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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
  
| You just need to find a consistent horse that will go the speed you ask. My gelding will run as hard as you push him. For me, I can get into the 2D, but when my mom gets on him, he'll run 4D. A:because he takes care of her and B:She doesn't push as hard because she's trying to hold on!
I think Push style horses are better at slowing down for different riders than Free Runners. Free Runners are going to go whether or not you want to!
As far as the fear thing...I'm not much help. I still am very much into the child "not afraid of anything" mentality. I did get scared one year after this same gelding fell in a very deep pen with me. We went from 2D to 4D or slower!! I bought a helmet and that helped tremedously for my confidence. Now we are back to 2D. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I agree with the rest you need to find the right horse. We purchased a 19 year old gelding last fall. He has run his entire life but my niece started out only willing to trot him on the pattern. He was not thrilled but he trotted. By the end of this summer she is now up to a nice high lope through. Leased him out to a young girl this fall and she had never sat on a barrel horse before we started out trotting and just worked her up one barrel at a time. This same horse is now winning with her on him. And I have faith we could take him in and lope a pattern if needed. You need a horse like that.
As for gaining the confidence I would do with you just what I did with them. We trotted the pattern until they were comfortable with that then we would trot into 1 and slowly build speed as the pattern progressed as they got more comfortable the first place I had them push was out of 3 and towards home. Then worked backwards with more speed at each previous step. and if you never get comfortable doing more then a high lope that is ok too. Just go have fun and hang with your friends and enjoy what you can do.
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  Desert Diva
Posts: 4946
 
Location: The birthplace of Honest Abe | Buy a beginner youth horse. Start there that is what I suggest. |
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Veteran
Posts: 120
| Thank you all for your wonderful advice. It's nice to know I am not alone. I will search for a "kid and old lady" proof horse. That will be my next step. I thought I had found one but realized after I purchased him he was way to much horse for where I am right now. I actually had given in to the thought that maybe this just isn't for me and that is how I lived my summer. Maybe I will find out in the long run that it isn't...but I don't want to give up just yet. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 507
Location: Lost in the corn of Iowa. | banjomia - 2014-09-30 3:52 PM
Thank you all for your wonderful advice. It's nice to know I am not alone. I will search for a "kid and old lady" proof horse. That will be my next step. I thought I had found one but realized after I purchased him he was way to much horse for where I am right now. I actually had given in to the thought that maybe this just isn't for me and that is how I lived my summer. Maybe I will find out in the long run that it isn't...but I don't want to give up just yet.
This was me this past weekend!! I was ready to give it all up and just be a drunk and happy trail rider, because I'm tired of donating my money for a high lope through the pattern. Hubby reminded me that I have come too far to quit just yet. Horse goes faster, I get scared and slow horse down, horse slows back down, then I get mad because we aren't going faster. It'll make ya dizzy following it. LOL!!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| TwistedK - 2014-09-30 7:55 AM
I'm not scared to open him up in a field, just on a pattern. I've also never kept a horse longer than loping a slow pattern. So it's new territory. I grew up as an equitation/hunter jumper/dressage rider. I'm not afraid to go over fences. I ride down busy roads, I break and train my own. I'm just scared of opening up on the pattern.
it's because as H/J riders we are taught NOT to "open up" and "let loose" of your horse. Even at the higher jumping levels like Grand Prix your horse is always in that "spot" in front of your legs and up in the bridle. It's different in barrels when you shove your reins forward and get all that "go" then gather them up and suddenly turn. (Although I do have to say my background in jumpers and Big Eq REALLY helps when balancing for that turn.) I still have trouble with it...and I am DETERMINED to get my futurity colt to "be someone" in the future, so I have to get over it, too! You're not alone!!! |
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 Regular
Posts: 92
| My issue is..I was with a friend riding and she suffered a horrible wreck, got bucked off ,unconscious and air lifted to the hosp. Many serious injuries, lucky to be alive today. That day, being there and seeing the whole thing, scared the life right out of me. I couldn't even ride my horse for weeks, all I did was lunge and groom. Bought a helmet and finally stepped on,but the fear was white knuckle intense. Sent my horse to a trainer to be finished & I took lessons on her at the same time. It's taken 6 months for me to regain my confidence, and my horse is good as gold, she always has been. The lessons really helped me, and if I got nervous , we would work on something else. I'm a long ways from where I wanna be in running barrels, but I can feel the fear has lifted :)
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 Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | RodeoCowgirl4u - 2014-09-30 4:58 PM TwistedK - 2014-09-30 7:55 AM I'm not scared to open him up in a field, just on a pattern. I've also never kept a horse longer than loping a slow pattern. So it's new territory. I grew up as an equitation/hunter jumper/dressage rider. I'm not afraid to go over fences. I ride down busy roads, I break and train my own. I'm just scared of opening up on the pattern. it's because as H/J riders we are taught NOT to "open up" and "let loose" of your horse. Even at the higher jumping levels like Grand Prix your horse is always in that "spot" in front of your legs and up in the bridle. It's different in barrels when you shove your reins forward and get all that "go" then gather them up and suddenly turn. (Although I do have to say my background in jumpers and Big Eq REALLY helps when balancing for that turn. ) I still have trouble with it...and I am DETERMINED to get my futurity colt to "be someone" in the future, so I have to get over it, too! You're not alone!!!
