|
|
 Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
   
Location: WA | run n rate - 2014-01-22 1:41 PM You have to find the one that works for them, I tried a couple others and 1 of the popular ones made her comatose. She loped a really nice little pattern pretty as could be, me kissing, hustling, kicking...she was on sleep walk, LOL!!! Then tried another one and that one actually made her worse, it was suppose to help her focus and she focused all right, on everything that was scary to her. She was terrified, it was horrible to watch her and then being hot on top of it my heart broke for her to have that much anxiety about life in general. Finally tried the Keep Cool, put that off because I really didn't want to have to use a daily product but we had pretty much tried everything else and I knew she needed something. Knew she was extremely smart as even with the issues she was still learning everything I was giving her, figured if I could help her brain quiet down a bit she'd gain some confidence that she was okay. Like I said, she is still hot, but she looks to you for help first before blowing or grabbing her butt, and once you send her to the first barrel all the BS is gone and she works and now her Slow Work is by far the best of the 3, the other 3 get bored senseless with slow work, CC just likes anything that mean her feet get to move. With her like I said, it took about a week and a half to notice this difference in her and by the end of the first month she really came around on it.
This mare is wicked smart. That's the scary thing. So I have to be careful with what I let her do and don't do so she doesn't learn the wrong things too. She was weaving poles on her own yesterday. My hands and feet were off of her. I barely made contact with my calf a couple times one of the times through... otherwise, she was on autopilot. Same thing on barrels. She has it nailed at a trot, but she gets too crazy to add more speed. You can't master higher speeds until you go higher speeds. She is making me relearn old things all over again though! | |
| | |
boon
Posts: 1
| I am currently patterning a HOT OTTB mare, she rides great and is super sensitive but gets all worked up if I let her add any speed. They just take a lot of time and riding around the poles/barrels without actually working on a pattern. I leave stuff set up in the arena and just ride her willy-nilly through everything with an occasional pattern here and there. These horses need help to relax and think about what you are asking them to do and not fret about a pattern. Amanda is coming along nicely at home, but hauling is still a different story. She has to be moving pretty much the whole time so it's a lot of saddle time for us both. The more they go and see the better they get. Have patience and I've found a couple short & sweet rides (she stays relaxed and focused) help more than always working on something particular. JMO..... | |
| | |
Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | Barrelgal37 - 2014-01-22 2:44 PM I am currently patterning a HOT OTTB mare, she rides great and is super sensitive but gets all worked up if I let her add any speed. They just take a lot of time and riding around the poles/barrels without actually working on a pattern. I leave stuff set up in the arena and just ride her willy-nilly through everything with an occasional pattern here and there. These horses need help to relax and think about what you are asking them to do and not fret about a pattern. Amanda is coming along nicely at home, but hauling is still a different story. She has to be moving pretty much the whole time so it's a lot of saddle time for us both. The more they go and see the better they get. Have patience and I've found a couple short & sweet rides (she stays relaxed and focused) help more than always working on something particular. JMO.....
I always have things set up in my arena. It is huge, so I can have barrels, poles, bi wrangle, ground poles, etc all over the place and still have plenty of free space too. I am blessed. My mare seems to be opposite, the more I ride her, the more she relaxes and settles in to work. My other mare I an get a complete workout done, warm up to cool down in 45 minutes. It takes me 25-30 minutes just to get some air out of her and her listening and not jigging. Lol. She gets hauled to barrel races to stand tied to the trailer (she is a pro at that now), ponied around if time allows, and the game shows to get out and see the world. By the time she is patterned, I don't want to be messing around that stuff. She should have it down pat by then. I hope, lol. | |
| | |
 Veteran
Posts: 112
| I think I may have replied to a post by you previously?  lol Anyways, I have the same type of horse I am dealing with too. He is an OTT quarter horse, and can be quite reactive and fractious at times. He is doing much better then when I initially got him. He would paw at the trailer, rear, buck, etc... Wouldn't stand at a show, dance like ants in his pants LOL  It has taken alot of hauling, trail riding, slow work, and consistent work. I did sedate him at 2 shows because he just wasn't even on the planet  LOL He has come a long way since then. He has his moments/days when he tries to be silly, but even then its not near what it used to escalate to. He seems most fractious when doing slow work on the pattern, so I am now just taking him through the barrels at a walk whenever he sees them to just help bring him down.... I just tell myself that he doesn't need taught to go fast around the pattern, he needs taught to go slow... Just doing this a few days so far, he is already going through the whole pattern at a walk and jog so much nicer and relaxed. 
