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Location: Cocoa, Florida | Fancy Lass - 2016-02-05 2:36 PM
She's been checked out for lameness of any kind .. She sound . It's a lack of knowing how to use herself correctly.. She wasn't started right & has been an on going project for me for over 3 years now
Exactly what I went through with my mare, the girl who started her didn't put a good basic foundation on her, she was more of less "barrel broke" rubber necking (gumby) around the barrels and in general. Super flexible and supple though so getting her to bend and flex was the easy part. To me it's like going backwards with one, usually you have to teach them to bend, flex and break in the pole, these rubber necky horses need to go back to being a little more stiff and it's all in how you ride them. Research square work exercises since a bit is just a quick fix. BUT, I do find that hacks do help keep an over bending horse a little more straight and square since the pressure is on the nose and not in their mouth.
Edit: I also use very long reins or split reins so I don't get in her mouth at all
just my opinion coming from someone who just had to fix this, it took me 6 months of slow work.
Edited by RnRJack 2016-02-05 3:02 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| I've also dropped my inside reign and used my outside rein and do kind of a square instead of a circle mix it up with counter circles if you have some bits with a shank try it remember to use both reigns not just the inside, the outside controls the hip get the hip working for you too |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| I've also dropped my inside reign and used my outside rein and do kind of a square instead of a circle mix it up with counter circles if you have some bits with a shank try it remember to use both reigns not just the inside, the outside controls the hip get the hip working for you too |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| Thanks for the suggestions guys .. I know it's more of a body control issue , not a bit issue . I took her to a very small race tonight & the first few lope throughs she want to do it wrong .. Back eve old way ! Dripping the front end & swinging the hindquarters .. After about 2-3 times through she started turning it correctly .. It just seems like such a losing battle when they've gotten away with it for 4 years .. |
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Miss Southern Sunshine
Posts: 7427
 
Location: South Central Florida | after exausting may options, we went with a millen mouth piece. Totally stood her up. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| Counter circle her around the barrels when she feels to bendy when you feel her hip come up under her do it the normal way and go to the next one |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| Thanks guys ! I've put several posts on this horse before .. I'm thinking it's just about time go throw in the towel on this one .. After years of aggravation , I think I'm just done with the horse . I've tried so hard to fix her & it just doesn't ever get better in public until you've gone through correcting her at least 3 times .. It's ashame she was started so incorrectly bc she could have been even nicer than she is doing it wrong .. But with this horse I feel like the damage has already been done . It doesn't help that she is psycho anxious all the time .. She's been treated for every kind of under , nothing helps . She just has a very fragile mind & she can get dangerous if put in a situation to do so . She's bendy in the neck , but I don't feel it's why she does what she does on the pattern . I can lope in the arena & she is already thinking of beating me to the punch & dropping her head/ front end & swinging her butt .. Then after about 2-3 times through of telling her " hey , we are going to do this right " then she will lope a beautiful first barrel .. Her 1 st & 3 rd are her worst barrels .. But the first has been my biggest challenge . Sorry to vent guys ! I'm just at my wits end ! I know it's hard to break old habits but I didn't know it'd be this hard & frustrating ! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | For an overly bendy horse I like a mullen mouth. The connie combs stabilizer is good one. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | Put a tight browband on him. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| Have you tried totally taking her off barrels until you have her stiffened up? If my horse isn't going right in dry work i don't even look at barrels. The counter circling around a barrel helps a lot how much inside reign do you use? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 966
Location: Loco,Ok | Rather have one like this than opposite. Use your feet more. You can straightn a horse up with them if do it correctly. Support your feet with your hands.Quit pulling. Body position can change a horse as much as any equipment. Your body position. Lead a horse through the turn not pull them through.Go to next position. Target spot. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| Do you have any videos Ronnie on how you work a bendy horse? |
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Extreme Veteran
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| I try to use a lot of leg & less reign .. Bc she is light mouthed .. She's perfect off the pattern . Can turn correctly all day long .. But the minute you put her on "the pattern " had wants to resort back to her old ways.. Especially away from home .. It's just the first way she was taught so now she wants to keep turning like that... She has a shorter stiff body so she stiffens through the ribcage pretty quickly when on a more stressful situation . I feel like she's come soo far but just can't kick the habit on the pattern ! I've also been working on loping extended & when I sit , shorten her stride to turn .. I've been doing that off of the pattern ..
