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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | How do you personally work a anxious or free running horse with faster drills but not freak them out too much? |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| Drugs.
No, I'm kidding, but when you figure it out- pass it along please LOL |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | smoothly and quietly. Usually these kind take a bit longer because they can't handle alot of fast works. But keep it smooth and quiet only letting out a notch at a time over time and you will have a jam up horse in the end. We have one like this now. She's now been to 10 race weekends and is cruising easy under wraps in the 2D at bigger (150 - 300) races. She wants to run alot harder but then she makes more mistakes costing more time.
Edited by ThreeCorners 2018-08-25 7:18 AM
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Location: South Dakota | Ride a lot...miles out in open, and train a little. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 885
| ThreeCorners - 2018-08-25 7:15 AM
smoothly and quietly. Usually these kind take a bit longer because they can't handle alot of fast works. But keep it smooth and quiet only letting out a notch at a time over time and you will have a jam up horse in the end. We have one like this now. She's now been to 10 race weekends and is cruising easy under wraps in the 2D at bigger (150 - 300) races. She wants to run alot harder but then she makes more mistakes costing more time.
I agree with Three corners 100% Patience, you have to have patience. |
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Veteran
Posts: 155
| I have one we picked up that started running too soon. We've taken him back to slow work which he does fantastic. He does get amped up when he's at a race, so doing alot of just riding around, standing around, getting in the arena and doing slow mellow stuff when possible. I've also found that the arena seems to be his safe place, as trail riding seems to completely stress him out. Any other ideas I can do to help him with both situations? I'm not really up for 8 hours on a trail, but it might be something needed.
Didn't mean to steal the thread, but I thoughtit applied. Thanks |
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 Lived to tell about it and will never do it again
Posts: 5408
| Lot's of wet saddle pads, have them tired before they go to the practice pen. That way they will be down on the ground paying attention. Also keep the practice sessions short, less is more. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | For me, I tend to think that there could be an underlying issue. So I would exhaust everything as far as vetting, chiro, ulcers, feed, teeth, shoes, tack fit, etc. If there is still nothing and the horse is hot, I would walk a ton. If they get pushy, just relax and stop them or do a smooth downward transition.
Staying relaxed and being quiet goes a long way. If they get rattled and you stay relaxed it can give them the confidence they need. Lots of pasture riding. Walking around tires, bushes, or trees can be good as well. Walking one like this to tune can seem counter intuitive but it really can transfer to the upward gaits. If I do a fast work I always go back and walk the pattern.
Good luck! |
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 Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | I don't. Once they've got everything mastered at a slower pace I just leave them alone and focus on doing anything and everything not related to barrels. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317
Location: MS | A little fast work then alot of slow work. And I love Silver Linings Keep Cool. Helps alot. Mine always wants to go. He doesn't get to lope until he's relaxed
and trotting on a lose rein with his head down. I kinda sneak up on him with the fast work when he's the most relaxed. |
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 Looking for Lady Jockey
Posts: 3747
Location: Rodeos or Baseball games | Vita B1 works for my mare. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | I agree that this type of horse needs a lot of slow work and a little bit of fast work. You've got to mix it up and sprinkle the fast stuff in but then reinforce everything slow 2-3 times as much as you did the fast work. |
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Location: in the ozone | I put my one horse that is on the muscle more than I like on CBD alfalfa pellets It has helped her focus so much better! (but be careful where you get them - not all are created equal) |
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Veteran
Posts: 155
| Thank you everyone for your replies! Went to a 2 day race over the weekend, warmed up away from everyone else, hung out in the holding pens, and was able to get in the arena before to's started to just ride around. Made 3 smooth runs. Gonna keep being mellow... |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | take out on the trails walk, trot , stop , back up repeat, speed up trot , slow up trot repeat. dont canter for 2 weeks. repeat the same process adding the canter. |
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Boot Detective
Posts: 1898
| You have to stay calm and keep your hands and legs relaxed when they get excited. If you MUST work them on the pattern, lope them d-o-w-n before you work the on the pattern and feed into the pattern without breaking down from the "tired" lope. Walk and trot the pattern with very little fast work because they simply can't take it. Work them on one barrel instead of the pattern to teach them how to get around a barrel using your cues. |
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 pressure dripper
Posts: 8696
Location: the end of the rainbow | I have had some luch with anxious horses by learning to help them get the adrenaline to disperes from their system. I had one mare I had to get off of & let stand tied for about 10 minutes, then I could on her and go back to work & she was ready to learn. Sometimes is something as simple as walking circles. It's usually something they are comfortable with that they & want to do slow & easy. Then I mix that move or trigger in with some drills. If it means stepping off & walking with them until they catch their breath instead of fightihg with them and frustrating both of us to get them to walk while I'm on their back then I'll get off & walk with them for a few minutes then get back on & walk a few more minutes before I send them back to work. Sometimes you just have to figure out where their comfort zone is and let them be in that zone for a little while every now & then throughout a ride. If they won't stand quietely then I'll just walk as quietly as possible until they take a big breath & then ask them to stand again. trying to make them be still when they are anxious just seems to make them worse but I also don't want them jumping around like a lunatic and I'm not a fan of working them until they are out breath to get them over stuff like that.
Sounds like you are on the right track if it went well for a weekend race.
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