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Elite Veteran
Posts: 729
  
Location: south central usa | have a shorter barrel horse that we have started working with on goat tying.
any advice on how to train one to keep running once the rider gets in the stirrup/gets off?
have an idea or two but wanted to see any other options | |
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Veteran
Posts: 276
| My sister would snap a leadrope to the tie-down and would keep ahold of it. She would ride the horse down the rail of the fence and step off and lead the horse for several steps.
She would never encourage them any while she hung in the stirrup because she didn't want them to ever gain speed at that point, if they slowed down too much she would step off and keep them moving while on the ground. | |
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 Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | We tie goats on most of our horses, and start by just keeping them moving in a straight line with one foot in the stirrup or on their butt, but still handling the reins to keep them straight as we bump them forward (or keep them held back in the same cadence). Once they can keep the same rhythm to their gate, we do the same thing and "run" them by the goat without getting off.
The first few times we step off, we don't have a goat (usually) and just hit the ground and run beside them to keep them moving forward and straight. Like anything, if you're consistent and don't make a big deal out of it, they stay relaxed and figure it out pretty quickly.
There are a couple of "tricks" we use when we first start getting off and leaving them to keep running on their honor- one is a bucket of feed at the end of the arena, and another is to tie a buddy horse or two straight off the goat. We're pretty careful to not have horses or other distractions off to one side or the other at first. It's good to have a helper, too- so if the horse wants to ditch out or head crooked, the helper can shag them away (or forward).
We just build on that until the horse "gets" that he's supposed to just run a straight line past the goat. Seems so easy! haha.
We also score them a lot. It surprises me that goat horses get crazy, but they do- just like barrel horses. We try to have ours riding the line just a little on the sane side. HA. | |
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Regular
Posts: 82
| I absolutely LOVE tying goats and training goat horses, in fact I just got done tying goats!! ND3Canaddict gave some very good advice especially with "scoring" them. So many people blow their horses up by making run after run... A good horse doesn't need that, even one in training doesn't need that! For every full run or two that I practice on I walk them to the goat and step off, and walk with them by the goat. This helps to keep them calm and sane. Also, walk along a fence with the fence on your right (to discourage them going right from under you) and really focus on keeping your hand up (to again prevent ducking and give you more balance and control). Really focus on keeping your hips square and your hips/shoulders in a line with each other (this helps to reduce ducking as well, and makes for a smooth and safe dismount). When they start to get up to a lope I give a little bump to say "pay attention I'm getting off" this helps ALOT! The bucket of food is also an awesome trick to practice with every now and then. But really the main thing I have found is to really practice on your position to ensure your not giving mixed cues. If your horse wants to stop when you get off ride it out till they walk, if someone needs to walk with them that's fine, or even a crop to tap with helps to encourage them! If you don't have a roping saddle I would use that (the fenders help to keep you in position better) and NEVER TYE WITH GRIPPY BARREL STIRRUPS!!!! That is a wreck waiting to happen, if anything buy some leather "bottomed" stirrups and stick them on your barrel saddle (I like 3inch ones for the balance you get ;)I could go on and on about this, but I think this pretty much sums it up :) If you have any questions I would be more than happy to help you :) | |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | ND3canAddict - 2016-10-13 1:52 PM We tie goats on most of our horses, and start by just keeping them moving in a straight line with one foot in the stirrup or on their butt, but still handling the reins to keep them straight as we bump them forward (or keep them held back in the same cadence). Once they can keep the same rhythm to their gate, we do the same thing and "run" them by the goat without getting off.
The first few times we step off, we don't have a goat (usually) and just hit the ground and run beside them to keep them moving forward and straight. Like anything, if you're consistent and don't make a big deal out of it, they stay relaxed and figure it out pretty quickly.
There are a couple of "tricks" we use when we first start getting off and leaving them to keep running on their honor- one is a bucket of feed at the end of the arena, and another is to tie a buddy horse or two straight off the goat. We're pretty careful to not have horses or other distractions off to one side or the other at first. It's good to have a helper, too- so if the horse wants to ditch out or head crooked, the helper can shag them away (or forward).
We just build on that until the horse "gets" that he's supposed to just run a straight line past the goat. Seems so easy! haha.
We also score them a lot. It surprises me that goat horses get crazy, but they do- just like barrel horses. We try to have ours riding the line just a little on the sane side. HA.
This 100%.
When scoring and just going by the goat I would always either stop the horse straight or keep moving to the left after passing the goat. Don't turn right or he might start ducking and that's a great way to blow out a knee. | |
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Member
Posts: 13
| All of this is great advice! I teach goat tying clinics all over the country and have 20-30 kids in my arena every week for practices so we have trained/tuned up many goat tying horses. Everyone talks about crazy barrel horses but goat tying horses are the queens of crazy! We do a lot of slow work every practice because it is great for the horses and the kids!
I like to use a return alley as a training aid. Once we have gotten them used to hanging off the side and keeping their forward motion, if we have a horse that still wants to stop, we will get in the return alley and step off and quickly take a step backwards and encourage that horse to move forward ahead of us.
I've made several videos and they are on YouTube if you want to fins my page. It is under Stacey Martin. I have plans to make a video on dismounting and horse problems but I haven't had the time yet. I also have some tips on my website, www.nextlevelgoattying.net.
If you try these things and are still having trouble, feel free to send me a message and I would be glad to look at a few videos and offer some advice.
Good luck! I'm glad to see we have some goat tyers on here!  | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 729
Location: south central usa | appreciate the responses - now the fun begins :-) | |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | NextLevel - 2016-10-14 8:11 AM All of this is great advice! I teach goat tying clinics all over the country and have 20-30 kids in my arena every week for practices so we have trained/tuned up many goat tying horses. Everyone talks about crazy barrel horses but goat tying horses are the queens of crazy! We do a lot of slow work every practice because it is great for the horses and the kids! I like to use a return alley as a training aid. Once we have gotten them used to hanging off the side and keeping their forward motion, if we have a horse that still wants to stop, we will get in the return alley and step off and quickly take a step backwards and encourage that horse to move forward ahead of us. I've made several videos and they are on YouTube if you want to fins my page. It is under Stacey Martin. I have plans to make a video on dismounting and horse problems but I haven't had the time yet. I also have some tips on my website, www.nextlevelgoattying.net. If you try these things and are still having trouble, feel free to send me a message and I would be glad to look at a few videos and offer some advice. Good luck! I'm glad to see we have some goat tyers on here!
You have a very nice web site, all the young girls that love goat tieing needs to go to this site, I think that you girls will love it.  | |
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Member
Posts: 13
| Thank you! I am not a tech person so it was a lot of trial and error! Thank goodness GoDaddy makes it easy!
Goat tying has always been my absolute favorite event. The girls that excel at this event are a very special mix of athletic, gritty, tough, and confident! We go to high school and junior high national finals, IFYR and NLBRA finals, and Texas state finals and I have been blessed to be around some of the best young girls the sport has to offer and I try to do everything I can to encourage more girls to tie goats. Just this month we have had girls from Utah, Illinois, and Texas come here to tie with us so if they can not make a clinic, they are welcome to just come in for a few days when it fits their schedule.
The plan is to make a full length video but I ran out of time this summer so we are hoping for summer of 2017!
I'm actually sitting down looking at my Spring schedule so if anyone would like to have a clinic in their area, have them get with me so we can get them on the schedule. | |
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