Just take your time with her, and I agree with the above posters, keep her to a schedule, my horse loves a schedule, if you mess it up too much, he definitely gets more nervous/antsy! Good luck with her! 
ETA: I have had mine for about a year now, so it does take a little time, but worth it for the years you will use them!
Also, my horse is the same with leg pressure on his sides, I used to ride a ton with my leg, but with him, I just keep my leg usage to a minimum and just ride quietly and patiently.
Edited by Red3 2014-01-22 5:48 PM
| |
| | |
 Goat Giver
Posts: 23166
 
| I'd lope consecutive patterns until she was tired. | |
| | |
Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | kmcsunshine - 2014-01-22 5:43 PM I'd lope consecutive patterns until she was tired.
Even if we are jumping and lunging everywhere and not having "correct" patterns? Just claryfying, not being rude. | |
| | |
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1092
Location: OK | I have a horse like this and I always say, I hope her legs can hold up her biggo heart... because she would go until she just exploded if I let her. I do a lot of speed transitions, a lot of direction changes.
Many people just give a monthly like reserpine or fluphenezine when starting horses like this for the first few months. Always an option. | |
| | |
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1092
Location: OK | I PMd you.
| |
| | |
Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | jojammer - 2014-01-23 9:56 AM I have a horse like this and I always say, I hope her legs can hold up her biggo heart... because she would go until she just exploded if I let her. I do a lot of speed transitions, a lot of direction changes. Many people just give a monthly like reserpine or fluphenezine when starting horses like this for the first few months. Always an option.
She has had reserpine, I didn't notice any difference with her on it. Lol. I am going to start working on a lot of gait transitions with her, hopefully it doesn't over stimulate her. Lol. | |
| | |
Goat Giver
Posts: 23166
| Lisantwist - 2014-01-23 10:31 AM kmcsunshine - 2014-01-22 5:43 PM I'd lope consecutive patterns until she was tired. Even if we are jumping and lunging everywhere and not having "correct" patterns? Just claryfying, not being rude.
Yes. When tired comes, so will correct.....provided the lunging is not a pain issue. | |
| | |
Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | kmcsunshine - 2014-01-23 2:02 PM
Lisantwist - 2014-01-23 10:31 AM kmcsunshine - 2014-01-22 5:43 PM I'd lope consecutive patterns until she was tired. Even if we are jumping and lunging everywhere and not having "correct" patterns? Just claryfying, not being rude.
She was only doing it on patterns on Tuesday. At a trot, so not working her hard in any way but mental. She doesn't do it doing any other things (at this point). She's seen the chiro, she has good feet, teeth were just done, etc... | |
| | |
Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | I rode her this afternoon. Did a lot of gait transitions between walk, jog, trot. Added cirles when she got strong. Then let her lope, which is normally a battle. And we loped. And we loped. And we loped. I hate to see what this horse will be like fit. Because she is not right now and she never got tired. Her head was dripping with sweat and we loped. When she could lope with her head down and relaxed I quit her. Put her on poles and barrels and did a ton of gait changes during it and she did good and didn't get crazy. Phew! It was a lot of work but I am ok with it.
She is going to get a lot more riding time. My finished mare is just not turning her first right now and we are out of money and points no matter where we run, so I think I am going to take some time to focus on this mare. See where I can get her. She is smart and picks things up quick. She knows the barrel pattern great, just need to slowly add some speed to her.
