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Miss Not Exciting
Posts: 3279
   
Location: Ft Worth TX | THIS HORSE LOVES HIS JOB AND I LOVE HIM! He is just exhibiting right now and we are starting to add speed. I am noticing his first barrel is insane with how low he can go and at times he has worried me about "going down" but never has. I was considering switching him to the left first because he feels "more natural" that way. Also I am wondering if I should make him "stand up" more and if so how?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1DLGmT8D-4
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Bump |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | I would switch him to the left and don't try to change his style. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | I'm not great at video review, but I'll give it a shot because I like how he turns. 
He looks like he is going to be very bendy, and really wants to stick his nose out and follow it through the turns with a sorta flat topline. Which I think is super cool if you have a horse that turns like that naturally. I'd love to see some videos of his slow work and loping circles, etc. As long as he is not dropping his shoulder in the turns, or losing his hip I would let him figure out his own body placement at speed. That being said, I would also put a ton of slow work into getting him lifting his shoulders and using his hip up under himself.
If you decide to try him to the left, now is the time to do that, before he gets patterened. I don't think it would hurt, especially since he feels better that way. Just don't do it to correct anything. If you're feeling like you need to fix something, work on fundamentals first.
I wouldn't try making him stand up at speed if his body position is correct and he is correct in his slow work. I'd need to see some closer video or pics to really analyze that better.
Nice horse! I like him. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | The problem with dropping his shoulder is starting way back in the alley. You are coming in trying to hold him up with your left rein which is making it worse. You are dropping your shoulder even before you start trotting. You need to work on getting him slightly bent to the right with his hip in using your left leg, bending him around your right leg. Keep your right shoulder back, right hand slightly up but bending his nose/head/neck slightly to the right.
Practice slow work in all sizes of circles and straight lines. Practice picking up his leads on a straight line but keeping his whole body slightly bent in the direction of his lead with his hip towards the inside and keep your shoulder up and back.
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I wouldn't change directions with him yet unless you just want to.
I couldn't tell enough from that video alone about his first barrel.. I would like to see slow work and preferably something with better lighting so it's not so grainy. What I did notice, is it looked to me like he anticipated leaving the first early and he bowed out of it. I would fix that now because its not fun having to "figure 8" to the second barrel because they stepped off the first. A- its slow, and B- the longer it takes for them to get set up for the second barrel the more likely they are to have a moment of panic and duck off because they couldn't get over in time. I would work on over finishing the first and being positioned correctly, round and balanced going into the barrel. He may be starting his turn early which is why you feel him drop and be low. In fact, it may be the opposite.. where he's dropping his shoulder therefore starting his turn early and then he's got nowhere to go but bow out on the backside. |
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Cat Collector
Posts: 1430
| Is there a reputable trainer that lives by you? Let the horse go with someone else for a month or two or go ride with someone that can get on the horse, everyone will have an opinion by watching a video and its too easy to be a couch jockey. |
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 Three in a Bikini
Posts: 2035
| hotpaints - 2015-10-18 3:32 PM
The problem with dropping his shoulder is starting way back in the alley. You are coming in trying to hold him up with your left rein which is making it worse. You are dropping your shoulder even before you start trotting. You need to work on getting him slightly bent to the right with his hip in using your left leg, bending him around your right leg. Keep your right shoulder back, right hand slightly up but bending his nose/head/neck slightly to the right.
Practice slow work in all sizes of circles and straight lines. Practice picking up his leads on a straight line but keeping his whole body slightly bent in the direction of his lead with his hip towards the inside and keep your shoulder up and back.
This is very good advice.  |
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 "Hottie"
Posts: 1373
Location: Okemah,OK | Sorry this is all one paragraph, posting from my phone...... One of my geldings is low headed and very snakey in his turns. Can lope around like a pleasure horse. It was tough for me to get with his first barrel when he was young but I didn't try to change him, I was the one that had to adapt. I still spend time keeping his ribcage round, engaging his hip and keeping his face soft. Just a lot of flex and holding his frame at this point. I have done some one rein stops in the past if he got stiff on his off side............ In his younger years, we did a lot of slow work, repetition, speed transitions, I still do rollbacks on the fence, three barrels in a straight line, some pole work, etc. Basically just keep his shoulder lifted, ribs and face soft and hip to the inside. As a rider, you have to learn to crouch (that's the best way I know to say it) and like another poster said, keep your shoulder lifted too. I noticed, especially on your first, your pockets are up out of the saddle thru the turn. You have to get him driven deep enough in so that he won't step off leaving it or short you on the backside. Once you get that, you'll be able to sit deep and push against your horn. These type horses are tough to get up and over when you leave the barrel. You'll always feel like your peddling to catch up if you're not careful. If you push against your horn they the turn, you'll be able to pull up with it as you leave and not be late (well I'm still sometimes late lol). Also, as I go down the alley, I make sure his nose is tipped slightly to the inside and then I bump him with my inside heel all the way to the first barrel. That will help his shape tremendously and should set up and carry thru the turn.............. . *Fair warning, this was a total experiment but when I had trouble figuring out my horses natural turn (at a high lope), one night I asked him for speed and it all came together. In other words, sometimes these type horses will always feel weird if you're at a lope or even high lope. I don't work the pattern with him anymore but if I do, is mostly at a trot to keep his shape and position.............. It's a phone video but here's a video of one of his runs. There are some more on my channel you can check out. https://youtu.be/KMonNxpmQCQFeel free to pm me if I can help at all. These are my favorite type horse now but I will admit, it was weird in the beginning lol
Edited by whiplashranch 2015-10-19 10:56 PM
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