Barrels safe, bad show day :(

DappleGrayMyWay · 11-07-2009, 06:47 AM

I am so excited, we're going to chase some cans again today!! He had SO much fun the last time, and today the weather is just gorgeous, and I have a good friend in town who is going to get to ride too, and...well it's just going to be so much fun!

Wish us luck and I'll have photos tonight!!

BarnBum · 11-07-2009, 07:01 AM

Have fun

Enjoy your day with friends and horses, thats what its all about.
Cant wait for the pics !!!!!!!

Red Gate Farm · 11-07-2009, 07:23 AM

How fast do can run anyway?

Have fun tonight!

country-mare · 11-07-2009, 07:31 AM

Enjoy your day, and have a great time.
Will be looking forward to seeing pictures.

DappleGrayMyWay · 11-07-2009, 09:29 PM

I will have photos to post but they won't be of me and Tule chasin' cans. He freaked out in the arena...he reared under me for the first time and went sideways, I'm lucky I stuck it and kept control. I tried to get his brain back into his head but he must have left it at the barn, he wouldn't listen to anything I tried and spooked again in the ring so I took him home. He had become dangerous and I wasn't taking any chances.

We decided to give Dillon some excitement though, and loaded him up when Tule went back to pasture. And of course, in Dilly's wonderfulness, he did fine. I rode him around just a little, let him eat a lot of grass, let him see the excitement of the barrel racing. And then took him home.

I spent the rest of the day very grumpy and upset because I had really been looking forward to barrels with Tule again. It's incredibly frustrating that I have a horse that can do ANYTHING...but only once.

Horselady44 · 11-07-2009, 09:36 PM

Oh Im sorry...thats no good. He just needs to be worked through it. Dont give up! Get back out there with him and work him through it

You can do it. Dont get discouraged!

scrapchick · 11-08-2009, 08:57 AM

He is new at this, not a seasoned pro, so it may take a few tries.....can you take him to the arena and work him when there is no show going on? Hopefully he didn't learn that throwing a fit scores a trip back home.

bubbleslove · 11-10-2009, 09:01 PM

Don't take it too hard, bad days happen to everyone. Maybe just take him and lead him around, no riding, and definitely no running. Let him hang out and take it all in, because there is lots for them to see. If he starts really badly misbehaving, see if there's a pen you can put him in untacked so he can work it out without endangering anyone. I've had to do this twice with Bubs, the first time it took 2 hours for him to mellow out, the second time he got over it much more quickly.

From what I've learned from the barrel racing community, most people take at least a year of barrel training before even thinking about showing...and that's while being exceptionally careful to balance it with other work, such as trails, dressage, jumping, whatever as long as it refocuses them. It was awesome that he was so wonderful the first time around, but for some reason barrels really seem to stir horses up. Mr Bubbles used to be a barrel horse, but because he was rushed into it, he is now gate sour and is afraid of large crowds. So much for my maybe-show horse

morgan · 11-10-2009, 09:12 PM

My horse in the Avatar is 20 and she Barrel Races loves more than anything but we still use her for Lessons Saddle Seat and ride her on the Trails. She also drives. It took us 6 months to train her on the Barrels. Because she was seasoned Show Horse she didin't need much adjustment to her surroundings.

misstishus · 11-10-2009, 09:13 PM

While it's fun to be able to just tear around some barrels and have fun, it's definitely not the greatest for the horses mind. Good barrel riders work the pattern at a walk/trot and don't even lope parts of the pattern until the horse is rating well and approaching each barrel in good position. Even then, they'll lope one barrel and trot the rest of the pattern. They also work from both directions and change the pattern so the horse learns not to anticipate. Just like jumpers don't jump 3+ foot fences every day, practicing barrels everyday will burn a horse out. Bad behavior is a sign of anxiety, confusion, or displeasure. As riders, it's our job to prepare our horses mentally and physically for whatever discipline we ask of them. Sorry your show was ruined! Better luck next time!

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11-07-2009, 06:47 AM
DappleGrayMyWay Long Yearling Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NC (Asheville) Posts: 1,499	Barrels safe, bad show day :( I am so excited, we're going to chase some cans again today!! He had SO much fun the last time, and today the weather is just gorgeous, and I have a good friend in town who is going to get to ride too, and...well it's just going to be so much fun! Wish us luck and I'll have photos tonight!! __________________ My sanity is with my horse, and if you see them, please send them back to the barn. Tule Pepper Dillon Blog : http://tulepepperdillon.blogspot.com/ Last edited by DappleGrayMyWay : 11-07-2009 at 09:25 PM.

