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 Expert
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Location: IL | I have a mare that I have been consistantly seasoning going on her 3rd season. The season hasn't started yet with this winter, but wanted tips to help her speed up. I do breeze her and she does run, but on the pattern she just won't. She is very ratey, I know she can be much quicker than what she is giving me. I have used a spanker and it does help, but she still doesn't seem like she wants to run. You can't kick her or she gets mad and slows down even more. I've put her in a hack and she runs the same. I only ride her in an o ring or carol goose tree. I think I'm over riding her, but some advice would be great to get her to go a little faster. She's not a cheater and is very honest mare. She has a hotter personality and you would think that she would go in there and be a free runner, but no. When I take her out and breeze her there are gears that I didn't even know she had until then...LOL |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | You have to teach them to do it. If you have slow worked the pattern a lot all she knows is to go slow. I feel that many drill too much on being perfect and forget to teach the speed (not saying that is what you did).
My 5yo doesn't run the whole pattern unless he is in a place he knows. I have started over-n-undering all the way to 3rd (he runs home every time) after we leave 2nd. When he picks that up I will move to whipping between 1 & 2, then to 1st. It usually only takes a couple races for them to figure out it is OK to run.
It does no good to get mine on the muscle before going in as he forgets to turn 1st, but if I wait to really ask for speed until we are already locked in, he hustles.
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | Thanks, I wish I had a big pattern to run her on. We have usually small patterns in IL. I don't want to hit her too much with the over and under cause she can get pretty upset and high strung. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| We had a cowbred mare like that. She liked to run hard straight, she LOVED working cows, especially if they were breaking away and we had to chase them, turn them and bring them back to the herd. So you would think she would not mind running hard and turning for barrels. Ummm no, she DID NOT like the barrels, she was a COWHORSE, thank you very much! Once we realized this, it was funny, but it sure wasn't at first. Not saying this is your horse's problem. It was just our experience with this particular mare. |
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | GLP - 2018-01-09 12:44 PM We had a cowbred mare like that. She liked to run hard straight, she LOVED working cows, especially if they were breaking away and we had to chase them, turn them and bring them back to the herd. So you would think she would not mind running hard and turning for barrels. Ummm no, she DID NOT like the barrels, she was a COWHORSE, thank you very much! Once we realized this, it was funny, but it sure wasn't at first. Not saying this is your horse's problem. It was just our experience with this particular mare.
Actually she is a foundation QH, 98% blackburn/poco bueno bred. She does like cows and is pretty much a good all around horse. She has won several awards in the 3D and her first year she was a tenth of winning the saddle at our NBHA state show. Hopefully I can get her to open up a little more. Sometimes she does just trying to get her more consistant. She is such a little gritty mare. |
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  JMHO
Posts: 1869
 
Location: Oklahoma | When you breeze her are you asking for her to run and then just letting her run or are you asking (with your feet) for more, more, more every stride?
My advice is when you breeze her keep asking for MORE (make her mad, use your feet!) untill you are ready to slow, then you slow her down but don't stop, then open her up again and keep asking for MORE again until you are ready to slow down or stop. Do this two or three times, let her get her air and go again. A big wide open field or race track would be great for this. I use cotton fields to do this with mine. Work through her getting mad crap out in the field so she will work for you in the arena. JMHO |
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | Dreamin of 3cans - 2018-01-09 2:31 PM When you breeze her are you asking for her to run and then just letting her run or are you asking (with your feet) for more, more, more every stride?
My advice is when you breeze her keep asking for MORE (make her mad, use your feet!) untill you are ready to slow, then you slow her down but don't stop, then open her up again and keep asking for MORE again until you are ready to slow down or stop. Do this two or three times, let her get her air and go again. A big wide open field or race track would be great for this. I use cotton fields to do this with mine. Work through her getting mad crap out in the field so she will work for you in the arena. JMHO
I just asked for speed, and once she gave me more than I thought she could run (LOL) I slowed her down. I also ran out of room! LOL I need a longer area. She kinda was mad when I asked but then gave it too me, so I rewarded her with slowing down and walking her out. I will try what you said though. I might be able to find a track around me. She ran so hard that she loosened her front shoe (LOL) and she didn't clip herself. I know she has it, I think I just need to show her. Thanks |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | I have one similar to this. I've been spending lots of time this winter on reaction time. When I kiss to her, I want her to pick up whatever lead I'm asking for, immediately. I've been doing lots of roll backs and lope offs . It's been helping a ton. I haven't been able to put her on the pattern since I've been working on this(winter and no indoor) but I must say I am loving the results so far, she isn't so lackadaisical and is really listening to me without me having to 'force' her into anything. She isn't crabby about it either :)
Edited by SmokinGirlie 2018-01-09 3:06 PM
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Sometimes you can't get them to run faster because they don't want to. Can't put heart and try into one.