Edited by Fancy Lass 2016-02-07 12:27 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 830
Location: Paradise , tx | I have a mare that is very, very bendy. As several others have suggusted, I put her in a mullen mourth, with a fairly thick mouth piece and it has really worked good for her. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| Fancy Lass - 2016-02-07 12:24 PM
I try to use a lot of leg & less reign .. Bc she is light mouthed .. She's perfect off the pattern . Can turn correctly all day long .. But the minute you put her on "the pattern " had wants to resort back to her old ways.. Especially away from home .. It's just the first way she was taught so now she wants to keep turning like that... She has a shorter stiff body so she stiffens through the ribcage pretty quickly when on a more stressful situation . I feel like she's come soo far but just can't kick the habit on the pattern ! I've also been working on loping extended & when I sit , shorten her stride to turn .. I've been doing that off of the pattern ..
Have tried retraining her for a roll back style turn, tear drop. If she's naturally stiff, try using it to your advantage. |
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 Schnoodle Lover
Posts: 2987
Location: **Cactus Country down in South Texas*** | I like the straight bit for an overly bended horse. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| FlyingJT - 2016-02-07 1:08 PM
Fancy Lass - 2016-02-07 12:24 PM
I try to use a lot of leg & less reign .. Bc she is light mouthed .. She's perfect off the pattern . Can turn correctly all day long .. But the minute you put her on "the pattern " had wants to resort back to her old ways.. Especially away from home .. It's just the first way she was taught so now she wants to keep turning like that... She has a shorter stiff body so she stiffens through the ribcage pretty quickly when on a more stressful situation . I feel like she's come soo far but just can't kick the habit on the pattern ! I've also been working on loping extended & when I sit , shorten her stride to turn .. I've been doing that off of the pattern ..
Have tried retraining her for a roll back style turn, tear drop. If she's naturally stiff, try using it to your advantage.
I have tried this! It seems to work ok .. But she still drops in me on the first barrel :( |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | seems like you have more issues then a Bit fix...
you might have someone else work with her and see what happens .. |
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Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | I don't think that a teardrop or roll back style would be any different for an over bendy horse, in fact that will be even harder for her to do if she can't stay square now. It would be much easier to show you then explain it but there's a few drills you can do to keep straighten her up, one would be to go completely past the barrel and as soon as her hip gets 1-2 feet past it do a roll back and continue in a straight line to the other point of your turn, when the hip passes the barrel again 1-2 feet after (giving yourself just enough room so that when you roll back you'll be facing the next barrel) turn and pivot again, almost like a perfect triangle, not using your hands or reins to turn her but your legs and body. You can hold your hands up a little higher to keep her head and shoulder up when you do this. Make sure you're really twisting your hips.
Another drill I do is similar but when I'm walking or trotting to my barrel where my rate point is I take the same hand that I would be using to help guide my horse with the reins around the barrel and Instead put it on the back of my saddle using the opposite hand I would have my reins held high as to hold my horses head up and I would continue to walk or trot with one hand on reins and one hand on back of saddle all the while twisting my hips but keeping her head straight. You repeate at every barrel using opposite hand to hold reins up and turning hand on back of saddle, even turn the barrel a few times using your body and holding the head up.
Lastly like others have said, counter arc away from your barrel at either your rate point or just past it, each horse is different but I like to do it where I would normally sit and start my turn. Make sure your counters are perfect , front feet moving at all times, don't stop into a roll back make sure they are going somewhere and bending that opposite side at the same time.
There's no reason you need to take her off barrels, but all these drills will help if you only do slow work.
Hope some of that helps. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| Thanks for the drills !! I know it's more than a bit issue for sure .. I'm not even looking to switch bits now .. It's definitely more of. Body / mind issue more than bit . Even though my post was about bits lol I've been trying to keep her rib cage soft. She can turn that barrel rounded when she's focused & paying attention. She has trouble staying square in those shoulders for sure .. She wants to drop them any chance she gets , especially in a pressured situation. |
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