11-07-2009, 07:01 AM
BarnBum Kid Safe Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sunshine State Posts: 5,850	Have fun Enjoy your day with friends and horses, thats what its all about. Cant wait for the pics !!!!!!! __________________ *Life is a coin, you can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.*

11-07-2009, 07:23 AM
Red Gate Farm Started Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 2,361	How fast do can run anyway? Have fun tonight! __________________ "Humans is sneaky" - Scotty

11-07-2009, 07:31 AM
country-mare Started Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Fred, Texas Posts: 2,102	Enjoy your day, and have a great time. Will be looking forward to seeing pictures. __________________

11-07-2009, 09:29 PM
DappleGrayMyWay Long Yearling Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NC (Asheville) Posts: 1,499	I will have photos to post but they won't be of me and Tule chasin' cans. He freaked out in the arena...he reared under me for the first time and went sideways, I'm lucky I stuck it and kept control. I tried to get his brain back into his head but he must have left it at the barn, he wouldn't listen to anything I tried and spooked again in the ring so I took him home. He had become dangerous and I wasn't taking any chances. We decided to give Dillon some excitement though, and loaded him up when Tule went back to pasture. And of course, in Dilly's wonderfulness, he did fine. I rode him around just a little, let him eat a lot of grass, let him see the excitement of the barrel racing. And then took him home. I spent the rest of the day very grumpy and upset because I had really been looking forward to barrels with Tule again. It's incredibly frustrating that I have a horse that can do ANYTHING...but only once. __________________ My sanity is with my horse, and if you see them, please send them back to the barn. Tule Pepper Dillon Blog : http://tulepepperdillon.blogspot.com/

11-07-2009, 09:36 PM
Horselady44 Started Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 2,395	Oh Im sorry...thats no good. He just needs to be worked through it. Dont give up! Get back out there with him and work him through it You can do it. Dont get discouraged! __________________ A happy horse equals a happy rider!

11-08-2009, 08:57 AM
scrapchick Kid Safe Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Festus, Missouri Posts: 7,020	He is new at this, not a seasoned pro, so it may take a few tries.....can you take him to the arena and work him when there is no show going on? Hopefully he didn't learn that throwing a fit scores a trip back home. __________________ ....And I will sail my vessel, 'til the river runs dry, like a bird upon the wind , these waters are my sky - I'll never reach my destination if I never try ...So I will sail my vessel ,'til the river runs dry ...

11-10-2009, 09:01 PM
bubbleslove Yearling Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Sunny South Florida Posts: 750	Don't take it too hard, bad days happen to everyone. Maybe just take him and lead him around, no riding, and definitely no running. Let him hang out and take it all in, because there is lots for them to see. If he starts really badly misbehaving, see if there's a pen you can put him in untacked so he can work it out without endangering anyone. I've had to do this twice with Bubs, the first time it took 2 hours for him to mellow out, the second time he got over it much more quickly. From what I've learned from the barrel racing community, most people take at least a year of barrel training before even thinking about showing...and that's while being exceptionally careful to balance it with other work, such as trails, dressage, jumping, whatever as long as it refocuses them. It was awesome that he was so wonderful the first time around, but for some reason barrels really seem to stir horses up. Mr Bubbles used to be a barrel horse, but because he was rushed into it, he is now gate sour and is afraid of large crowds. So much for my maybe-show horse __________________ Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. ~Woodrow Wilson in love with my Bubbles boy

11-10-2009, 09:12 PM
morgan Weanling Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 444	My horse in the Avatar is 20 and she Barrel Races loves more than anything but we still use her for Lessons Saddle Seat and ride her on the Trails. She also drives. It took us 6 months to train her on the Barrels. Because she was seasoned Show Horse she didin't need much adjustment to her surroundings.

11-10-2009, 09:13 PM
misstishus Weanling Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 273	While it's fun to be able to just tear around some barrels and have fun, it's definitely not the greatest for the horses mind. Good barrel riders work the pattern at a walk/trot and don't even lope parts of the pattern until the horse is rating well and approaching each barrel in good position. Even then, they'll lope one barrel and trot the rest of the pattern. They also work from both directions and change the pattern so the horse learns not to anticipate. Just like jumpers don't jump 3+ foot fences every day, practicing barrels everyday will burn a horse out. Bad behavior is a sign of anxiety, confusion, or displeasure. As riders, it's our job to prepare our horses mentally and physically for whatever discipline we ask of them. Sorry your show was ruined! Better luck next time!