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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
  
| Been a long time since I have come around! Figured I would drop in for some free advice. Hope everyone is doing well!
To give some background info. I have a colt that I have been bringing along. He has been to about 10 shows, and has maybe 35 to 40 rides around the barrels with me. Previously, he was ridden and taken around the barrels slowly. Never ran or exhibitioned before me. I bought him a year ago. He got all of winter off due to a swollen tendon. I started to bring him along this summer, then unexpecedtly got offered a new job that took me away from bringing him along how I would have liked to.
Part of me wonders if I am being too hard on him, he is a very willing horse, but just has no clue on how to run. Also, my former horse was a mega free runner that was a lot faster than I could keep up with, so I have a tendency to balance on my outside rein. Any input/advice, things you see, things to keep in mind...etc. feel free to share.
We are 2 seconds off. I would like to be more competitive, not sure if he will come on or not, but he is so willing I hate to quit when he is so green, but I don't want to put all my eggs into a basket if that basket just isn't going to want to run.
Video 1 State show this September:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj8CAM_hRAs (second or third show? Second weekend of September)
Video 2 Last weekend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC8_KTzxD9E
Video 3 Exhibitions this weekend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZdsulWENa8
Video 4 Open:
This video is an example of us at our worst. I am trying to figure out if my hands told him where to go, or if he just wasn't sure where to go since he is still so green. Or a combo of both.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvPdN9W6TRg
Thanks for your time and advice!
**Update**
I wanted to take a moment to update everyone that was so kind to give their advice! I read and applied a lot of the things you all mentioned here. This past weekend we went to a big show at Cloverdale for the New Year! On Friday night my horse was very chalky and stopped at every barrel. We clocked a super slow 18.8. I kept my head in the game and by the time Sunday's Adult barrels rolled around we clocked a 17.1! I was SO excited that we ran a time where we placed at such a huge show!
Since then I made sure to not do any pattern work unless I am in a position to "send him." Through the week when I rode I made it a point to be intentional with my seat, and followed up with spurs any time he was "luggy."
I also saw in that amazing picture that is all over the second page of this thread that I look like a "fat guy in a skinny coat" in my saddle. So I joined a weight loss group online and have lost 4lbs so far. I did get a new saddle, as I felt like my other saddle was too tight for my horse to really move his shoulders and stride out. I also run him in a hackamore now as I do feel like he can be a bit noodly. This guy is a send him hard one handed type of horse and super easy. I am lucky!
So thank you to each of you for humbling me, and helping me improve my horsemanship so my horse can be all he can be! Below is the video from Sunday.
As always, my goal is to improve so I am open to any feedback. I have also posted a video of my free runner. I jumped on him and made a run after I have not ridden him for a year. I actually gave him to my husband, as it was one of those things where they say you ruin your first horse. He is very pushy on the bit and so I pulled to hard, too much, and often never really released at the correct times, making this horse even pushier. BUT-boy did that horse teach me a lot! I am just used to sitting there and going, vs. now I need to use a lot of seat to rev up my new horse.
Sunday's Adult Run
My Free Runner's Run
Edited by magic gunsmoke 2019-01-01 6:53 PM
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
 
Location: WYOMING | Those look pretty consistent. Horses that are taken slow for so long learn to go slow. He looks like he might be in that category.
He needs to learn to run thru. I think he will smooth out and look even better, faster.
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| THANK YOU for your advice. What can I do to speed him up? I feel as if he has the ability, just doesn't know it. This week I worked a lot on spurting and moving forward, when he didn't I would follow through with a smack of the whip. We were doing GREAT, but then at the show this weekend he was back to lazy loping. I almost feel like maybe I drilled him a bit too much this week. We also took a spill this week where we went all the way down. Not sure if that made him safety up a bit too?
I have a long ridge behind me that I could try breezing him through. It's all grass though so it makes me a bit nervous to send him since I feel as if running all out on grass could be slippery?
Again, open to any input and advice. Nothing can be harsher than my husbands critiques. My goal is to truly work on bettering myself too.  |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Maybe I need to schedule a trail ride to Brown Co. Indiana and race my husband on some open ridges along the trails there..... |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
Location: WYOMING | You need to teach him cues to run when you breeze him. Leaning forward, kissing, etc.. he needs to learn those mean GO. I tend to do short sprints say as long as the line from the third home. I do multiple shorties.
As for drilling him at home on pattern I might NOT because what I see is more fast is needed then technique. Drilling slow at home instills more slow... unless your drill is really hustling him home a few times to get your point across. That can help.
I can kiss to my colts and they know GO. Its their cue. We can be walking across the pasture I can kiss and lean forward a bit and their whole demeanor changes. It transfers to the pattern nicely. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Geronabean gives really good advice  and another thing I would like to add is when you come out of that 3rd barrel you need to lean a little forward and kiss/smoch to give him that go ahead feel like go go go..I think you sit up to straight and dont have that foward motion. |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Thank you guys so much! I will really work on leaning forward too! This is a battle for me as I got so used to just kind of sitting there on my former horse.
Thoughts on leaning forward between barrels for more hustle and to the first?
And when would be the ideal time to sit back for the turn?
I am so grateful for all the input! |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
Location: WYOMING | magic gunsmoke - 2018-10-21 2:25 PM
Thank you guys so much! I will really work on leaning forward too! This is a battle for me as I got so used to just kind of sitting there on my former horse.
Thoughts on leaning forward between barrels for more hustle and to the first?
And when would be the ideal time to sit back for the turn?
I am so grateful for all the input!
