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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
 
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | cheryl makofka - 2015-05-18 1:41 PM
I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation.
I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal.
The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did.
He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off.
I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response.
After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena.
So at what point if your horse isn't calming down do you get off for safety. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
 
Location: SE Louisiana | kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-18 7:38 AM
komet. - 2015-05-18 1:03 AM
kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-17 10:56 PM
Thanks guys didn't know what i else i could have done but wasn't sure if there was any exercises or training as far as sounds like that.
Yeah... Get a P.A. system at home... Put...pretty much anything by Pink Floyd on a repeating cycle for him to listen to... By the time you get him to a race, he'll be ready for lions...
My husband has some slip knot, will that work? Or will that turn him into a moody teen? 
I know what A slip knot is.... But I get the feeling you're talking about something else... I suggest the album Animals by Pink Floyd... That will get him used to dogs, pigs and sheep... One of the most powerful pieces of music I ever heard was Sheep..... If you listen to the lyrics it's very insightful...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqlsVZ1zxMk | |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | I have a 6 year old mare that is rock solid on everything from barrels to trail riding. Except she is scared to death of miniature ponys. Go figure. What does she think that they are going to do, shrink her. | |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | BS Hauler - 2015-05-18 4:16 PM I have a 6 year old mare that is rock solid on everything from barrels to trail riding. Except she is scared to death of miniature ponys. Go figure. What does she think that they are going to do, shrink her.
Oh get a clue!! Everybody knows those are horses-eating monsters.... They just LOOK like horses to make it easier to sneak up on the stupid ones. | |
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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-18 3:51 PM cheryl makofka - 2015-05-18 1:41 PM I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation. I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal. The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did. He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off. I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response. After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena. So at what point if your horse isn't calming down do you get off for safety.
I get off when we start spilling my beer. It's bad form to waste good alcohol. That's when I know it's time for us to go have a cold one together and figure things out. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| kewlcowgurl - 2015-05-18 3:51 PM
cheryl makofka - 2015-05-18 1:41 PM
I guess I am opposite of some, I will not drug a horse for competition or riding. The only time I use ace is to drop their blood pressure due to a stone bruise and this is under a vets consultation.
I don't want my horses to be dependent on drugs, in addition they are illegal.
The only thing I would have done differently is not have gotten off when you did.
He was scared, and freaking out, getting off can reinforce to a horse, if he does it again you will get off.
I would have rode him outside away from the arena to a safe environment and calmed him down, you also need to be calm and relaxed as well, as if you are tense this will amplify the horses flight response.
After he was calm, then I would ride him back into the arena, stop get off when he is still settled loosen cinch. I am a crunchy fan so I would have rewarded him with a crunchy while still in the arena.
So at what point if your horse isn't calming down do you get off for safety.
I don't know your horse, and I wasn't there so I can't tell you when safety comes into
As I said when the horse was starting to get worked up, I would have rode the horse out of the arena to a safe spot, if this means riding the horse back to the trailer, into the back forty if there is one, this is what I would do.
I would let him even prance or dance half way there then I would have started circling him to calm him down getting his brain to think.
I would also try to be relaxed and sit deep in the saddle to give him reassurance it is not scarey.
Once he settled down and relaxed then I would ride him back to the arena and when I got to the arena I would stop him, get off loosen the cinch give a crunchy.
It takes time for horses to get used to the sights and sounds.
The next time focus on setting him up for a positive experience, get there early before the announcer is there, and stay until the event is over and when the last 5 are running ride him up close to the arena so he can see the sights and sounds.
If you have a quiet horse haul him along and have a friend or so ride the horse with you, have them stand beside you in the holding pen. Horses always do better when they have a buddy who is quiet. | |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | One of my mares has issue with noise you might want to consider ear plugs or cotton to cut down on what he hears. | |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | My seasoned (barrel races, college rodeo, ammy rodeo) 15 year old mare had a full blown meltdown at a jackpot one night. Want to know what she was scared of? The trailer parked next to us. A normal, 3-horse, Trails West trailer. Absolutely lost her friggin mind the moment I unloaded her and never settled down, she was so terrified of it I had to lead her several trailers away, have my girlfriend hold her, and then bring all my tack over to her just to get ready. When we first got there the trailer had 3 horses inside of it, and while this mare isn't exactly bombproof she's not normally this ditzy either, but I thought maybe she didn't realize there were horses inside and thats why it was moving and making noise. But even once the horses were unloaded she was still terrified of it. She's been to that arena a million times and that's the only time she's ever done that haha.
Oh she also spooks at the gate leaving the arena. Here in the PNW most of our runs are to closed gates so they have to open it for you when you're done and she thinks the gate swinging open is sketchy.
So I guess what I'm saying is, sometimes even seasoned horses have meltdowns and everyone has been where you are. The mare I'm talking about is the kind where if she really loses her mind, I have to get off of her because she won't care if she runs into other horses and it's better for everyone if I just get off and get control of her that way. I usually hand walk her until she settles back down and then try again.
I have a gelding, he's 17 now and was 2 when I got him, and he was very very very spooky about the seasoning process. Every new arena was terrifying. It took him a few years to get to where I could haul him and not have him be nervous at a new place.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2015-05-19 12:12 PM
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