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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
   
Location: CTX | I am not talking about a rodeo, but at jackpots. Just curious to see what people are thinking. I've been told that after you hit to pull up because if you keep going you reward the horse. And they might start a bad habit because of it.Thanks! |
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 Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
 
Location: Red Raiderland | Keep pushing and then watch the video to see what I can do on the next run or just leave it be as it was probably pilot error.  |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | For me, it really depends on why I hit the barrel and on what horse. If I'm on a free runner who maybe got to running through my hands and took control away from me, I will probably pull up. I don't mean, pull up and trot through. I don't do that. If I'm on a push style horse that has to be ridden jump for jump, or who already wants to shut down at a turn, I'm going to keep sending them through and then maybe just let them cruise out of the pen. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I Chose keep pushing because when we hit barrels its my fault, either I didn't prepare enough or didn't ride right and he ran through my hands or didn't push enough and set her up for failure so I just keep going. I don't want my horses to think its their fault when its not so I take my problem back to the practice pen and think about what happened that caused us to hit a barrel then tune in my slow and dry work to fix it. Next run is almost always better.
Part of why I keep pushing is I figure I need to learn to ride through adversity and so does my horse, just because we hit a barrel or don't come in right and set up doesn't mean the run is over. Also, I want my horses to think they are winners and I think letting them finish the run in the style we normally would helps them keep that mentality.
I don't have the fastest horses but they don't know it and I want to keep them trying and running their hearts out. When we go to a race its to run not tune, I learned that growing up in the reining pen what happens is 99% of the time a direct reflection of your practice at home. There are a few occasions when something is triggered by the race environment itself, but I can usually figure out how to make that better at home too.
DISCLAIMER: I'm no pro and I ride push style horses, I don't think I've actually ever owned a free runner so this may be different lol |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 956
Location: Washington | I was taught to keep pushing, to me it seems more like a reward to pull a horse up than asking them to keep running and working. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I generally push through unless the reason we hit is because sometimes my free-running horse would get super stiff and also not rate. In his case I would sit up and really make sure he was on his butt and ask him for some extra flex. He was one of those horses where he would work good in training and then get so excited about running he didn't listen at races so he benefited from "schooling" during runs occasionally.
But I don't "pull up" per se, and I don't do anything at the barrel. If my horse hit the second barrel for example I would just sit up extra early going into the third to make him rate back to me and listen. I didn't immediately sit up the instant we hit the barrel and slow down, because I have seen the opposite what the OP is referring to (unless it was just worded incorrectly and thats not what they meant). I saw it mainly when I was younger and did 4H, but there were multiple girls where repeatedly the INSTANT their horse hit a barrel or pole, the horse would almost come to a stop and then was like "kay we're done" because that was what they had been taught.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2015-08-02 9:52 AM
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 A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | cranky B4 10am - 2015-08-01 11:00 PM
I am not talking about a rodeo, but at jackpots. Just curious to see what people are thinking. I've been told that after you hit to pull up because if you keep going you reward the horse. And they might start a bad habit because of it.Thanks!
Actually if you stop every time you hit one, the horse could start seeing that as a way to get out of work and start going out of their way to hit the barrels.
Most hit barrels are pilot error anyways. So just keep going, finish the run, and fix it during the week at home. Or come back the next run and RIDE harder. It really is that easy sometimes!! I just wasn't riding hard enough or I didn't do the work during the week/warmup. At least in my experience.
Edited by hlynn 2015-08-02 9:53 AM
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| livexlovexrodeo - 2015-08-02 9:39 AM
I generally push through unless the reason we hit is because sometimes my free-running horse would get super stiff and also not rate. In his case I would sit up and really make sure he was on his butt and ask him for some extra flex. He was one of those horses where he would work good in training and then get so excited about running he didn't listen at races so he benefited from "schooling" during runs occasionally.
But I don't "pull up" per se, and I don't do anything at the barrel. If my horse hit the second barrel for example I would just sit up extra early going into the third to make him rate back to me and listen. I didn't immediately sit up the instant we hit the barrel and slow down, because I have seen what the OP is referring to. I saw it mainly when I was younger and did 4H, but there were multiple girls where repeatedly the INSTANT their horse hit a barrel or pole, the horse would almost come to a stop and then was like "kay we're done" because that was what they had been taught.
