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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
  
| Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM
FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM  Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. Â We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny.
Ha! I was thinking the very same thing! | |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | GLP - 2018-04-26 1:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny. Ha! I was thinking the very same thing!
Yep a true rodeo horse knows how to take care of themselves on any kind of trashy ground cause being a ranch horse is not a easy job.. LOL.. You understand since you have a rodeo background, not a cushy job, lol.. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I don't do a lot of drilling on the pattern - like others have said, mine get a lot of outside riding to keep fit and use their body. I have my barrels set up in the middle of the field, so I can come at them from any direction I choose. I'll often just pick one and get them moving good around it, then pick another to go to randomly. I want my horses listening to me - not just being auto pilot on a pattern. I'm libel to set up a bunch of barrels in random patterns and work all lefts or rights - or break down and ask for lead changes in between. Just getting a horse broke and listening - comfortable with being handled and changes in speed. I focus on shoulder up, hip under, and always moving around a barrel with me handling them as little as possible.
The only drill I will specifically do is the Figure 8 drill that ed wright taught. I think is helps with a horse being comfortable being handled around a barrel, with finishing turns, and with making a rider think about proper hand positioning and adjustments around a barrel. Jordan Briggs has a video on trainingbarrelhorses.com about it. I personally don't flatten one out at the 3/4 point of the turn like she does - I keep my turn more rounded and then ask for the step over, but its a good visual and explanation of the drill. Ed would teach the drill to 1) approach and complete the turn on the first with the horse flexed to the right 2) over finish the turn with the flex to the right -keep your horse moving - step over still flexed to the right and do a counter arc to the left (horse still flexed to the right) 3) end the counter arc in the spot where the horse is in position and flexed to be able to fluidly turn the barrel to the right again. I typically do the drill with only the inside hand on the rein, and it can be done at any speed on any barrel. Obviously only moving up in speed once things are correct at slower speeds. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560
Location: Where the buffalo roam | Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 12:41 PM GLP - 2018-04-26 1:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny. Ha! I was thinking the very same thing!
Sorry to butt in on the conversation, but my best rodeo ground horses were my arena/stall babies that were trained in other disciplines so were always kept and ridden in good ground. I have two that were born and raised (one in Montana and one in Wyoming) out in pastures and both were sent for training where they had to do ranch work, climb hills, deal with ice & snow and work on cement at the stockyards - both are the clumsiest and struggle to handle harder or uneven ground. I would never think of running these two on rodeo ground. Finally had to send one to a cutting trainer to learn how the hell to figure out where his feet were and he's better, but still has his struggles. Just sayin' - don't make too much fun of those pretty foo-foo horses. | |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Nobody - 2018-04-27 3:39 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 12:41 PM GLP - 2018-04-26 1:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny. Ha! I was thinking the very same thing!
I have had those that were foo foo and pretty but would never attempt to run them on Rodeo ground.. I knew of alot of tough rodeo horses that can hold their own in and out of the arena. And knew a few bronc's {bucking horses} that were ranch horses too that could also run barrels and be a pick up horse as well, pretty tough animals.. And a few foo foo horses that could hold their own too in tough rodeo competition, but not many cause the owners did'nt want to risk them blowing a tendon.. | |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Nobody - 2018-04-27 3:39 PM
Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 12:41 PM GLP - 2018-04-26 1:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM  Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny. Ha! I was thinking the very same thing!
Ranch horses that clumsy wouldn’t last long here. Brahma influenced cattle necessitate a quick footed, quick thinking horse. Just sold one that sounds like the ones you described to a young girl wanting a ride down the road horse. | |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | GLP - 2018-04-27 4:13 PM Nobody - 2018-04-27 3:39 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 12:41 PM GLP - 2018-04-26 1:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny. Ha! I was thinking the very same thing! Ranch horses that clumsy wouldn’t last long here. Brahma influenced cattle necessitate a quick footed, quick thinking horse. Just sold one that sounds like the ones you described to a young girl wanting a ride down the road horse.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-04-27 4:29 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560
Location: Where the buffalo roam | Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-27 3:20 PM GLP - 2018-04-27 4:13 PM Nobody - 2018-04-27 3:39 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 12:41 PM GLP - 2018-04-26 1:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny. Ha! I was thinking the very same thing! Ranch horses that clumsy wouldn’t last long here. Brahma influenced cattle necessitate a quick footed, quick thinking horse. Just sold one that sounds like the ones you described to a young girl wanting a ride down the road horse.
