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 Member
Posts: 14
| Hey barrel racers! I have a throw out there question, what do you do to keep your horse comfortable when competing, hauling, and just when ever? Now I ask this because I am having to turn my breakaway horse into my barrel horse (she is surprisingly good lol!) and I have to do both events off of her this up coming college season. Now like most of you my horse is my baby girl! I just want to keep her feeling good and working sharp. Now I use shavings LOTS but I was thinking about getting some (expensive but seems worth it) soft ride boots. So what do you guys suggest or what is your trick to keeping your horses happy happy happy? |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
  
Location: Kansas | I am copying and pasting a reply I posted on a previous thread called "Keeping a good horse good" because it applies here too. Here is a link to the whole thread: http://forums.barrelhorseworld.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=440517
I swear the best thing for a horse is turnout time. My rodeo horse was stalled from Wednesday evening until Saturday evening at rodeo finals over the weekend and he was stiff and not moving well each time we got him out of the stall. He is turned out at home with room to run and the confinement took a toll on him even with Soft Ride boots all the way around. If I have to stall him for a weekend, I try to take him for frequent walks to keep him loosened up.
I also trail ride mine. I don't work them in an arena and rarely work barrels at home. My goal during the week is just to exercise them and keep them happy, so I spend most of my time riding through hay fields and pastures. If I can move cattle on them, I will. Anything to keep them on their toes, especially my good rodeo horse.
As far as expensive therapy stuff, I have just slowly worked my way up to having some of it. When I had a good weekend running barrels or got a bonus at work, I tried to find a way to buy something off my wish list. One time it was a pair of Soft Ride boots, another time it was a PHT blanket, and most recently I replaced my first pair of Soft Rides. Over the past two years, I have been able to buy 5 pairs of Soft Rides, the PHT blanket, PHT bell boots, PHT 3-in-1s (2 prs), and a Photonic torch just by using windfall money like when I got lucky and won the 5D at Bonus Race Finals. I certainly don't have an unlimited budget and in fact spent right at a year without a full-time job, and three months without any real job, but I stalk those Facebook pages with used tack and have gotten some killer deals there. Just decide what is the most important thing for your horse and watch for a good deal on it. You don't have to be rich to have nice things and take good care of your horse. Lord knows my horses are spoiled because I spend all my money on them!
And another reply I posted on there:
The first thing I did for mine was buy magnetic hock wraps. I bought the cheap ones first, then saved up enough money to buy PHT and sold the cheap ones to recoup some of my cost. I saw enough benefits with the cheap magnets to splurge on PHT. I am also not afraid to sell something if its not giving me results. Case in point - PHT blanket. I owned it from June to Labor Day and sold it because there was ZERO difference in how my horses (I tried it on two different ones) clocked, worked or acted when I used it vs. when I didn't. That money went to buy the photonic torch, which I like better because its more specific. It is more time-intensive but I don't mind that because it gives me an excuse to go over my horses with a fine tooth comb.
Honestly the best thing for each horse has varied. My rodeo horse - best thing for him is Soft Ride boots and PHT bell boots when he's turned out. My old gelding - PHT 3-in-1 wraps that I put on his hocks prior to each run. My younger off the track horse - I haven't really seen enough difference with anything to know what's the best bang for my buck with him. I'm thinking he needs a little bitty buddy (OK maybe I just want to be cool like RockinGR and have a pony LOL).
My rodeo horse & my ex racehorse are shod, rodeo horse has pads on his front feet. Old man is barefoot and always has been. I am obsessive about where I tie them, where I walk them, etc., when we're on the road. I avoid gravel roads like the plague and if at all possible will not park on pavement.
One of the best perks of dating Matt is that he hauls a 30 gallon water tank in his truck so we have plenty of water! I love being able to take off for a barrel race without having to fill my two 5-gallon jugs. I just make sure I have buckets & bucket straps and I use the water he hauls. Even if my horses haven't been at his place in a week, they'll drink the water every time. LOVE IT!!
