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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
  
Location: USA | I have a horse who is refusing to turn the first barrel going right. Make a long story short, I switched her to the left hoping it'd work, and now my second barrel (which is the first barrel going the other direction) is my problem. She sometimes just flat refuses to work it. She'll do fine slow but the moment you add ANY speed, and by speed I mean a medium paced lope, she acts like a total idiot and won't turn it. I have to circle and circle until she turns it right and then we move on. If she works it at a decent pace at home then we're done - she gets unsaddled and hosed off. She's not sore. Teeth are good. No ulcers. Chiro work done. I'm stumped. I really don't want to throw in the towel but I'm tired of throwing money at her and really not seeing improvements. Any words of advice?
Edited by Dreamingofcans 2014-09-29 5:46 PM
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Posts: 164
| Can she pick up a lope from a stop? Lope her to the barrel, stop. Wait a few seconds until she isn't "hyped up" then ask her to pick up her right lead from a stop and turn the barrel. You can ask her to stop farther away from the barrel with time and get some speed going. Maybe it could help her calm her mind a bit before the turn. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| Have you had a good lameness vet take a look at her? Trained barrel horses don't just refuse because they wake up and think, "Screw it, I'm done!" I'd bet good money she is sore. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | kramerica - 2014-09-29 5:51 PM Have you had a good lameness vet take a look at her? Trained barrel horses don't just refuse because they wake up and think, "Screw it, I'm done!" I'd bet good money she is sore.
Yes, the guy I went to is very reputable. I knew when I got her that she was really sore - had it all taken care of. Had her teeth done by my dentist, chiro work done. I had her off the pattern for a good 5 weeks while I got her to gain some weight and just worked on the basics - flexing at the poll, lateral flexion, disengaging her hip and shoulders, really getting collected at a trot and lope. I immediately slowed her down when working the pattern bc she just wanted to haul butt in there like a freight train and not rate down, get collected, and set for the turn. I got her to where I could slop lope around it and she would turn. Did that about once or twice a week for a few weeks. Gradually started adding minute amounts of speeds but then she gets all spazzed out and it's like her brain quits working. I'd ride her through it and once I got her mind refocused, she'd work it. Anytime I would add a small amount of speed, she'd get all cray cray (half-a$$ attempts at rearing) and not want to turn the first barrel. So, after weeks and weeks of no improvement, I switched her to the left. Well, guess what, my second barrel, that dreaded right hand turn, she's refusing to turn it. She'll turn the third fine though. I'm at a total loss. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | HannahRodeoCowgirl - 2014-09-29 5:49 PM Can she pick up a lope from a stop? Lope her to the barrel, stop. Wait a few seconds until she isn't "hyped up" then ask her to pick up her right lead from a stop and turn the barrel. You can ask her to stop farther away from the barrel with time and get some speed going. Maybe it could help her calm her mind a bit before the turn.
Yes, she can. I can try it, I'm willing to try anything. I really don't want to give up on her, but jeez. She's got to earn her keep around here and she's not. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Dreamingofcans - 2014-09-29 6:05 PM kramerica - 2014-09-29 5:51 PM Have you had a good lameness vet take a look at her? Trained barrel horses don't just refuse because they wake up and think, "Screw it, I'm done!" I'd bet good money she is sore. Yes, the guy I went to is very reputable. I knew when I got her that she was really sore - had it all taken care of. Had her teeth done by my dentist, chiro work done. I had her off the pattern for a good 5 weeks while I got her to gain some weight and just worked on the basics - flexing at the poll, lateral flexion, disengaging her hip and shoulders, really getting collected at a trot and lope. I immediately slowed her down when working the pattern bc she just wanted to haul butt in there like a freight train and not rate down, get collected, and set for the turn. I got her to where I could slop lope around it and she would turn. Did that about once or twice a week for a few weeks. Gradually started adding minute amounts of speeds but then she gets all spazzed out and it's like her brain quits working. I'd ride her through it and once I got her mind refocused, she'd work it. Anytime I would add a small amount of speed, she'd get all cray cray (half-a$$ attempts at rearing) and not want to turn the first barrel. So, after weeks and weeks of no improvement, I switched her to the left. Well, guess what, my second barrel, that dreaded right hand turn, she's refusing to turn it. She'll turn the third fine though. I'm at a total loss.
