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 Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
   
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | Just curious. When are muddy conditions usually ok to run in and what is probably not ok to run in? |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | Hard pan underneath or deep, sticky are my hard limits. I will not run if the other nights have dry runs as well.
I get excited about sand in the mud. I also don't mind arenas that ususally take a lot of water to make them good. Usually a sandy loam or clay mix. If the mud is safe I don't mind running and if everyone has the same chance (like at a 1 day rodeo). |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| Good question!
I may be making a mud run tomorrow night. Typically very nice sand pen...but have had a lot of rain. Clearing off tonight and tomorrow, so hope that helps! |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| I absolutely LOVE running in adverse conditions! That’s when the real horses shine. So many horses today are spoiled on perfectly manicured ground and ideal conditions. All my horses learn where to put their feet and pick up checks anywhere I ask them
To run. You may have to strategize and ride different, but that’s half the fun! I agree though, if other perfs were dry , that sucks. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I'm really not one to answer this as I don't really know. I know pens get reputations for being good for rain and bad for rain... And it depends on the horse. I had one mare who ran on anything- the deeper, the better. Ground never seemed to bother her. I had another who had to have good barrel race ground or it wouldn't be good. And that mare had more lameness/maintenance issues than the previous one so I feel that had a lot to do with it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | I have one that the worse the ground the better she runs |
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 Peecans
| FLITASTIC - 2018-06-22 1:23 PM
I absolutely LOVE running in adverse conditions! That’s when the real horses shine. So many horses today are spoiled on perfectly manicured ground and ideal conditions. All my horses learn where to put their feet and pick up checks anywhere I ask them
To run. You may have to strategize and ride different, but that’s half the fun! I agree though, if other perfs were dry , that sucks.
The best horse I ever had ALWAYS placed in the mud, he loved it I loved running in it when I had him. All my horses are ranch and feed lot rode all seasons so they will work and stand up in any ground... but he was by far the best I've ever had. He really loved to work in mud and he didn't splash much like other horses in the photos at the barrel, hardly turned up any water.... I miss him :( |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Here’s another question - when do you decide to stop entering when rodeos are 2 weeks out but it’s raining every day now....
I have 1 horse ready to run and he’s also a lot of fun at jackpots...told my husband is this is the weather pattern we’re setting ourselves up for I’ll probably back off the rodeos and enter a few extra big indoor jackpots instead. My colt can go with me to those as well and gain experience, better bang for my buck.
Understand it’s rodeo...buuuut I don’t have the cajones when it comes to running in the mud so I’ll be donating anyway. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| I have ridden in the arena here since 1959. I think I know the ground pretty well. When it rains hard here, the parking area is IMPOSSIBLE. One year the arena was standing in water--it doesn't drain well. Girls were turning around and leaving. I caught a few of them and told them the arena is super fast when it is muddy. Run out there hard. The times the first night were at least 8 tenths of a second faster than the second and third night when the arena dried up some. Know your arenas. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| OhMax - 2018-06-24 6:11 PM
Here’s another question - when do you decide to stop entering when rodeos are 2 weeks out but it’s raining every day now....
I have 1 horse ready to run and he’s also a lot of fun at jackpots...told my husband is this is the weather pattern we’re setting ourselves up for I’ll probably back off the rodeos and enter a few extra big indoor jackpots instead. My colt can go with me to those as well and gain experience, better bang for my buck.
Understand it’s rodeo...buuuut I don’t have the cajones when it comes to running in the mud so I’ll be donating anyway.
I'd say go with your gut. I entered a rodeo for this past weekend. They got RECORD rainfall. It was soup Thurs and Fri...I held out. My gut said it'll get better, just do it. Sat perf was muddy but sticky; ground held good. It was also my mares first rodeo. I threw a lot at her and she did great. Although, I think she's still pouting because I got her THAT dirty.  |
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Veteran
Posts: 217
| This is going to be a beginner question, but learning all the technical sides now.
To go along with this... How can you tell the arena has a hard pan underneath it?
ETA: Can you teach a horse to be a mud horse? Or is it more the horse's grit themselves?
