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 Born not Made
Posts: 2930
   
Location: North Dakota | Very happy with the two runs I made this weekend, although my shins aren't. 
Red ran in his second-ever amateur rodeo slack, although this was run after the performance at 10:45 PM .... after the huge booming fireworks display .... in the dark. He handled it all like an old pro, even though he'd never done any of that before. Was very proud of him. I didn't get that run on video. He stumbled coming into the 1st barrel and still worked hard for me to get around it. We just barely caught the 2nd barrel as we were leaving it, and he had a good 3rd barrel. We clocked a 16.9 something (without the 5 sec penalty, of course). I'm not for sure, but I believe a 15.3 something won it. So if he hadn't stumbled, I'm sure we would have been around a 16.5 or so. For how "soft" we tipped over that 2nd barrel, my left shin was missing a little skin. Ouch.
With very little sleep  we went to a family rodeo the next day. He has been to this arena once before and it could tell he knew where we were. Actually got pumped up before his barrel run! Unfortunately, we caught the 1st barrel as we were leaving it. (Now my right shin is bruised to match my left shin). But overall, I was very happy with his run. We clocked a 17.564 (without the tipped barrel) and in my age division it was a 16.4 that won it. I'm not sure if that was the fastest time of the entire day as I didn't hear all of them.
Here's the video to that run:
http://youtu.be/TobtxiMrS1Q
I know he still has more speed to give. We are still getting there. I feel like the 2nd barrel was wider on the backside that I wanted, but then again my left shin was well out of harm's way.
What do you see that I can do differently as a rider? (Besides lift my leg out of the darn way  ) One thing I always tell myself before I run but I just can't seem to get myself to do, is to "lift" my hand up instead of pulling back toward my knee. Can't seem to get my darn muscle memory to change.
This weekend was his 4th and 5th run since getting his hocks injected (hocks are fusing).
Edited by r_beau 2014-07-07 4:06 PM
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| Good to see you have a helmet on. The horse is trying to work for you. I think the main thing that will help improve your time is to get the horse is shape so he feels like running. He is a bit on the plump side. |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | He almost looks short strided in the front to me.. have you had any soundness issues in the front? |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | Honeymoney - 2014-07-07 9:54 AM Good to see you have a helmet on. The horse is trying to work for you. I think the main thing that will help improve your time is to get the horse is shape so he feels like running. He is a bit on the plump side. If memory serves me correct I think you tell the OP on every post she has of this horse that you think the horse is unfit. I've seen her horse in person and he IS NOT fat, nor is he on the "plump" side. He is fit. What you probably don't realize, since you've never seen him in person, is it's his breeding that contributes to his size. I own a brother to this horse and they are BIG horses :)
Where I think your losing your time Brittany is on the turn; he is cutting you off and not get up far enough into the turn to get his body around it. I believe its why you tipped the first and why he kicks his back lead on the second and sort of drifts off the turn in the back end. When they are up far enough into the turn and get their hip by they will automatically snap around and shoot off the barrel like a rocket. Make it easy for him and he'll show you the difference on the clock. JMO
ETA: I watched the video again and Aceinthehole may be right. He has a lot more knee action that what I've seen in the past and does look a little short strided in the front.
Edited by WYOTurn-n-Burn 2014-07-07 10:14 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I agree he looks sore on the front end. I know you have treated for hocks.
If you look at first barrel, it looks like you didn't check him, he didn't shorten his stride till the back side and he dumped on his front end, you need to get him to drive with the hind and not slow down using the front.
On second it didn't look like you checked him, as he didn't really shape up, it is hard to tell as the video is far away. He also left the second on the wrong lead, this will cost you time.
Edited by cheryl makofka 2014-07-07 10:58 AM
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Born not Made
Posts: 2930
Location: North Dakota | HoneyMoney: This is not the first time you've called my horse FAT and trust me, he is not. I can't help that he's a big chunky quarter horse.
Venus Williams is never going to look like a slender supermodel. She's got "substance" to her. In that same mindset, my horse is never going to look like a Thoroughbred. Give it a rest.
AceintheHole: Hey, good eye!  I have recently put him back into a 2 degree wedge pad (about 2 to 3 weeks ago). We discovered a slight "off" to his front end last year that the wedges helped. I tried a regular shoe this year to see if it would do the trick, but it did not. He still feels slightly off to me, but it is better this week than it was last week, which was better than the week before. I'm really watching him closely, but he does seem to be improving now that I've got him back in the wedges again.