^^^This^^^ |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I keep riding, if we hit it is my fault and I always have something to work on at the next barrel |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| In 2 yrs I've hit maybe 3 barrels on my free runner, the 2nd, and it's leaving it and I graze it just enough. Not his fault but mine so I keep going. However, like last night he was heavy on muscle and blowing around them, not off but not collected like I wanted so I didn't hustle him and et my energy level drop. I wasn't focused before my run so I take responsibility for letting him get pushy |
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Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Thank you all for the explanations. 
I have a push style horse, and yes I do believe 99% of the time it is rider error, so I just keep going.
I know he will try to cheat me sometimes, so if it happens it was my mistake by not pushing him enough.
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 Proud to be Deplorable
Posts: 1929
| cranky B4 10am - 2015-08-01 10:00 PM
I am not talking about a rodeo, but at jackpots. Just curious to see what people are thinking. I've been told that after you hit to pull up because if you keep going you reward the horse. And they might start a bad habit because of it.Thanks!
IMO The only reward that a horse understands is food and rest. By pulling up you reward the horse with rest. Look at it from the horses view point. The horse thinks Hey if I hit that can she will stop kicking me and I don't have to run as hard. It does not take long for a horse to pick up a bad habit if the reward is rest or food. To me just keep on running and try to finish the pattern as correctly as possible.
Edited by jbhoot 2015-08-02 10:45 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| jbhoot - 2015-08-02 10:22 AM cranky B4 10am - 2015-08-01 10:00 PM I am not talking about a rodeo, but at jackpots. Just curious to see what people are thinking. I've been told that after you hit to pull up because if you keep going you reward the horse. And they might start a bad habit because of it.Thanks! IMO The only reward that a horse understands is food and rest. By pulling up you reward the horse with rest. Look at it from the horses view point. The horse thinks Hey if I hit that can she will stop kicking me and I don't have to run as hard. It does not take long for a horse to pick up a bad habit if the reward is rest or food. To me just keep on running and try to finish the pattern as correctly as possible.
I would agree with this. I have a friend that ALWAYS pulls up if one of her horses hits a barrel and I always think the horse is thinking, "Cool! My job is done!" |
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 I"m Jealous!
Posts: 1737
Location: Benton City, WA | BarrelsRmyLife - 2015-08-02 7:39 AM I was taught to keep pushing, to me it seems more like a reward to pull a horse up than asking them to keep running and working.
This is my thought as well. If you pull up you are allowing the horse to do less work after hitting a barrel and risk reinforcing that behavior. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I chose just cruise. I feel pulling up rewards the horse, I also feel pushing your horse 100% is putting your horse that much more at risk for injury when your run wont make a difference anyways. There was someone who said you only have so many runs in a horse, use them wisely. It stuck with me lol. I may take it to literal lol |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Keep pushing! I want to know what will happen next, was my horse being lazy and trying to drag it over? Or was it me doing something wrong? Can I adjust and fix from the down barrel to the next? Etc |
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 Professional Amateur
Posts: 6750
Location: Oklahoma | Whip & Ride! I don't stop the hustle. I think I am rewarding the horse if I slow them down. I always blame mistakes on myself and will review the video to see what happened and then work on it from there. I rarely have to work the horses on the pattern, but in order to get them listening to my ques. . I will work poles or I have other exercises I work on that make sure they're listening to me and not causing the issue.
Now. . if the horse is cheating or actually causing the problem, once I review the tape (which usually you can feel them when they're cheating you) . .we hit the practice pen and they get a tune up. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24952
Location: WYOMING | I dont think a horse rationalizes like oh we hit a barrel and I get to slow down. You would have to hit a lot of barrels and slow down a lot of times to teach one this. They learn by repitition. IMO you only have so many runs in a horse and why waste that all out run on a knock? Coasting thru and out is respectful of others and doesnt take the chance of hurting your horse for no good reason. JMO. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I haven't read responses. But, I just finished up a Connie combs clinic. And they say, run the rest like you can make up the 5 second penalty. :-) |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | i only pull up if something really bad went down.. a regular hit i just keep pushing. i really only pull up if i feel like the horse is hurt or if its just THAT disastrous of a run.
i also think its a common courtesy to get out of the pen as quickly as you can.. like, don't pull up to a walk/trot just because you hit a barrel. slows the whole race down. if you have to pull up and regroup i totally understand but long trot or slow lope unless your horse is hurt..JMO. |
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