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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
 
Location: Northern Ontario | So my mare in the kind of horse I have to ride really aggressively and two handed around the barrels. Any tips for staying on ( without hanging on to the horn). Also, is there any pro riders that ride the entire pattern two-handed? (So I can watch vidoes of them)Any of you guys do? I literally have to have my hands almost up to her ears. Its a very different way to get used to, but it works for us :)
Edited by SuperTrooper 2017-05-22 10:55 AM
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be | why do you have to stay two handed around the barrels?
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | Hustle with your whole body, not just your upper body and you won't have a problem with 'staying on'. I can't think of any top barrel racers that ride two handed around the barrels. Are you having to do that to keep your horse off the barrels or what?
Edited by BarrelRacing4Christ 2017-05-22 11:20 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Northern Ontario | To keep her forward ans wrapping the barrel.... maybe I'll eventually be able to ride her one handed around the barrel but right now she needs the support to keep her off her forhand
Edited by SuperTrooper 2017-05-22 11:35 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I can lope and ride 2 handed for colts or something but theres no way I would try to run like that on a regular basis. Im gonna need a video lol I might could stay on but it wouldnt be pretty for sure. I promise I own one of the most ratey horses on the planet and as long as I dont sit down too early shes not gonna run over the barrel, especially just because I let go of the outside rein. You may could work on riding (like warming up and loping circles) with one hand. Start there and slowly work the pattern one handed. A horse that is running the pattern should be broke enough to work off your inside rein.  |
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 Unknown Drip
Posts: 5624
Location: Back in MT BABY!!! | I saw Sarah Rose a couple times go 2 hands on bling...but for the most part she would go 1 handed at the last second.
I have no advice riding 2 handed in the turn...most of my horses are push style horses but they all turn with 1 hand. Most of the time these horses tip because they lose so much speed to make the turn. Try doing slow work...trot to the barrel and when you get there speed up to a lope...break back down to a trot to go to the next barrel..etc.
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Take a good look at how you are using your reins in the turn. Try going to one hand and make sure the inside hand is running up the horses neck and lifting and shaping. If you are doing this as opposed to pulling the horses face around the barrel, it should give the horse the support needed in the turn. It can help to put a marker in the horses mane to remind you where the rein/hand should be in the turn. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | Charmayne James rode one (maybe more, I don't know) two handed. She talked about it in her book I think it was.
My gelding is very push style with a mix of kind of roll back turns and I have to ride him two handed the whole pattern (sometimes I can go to the horn on the 3rd). If I go one handed on the first he'll drag the barrel down with his hip as he leaves. I think part of my problem is I'm not an aggressive rider so riding two handed forces me to get up and ride all the way through the turn.
I can tell when I haven't been working out enough, it makes it hard to ride two handed. So that's my only tidbit is core and leg strength. Bareback riding helps too :)
Edited by 07milch 2017-05-22 10:08 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 217
| I'm right there with you. My mare rates super hard and I met the dirt Friday night. I'm going to work on our rating point and teaching myself to ride two handed further up into the pocket.
I did watch a video about someone with go and stop zones. She'd keep the rein further up the horse's neck (more than halfway) in the start of the turn and when she was ready for the horse to set down and finish the turn, she'd pull the rein out and off the horse's neck. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Pretty similar gelding who wants to turn on his front end, cutter. When he gets his front end up we are in and out wicked fast.
Chris Martin has me riding with my hands farther back and with light contact. Pushing your hands up his neck on a horse who naturally wants to fall forward - just lets him fall forward.
We work a lot on light contact and pushing him up into the bridle, forward movement with contact. Additionally then when you do go to the rein to ask for a turn the contact isn't as surprising and the reaction should be smoother.
I try and ride 2 handed all the way to the backside and then drop to the horn to stay with him coming out.
In the practice pen, lope circles with 2 hands, focusing on driving him into the bridle and off his front end, then drop your outside rein and maintain the same circle. If you can't do it your riding too much with your hands and not enough with your legs, imo. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Northern Ontario | I am at work so just replying quickly. will read your awesome comments later, but I wanted to add that we aren't going super fast right now anyway. She isn't a seasoned horse yet. We have gone to only 4 barrel races so far. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| SuperTrooper - 2017-05-23 9:04 AM
I am at work so just replying quickly. will read your awesome comments later, but I wanted to add that we aren't going super fast right now anyway. She isn't a seasoned horse yet. We have gone to only 4 barrel races so far.