Sometimes you have to break up, sell her to someone that's happy with her lack of speed, and buy a step up.
Edited to add:
Pasture breezing with a buddy if she truly doesn't know how to run. Also, pulling her off barrels and teaching her the pole pattern can be huge for a ratey horse, since its forward movement the whole way.
Edited by classicpotatochip 2018-01-09 3:08 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | Im going to give all this a try when i get mine back into shape. I know hes got it in him as well, he has heart and he loves to work but its like he knows he has to rate down so why speed up in between barrels. When we breeze in the pasture he gives it everything hes got, it jsut changes as soon as we get into the arena. He knows poles and LOVES them and hes good at em too. I swear he decided he likes poles better and slowed down on barrel so he doesnt have to do them anymore. Any other suggestions?? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | I also had a Poco Bueno bred gelding that didnt like to run. It took me years to figure him out. He didnt like to be kicked or whipped - he'd slow down or stop completely. He also didnt like anything in his mouth and he was being ran in a fat smooth mouth oring!! Wound up running him in an S hack or halter, couldnt kick him, I just sat up there and smooched like heck. Barrels were never to his liking really, but was solid 2D. Poles were his jam. He was wicked and tough to beat.
Find something she really enjoys. Whether it's poles, working cows, roping. Get her mind off of barrels for a bit and find ways to make running for her fun. Find a horse to race against when you are breezing her! Those Poco Bueno's are really really smart and sometimes it's hard to think outside of the box to out smart them! Good luck!
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| If things that others have mentioned don't work - you might let someone else you trust run her a couple of times. Sometimes a stranger on one or asking them different may speed them up. |
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 The best bad guy on the internet
Posts: 3519
Location: Arizona | merdth6 - 2018-01-09 9:34 AM
I have a mare that I have been consistantly seasoning going on her 3rd season. The season hasn't started yet with this winter, but wanted tips to help her speed up. I do breeze her and she does run, but on the pattern she just won't. She is very ratey, I know she can be much quicker than what she is giving me. I have used a spanker and it does help, but she still doesn't seem like she wants to run. You can't kick her or she gets mad and slows down even more. I've put her in a hack and she runs the same. I only ride her in an o ring or carol goose tree. I think I'm over riding her, but some advice would be great to get her to go a little faster. She's not a cheater and is very honest mare. She has a hotter personality and you would think that she would go in there and be a free runner, but no. When I take her out and breeze her there are gears that I didn't even know she had until then...LOL
I found this works on some...when you are at the practice pen or wherever you practice, instead of running to your first and second, run straight to your third barrel, with all your might, kicking whipping whatever gets her moving...turn the third and haul butt home! Do it again...make it fun for her. Then next time, do your normal pattern work and see if she catches on a bit about running fast. Also, if possible have you ever breezed your mare with another horse? This helps increase the speed too. :) Just some ideas. |
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | LIVE2RUN - 2018-01-22 2:32 PM merdth6 - 2018-01-09 9:34 AM I have a mare that I have been consistantly seasoning going on her 3rd season. The season hasn't started yet with this winter, but wanted tips to help her speed up. I do breeze her and she does run, but on the pattern she just won't. She is very ratey, I know she can be much quicker than what she is giving me. I have used a spanker and it does help, but she still doesn't seem like she wants to run. You can't kick her or she gets mad and slows down even more. I've put her in a hack and she runs the same. I only ride her in an o ring or carol goose tree. I think I'm over riding her, but some advice would be great to get her to go a little faster. She's not a cheater and is very honest mare. She has a hotter personality and you would think that she would go in there and be a free runner, but no. When I take her out and breeze her there are gears that I didn't even know she had until then...LOL I found this works on some...when you are at the practice pen or wherever you practice, instead of running to your first and second, run straight to your third barrel, with all your might, kicking whipping whatever gets her moving...turn the third and haul butt home! Do it again...make it fun for her. Then next time, do your normal pattern work and see if she catches on a bit about running fast. Also, if possible have you ever breezed your mare with another horse? This helps increase the speed too. : ) Just some ideas.
Thanks, I will pace her off another horse. She does have that mentality of not wanting another horse in front of her. Maybe she will free up some. |
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