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Veteran
Posts: 226
 
| If my horse is taking too many steps around the barrels...... what are some exercises I can do? Partly I am thinking it is because we are still getting our winter weight off and he can't get his hip up under him as well as if he didn't have a belly....... Any suggestions?? Thanks!! |
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 Go For It!
  
Location: Texas |
Don't rate so early... Go a step further before starting your turn and your horse will have an opportunity to be snappier in the turn.
Good luck!
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Connie Combs square exercise!!!!! |
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Expert
Posts: 1561
| grinandbareit - 2015-04-06 5:43 PM
Don't rate so early... Go a step further before starting your turn and your horse will have an opportunity to be snappier in the turn.
Good luck!
Yup, push them by and let them work naturally around the barrel. |
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Veteran
Posts: 226
| Thanks! Never even thought of that. Makes sense tho!
The Connie comb..... Is that 4 barrels set of as a square then do all left, then all right? If that makes sense! Thanks!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Is he still green? ...or, is he a finished horse? If he's finished, he probably just needs to get back in shape before you go back to the pattern. Like you mentioned, he might just be having problems working around his gut. If he's still green, I like the square exercise mentioned above. |
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Veteran
Posts: 226
| He's finished. I found the square exercise from Connie. Some online. Thanks for everyone's input! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 396
Location: Iowa | I just attended a Charmayne James clinic and she had us really gather and square our horses up so they were really working off their hind ends and not having their nose cranked around the barrel! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 306
Location: Albany, Georgia | All of this makes sense, and I've been trying to make my turns snappier as well, but how do you keep a stiffer horse from getting to stiff by keeping them square throughout the turn. Maybe I just overthink stuff lol! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1273
Location: South Dakota | DustToDiamonds - 2015-04-08 8:31 AM All of this makes sense, and I've been trying to make my turns snappier as well, but how do you keep a stiffer horse from getting to stiff by keeping them square throughout the turn. Maybe I just overthink stuff lol!
I honestly think going a step further before starting your turn will help to unstiffen a horse. I know that sounds kind of backwards but we had a horse that was having trouble with 2nd barrel. We kept trying to "bend him around" it. Finally went back to what Connie said at her clinic...going a step further and squaring him, and his turns were much snappier. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Why is he taking too many steps?
Is he flattening out and stiffing you? Is he front endy and dropping on you? Is he having trouble bringing his front end around?
If he's not setting for you and sticking his inside hind leg then you need to work on rating him not pushing him on up in the hole he's just going to flattening out on the backside with you. |
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Veteran
Posts: 226
| The pattern is pretty good, it just seems like I actually have time to kick around the barrel and remember how long it took. I rewatched the video again and to me it seems our pocket going in was a little wide, but last fall I can actually kick and remember going around the barrel. I just want her to be snappier around. If that makes sense?? Thanks! |
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