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Expert
Posts: 2685
   
| My first barrel is crap. Just crap. I bust my butt to fix the issue: check her health, check my riding, check the equipment, change bits, go back to the basics.... And I get it fixed and boom! Another problem arises in that 5 steps of a friggin turn. I have no idea what to do. She's not seasoned. She's about to be 5.
I have high loped her to left and she did wonderful but she's as broke as broke gets. I thought of trying to run her to the left thurs night seeing what happens. I figure with us not making a 1st worth crap to the right what the heck harm is it runnin to the left....
I have lots of video if anyone is interested. I have months of trial and error and how out prob has changed. It may take a while for me to get it all together but I have it all.
I thought of puttin the video together and sending it to as many vets and trainers that will take the time to look at it |
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 Veteran
Posts: 141
Location: College Station, TX | I feel like I just read a post I must have written a month ago and forgot to post! I have one the same age with the same problem, probably tried all the same fixes and have the videos to show for it too! Dr. Honnas has told me to quit bringing him a perfectly sound horse.
I finally got to the point I didn't know what else to do so I switched. She had been running left and I switched right.
Her first run switched was jan 1 and it was a TRAIN WRECK, I mean I wasn't sure if I should keep trying it was so bad. Second one was better but still no where near good, again thinkin maybe it wasn't a good idea. Third was good enough that I was happy with it compared to what she had done a few days prior. 4th she was .3 off her previous best time in that arena. This weekend she was ON.
I did it because I was frustrated with getting beat because of our first barrel every single run, and had run out of options. If you're going to do it just make sure you commit, if yours is anywhere near as confused as mine was it'll be hard. She wanted to go left BAD, and still does if I don't exhibition. The worst thing I could have done with mine was be wishy washy and think maybe I made a bad decision and switch her back too soon. So far I'm VERY happy with the results. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 153
Location: Natchitoches, La. | Not exactly same issues but my mare was going to right and had great 1st barrel but really ratey and dropped at 2nd and 3rd. Switched her to left and she is doing amazing that way. No more dropping in.. Have been that way 3 times so far in competition and all clean runs. Woo-hoo. Even won 1st in 2d this past weekend. Needless to say I'm all for switching things up, sometimes that's all it takes.. Good luck !! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 204
| Funny you posted this as I've been having these same thoughts about my horse....I was having horrible issues with my first last fall...no matter how I adjusted, he just wasn't cooperating. Once I start riding again when it warms up, I'm planning on working him to the left as well as the right. Can't hurt anything to be prepared to adjust if a first run is crappy!
Edited by TheMidasTouch 2014-01-21 2:48 PM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I started my mare to the right, and realized she was a left right away. I could just feel how she was coming into the turn that she would be better as a leftie |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| my mare goes into and turns the 1st beautifully. NOW.... lol. Its from the last step of the turn (not the finishing the turn step but the leaving the barrel step) she starts moving out towards the alley and KEEPS moving towards the alley until about halfway across the pen then shes like OH CRAP I HAVE TO GET OVER. By that time (im pulling and kicked with my left spur) we are pretty much to the 2nd and I've not had the opportunity to PUSH her across the pen like i need to to get by we are compensating not hit the barrel or cremating it with my leg (like we did last night).
Every vet I've taken her to says she's not hurting but I haven't done X-rays. I have only done a million lameness exams. She's 5 on a kick a$$ joint supp and had her hocks injected. She is built a little off so she sees a chiro more than a normal horse but that doesn't explain the issue changing.... |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | Okay, but here's a problem...so the direction of the turn you are having issues with on 1 barrel, you are now going to have 2 turns that direction.