Perfect time to patch the holes and prepare for added speed! I wish I'd known then what I know now! |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | SuperTrooper - 2017-05-22 10:54 AM So my mare in the kind of horse I have to ride really aggressively and two handed around the barrels. Any tips for staying on ( without hanging on to the horn). Also, is there any pro riders that ride the entire pattern two-handed? (So I can watch vidoes of them)Any of you guys do? I literally have to have my hands almost up to her ears. Its a very different way to get used to, but it works for us :)
I am at work so just replying quickly. will read your awesome comments later, but I wanted to add that we aren't going super fast right now anyway. She isn't a seasoned horse yet. We have gone to only 4 barrel races so far.
I'm sorry but I guess I am confused. You are having trouble staying on but you aren't going fast yet?
There nothing wrong with staying 2-handed in the turns with a green horse if they need it, but if you are having trouble staying on at slower speeds, most likely you'll need to work on basic horsemanship and riding balanced. Can you post a video?
As your horse progresses, you may not need to 2-hand her in the turns anymore. But you should still be able to make the turns without holding on. I agree that it helps stabilize a person and I do it myself, but you should still be able to make it without. (Same way you could make it without stirrups -- not easy on a powerful horse, but NFR girls do it all the time.)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560
Location: Where the buffalo roam | I have a super ratey cutting reject that can go from 60 to zero quickly and I have found that riding one handed and never going two handed was best for me. If I ride two handed I will relax my body just a hair when I drop to one hand and that is enough of a signal for her to get down and turn. By staying one handed through the whole run (I call it rodeo riding) I am able to stay up on top of her with my hand up her neck and not sit until I get to the back side. That way I can get around the barrels and stay on all at the same time - although it is still a work in progress. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Teach your horse to really move off inside rein and leg. I have a super tight turning, ratey horse and to be properly balanced and not get in the way of your horse you need to hold on to the saddle horn. It's fine to be 2 handed with a green horse, but don't let them depend on it. Videos would help... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Northern Ontario | r_beau - 2017-05-23 11:22 AM
SuperTrooper - 2017-05-22 10:54 AM So my mare in the kind of horse I have to ride really aggressively and two handed around the barrels. Any tips for staying on ( without hanging on to the horn). Also, is there any pro riders that ride the entire pattern two-handed? (So I can watch vidoes of them)Any of you guys do? I literally have to have my hands almost up to her ears. Its a very different way to get used to, but it works for us :)
I am at work so just replying quickly. will read your awesome comments later, but I wanted to add that we aren't going super fast right now anyway. She isn't a seasoned horse yet. We have gone to only 4 barrel races so far.
 I'm sorry but I guess I am confused. You are having trouble staying on but you aren't going fast yet?
There nothing wrong with staying 2-handed in the turns with a green horse if they need it, but if you are having trouble staying on at slower speeds, most likely you'll need to work on basic horsemanship and riding balanced. Can you post a video?
As your horse progresses, you may not need to 2-hand her in the turns anymore. But you should still be able to make the turns without holding on. I agree that it helps stabilize a person and I do it myself, but you should still be able to make it without. (Same way you could make it without stirrups -- not easy on a powerful horse, but NFR girls do it all the time.)Â
I have no problem staying on at all right now, but I want to do alot more than a high lope/slow gallop. I feel really balanced and the run is smoother in this position. Shows are coming up, we will get faster, and I want to be able to stay in this balanced forward position. Thats why I wanted tips....like ride stirrupless alot or other balance exercises. I already have a very solid seat, but you can always improve. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Northern Ontario | Nobody - 2017-05-23 12:13 PM
I have a super ratey cutting reject that can go from 60 to zero quickly and I have found that riding one handed and never going two handed was best for me. If I ride two handed I will relax my body just a hair when I drop to one hand and that is enough of a signal for her to get down and turn. By staying one handed through the whole run (I call it rodeo riding) I am able to stay up on top of her with my hand up her neck and not sit until I get to the back side. That way I can get around the barrels and stay on all at the same time - although it is still a work in progress.
Yes! This is like me!(minus the speed atm). How is it working out so far? Also, i will get videos of my runs soon |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 357
| My old mare was a lot like you described. If I didn't push her or just let her breeze thru she would put all three barrels down. I think once you add more speed you won't need to ride around the turns with two hands. Although I always dropped my hand I never set back. She would turn so hand she would flip the reins over her head until i rigged up something to keep it from happening.. I learned to hold on from my knees up, my feet were always behind me. My tip would be to rely less on your stirrups and more on your thighs to keep your seat.I always rubber banded my feet in the stirrups ( I know this is a controversial issue) also. She was a hard horse for anyone else to ride. The key was learning the exactly right time to drop your hand. She thrived in large outdoor arenas where she could get more speed. I have a student who needs to ride her horse the same way,teaching it is also a struggle.. Good Luck! |
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