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 Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
    
Location: Georgia | Hello guys! Its been a while since I posted but I am in need of some BHW advice.
I have a coming 4 year old who is doing real good. She was a late bloomer so I needed to give her some extra time to grow and mature. I started working her on the barrel pattern about 2 months ago. Basically just been trotting between the barrels and walking through the turns. I have a busy schedule but I typically ride her about 3 times a week. So shes maybe done this about 15-20 times and seems to be super solid at that speed. So I feel like we are ready for the next step. Today, I asked her to lope in between the barrels and it was a bit of a disaster. She acted like she had never loped a straight line in her life or even been through the pattern so it was VERY messy. I have always heard if it falls apart when you add speed then it means you need to go back and do more work at a slower pace. However, she does everything pretty darn well so I'm not sure what to do here. Can someone just tell me if this is normal for their first time attempting to lope through? Even if they are actually ready for the added speed? At the end of our workout today I did work on just loping her in straight lines across my arena and she did fine. At the point of asking for a lope, do you guys still ask them to rate down? Or do you just move them through the pattern at a continuous lope? Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. This filly has a lot of potential so I want to be sure I am doing things the correct way.
ALSO, she is currently in a D-ring. I am thinking I might need to step her up to something different for pattern work because she has started to lean on it just slightly. I dont want it to turn into a habit. What would you guys recommend? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
| I have only started two horses on barrels, but neither were super pretty the first few times I went through at a lope. If it's a huge mess, I would lope exercises similar to the pattern, but not the pattern. I would set up several barrels (if you have them) and just work on lines and turns while keeping a good form. As far as asking them to rate, I think it depends on the horse. The first horse I had he was very high energy and really had to instill rate into his mind. The current one is a lazy sack of potatoes. haha! Before starting the pattern I taught my horse that posting trot means extended trot and when I sit deep it means jog. When I added the pattern in, I did a posting trot up to the barrel and sit deep around it. You can then do it at the lope. This tactic worked well for my lazy one. When you say shes leaning on you, is she pulling on your hands or dumping her shoulder in? Regardless your right, you should address that promptly. As far as bits, this is the current one i have my recent training victim in. I really like it, however you can probably find something similar for a better price. https://www.bigdweb.com/product/myler+neil+merrill+ss+short+shank+ga... |
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 Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | cn1705 - 2018-03-21 3:32 AM
I have only started two horses on barrels, but neither were super pretty the first few times I went through at a lope. If it's a huge mess, I would lope exercises similar to the pattern, but not the pattern. I would set up several barrels (if you have them ) and just work on lines and turns while keeping a good form. As far as asking them to rate, I think it depends on the horse. The first horse I had he was very high energy and really had to instill rate into his mind. The current one is a lazy sack of potatoes. haha! Before starting the pattern I taught my horse that posting trot means extended trot and when I sit deep it means jog. When I added the pattern in, I did a posting trot up to the barrel and sit deep around it. You can then do it at the lope. This tactic worked well for my lazy one. When you say shes leaning on you, is she pulling on your hands or dumping her shoulder in? Regardless your right, you should address that promptly. As far as bits, this is the current one i have my recent training victim in. I really like it, however you can probably find something similar for a better price. https://www.bigdweb.com/product/myler+neil+merrill+ss+short+shank+ga...
Agreed, some younger horses are just still a little unbalanced and need some extra time working with them. I'd say keep loping her and depending on what riding style she already has you can measure if you need to lope her around the barrels or trot. If she seems more of a lazy horse, by all means lope her around the barrels; but if she if a little more on the go side then I'd rate her down to a trot. Doing all lefts and all rights will help her become a little more coordinated with the barrels without actually doing the pattern. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 542
| Go to training barrel horses.com and watch jolene's video on "breaking their gate" she talks about her and Kassie's style of transitioning down at barrels. It'll explain it in an easy to understand way.
Also, the first time you do things it's going to be messy and not perfect. Don't scold the colt or think your training isn't working because the first time you do something it isn't perfect. Give them some time to catch on....your first few times not going slow aren't going to be perfect.
If the colt is getting chargey and "taking the bit" or leaning on it use a mouth piece with more breaks....I'm a huge chain mouth piece fan but they don't fit everyone's hands.
I'm currently loving colts being in what's now being called the "craig brooks bit" https://www.shallowcreekbits.com/collections/combination-bits-1
It's SC- 075 on the above link. I just started riding with this one and I'm really liking it as a step up from an o-ring.
Edited by runfastturnsmooth 2018-03-21 7:54 AM
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | My thought has alwas been, "If they aren't allowed to make mistakes, they never truely learn anything."
I let my colts pick their speed. I have 2 - 3yos right now that I am starting on the barrels. Some days it is a total disaster and we just stop and regroup the next day. I try to let them lope if they feel like loping, but I mostly trot the pattern. Every one I have started will eventually start loping on their own, you don't have to force it.
One the bit issue. Try a draw bit. You will get a little more bite, but it's close to the same motion as a snaffle.
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | clover girl - 2018-03-21 8:37 AM
My thought has alwas been, "If they aren't allowed to make mistakes, they never truely learn anything."
I let my colts pick their speed. I have 2 - 3yos right now that I am starting on the barrels. Some days it is a total disaster and we just stop and regroup the next day. I try to let them lope if they feel like loping, but I mostly trot the pattern. Every one I have started will eventually start loping on their own, you don't have to force it.
One the bit issue. Try a draw bit. You will get a little more bite, but it's close to the same motion as a snaffle.
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I second the draw bit.
And letting them find their way. It's OK if it isn't perfect, as long as they are trying to work and have good form/body position in my opinion. Last night I took my 5yo to a practice night open arena just to have a relaxing ride bc I ran him twice this month. He's been entered, but he's still very "new."
I was very pleased with him even though we kinda "wobbled" around a couple barrels, he wants to move in/out bc he just isn't 100% confident where I want him. But he was driving with his hip under himself, kept his shoulder up, had forward motion, and was trying to work. I will not fault him for that. Last night I had no plans of nitpicking him - I try to nitpick at home with no barrels set up.
So just keep at it, ride her through her wobbles and zig zagging. She'll figure it out!! |
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Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia | Thank you guys for the replies! I took the advice and did some regrouping over the past few days. I took her to local jackpot last night and worked her in exhibitions and I was very happy with her! It was a big pattern so she had more room in between the barrels to lope straight and smooth. My pattern at home isn't real big so Im thinking she needs more time to comfortably get into a lope and break her gait down. It's a learning process! We have a long way to go but I feel a bit more confident about our path after reading the experiences you guys shared.
As far as draw bits, which one do you guys prefer?
I'm going to look into that Craigs Brooks bit also. I like the machanics of it!
Edited by Runninbay 2018-03-23 10:39 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 542
| I didn't suggest the draw bit but I could not live with it on colts or open horses they all get rode once a week with it and if I breeze them out thats whats in their mouth. I LOVE my loomis wire top with a thin twisted mouth...I've probably got every mouth piece in a loomis wire top lol |
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