Lucky I follow my own thoughts than other people's opinions because one of those "clumsy" horses ended up winning money his whole career and was retired at 20 years old and he did win some rodeo money as long as I was picky where I ran him. Just out trail riding he trips all the time, but never had him fall with me once when running. My main point really was that the arena horses can still make rodeo horses and handle the crap ground. | |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Nobody - 2018-04-27 11:35 PM
Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-27 3:20 PM GLP - 2018-04-27 4:13 PM Nobody - 2018-04-27 3:39 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 12:41 PM GLP - 2018-04-26 1:35 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 11:44 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 11:35 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 9:19 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:25 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-04-26 8:23 AM FLITASTIC - 2018-04-26 10:17 AM GLP - 2018-04-26 7:46 AM CanCan - 2018-04-25 7:19 PM  Y’all stop being pretentious. Every dang last one of you has a favorite barrel drill. Mine is squares. Google squares and Connie Combs. nope, not being pretentious at all. I don't have much space for a good barrel pattern, don't have an arena and absolutely hate riding in circles. Circling a mesquite bush or catclaw really helps not having to fight the shoulder falling in and when you have 2 mesquites close together, that helps with the rear drifting out if they don't want to listen to your leg. Following a ****ed off cow trying to get to her friends teaches them to use their body even at the slow pace of a fat ex show heifer who is seriously offended you are treating her like a regular cow. Picking a fence post off in the distance to ride to really does help with straightness and riding directly at a fence/tree and asking them to move laterally to avoid running into it works wonders too. I find all these help with MY focus which can be very suspect if I am just doing a drill. NOTE I am not a professional, either and never was or will be. This is just what has worked for me competing in Texas ammy rodeos and jackpots, but a lady who was a multiple times champion in many rodeo events taught me this. I'm 100% with you GLP and my mom went to the NFR 6x doing much of what you describe, just different scenery! LOL Other thing we reinforce is get the heck out of an arena. The barrel pattern we do have is set up in a HUGE outside field with ZERO FENCES and the barrels are about 200' apart on uneven ground, some squirrel holes etc. lol Teaches a horse to look for a barrel not a fence.
I used Orange trees in our Orchards when I lived in the Valley.. We obviously won't intentionally cripple one in a squirrel hole but you would be amazed how light on their feet a horse can be chasing a mad heifer through a field of squirrel holes. lol They learn where to put their feet to get the job done. Yep, good ole proprioception, which is lost on horses who are worked only on carefully chosen good ground. My last horse I bought had very little proprioception because of this. I finally just turned him out in the brush full time to learn how to travel in nature. He is such a careful horse that it took awhile for him to get comfortable. True, and this is why I think we have " Jackpot" horses and " Rodeo" horses. Good NFR rodeo horses do not always win the 1D or even place in the 1D sometimes at jackpots where the ground is perfectly manicured and raked every 5. Rodeo horses are the ones that can still run at Calgary under 3 foot of water at the first barrel and get er done! I have seen some " Pretty" manicured horses with beautiful manes and tails try and navigate a rodeo pen. its kind of funny. Ha! I was thinking the very same thing! Ranch horses that clumsy wouldn’t last long here. Brahma influenced cattle necessitate a quick footed, quick thinking horse. Just sold one that sounds like the ones you described to a young girl wanting a ride down the road horse.
First off we weren’t making fun of the horses that only train on good ground, rather I was defending myself after being called pretentious because I don’t really do “barrel” drills but instead use my natural resources. I realize I am lucky there.
Secondly, I agree you can’t pigeon hole horses, the good ones come from all different backgrounds, but speaking generally, the horses that grow up in natural settings usually do handle bad ground better.
Thirdly, it is great you gave the “clumsy” horse a chance in the arena, but I bet it is a matter of boredom rather than clumsiness with him. Some horses just don’t pay attention to their feet if they think they don’t need to. | |
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