Vet's theory is that he is slightly pigeon-toed and his joint spaces are slightly crooked in his pasterns, which is putting slight uneven pressure to cause the soreness. Left is slightly worse than right. X-rays have not changed after a year's time (we redid them this year) so it doesn't appear to be progressing, which is good.
WYO: So in this video, I need to take him one more stride into the 1st barrel before starting to turn? When I ran him in Strasburg, I made the mistake of making too big of a pocket. He really doesn't need much room to turn. So this weekend I was trying to make sure I ran him in somewhat close to the barrel. Still kind of trying to figure out exactly where I need to place him so he can turn his best.
How did you think his 3rd barrel looked?
Cheryl: I'm trying to find a balance on how much I need to check him and when. I can certainly see that I could ask him for a little shape before we turn.
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | He still looks really sore, hes short strided, and watch how he keeps switching leads going into the 3rd barrel. Hes either sore are confused about leads. And you need to check him more going into the barrels. |
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Born not Made
Posts: 2930
Location: North Dakota | Southtxponygirl - 2014-07-07 10:42 AM watch how he keeps switching leads going into the 3rd barrel. Hes either sore are confused about leads. I did see that on the video, on the way to the 3rd, but I am really not overly concerned about that.
I do LOTS of other events with him besides barrels, as well as gaming events. He's kinda "ready" to jump on either side of the barrel for me because he doesn't always know which way we are going to go, depending on which gaming event we are doing.
Also, I have been working with him a ton on flying lead changes (I also compete in reining on him) and the last couple days he's been REALLY good about them. (as in: I barely touch his side and he's switching something with his feet down there!) Very possible he could have been confused about my legs there, going to the 3rd barrel.
So I"m thinking it was more a confusion factor on the way to the 3rd barrel.
Edited by r_beau 2014-07-07 10:48 AM
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I see front end soreness as well. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | r_beau - 2014-07-07 10:46 AM Southtxponygirl - 2014-07-07 10:42 AM watch how he keeps switching leads going into the 3rd barrel. Hes either sore are confused about leads. I did see that on the video, on the way to the 3rd, but I am really not overly concerned about that.
I do LOTS of other events with him besides barrels, as well as gaming events. He's kinda "ready" to jump on either side of the barrel for me because he doesn't always know which way we are going to go, depending on which gaming event we are doing.
Also, I have been working with him a ton on flying lead changes (I also compete in reining on him) and the last couple days he's been REALLY good about them. (as in: I barely touch his side and he's switching something with his feet down there!) Very possible he could have been confused about my legs there, going to the 3rd barrel.
So I"m thinking it was more a confusion factor on the way to the 3rd barrel.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2014-07-07 10:57 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Three 4 Luck - 2014-07-07 10:53 AM
I see front end soreness as well.
I see the front soreness on the way home, he looks very ouchy and not wanting to stride out and his feet are not landing on the ground properly.
If I recall this horse has also had front end problems. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I don't have a lot of experience with front end soreness but it does look like he is sore, almost like he's bracing his head and neck in the same position while he's running because of the soreness?
I think you could wrap that second better... he lost some time on the backside. nice run! |
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Born not Made
Posts: 2930
Location: North Dakota | cheryl makofka - 2014-07-07 10:59 AM If I recall this horse has also had front end problems.
Yes, and I explain that above.
I appreciate the concern with the soreness guys, I really do, but it is being addressed. He's back in the wedges and if that doesn't work with time, then I'll take the next step. But they need the opportunity to work. He is a short-strided horse. He's not a big leggy guy. I do realize there is some soreness there, but part of it is the way he personally travels.
I'm really not looking for tips on soreness, but looking for tips on what I can do differently with my riding to best guide him through the pattern, as some folks have already given. Thank you.
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | r_beau - 2014-07-07 11:19 AM cheryl makofka - 2014-07-07 10:59 AM If I recall this horse has also had front end problems. Yes, and I explain that above.
I appreciate the concern with the soreness guys, I really do, but it is being addressed. He's back in the wedges and if that doesn't work with time, then I'll take the next step. But they need the opportunity to work. He is a short-strided horse. He's not a big leggy guy. I do realize there is some soreness there, but part of it is the way he personally travels.