The race horse neighbors were riding with me today and the husband said, get her in shape and bring her to track, we'll run her again. Lol. I said if she runs again it will take me forever to get her brain back, lol. | |
| | |
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | Lisantwist - 2014-01-21 11:33 PM Brrlracengirl - 2014-01-21 8:06 PM I would go back to walk/trot and really emphasize control. These types of horses generally are "busy bodies" and get bored easily. So try to find some drills you can do with her and change it up every now and then. Pasture/ trail riding are awesome for these horses to let them relax and be calm while being ridden.
As for the "leap of faith", I would definitely not go compete somewhere if she was not experienced at running hard or you comfortable with her doing so. It may seem like a good idea, and yeah, it may work out. But I just wouldn't want to chance running in there and having her bolt or run off and not want to listen to you. That's how accidents happen. I would get her good and solid at home before hauling to compete. Haha, was NOT going to take her somewhere and take a leap of faith!! I meant letting her do more at home. The few places I have taken her away from home to game we have walk/trotted. All the time spent going to game shows is to get her used to going places and new arenas. I don't do slow walk/trot stuff at home and then go somewhere new and run her into the ground. I guess I wasn't clear on that in my OP. My plan tonight on the couple patterns was to just jog. Letting her out a little into a lope was a train wreck. Some day she is going to have to go faster though, lol.
She is broke to the point of walk, jog, trot, lope on correct lead, can lope about a 15' circle, back, side pass, haunch turn, still working on a good forehand turn.... can two track, I do that with her to settle her in sometimes, sometimes I have to circle/figure 8 her to settle her in. Rail work is not good because I have a huge arena and you go around a corner and she is rearing to go (figuretively ), I think it is track flashbacks.
Im sorry! I was just concerned for you, that's all!! I know it can be frustrating, but you will figure her out!  | |
| | |
Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | Brrlracengirl - 2014-01-23 7:18 PM Lisantwist - 2014-01-21 11:33 PM Brrlracengirl - 2014-01-21 8:06 PM I would go back to walk/trot and really emphasize control. These types of horses generally are "busy bodies" and get bored easily. So try to find some drills you can do with her and change it up every now and then. Pasture/ trail riding are awesome for these horses to let them relax and be calm while being ridden.
As for the "leap of faith", I would definitely not go compete somewhere if she was not experienced at running hard or you comfortable with her doing so. It may seem like a good idea, and yeah, it may work out. But I just wouldn't want to chance running in there and having her bolt or run off and not want to listen to you. That's how accidents happen. I would get her good and solid at home before hauling to compete. Haha, was NOT going to take her somewhere and take a leap of faith!! I meant letting her do more at home. The few places I have taken her away from home to game we have walk/trotted. All the time spent going to game shows is to get her used to going places and new arenas. I don't do slow walk/trot stuff at home and then go somewhere new and run her into the ground. I guess I wasn't clear on that in my OP. My plan tonight on the couple patterns was to just jog. Letting her out a little into a lope was a train wreck. Some day she is going to have to go faster though, lol.
She is broke to the point of walk, jog, trot, lope on correct lead, can lope about a 15' circle, back, side pass, haunch turn, still working on a good forehand turn.... can two track, I do that with her to settle her in sometimes, sometimes I have to circle/figure 8 her to settle her in. Rail work is not good because I have a huge arena and you go around a corner and she is rearing to go (figuretively ), I think it is track flashbacks.
Ha! No need to apologize hon! You don't know me from anyone else. And some people may have gone off to a race and just let them go to see what happens. This chica is not that brave! Stupid? Something! She was not happy about all the gait changing and I could tell if I did it too much, I would just set her off. I think Tuesday may have been something of an off night with the cold and wind. Tonight there was more people out riding, one kiddo learning to gallop horses for the track, etc. She was a little antsy to begin with, but worked much better than Tuesday. | |
| |
| |
Folks on-line