When I sit and my wt shifts that's the time to collect and turn. That way I dont usually have to pull on their faces to get them to rate and start their turn. I will admit this can be overdone on a colt that naturally anticipates or is raty to begin with so you have to know your horse or you will get one setting too hard too soon!
So basically Im asking them for their lives until I get to their rate point, which may be a little different for each horses style. Colts or horses who arent real confident may be a little earlier, free runners may be earlier, setty horses may be when your knee is at the barrel. |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Makese sense. For him I feel like it would be when my knee is at the barrel. I will think about this with intention as I work on being more aggressive and forward.
Thanks! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Everyone knows I am no help!! But wishing you the best with him--he's a pretty boy |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Give yourself more credit. I am a firm believer you can learn something from everyone. :) I dream of winning big one day!!! The moment you are too good to learn from someone is the moment you stop bettering yourself.
Thank you for the compliment. I do really like him a lot. I wish I made more $$ so I could afford to have more horses to run and work with so that I could even better develop more timing and feel! :) |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
Location: WYOMING | Southtxponygirl - 2018-10-21 2:06 PM
Geronabean gives really good advice and another thing I would like to add is when you come out of that 3rd barrel you need to lean a little forward and kiss/smoch to give him that go ahead feel like go go go..I think you sit up to straight and dont have that foward motion.
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | magic gunsmoke - 2018-10-21 2:32 PM
Give yourself more credit. I am a firm believer you can learn something from everyone. :) I dream of winning big one day!!! The moment you are too good to learn from someone is the moment you stop bettering yourself.
Thank you for the compliment. I do really like him a lot. I wish I made more $$ so I could afford to have more horses to run and work with so that I could even better develop more timing and feel! :)
You're so sweet! And I think with your outlook and attitude, you and your boy are gonna be A-ok  |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Chandler's Mom - 2018-10-21 3:57 PM magic gunsmoke - 2018-10-21 2:32 PM Give yourself more credit. I am a firm believer you can learn something from everyone. :) I dream of winning big one day!!! The moment you are too good to learn from someone is the moment you stop bettering yourself.
Thank you for the compliment. I do really like him a lot. I wish I made more $$ so I could afford to have more horses to run and work with so that I could even better develop more timing and feel! :) You're so sweet! And I think with your outlook and attitude, you and your boy are gonna be A-ok
I agree with what Chanders Mom said, I think you have a winning attiude and you will go far with it, I love the way you handle your self on here, there was a BB on here that got smart mouth with us when we tryed to give her advice a while back and that didnt set well with a few of us, but you I'm real impressed with you and one day you will be that winner and I bet its going to be sooner then you think.  |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | geronabean - 2018-10-21 2:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-10-21 2:06 PM Geronabean gives really good advice and another thing I would like to add is when you come out of that 3rd barrel you need to lean a little forward and kiss/smoch to give him that go ahead feel like go go go..I think you sit up to straight and dont have that foward motion.
I love it when you give advice on here, I soak it up as well as others do.. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | My advice to you would be to get him checked or just treat for EPM. Watching him walk into the alley, he's wobbling in the back end and honestly, when he runs, he looks uncoordinated to me. I think he CAN'T clock because he doesn't know where his feet are. JMO |
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 Expert
Posts: 1516
Location: Illinois | Mine won't run unless I breeze him somewhere a few times a year. And when I do run I suck at leaning forward to drive him, so I try to think about getting my boobs to touch my saddle horn. I had to practice a lot at home, even at a trot just to get it in my head. A lot of times I still don't get down enough, but it's closer. I sit up when I rate, which is about when his nose is to 1st and his neck at 2nd and 3rd. We have a match race track north of me where we do match races twice a year. Helps a lot of horses learn to run, it's a great place to take a younger one who doesn't know how to run yet. It's nice manicured safe ground to try on. I think if you just get low and give him a space to really move out he'll learn to run easily. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 516
| dianeguinn - 2018-10-22 12:22 PM
My advice to you would be to get him checked or just treat for EPM. Watching him walk into the alley, he's wobbling in the back end and honestly, when he runs, he looks uncoordinated to me. I think he CAN'T clock because he doesn't know where his feet are. JMO
He looks a little off to me too.. Looking at your last video of him leaving the alley he's really hoppy and just a little weird.. Wouldn't hurt to get him looked over. He looks pretty nice at slower speeds so maybe he just is uncoordinated? How old is he? If he's over 4 I'd be more worried about it.
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I guess here is what I see.... in the last video, he is way overbent right from the start and you continued to pull on your inside rein because he was drifting out but if you watch his body position, his outside shoulder is leading the way and is backwards as it sounds, you should have straightened that shoulder up with your outside rein/outside leg. Its natural for us to want to go right so we pull on the right rein but sometimes all we are doing is pulling the nose and eventually the body follows but usually with a hind end completely swung out from under them.
Secondly, I think body positioning for you. You seem to be quiet but it almost seems like you're not ready to go fast? I may be off base but you stay on the horn instead of driving him forward as another poster mentioned, your body positioning to encourage speed is important. When you kick, it actually seems like it slows him down because your balance changes. You have to be able to maintain your body position while kicking/whipping or its kind of counter productive.
One think I would work on at home is getting him to drive on the backside... he doesn't seem to really dig in. I usually do some spiral drills for this or come in slow and ask for more speed coming out. For example, trot in, lope out.
With all that said, I think young horses do find their competitive edge at different times.... my one gradually got a little faster and I encouraged him but wasn't loud about it. Squeezed and smooched and eventually he realized speed was a part of it. Some horses find speed too fast and I prefer the other kind. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Giving this a bump up for more eyes to see. |
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Folks on-line