|
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 421
Location: Central Iowa | So I have been out of barrel racing for about 10 years now and just recently purchased a new prospect. Well he is 6 and well started on the pattern. He will be coming home in a week or two and just wondering what everyone does to connect with the new horse and start getting with them? When /how soon do you start hauling them to barrel races. Getting really excited but very nervous as well.
Also on another note I am not a huge fan of barrel saddles, anyone out there run in cutting saddle if so what do you run in? I really like a DEEP seat that allows me to move, any suggestions? |
|
| |
|
 The One
Posts: 7998
   
Location: South Georgia | I'm slow to trust. I hate it, but I am. I had taken a 15 year hiatus from barrel racing and purchased my new mare last February. I thought I'd be ready in a month or two. ....... I was wrong.....I am just now fully confident in her and riding to my ability, while not doing her a disservice either. It took me a while to put everything together. I think I still need lessons, but now we are safe and clean.
I have never been the kind of person to just be able to run any horse through, though. I need to trust. It took me a long time, but I am ok with that. I really didnt start running her through and pushing her until about a month ago. This was slightly stretched out due to a lameness issue this summer, but still...it took a while.
|
|
| |
|
 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | Just ride them.
I'm coming back from a 2 year hiatus with a new horse. My confidence is lacking but I am just riding her. Trail rides, in the arena, a lesson and on the pattern. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 425
Location: California | Not sure about others, but anytime I have or work with a new horse, I always start from the ground up. I like to see how the horse works in hand before I even step on them. I may even watch them in their stalls or pasture first and get an idea of their personality.
Once you're riding, sometimes you just click. Othertimes it can take more time and effort. If he's at the trainers now, you can ask them how he works and try to adjust your riding style to theirs.
As far as saddles, I don't know your budget, but you might really like a roohide.
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| Like everyone said, just ride. Trails, arena time, maybe even take a lesson with the trainer.
As for saddles, look at the Reinsman Team Camarillo saddles at horsetackworld.com. They have a flat cutter seat with cutter swells and horn; very deep seat. |
|
| |
|
 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Don't discount a lot of brushing, talking, and getting to know them from the ground! They need that as well as riding.
As a 6yo, you probably need to be conscientious of how much practice you do on the pattern, but you will need to do some in order to feel how the horse works. But lots of time in general is about the best thing you can do. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 36
| As for the first question - just ride. Trail riding, working cattle, exercises in the arena, looking at the trees, whatever, just get on him and ride. That is the only way to get to know a horse, and the more things you do on him, the better.
I'm not a big fan of "barrel saddles". My husband, who has cousins who are saddle makers, made my saddle as a wedding present. It has a "dina special" tree, which is a Buster Welch tree without the Buster Welch name. It has fit everything from my TB-type horse, to my round-backed working cowhorse type. I need to adjust pads at times, but it has never hurt me or my horses. The only saddle that I have sat in that came close was a Charmayne James record breaker. The guy offered to trade me even after I told him who made my saddle without even looking at it. |
|
| |
|
 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | I just bought a new horse (6 year old) a little over a month ago. I never even rode him the first week I owned him, instead I spent a lot of time on ground work and just hanging out with him. You can tell A LOT about their personality and trainability from the ground. After a week I finally got on and he rode like I thought he would. But I knew he was broke and gentle when I tried him out and I felt like the previous owner was someone I could easily ride behind because his footwork on the pattern was very similar to what I'd put on a horse.
In the beginning I did some arena riding and after I built some trust I felt comfortable taking him on trail rides etc. I spent a day with him moving cattle on my friend's ranch and I resumed weekly lessons with my friend whose a reiner. Anything really to spend copious amounts of time around him, riding him, etc.
I thought I'd give myself a couple of months to get to know him and then head to some winter jackpots, if we have any, to just cruise through the pattern. I'm in no rush. I've not run a horse fast in quite a few years, so I really want us clicking off the pattern . For me time builds trust.
I too was REALLY nervous and REALLY excited all at once. I'd never purchased a semi finished horse before, nor had I ever spent that amount of cash on one either. LOL I think those are pretty normal feelings and the nervousness goes away. I still feel REALLY excited for our future together as a team:)
Good Luck with your new horse and have fun. 
|
|
| |
|
 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I just play it by ear. I see how they handle on the ground, take them to the various arenas I ride at and just go from there.
My last new horse I got in 2012. She was finished but hadn't been ridden at all in a year. She was also sore. I spent like 6 months just riding her and addressing the soreness before I started entering her. But that was just her. It took me like another 6 months to figure out how to not hit barrels on her lol |
|
| |
|
| Just making sure to get on and ride them everyday for awhile helps but the thing that does it for me is to go to a clinic. I always come out of a clinic feeling way more confident in myself and my horse.
Jeff Smith makes a barrel saddle that is basically just their cutter with a single skirt |
|
| |
|
 The best bad guy on the internet
Posts: 3519
Location: Arizona | I agree with the other posters. I bought an 8 yr old mare last June, she was broke but not on the barrels. I got her and just rode her around, trail rides, hauled her to different places to see how she acts. I didn't start her on the pattern until the beginning of November. It takes time. Now we have been working on the pattern, working out some kinks, I'm still trying to get her figured out...lol!! Don't be in a hurry...build a bond first!! |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1520
Location: Illinois | I bought a 3 year old in August and I've been on her 4 times since then. Luckily she's got a good handle on her and does fine with sporadic riding so far. But even on my 4th time on her I still felt like a clueless monkey trying to ride her. I've been riding mainly one horse for 11 years now and I struggle to ride new ones. I used to ride 20 different horses a week, but I've definitely gotten so used to just the one that they all feel so foreign to me. Sometimes though I think we don't feel like we're doing as well as we are. Like I recorded a ride on her and I felt like a total beginner the whole ride, I swore I looked like I had never been on one before. I watched the video and was shocked to see that it looked like I had been riding her for a long time. I looked like I was doing everything right and riding her easily, but it sure didn't feel like that when I was on her back. It just felt so different, she moves completely different than my other. So some of it may be just kind of in your head a bit sometimes I think. But I've spent a lot of time just hanging around her, taking care of her, doing ground work to get to know the way she moves. My black horse and I took 2 LONG years to finally click & get along, but I'm hoping she doesn't take as long. He goes into winter vacation after November and she'll be my only focus all winter before I haul them both next year. |
|
| |
|
 Member
Posts: 41
| Spend time with him, ride him, love him. Most important is spending time with him even if it's just brushing him or hanging out with him in the barn. |
|
| |
|
Duct Tape Bikini Girl
Posts: 2554
| From the ground up is the way to go!! Find his favorite brush and his favorite spot to be brushed! |
|
| |
Folks on-line