Edited by rodeomom3 2014-09-29 6:16 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| rodeomom3 - 2014-09-29 6:14 PM Dreamingofcans - 2014-09-29 6:05 PM kramerica - 2014-09-29 5:51 PM Have you had a good lameness vet take a look at her? Trained barrel horses don't just refuse because they wake up and think, "Screw it, I'm done!" I'd bet good money she is sore. Yes, the guy I went to is very reputable. I knew when I got her that she was really sore - had it all taken care of. Had her teeth done by my dentist, chiro work done. I had her off the pattern for a good 5 weeks while I got her to gain some weight and just worked on the basics - flexing at the poll, lateral flexion, disengaging her hip and shoulders, really getting collected at a trot and lope. I immediately slowed her down when working the pattern bc she just wanted to haul butt in there like a freight train and not rate down, get collected, and set for the turn. I got her to where I could slop lope around it and she would turn. Did that about once or twice a week for a few weeks. Gradually started adding minute amounts of speeds but then she gets all spazzed out and it's like her brain quits working. I'd ride her through it and once I got her mind refocused, she'd work it. Anytime I would add a small amount of speed, she'd get all cray cray (half-a$$ attempts at rearing) and not want to turn the first barrel. So, after weeks and weeks of no improvement, I switched her to the left. Well, guess what, my second barrel, that dreaded right hand turn, she's refusing to turn it. She'll turn the third fine though. I'm at a total loss.
Ditto. Keep on looking for soreness. Maybe try a different vet for a different set of eyes. I've been there done that, way too many times. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | Hocks and stifles have been done. What are signs of a sore suspensory? She isn't acting lame at all |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
| Have you had her front feet/legs examined? My mare doesn't like to turn left and was just at vet today and he found her sore in her front feet and ankles. Hoping the injections will help.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | slowrunnin - 2014-09-29 10:31 PM Have you had her front feet/legs examined? My mare doesn't like to turn left and was just at vet today and he found her sore in her front feet and ankles. Hoping the injections will help.
Yes her right front pastern was sore and was injected. This is soooo frustrating. I'm so tired of throwing money at her |
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| I would make absolute sure your horse isn't hurting somewhere. Try seeking a good Vet that specializes in all over lameness and not just legs... Also something to keep in mind, a lot of times what happens is if a horse has developed a habit from pain it becomes a mental thing.. Even After the pain issue has been dealt with horses will continue the habit thinking that turning that certain barrel will cause them the pain they were experiencing before. Especially if the horse was being ran over time in a lot of pain. So all it takes is TIME and patience showing the horse that turning the barrels is not going to hurt them! It's not a quick fix.. Hope this helps
Edited by JagsLuck 2014-09-30 12:03 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Dreamingofcans - 2014-09-29 6:07 PM
HannahRodeoCowgirl - 2014-09-29 5:49 PM Can she pick up a lope from a stop? Lope her to the barrel, stop. Wait a few seconds until she isn't "hyped up" then ask her to pick up her right lead from a stop and turn the barrel. You can ask her to stop farther away from the barrel with time and get some speed going. Maybe it could help her calm her mind a bit before the turn.
Yes, she can. I can try it, I'm willing to try anything. I really don't want to give up on her, but jeez. She's got to earn her keep around here and she's not.
hehehe...