That being said, I've switched 3 horses from righties to lefties. My old bay mare due to hock injury, vet recommended we think about switching so that she only had one turn with it on the inside. She had recovered from the injury but lacked some of the ability to get it up under her as fully with it to the inside. Then my gelding I also switched after he Sweeney shouldered himself, he carries his nose slightly to the outside of a left handed arc, so I switched him left so we only had to deal with it on one barrel. He comes out a bit low from his first barrel and in a small pen it really tells on the clock but big arenas he has the stride to make it up but it was better than dealing with it on 2 barrels and bowing out on them in two spots. The other mare I switched I switched due to a mental disorder, LOL!!! She was a righty also, up at a clinic we were working the 2nd barrel and 2 dogs come running under the fence behind her growling and playing with each other. At this point she was terrified of dogs, well actually anything that moved that wasn't her. I asked the clinician if I could stop until we got the dogs out of the pen, he felt we needed to" school the colt" and lets just say the rest of the weekend was a complete bust. I could barely get her to go across the pen from the 1st to the 2nd after that. Went home and worked on it, and worked and worked, she would panic every time leaving the 1st headed across the pen. Figured what the heck, give it a try and suddenly coming at it from a new direction was no longer a big deal and the dog scare was suddenly over. Thank God! Still semi afraid of dogs, but at least she no longer believes they hang out on the back side of the left barrel on a pattern, LOL!!! |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | You said you've injected hocks, but have you checked stifles? I have a horse that will not want to set for the turn and shoot off if his stifles are sore. He'll fade off the turn and his body position will be that of what your speaking of. Once I get him feeling good I'll reinforce what I want him to do and then let him work. The "one moment she gets it and it falls apart" leads me to believe that you've got something more than just a training issue. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1069
Location: Oklahoma | I am not against switching.... And I'm also not against switching back and forth. I've had horses in the past that have done great both ways. One gelding I had I would decide which way to run based on where the tractor was parked. B/C he was a little scared of the tractor, and if I went into the 3rd barrel to turn it to the left, and the tractor was on the left, he would dive into the turn and blow out. But wouldn't do that if it was on the other side. My mare now runs either. Been running left for a while b/c she was blowing off the 3rd. I may switch back and see what happens. Good luck. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | RoaniePonie11 - 2014-01-21 1:57 PM My first barrel is crap. Just crap. I bust my butt to fix the issue: check her health, check my riding, check the equipment, change bits, go back to the basics.... And I get it fixed and boom! Another problem arises in that 5 steps of a friggin turn. I have no idea what to do. She's not seasoned. She's about to be 5. I have high loped her to left and she did wonderful but she's as broke as broke gets. I thought of trying to run her to the left thurs night seeing what happens. I figure with us not making a 1st worth crap to the right what the heck harm is it runnin to the left.... I have lots of video if anyone is interested. I have months of trial and error and how out prob has changed. It may take a while for me to get it all together but I have it all. I thought of puttin the video together and sending it to as many vets and trainers that will take the time to look at it
I'm a very experienced switcher. lol. I have one that clocks the same both ways, and I switch him back & forth regularly. If ground is iffy behind one barrel, I'll go there first and figure he will stand up better and not be running as hard as if it were the second barrel. I switched my sorrel horse from left to right last summer in an attempt to free him up going to the second barrel. It worked somewhat, but this month I switched him back to the left because my rodeo horse is currently running to the left and it is a little easier to run two lefties. They have a similar style so I can find about the same spot off the first barrel and run to it. Also running left I can carry a hand whip in my right hand and tap his shoulder if he starts to rate too soon for second or third (this is more a cue for me so I don't sit down early and cause him to hit a barrel). for whatever reason I cannot tap a shoulder with the whip in my left hand.
My theory on switching is to try it and you never know what problems it might fix. I like to walk the pattern the "new" direction several times then at least lope through once if I've not switched that particular horse before. The first run to the new direction I make darn sure to set my lead going to the first, either by loping a circle or by doing a rollback to make it easy for the horse to know which lead I want. Mine are a little wound up in the alley so its hard to cue for a specific lead when they're trying to take off.
What exactly is the issue on your first barrel? That would help people offer suggestions. A video would also be great because there might be something you're doing inadvertently to cause the variety of issues. I know I have been told on by many a video! Just when I think I'm pushing one all the way, along comes a video to show me sitting down halfway across the pen and pulling on their face two strides early. :( |
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