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 Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
  
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | To say that my daughter's barrel horse has come a long way with his gate issues would be an understatement. However, on occasion it is still an issue depending on how the arena is set up.
When I first bought the horse four years ago, his mind was blown and you could not take him anywhere near the arena gait without him blowing up. With lots of patience and work, he has turned out to be a nice youth horse BUT he knows his job and he knows when it is time to go. It use to be, we could not even get him to relax around the arena, so we would kept him away, led him up and let him work. We now have him to the point (just recently) he will stand quietly near the arena but once he starts towards that gait he is all business. Someone still has to lead and "line them up" with the gate but once you let go, he is gone. She can hold him back to a point but you are not going to get him to stop inside of the arena or circle before he starts.
Most places this is not an issue at all but she started a youth rodeo series yesterday. She had ran at the arena for a Jr. high school rodeo in the fall and was allowed to run the gait, so the gait was not a thought going into the performance. Quickly, came to find out, no gate running was allowed, the horse has to "quietly" cross the gait (full body) and could only be led up to the gate. They also wanted a stop or circle before running. To say the least this was a train wreck. He let me lead him to the gait, but he was very worked up at that point and as soon as I let go he was like a rocket shooting forward. She just scratched her last event and we went home.
He does not rare or buck or kick other horses, he is just really, really on the muscle ready to go and is very difficult to hold back. She is not afraid of him and he has never hurt her. Like I said if I can point them and let them go, he is fine. She does NOT run him anywhere but at rodeos or shows, he is fine about going in the arena for warm-up or grand entry and she can do rail work all day long at fun shows. She takes riding lessons on a frequent bases and other than "go time" his a bit on the lazy side. This horse truly knows the difference between practice/ down time and performance time.
This is a nice rodeo series and she has a blast with her friends. Hoping maybe someone has some great advice or is it time to realize that this just not the venue for them to run.
Edited by Rolling J 2015-06-01 7:22 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 324
| How did you manage to calm him down at the gate before? I had a horse who got blown up (and I mean BLOWN up, stand straight up with her eyes rolled back in her head) and I worked with her gradually. I worked her in the alley at home, figure 8s, circles, collection, etc. all through the alleyway. I hauled her and didn't even get on her for several weeks and I stood in the holding pen with her and led her in and out of the alley while they drug. This was terrifying at first but she got accustomed and I began riding her at shows, I'd warm her up and take her into the holding pen and just stand. The first few times she would start quivering and sweating just being near the alley but when she figured out that we weren't going in, she would relax. Eventually I walked her in and out of the alley at shows on her back until she would be sane about it. She never had a fear of running, and loved her job, she was just terrified of the alley. I think that if you could extend the exercises you did with him, you'd eventually end up with a calm, sane horse in the gate. |
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Miss Southern Sunshine
Posts: 7427
Location: South Central Florida | We had one with a gate issue like this...local shows had a rule that you had to walk in, this horse was not mean or dangerous, but on the muscle, and did not want to "walk" in a gate or ally way.
We hauled up to the local arena once or twice a week...tacked up, warmed up outside the gate, then opened the gate and the fight was on. He went sideways, jumped...blew, snorted......but he had to stay slow, once they were into the arena they would walk (sometimes sideways) around the arena, NO WORK AT ALL, and once he started to relax, we would walk out, untack in the alley way walk out and go home. We did this for months. Really boring, but in a few months he started to "get it" and he was never ever a quiet walk like a puppy horse, but he was under control and my daughter was able to keep his mind right, make a run and have fun.
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| What gait are you having problems with? Is he not changing leads or breaking down into a trot or going to the first barrel on the wrong lead? |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| streakysox - 2015-05-31 7:47 PM
What gait are you having problems with? Is he not changing leads or breaking down into a trot or going to the first barrel on the wrong lead?
I think she meant GATE. I am guessing. |
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | Griz - 2015-06-01 5:33 AM
streakysox - 2015-05-31 7:47 PM
What gait are you having problems with? Is he not changing leads or breaking down into a trot or going to the first barrel on the wrong lead?
I think she meant GATE. I am guessing.
 omg, my bad. I feel completely silly but then again I have developed a sense of humor about my spelling/grammar skills too. It has been an issue my entire life and I have learned it is not one of my God given gifts. |
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  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7617
Location: Dubach, LA | Ignore the wanna-be grammar police. They can spell but have obvious reading comprehension problems. (Now, that's funny!) I don't have advice, but just offering hugs. I can't imagine riding somewhere with this "walk-over or circle " rule. Never heard of it. Seems like it would talk the try out of a horse. |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | streakysox - 2015-05-31 7:47 PM What gait are you having problems with? Is he not changing leads or breaking down into a trot or going to the first barrel on the wrong lead?
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | rachellyn80 - 2015-06-01 12:26 PM streakysox - 2015-05-31 7:47 PM What gait are you having problems with? Is he not changing leads or breaking down into a trot or going to the first barrel on the wrong lead?
I agree |
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Veteran
Posts: 120
| streakysox - 2015-05-31 7:47 PM
What gait are you having problems with? Is he not changing leads or breaking down into a trot or going to the first barrel on the wrong lead?
The funniest thing about this grammar police post is that none of which you mentioned is an actual "gait" issue on a horse. Breaking down into a trot..nope...wrong lead..nope....hahaha
Edited by banjomia 2015-06-01 4:57 PM
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