
Rougher feet softer hands will help you back one off the bit and make them more controllable.  |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Horses that are hard to stop are sometimes bleeders. Get your horse scoped and a BAL done to check for bleeding. Sometimes a scope is clean but a BAL will come up bloody. |
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Expert
Posts: 2128
| pepsi97 - 2016-09-19 1:08 PM It drives me crazy when there are a ton of people and horses around the gate. If its not close to your run or their not dragging, I think people should stay away from the alley, but that's my opinion. I do ride up to the gate during drags if my horse is having gate issues but once they start running I stay away. I wish more people did this. Edited to add that I am no help with your problem. Sorry. Your post just made me think about the alley always being blocked at certain arenas.
I agree. People do not respect the alley as they should! |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | classicpotatochip - 2016-09-19 2:18 PM Horses that are hard to stop are sometimes bleeders. Get your horse scoped and a BAL done to check for bleeding. Sometimes a scope is clean but a BAL will come up bloody. ^^^ this, or displacing their soft palate for some reason. This was the first sign that we had a respiratory problem was my horse running off out of the pen and getting really wound up after a run. He was quiet as a mouse before a run, and fancy broke.....like you whisper whoa and you had better be prepared for a stop, but when making a run, you turn the third one and panic set in, and he'd literally run off. His issue was not bleeding, but rather DDSP due to inflammation of his glottis causing it to be vascular and heavy and not function correctly. Unfortunately we had a really hard time diagnosing and treating this issue and it went on much longer than it should have with no improvement until it caused severe COPD with my horse and lung damage. We almost lost him less than 4 months after the first time he ran off out of the pen.
Don't treat this issue casually. If the horse is nicely broke as one should be and all the tools are there, start looking elsewhere, as it can get out of control very quickly and is truly dangerous not only to you, but to others around. I will say that once we finally got my horse healthy, it still took me several runs and a pretty hefty piece of headgear to get his attention and get him stopped due to him still panicing and waiting for it to happen. We now have the issue resolved, thankfully, but it was a terrifying thing not being able to stop him.
Edited by Herbie 2016-09-19 4:03 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2128
| Herbie - 2016-09-19 3:51 PM classicpotatochip - 2016-09-19 2:18 PM Horses that are hard to stop are sometimes bleeders. Get your horse scoped and a BAL done to check for bleeding. Sometimes a scope is clean but a BAL will come up bloody. ^^^ this, of displacing their soft palate for some reason. This was the first sign that we had a respiratory problem was my horse running off out of the pen and getting really wound up after a run. He was quiet as a mouse before a run, and fancy broke.....like you whisper whoa and you had better be prepared for a stop, but when making a run, you turn the third one and panic set in, and he'd literally run off. His issue was not bleeding, but rather DDSP due to inflammation of his glottis causing it to be vascular and heavy and not function correctly. Unfortunately we had a really hard time diagnosing and treating this issue and it went on much longer than it should have with no improvement until it caused severe COPD with my horse and lung damage. We almost lost him less than 4 months after the first time he ran off out of the pen.
Don't treat this issue casually. If the horse is nicely broke as one should be and all the tools are there, start looking elsewhere, as it can get out of control very quickly and is truly dangerous not only to you, but to others around. I will say that once we finally got my horse healthy, it still took me several runs and a pretty hefty piece of headgear to get his attention and get him stopped due to him still panicing and waiting for it to happen. We now have the issue resolved, thankfully, but it was a terrifying thing not being able to stop him.
That is so scary!! So glad you found the issue. Thank you for the information I never even thought of that. |
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Expert
Posts: 2128
| classicpotatochip - 2016-09-19 2:18 PM Horses that are hard to stop are sometimes bleeders. Get your horse scoped and a BAL done to check for bleeding. Sometimes a scope is clean but a BAL will come up bloody.
I have never had to have this done, could you tell me a little of how it works? Do we do strenious activity at the vets office prior to scope? What can I expect as far as cost? Thanks for your input. |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Yes, my vet had me make a hard practice run at home then come in, if you don't go in after a competition run.
You can call in and make sure your vet has a scope and the stuff to do a BAL. I would ask them, because I've found that if varies. When they scope, do make sure they take extra care checking that the flappers are operational to the fullest. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I also agree with the see-sawing of the reins. Not talking about jerking their head off, but not giving something solid to push into like pulling straight back does. I also like to let them know first with my body that it is time to stop., before I touch their mouth. I knew a lady that her horse started running off because she went from asking him for his life in a run, to immediately jerking for a stop. It was self defense on the horses part. I've also upped the severity of head gear if I had too to get their attention. I'll give up a barrel race in a heartbeat to have brakes - you can always get the run back later. As others have mention, its good to rule out breathing or pain problems. Good luck - it's no fun.
Edited by KindaClassey 2016-09-20 9:04 AM
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