I'm really not looking for tips on soreness, but looking for tips on what I can do differently with my riding to best guide him through the pattern, as some folks have already given. Thank you.
Edited by Three 4 Luck 2014-07-07 11:44 AM
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Three 4 Luck - 2014-07-07 11:42 AM r_beau - 2014-07-07 11:19 AM cheryl makofka - 2014-07-07 10:59 AM If I recall this horse has also had front end problems. Yes, and I explain that above.
I appreciate the concern with the soreness guys, I really do, but it is being addressed. He's back in the wedges and if that doesn't work with time, then I'll take the next step. But they need the opportunity to work. He is a short-strided horse. He's not a big leggy guy. I do realize there is some soreness there, but part of it is the way he personally travels.
I'm really not looking for tips on soreness, but looking for tips on what I can do differently with my riding to best guide him through the pattern, as some folks have already given. Thank you.
That pony can get it! those little legs are flying! Too cute :) |
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Veteran
Posts: 170
| There is nothing that your riding can do to make a horse work through pain... Too me he looks like a horse running as best as he can with obvious soreness. If it were my horse (and I've been there) I would not be competing with him until he is feeling better. JMO.  |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| r_beau - 2014-07-07 11:19 AM
cheryl makofka - 2014-07-07 10:59 AM If I recall this horse has also had front end problems.
Yes, and I explain that above.
I appreciate the concern with the soreness guys, I really do, but it is being addressed. He's back in the wedges and if that doesn't work with time, then I'll take the next step. But they need the opportunity to work. He is a short-strided horse. He's not a big leggy guy. I do realize there is some soreness there, but part of it is the way he personally travels.
I'm really not looking for tips on soreness, but looking for tips on what I can do differently with my riding to best guide him through the pattern, as some folks have already given. Thank you.
Sorry I just read the above comment.
Also wondering what do his feet look like, my guess is he may have contracted heels, and this could be causing him pain.
Can you post pictures of his front feet a side, front, hind and sole view.
I could be wrong |
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Born not Made
Posts: 2930
Location: North Dakota | cheryl makofka - 2014-07-07 12:00 PM r_beau - 2014-07-07 11:19 AM cheryl makofka - 2014-07-07 10:59 AM If I recall this horse has also had front end problems. Yes, and I explain that above.
I appreciate the concern with the soreness guys, I really do, but it is being addressed. He's back in the wedges and if that doesn't work with time, then I'll take the next step. But they need the opportunity to work. He is a short-strided horse. He's not a big leggy guy. I do realize there is some soreness there, but part of it is the way he personally travels.
I'm really not looking for tips on soreness, but looking for tips on what I can do differently with my riding to best guide him through the pattern, as some folks have already given. Thank you.
Sorry I just read the above comment. Also wondering what do his feet look like, my guess is he may have contracted heels, and this could be causing him pain. Can you post pictures of his front feet a side, front, hind and sole view. I could be wrong
Might be a day or two, but I can get some pictures.
Granted, I am not a farrier, but I do not believe he has contracted heels or anything of the sort. I use one of the BEST farriers in the area, as those who know me on BHW can vouch for.
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Born not Made
Posts: 2930
Location: North Dakota | MNcanchaser7 - 2014-07-07 11:51 AM There is nothing that your riding can do to make a horse work through pain... Too me he looks like a horse running as best as he can with obvious soreness. If it were my horse (and I've been there ) I would not be competing with him until he is feeling better. JMO.
Well some of the responses on BHW can be a cr@pshoot sometimes, as I just did recently make a very specific post regarding lameness, wondering about how he looks after his hock injections. While I did not get much feedback, no one said a word about his front end. I can only take things one run at a time.
http://forums.barrelhorseworld.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=451255&posts=5&mid=7014891&highlight=&highlightmode=1&action=search#M7014891
Soooooo since this has once again turned into a lameness thread, have at it:
http://youtu.be/ErljxPts_3k
http://youtu.be/M3IDUE9v5gc
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR |
Fixing soundness problems is like peeling onions. It's very common to fix one part, only to discover an issue somewhere else that didn't show up until the part that hurt worse was feeling better. Horses are awesome at compensating, but it makes it really hard on their humans. |
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