I also want to second the suggestion to KNOW YOUR HORSE. Know what's normal and what's not. When my gray horse runs past a barrel two runs in a row, there is always an underlying problem. Once in a while he'll slide past if the ground is slick hardpan, but if its decent, he turns. If my bay horse starts refusing the gate, he needs a mental health vacation and probably some more Adequan shots. I have been the crazy barrel racer who took my horse to the vet in search of a problem that was really a training/seasoning issue but ya know what, I felt better knowing for sure and considered it money well spent both times. |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
 
| Platinum Performance, regular massages. I don't ride mine as often as I should but regular workouts and I mean workouts make them feel like running. The only time that mine are in stalls is when they eat in the morning and at night. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | For my breakaway horse, quarterly Chiro adjustments, stretching and SNM poultice. I don't have any fancy machines or blankets yet. I also let him graze as much as possible when we travel. Yeah, could be dangerous but I trust my horse to not eat something poisonous. JMO!! |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| I agree with Joker - turnout is VERY important - even with my off the track gelding who was raised in a stall - he almost acts depressed when he doesn't get to go to the pasture. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I agree, let them be horses. Mine are turned out except for bad weather and the heat. In the summer they are up under fans in the middle of the day. In my new barn I built 15x15 stalls that open to 50x35 runs so they have room when up too. I have one gelding that is a powerhouse and spooky, sees everything type of horse. He was way too much horse for me so I let my trainer take him for a year for her daughter to ride- off my feed bill plus he had the consistent tuning and confident rider that he needed. He got turn out time at her place but she keeps her horses seperated, especially an outside horse so they won't get kicked, etc. I got him back and was advised that he needed to be ridden everyday or he would regress. He has been back a year and here he is turned out with my other 3 and is back with his best bud who they will eat out of the same bin together if you let them. I pony him 1 day a week and he swims twice a week to keep legged up- he never gets a bit in his mouth except at a race. He is solid, solid from the time at their house and I attribute his not needing the daily riding because he is so relaxed and happy to be back out with his bud. I feed soaked beet pulp and a ration balancer- Progressive proadd ultimate, alfalfa. Horses look great and feel great, always playing. I use soft rides when hauling, ice boots after every run, they get to roll after every run- part of our routine. All of mine are finished and never see a barrel unless we are at a race. We trail ride, do obstacles, always looking for something diffrent to so with them. It is great that yours ropes too, it is so good for them. My daughter used to break away on all of ours just for fun.
Edited by rodeomom3 2013-12-11 6:48 AM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | Shavings (not even kidding, my mare loves them in the trailer), turnout 24/7, regular chiro work, good feed program |
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Member
Posts: 14
| I'm going to bump this back up to see what anybody else has to offer! What everybody posted so far was great! I completely agree with them being turned out, mine are always in a pasture when I'm home. So Does anybody else have something to add? |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4641
Location: Texas | I don't lock mine up in a stall, ever. When the weather gets bad, the barn and their stalls are open to them to come and go as they please. When I'm hauling, I always spend time just walking my horses around, letting them graze and just be horses. I do a lot of exploring on my horses and just riding around. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 414
| I use a lot of hydro therapy and PHT. Good trailer mats are a must. Keep your trailer tires balanced with proper air pressure. Lots of turn out. Keep them physically fit. And lastly a great vet |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 412
Location: In Husker Land | I rodeo hard from about mid April to end of September or middle of October.On the road iI use PHT blankets, bell boots, and hock wraps, along with sore no more. Use Platinum Performance Supplements, the CJ, FORCO, and keep companions with them. I believe in giving them breaks. I don't do anything with them from October to March. She goes hard
All summer and she deserves a break. I also only try to hit two rodeos a week. Will ocassionaly hit three but rarely. She loves just being a horse during the winter where she can relax and eat and relax :) |
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 Purveyor of unconventional wisdom
Posts: 17112
Location: CA | I feed them :) lol |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 421
| Every horse has the different things they like. Some like being left alone. My favorite (and only horse right now) loves attention I sit in the corner of his stall and he harasses me with his nose head and anything thing else. He gives kisses and expects kisses and chin scratching's in return. Is a total cookie hog, so he gets them all the time. I believe mental happiness is a big part of overall heath so I always try to keep up with the mental things as well as physical things.
Good fitting saddles! But if you are in a cold enough climate, good fitting blankets too (I think this is overlooked sometimes people think a blanket is a blanket.) PHT and BOT therapy, cold hosing legs religiously, good gentle warm ups. Good grain, good hay and lots of it and free choice minerals. WATER I hate to see when horses a tied at trailers and people don't hang water buckets for them, they just offer it from time to time, I want them to have access to it when they want it, not just when I find it convenient to wander over and offer some.
Truly good farrier and vet especially ones that care and love the animals they are working on. |
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