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Expert
Posts: 1477
  
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | I've always ran 2 horses sometimes 3. Now I've went to running 4. Now I'm hitting barrels or just completely blowing by them. I've hit a barrel 5 runs in a row on a horse after 2.5 years without hitting a barrel on. My gelding I go in there and usually end up way behind him and he will blow all 3 barrels if your not paying attention and riding him and that's what happened. My other mares turns just aren't what they used to be. I'm just sloppy and look like I have no clue what I'm doing. I need to work on me but don't want to work them to death because it's not their fault and they know their job. |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
  
Location: sunny california | how big are the races you are running at? are you getting enough space inbetween or do you think that the horses styles are just so drastcally different?
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | kwanatha - 2015-08-16 12:26 PM
how big are the races you are running at? are you getting enough space inbetween or do you think that the horses styles are just so drastcally different?
Yesterday was the biggest show we had and there was 67. And our tractor driver does good but he is so slow. They all run pretty close to the same style. One of my geldings is a little more of a free runner than the other 3 but not a total free runner.
Edited by TessBelle 2015-08-16 12:37 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I run multiple horses all with very different styles. Here is what I do when I'm running four:
I run the two horses that have the most similar styles close together. I warm them up together (ride one, pony one) and switch. Then I make my runs and put them away. With the other two I space them out far enough I can warm them up together and get my brain focused on those runs.
If you have a few that are similar and one very different run the two that are the closest in styles close together, then give yourself time to warm up the other two. Run the one with the closest style to the first two and run the very different one last.
My suggestion is to haul just two for a bit. Pair up the two with similar styles and get them back on track. Alternate the groups so each time you haul it's one group or the other. Then when they're all running well introduce a third (the one with the closest style) and then the forth. Pair them close together so you can get used to warming them up and running them close together.
That's my suggestion. Depending on how large your jackpot is you may have lots of time between horses.
Best of luck
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
Location: sunny california | TessBelle - 2015-08-16 10:35 AM kwanatha - 2015-08-16 12:26 PM how big are the races you are running at? are you getting enough space inbetween or do you think that the horses styles are just so drastcally different?
Yesterday was the biggest show we had and there was 67. And our tractor driver does good but he is so slow. They all run pretty close to the same style. One of my geldings is a little more of a free runner than the other 3 but not a total free runner.
well I could see that 4 might be hard with only 67 riders. I would never be able to do more than two LOL you might want to dial back to 3 for a little while but rotate them. that way you are used to the different horses in diffeent combos. so maybe the fourth horse has you a little off your game. what about just getting that one going with one other for a couple races? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 364
Location: Texas | It can be hard to switch from one horse to the next in a short amount of time. What helps me When I run multiple horses is When I het off of one and I'm getting on the other one I forget how I rode the last one and I listen to my horse while I am warming up- just try to forget about the run you just made and focus on the horse you are on. Horses might run similar to each other but not one horse runs exactly alike. If you need to work on you but not work the horses on the pattern all the time. Work them on the fence to get them to use their hind end, This Will help you to be able to "stay" with your horse in the turns. Just do drills away from the pattern tha Will help you on the pattern |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
Location: sunny california | the only way I could ever run 4 would be to have a stable boy saddling and every horse would have to have its own tack. I could not share it would stress me out LOL I don't know how you gals do it! oh I do know a gal that has one horse she rides with spurs and another that she can not ride in spurs so she bought two pairs of boots and just switches boots. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | kwanatha - 2015-08-16 1:02 PM
the only way I could ever run 4 would be to have a stable boy saddling and every horse would have to have its own tack. I could not share it would stress me out LOL I don't know how you gals do it! oh I do know a gal that has one horse she rides with spurs and another that she can not ride in spurs so she bought two pairs of boots and just switches boots.
I do. Boyfriend has everything done for me. All I have to do is get on and warm up. My gelding can't be rode in spurs so I usually run him last or I will forget to put them on. |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | kwanatha - 2015-08-16 12:41 PM TessBelle - 2015-08-16 10:35 AM kwanatha - 2015-08-16 12:26 PM how big are the races you are running at? are you getting enough space inbetween or do you think that the horses styles are just so drastcally different?
Yesterday was the biggest show we had and there was 67. And our tractor driver does good but he is so slow. They all run pretty close to the same style. One of my geldings is a little more of a free runner than the other 3 but not a total free runner.
I agree Dial back with that small of entries 2 would be plenty
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 Professional Amateur
Posts: 6750
Location: Oklahoma | Rotate or simply back down on how many you are competing on. We usually run 2 each. When I am running myself, I have competed on up to 3, but I just don't have fun when I run too many. I would try the rotation thing for a while and see if you go back to making clean runs. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12842
| Get there early and warm up all horses and have all horses saddled and ready to go.
Establish priorities ------ Do you want to try to place and take home money or do you want to run every horse?
If you want to place and take home money then ride a couple of horses that have the best chance of winning. Exhibition the others.
If you want to run all four, I think you are loosing focus. The problems you named are rider issues. I suggest ride fewer and learn to focus better.
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | streakysox - 2015-08-16 6:22 PM
Get there early and warm up all horses and have all horses saddled and ready to go.
Establish priorities ------ Do you want to try to place and take home money or do you want to run every horse?
If you want to place and take home money then ride a couple of horses that have the best chance of winning. Exhibition the others.
If you want to run all four, I think you are loosing focus. The problems you named are rider issues. I suggest ride fewer and learn to focus better.