 (turn.jpg)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 499
Location: ARKANSAS | My daughter had a mare that it took us forever to figure out why she would NOT turn that first barrel..she would suck up that second and third..So my daughter got to where she would just let her just cruise in there and then open her up after the dreaded turn was over, and this mare was so fast she would still win the barrel race.if she let her go in fast she ran up the fence....She did this for a couple of years till someone suggested having her ovaries checked, and come to find out ,she had cysts on her ovaries and she WOULD NOT TURN to that side.... Just one more suggestion you might try!!!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | Just another idea...I would have the back x-rayed for kissing spine. My gelding didn't "act" sore either. He just stopped running. X-rayed his back and he had severe kissing spine. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 784
Location: USA | I've been fighting the same battle with my gelding all summer long... He went down the fence with me twice and off to the vet I went. He had spurs in both his hocks. So we injected both hocks.... went back to running still the same problem. He wouldn't turn the first barrel. If I pony loped to it he would turn it. Any amount of speed and he would go to the fence or down the fence. Took him back to the same vet... he told me my horse wasn't lame and he didn't feel anything was wrong. So I thought I would take him to the left to see what would happen. Good first barrel to the left and then he ducked in front of the second. So I knew there was still something wrong. After that barrel race his hind left leg FINALLY had some swelling in it ( up to this point my horse showed NO signs of lameness or being sore other than not working well). So back to the vet I went. This time we took more xrays and we ultra sounded his suspensory. I ended up having an MRI done and not only is my horse lame in the left hind he is lame in the right and has a bone chip in the right fetlock. I guess the moral of my story is just because they don't show any lameness doesn't mean they aren't sore. If your horses behavior doesn't match his work ethics then you know something is wrong. My guy never switched his tail or pinned his ears. Never refused at the gate. Always went in like a trooper and tried to work for me. He gave me no signs other than at the barrel. I would have the vet ultra sound the upper suspensory to start with. MAKE the vet listen to you... YOU know your horse. I have 2 surgeries ahead of me and 6 months off... so glad I insisted that something was wrong. Good Luck! |
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Posts: 163
Location: Eufaula, Oklahoma | I went through the exact same thing for years with my gelding. Took him to several vets. All had different opinons. Had his stifles injected, internal blistered, whirl bones injected, hocks injected, chiro and teeth done nothing worked. Took him to Oakridge Equine he had a bone cyist in his stifle. He had surgery a year ago. He is sound now. But since I tried running him so long hurt it is taking him a long time to get over it mentally. I feel so bad for not taking him to Oakrighe right away. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | Illinoiscowgirl - 2014-09-30 9:32 AM I went through the exact same thing for years with my gelding. Took him to several vets. All had different opinons. Had his stifles injected, internal blistered, whirl bones injected, hocks injected, chiro and teeth done nothing worked. Took him to Oakridge Equine he had a bone cyist in his stifle. He had surgery a year ago. He is sound now. But since I tried running him so long hurt it is taking him a long time to get over it mentally. I feel so bad for not taking him to Oakrighe right away.
That's who I've used - oakridge. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | JagsLuck - 2014-09-29 11:45 PM I would make absolute sure your horse isn't hurting somewhere. Try seeking a good Vet that specializes in all over lameness and not just legs... Also something to keep in mind, a lot of times what happens is if a horse has developed a habit from pain it becomes a mental thing.. Even After the pain issue has been dealt with horses will continue the habit thinking that turning that certain barrel will cause them the pain they were experiencing before. Especially if the horse was being ran over time in a lot of pain. So all it takes is TIME and patience showing the horse that turning the barrels is not going to hurt them! It's not a quick fix.. Hope this helps
I know it takes time, but jeez, how long? It's been 8 weeks since the pastern was injected and that was the last one. Did lots of long trotting. Brought her back on the barrels about 10 days after the injection. I would work the pattern about 1x/week and take her to a jackpot to do expos about 1x/week also. I haven't really seen any improvement. I'm pretty sure it's a mental thing, but how long does it take and will she ever get over it? It's so frustrating. |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Don't forget to look "other" places. Could be she has sore facets in her neck, sore SI joints, whirl bones, if she's ever been a puller backer.. she may be sore in the Atlanto-occipital joint at her poll (between the Atlas and Axis)... Don't just look for typical hind-end lameness. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-09-30 12:30 PM Don't forget to look "other" places. Could be she has sore facets in her neck, sore SI joints, whirl bones, if she's ever been a puller backer.. she may be sore in the Atlanto-occipital joint at her poll (between the Atlas and Axis)... Don't just look for typical hind-end lameness.
After I initially had her hocks done, I had a chiropracter out and he went over everything - she was incredible sore all over. After all that was done is when I noticed she still felt off loping to the right. Went back to the vet and her right front pastern was sore. She gets stretched out, cold hosed after workouts, she's never in the stall except to eat. I can take her to another lameness vet for another opinion or take her to Kathy Brown for whirlbones and stuff . . . ?? |
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