|
|
  
| My gelding in the past few years had started to develop gate issues that got worse with time. It’s been found out recently that he had some pain issues which we are positive we have taken care of. He is running better than ever now but still has gate issues. I understand that it’s going to take some time for him to realize that he’s not hurting anymore and to not associate the gate with pain, and will take time to get over these gate problems if at all as I have seen some always stay that way. He is a nervous horse to begin with, he is on Gastrix for his ulcers, and I give him Oxygen’s Jailbreak before he runs. I actually have noticed that half the tube doesn’t really help him, I give him a little more than half a few hours out of running. It does bring him down a little but still nervous and will start spinning and backing up if we even head towards the arena/gate. It is weird, we can warm up near the arena and then be 100 yards away when it comes time to run and he just knows its time and will start acting up. I try to remain super calm but he still just knows. He’s not acting dangerous. I do carry a crop with me which I can get his attention with and usually I either have to have someone walk him in or have them walk a horse next to him. Usually once he is lined up with the alley he is fine and will go in with no problem, almost anxious and wanting to going in like he just needs that little extra help to let him know he’s ok and to relax.
What are some things I can do to help him? Exercises we can do? He does not see the pattern any other time other than making a run or if I feel he needs to be exhibitioned (because sometimes he will decide he’s going to crow hop when running, exhibitioning seems to take that out of him and eases his excitement a bit) & sometimes he will run harder.
I’m open to any suggestions! Thank you!
| |
| | |
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| What I do with gate issue horses is walk up the alley get off loosen the cinch every chance I have, I do this at rakes, big tractors, etc.
I make the horse realize the alley becomes a good spot. | |
| | |
Expert
Posts: 3514
| Try Mellow from Equine Natural Care | |
| | |
 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | I have one who also developed nasty gate issues after running while he was sore (darn it horse, why did you keep working so long and not let us know something hurt???) and literally 7 years later he's still not completely over them. If we have a clear path to the gate and don't have to dodge people or stop, we're OK 90 percent of the time. I do like to have someone on one of my other horses walk up with us until Joker takes off on his own because he's easier to get going again when he stalls if a buddy is there. He doesn't get worked on the pattern at home, doesn't get exhibitioned, any of that, so I just try to keep him relaxed and away from the arena as much as possible. He's never going to completely give up on the gate issues so I have just learned to limit his runs and have someone ride or walk up with us. I hope yours comes back better than mine did.
I do try with my others to get off and pet them in the alley if I can, and I NEVER EVER get after one when they're getting upset or nervous because at that point it usually doesn't help. (at least not with Clifford if he is wound up and not paying attention). I have been scoring him in the alley and in front of the pattern, waiting for him to take a deep breath and relax, then getting off loosening the cinch and walking out on foot. | |
| | |
 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| At a clinic I heard a suggestion of zig-zagging to the gate instead of walking in a straight line. This is probably more for a horse that stalls but it might help. I've had some with gate issues in the past and each one had a pain issue. If the the issue was resolved they went in, but I could always tell if the pain was coming back because they would start refusing again. Are you sure that all of the issues are resolved? And it could be something totally different from the other issue. Have you tried warming up and then getting off and hand walking up to the gate area? It might help to walk him up there to keep him calm. I have a nervous horse that I handle this way. We warm up and then I get off until our drag. If I stay on he just keeps getting more and more worked up. I will ease him up to the gate when we get close so he is right there when it's time to go. I used to run a horse that would go in unless I had to pull up. I always made sure the path was clear and then I just let him roll. I made sure we were close to the gate so that I wouldn't have to hold him up and he was much happier if I wasn't fighting him to stay calm over a long distance.
These are just some ideas that you could try. You will just have to try different things until you figure out what works best for you and your horse. | |
| | |
Elite Veteran
Posts: 612
| With a nervous horse, once in a while I will do a warm-up run or else stay after and the barrel race and work the horse. All that I do is get them to go in the gate and once that the horse relaxes, I will walk or slow trot through the barrel pattern and then come back in (or just turn around toward the first barrel) and step off and loosen the cinch.
I think that walking in to the gate during drags and after you run are good things to do. | |
| | |
Veteran
Posts: 276
| Make sure you are riding an adequate amount at home. Don't be afraid to slow work the pattern; walk, trot. Don't let it be where every time the horse goes somewhere or sees barrels he/she knows it is time to run. Haul to places away from home and don't make a run. Go watch (ride around at) an event, or just slow work a pattern somewhere when nothing is going on. In the meantime, (like you said, probably won't be a quick fix) when your horse gets antsy, make them circle or stop and back up or do something, be sure not to just hang on their face. I will usually make them circle or spin or zig-zag until they start really listening, and then stop, back up, relax and give them a chance to be calm, if they start prancing or something again, repeat. They are not dumb, they will figure out that it is easier to calm down. I also see a lot of people who like to just camp on their horse all day until it is time to warm up and run and I feel like it is one of the worst things you can do. Nothing wrong with camping and watching for a while, but be sure to also do a lot of riding around as well. I like to sit and watch some exhibitions (because I usually don't get any myself) then go lope for a while, then come back and watch any friends that might be running or talk to someone I know, but then go lope or walk some more. I never sit for more than a couple drags in a row. I will also walk by the alley several times until my horse is comfortable walking by the gate. After the run, walk back up the alley or to the gate and get off and loosen the cinch while they are dragging. I sometimes even wait until a jackpot is done and then go walk a lap around the arena. | |
| |
| |
Folks on-line