It's great to win money but right now I'm doing it because I'm so behind on nbha point for world next year. But something got to give because this isn't getting me anywhere. |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12842
| TessBelle - 2015-08-16 6:47 PM
streakysox - 2015-08-16 6:22 PM
Get there early and warm up all horses and have all horses saddled and ready to go.
Establish priorities ------ Do you want to try to place and take home money or do you want to run every horse?
If you want to place and take home money then ride a couple of horses that have the best chance of winning. Exhibition the others.
If you want to run all four, I think you are loosing focus. The problems you named are rider issues. I suggest ride fewer and learn to focus better.
It's great to win money but right now I'm doing it because I'm so behind on nbha point for world next year. But something got to give because this isn't getting me anywhere.
You would be ahead in several ways if you just ran two horses even for points. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| When I ride multiple horses, each horse has their own saddle, as each of mine I ride in different stirrup length depending on their style.
I get to the event early, warm up all horses, do barrel work if need be.
I will run horses that are hardest to easiest |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Sounds like I do most everything that has been suggested. We run at the same arena every show. It's 2 miles from my house so I saddle before I leave home. I get there at the time exhibitions are suppose to start so I can warm up everyone before it starts. None of them require a ton of warming up but one mare does sometimes need more than normal. 3 get rode with spurs one doesn't. So the one that doesnt goes last so I don't have to be in a rush to get them on or forget to put them on. Each horse has there own set of boots plus 2 extra sets. My boyfriend or dad will have them booted and bridle on when I get back to the trailer with previous horse. I get on next horse and they unboot and put halter back on the one I just ran. I could NEVER do it by my self. I'm going to try running hardest to easiest. That makes more sense because Usually I start off good and it's all down hill after that. I know it's having to mentally go from one horse to the next. I've alway, even when I only ran one, had a problem with getting mentally stuck on a bad run.
What are some off the pattern exersises I can do? I know some suggested working on the fence. What else is there. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | I have 4 but very seldom run all 4 at the same show. Why? Because its HARD!!!! Barrel racing is supposed to be fun and it's not always fun when it feels like hard work!
I have done it a few times, and avoided all major problems but that is mainly because 2 of them are solid, veteran horses who don't need a lot of help from the rider. All I have to do is just trot them around a few minutes before you run and they're going to go in and do their job.
With 67 being a big show, I would be careful running 4 and don't hesitate to leave one home part of the time. Maybe whoever is the least likely to help in terms of points gets a day off. I do that a lot, and I'll also leave my old gelding home if we're running in a really big pen because those are too hard on him. Likewise, I won't run Streak (the newest/greenest one) in little tiny trap arenas because he doesn't have enough experience in those setups to do well, and I'll just run the old man that day instead.
However, if you're determined to run all 4, here are my suggestions:
Get there early. Super super super early. Especially if you are going somewhere that fills the early draw numbers quickly. The sooner you can get entered, the easier it will be to get your 4 horses split up in the draw so you aren't running yourself ragged and you can do each horse justice. There's not much point in running 4 if you can't do a good job on any of them because you don't have enough time. I ran all 4 at a few district NBHAs last winter and I would get there an hour before exhibitions started. Yes it was early, but I could do my entering early and make sure they could get me split up in the draw as much as possible. Also if I wanted to ride in the arena before exhibitions, I could, and I usually managed to work the announcers table during part of exhibitions.
When I run all 4 (and again, this is very rare), my strategy is to run the one who needs the most warmup first. If I have 2 who can be warmed up together or one who doesn't need much warmup, I'll cram those runs together a little bit.
For example, Chance and Joker need longer warmups than Cliff and Streak. Streak often does an exhibition (particularly if he hasn't run in a long time) and Cliff isn't the type you can ride very much before a run as he just gets hotter and hotter the more you're on him. Joker is the most solid, seasoned barrel horse on the planet. Chance cannot be ponied but you can pony up to 3 horses off him to warm them up in a herd. Cliff seems to do well if he's ponied to warm up and Joker is uncomfortable to ride so I prefer to pony him.
Therefore, I will run Chance or Streak first. Let's say I run Chance first at draw #3. I'll enter Joker somewhere around #15-20 because I can warm him up alongside Chance, then walk them together after running Chance to cool Chance out but keep Joker loose for his run. I would prefer to have my third horse somewhere in the 40s (high 40s preferably) so I can strip the saddles off Chance & Joker before I have to start warming up horse 3. Stripping 2 saddles and leg gear usually takes me about 6-8 riders (I'm fast LOL). If Cliff is my 3rd horse at draw #45 and Streak is #61, I'll get on Streak and pony Cliff for a few drags, just walking and trotting. When they're about #35, I'll tie Streak up and get on Cliff slowly so he doesn't have much time to get worked up. After running Cliff, I'll hop on Streak and pony Cliff around at a walk to cool Cliff out & keep Streak loose for his run. After Streak runs, I'll strip both of them and try to sit down & relax!
This scenario is assuming that they aren't running 50 horses an hour, since most small shows are a little slower paced than that. I'd have a terrible time running 4 at a Barrel Bash or something like that where they run more than one tractor and get through the entries really quickly.
I am also very lucky that most of my horses have a similar style so I don't have to adjust my riding very much from one to another. Though I have two lefties right now (Chance & Cliff) and two righties (Joker & Streak), that doesn't bother me. I do have multiple pairs of boots, one with bumper spurs, one with traditional spurs, and always at least one pair with no spurs so if spurs are irritating a particular horse, I can just change boots when I get on that one. |
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