I think you have a point here, I have found that I have trouble letting go....
In English it is all about control of your horse, and here you just have to say: "go ahead, run balls to the walls, and I will trust you to turn.....".
Well, had a gelding that didn't turn, and so I took control back.... (might be that I just resort back to that since I rode English for 3 decades before converting...)
Both my mares will turn no matter what, so them I hussle in there, but the gelding I have now is not totally finished yet, so that is a work in progress...
The funny thing with him is, once we are turning 1st I am good, I will push him through the rest of the pattern, but letting him run to 1st is still an issue for me.... But I am working on it.....
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | RodeoCowgirl4u - 2014-09-30 4:58 PM TwistedK - 2014-09-30 7:55 AM I'm not scared to open him up in a field, just on a pattern. I've also never kept a horse longer than loping a slow pattern. So it's new territory. I grew up as an equitation/hunter jumper/dressage rider. I'm not afraid to go over fences. I ride down busy roads, I break and train my own. I'm just scared of opening up on the pattern. it's because as H/J riders we are taught NOT to "open up" and "let loose" of your horse. Even at the higher jumping levels like Grand Prix your horse is always in that "spot" in front of your legs and up in the bridle. It's different in barrels when you shove your reins forward and get all that "go" then gather them up and suddenly turn. (Although I do have to say my background in jumpers and Big Eq REALLY helps when balancing for that turn. ) I still have trouble with it...and I am DETERMINED to get my futurity colt to "be someone" in the future, so I have to get over it, too! You're not alone!!!
Very true. My horses all ride like english horses and are trained in a similar manner to an equitation horse. They're always in front of my legs and I'm able to put them into spots and get them very balanced into the turns. I'm so glad I'm not alone in this!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1286
Location: Mississippi | Wearing a helmet has helped me. I am still a little afraid to really let my horse go but luckily, he has been very patient with me. Each run I try to get a little braver and push a little harder :) |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| cranky B4 10am - 2014-10-01 7:26 AM
RodeoCowgirl4u - 2014-09-30 4:58 PM TwistedK - 2014-09-30 7:55 AM I'm not scared to open him up in a field, just on a pattern. I've also never kept a horse longer than loping a slow pattern. So it's new territory. I grew up as an equitation/hunter jumper/dressage rider. I'm not afraid to go over fences. I ride down busy roads, I break and train my own. I'm just scared of opening up on the pattern. it's because as H/J riders we are taught NOT to "open up" and "let loose" of your horse. Even at the higher jumping levels like Grand Prix your horse is always in that "spot" in front of your legs and up in the bridle. It's different in barrels when you shove your reins forward and get all that "go" then gather them up and suddenly turn. (Although I do have to say my background in jumpers and Big Eq REALLY helps when balancing for that turn. ) I still have trouble with it...and I am DETERMINED to get my futurity colt to "be someone" in the future, so I have to get over it, too! You're not alone!!!
In English it is all about control of your horse, and here you just have to say: "go ahead, run balls to the walls, and I will trust you to turn.....".
Well, had a gelding that didn't turn, and so I took control back.... (might be that I just resort back to that since I rode English for 3 decades before converting...)
Both my mares will turn no matter what, so them I hussle in there, but the gelding I have now is not totally finished yet, so that is a work in progress...The funny thing with him is, once we are turning 1st I am good, I will push him through the rest of the pattern, but letting him run to 1st is still an issue for me.... But I am working on it.....
This is so me too! Grew up riding h/j equitation and hit the grand prix curcuit a bit beforeI "retired" its ddefinitely a change of pace lol! My hubby cant understand how I could take a horse over those huge jumps and be scared to go for it in the barrel pen. Ive roped off his horse and caught some barn burners! But thats a straight shot! Ive got my first race coming up in a few weeks and im nervous as all get out! His rope horse is a finished barrel horse who can place in the 1D. hes strong and sucks those barrels up. Ive been working on my confidence with just loping him thru at home.. I know the horse is ready but im not sure I am! I haven't ran barrels competitive in 20 years! He tells me his horse will take care of me out there just like he does in the roping pen but dang! Im nervous!!! I feel like after I get that first run out of my way and head we will be ok!! |
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| The old saying "If you aren't terrified going to first barrel, you aren't going fast enough" comes to mind.
This whole game takes a TON of TRUST in you and your horse. You just simply have to believe in all of the things you can do slow, and speed them up. Maybe your speed up isn't Mach 10, but put the pieces together bit by bit.
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Veteran
Posts: 120
| I am amazed at how many people have this issue. I thought I was the only one. I keep thinking if I just get a couple runs under my belt I will be o.k. but the one time I did let my (way to finished) horse run through I think I shut my eyes and held my breath. I was scared to death. Haven't done it since. I have also ridden English and am use to the control. Letting that go is a tough thing to conquer. Maybe if I could conquer that under saddle, I could carry that over into my life lol  |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Another phrase that I heard and liked "if it doesn't make your heart pound it is not worth doing" made me realize I was not alone with my nerves! It has finally become more fun than scary (my stomach would just burn and I would think why I am I doing this to myself?). I go in now expecting to make a decent run instead of going down the alley thinking it is going to be a disaster.
Edited by rodeomom3 2014-10-01 3:47 PM
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