Edited by mgander 2018-06-25 11:03 AM
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | Running in the mud isnt bad just messy. .lol.....i wont run when its straight clay or black dirt and if its hard as cement underneath..all to slick and dangerous....over time a person gets to know the arenas in the area and you know what can handle what....m |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| mgander - 2018-06-25 12:00 PM This is going to be a beginner question, but learning all the technical sides now. To go along with this... How can you tell the arena has a hard pan underneath it? ETA: Can you teach a horse to be a mud horse? Or is it more the horse's grit themselves?
i rann with some girl that said watch the bcking horses if they slip u gonna slip if they don/t you good but know ur horse and capabilities
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| RedHead84 - 2018-06-25 8:21 AM
OhMax - 2018-06-24 6:11 PM
Here’s another question - when do you decide to stop entering when rodeos are 2 weeks out but it’s raining every day now....
I have 1 horse ready to run and he’s also a lot of fun at jackpots...told my husband is this is the weather pattern we’re setting ourselves up for I’ll probably back off the rodeos and enter a few extra big indoor jackpots instead. My colt can go with me to those as well and gain experience, better bang for my buck.
Understand it’s rodeo...buuuut I don’t have the cajones when it comes to running in the mud so I’ll be donating anyway.
I'd say go with your gut. I entered a rodeo for this past weekend. They got RECORD rainfall. It was soup Thurs and Fri...I held out. My gut said it'll get better, just do it. Sat perf was muddy but sticky; ground held good. It was also my mares first rodeo. I threw a lot at her and she did great. Although, I think she's still pouting because I got her THAT dirty.
Yeah...I know my limits when I’m there and looking at it. It’s when I have to decide to commit the entry fee 2 weeks or more in advance and we can’t get the faucet to shut off.
And yes - watching the bucking stock as well as the calf ropers and break away horses stop will give you a good idea of what it’s like. |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| There is a lady in this area that has run in every pen around here and probably most in the US. She does not rodeo any more. Most of the girls that run WPRA have her get them up in rodeos. She knows which night to run and how the ground holds up from night to night. Which arenas are slick in the mud. She knows which rodeos have the most added money. Which rodeos are closest together. Pretty important to those who make their living. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | streakysox - 2018-06-24 11:49 PM
I have ridden in the arena here since 1959. I think I know the ground pretty well. When it rains hard here, the parking area is IMPOSSIBLE. One year the arena was standing in water--it doesn't drain well. Girls were turning around and leaving. I caught a few of them and told them the arena is super fast when it is muddy. Run out there hard. The times the first night were at least 8 tenths of a second faster than the second and third night when the arena dried up some. Know your arenas.
Our arena in Hamburg is like that---when it gets the right amount of rain, it's awesome! It almost always rains during the rodeo, and when we were in the riding club, I would have people call me to make sure it WAS raining!!!!
Edited by Chandler's Mom 2018-06-25 9:11 PM
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 Saint Stacey
| It depends on the horse and how well the stand up. If the horse really leans, mud (unless it’s sandy) is a bad idea. A horse that stands upright in the turn and stays balanced usually won’t have a problem. But the rider also needs to stay balanced to help the horse. So if the horse stands up but the jockey likes to lean, you could have problems. |
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Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | OhMax - 2018-06-24 4:11 PM
Here’s another question - when do you decide to stop entering when rodeos are 2 weeks out but it’s raining every day now....
I have 1 horse ready to run and he’s also a lot of fun at jackpots...told my husband is this is the weather pattern we’re setting ourselves up for I’ll probably back off the rodeos and enter a few extra big indoor jackpots instead. My colt can go with me to those as well and gain experience, better bang for my buck.
Understand it’s rodeo...buuuut I don’t have the cajones when it comes to running in the mud so I’ll be donating anyway.
That's kind of what spurred this discussion. When you enter (pro rodeos anyway), you have no idea what the weather is going to be like ahead of time. I was entered in a rodeo last week but the arena was under water right before slack but not during the perfs. I can't remember what they said it was underneath but I chickened out, didn't want to hurt my horses.
There comes a time when you need to get them used to the mud but it was not going to be then. It's difficult to appreciate moisture when it literally dampens your plans, ok off my soapbox lol. |
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