aes
New Member
Posts: 188
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Post by aes on Nov 3, 2014 19:49:49 GMT
After an interesting gymkhana yesterday, where my niece (as usual) kicked my BUTT hard by several seconds on my own horse in several events, I have some specific questions. But before I go posting, I want to make sure anybody is interested in answering them. :-)
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Nov 3, 2014 19:54:22 GMT
Sorry, that's one thing I have never done (and for some reason really have no desire to).
I hope someone can come along and answer your questions though!
Off the top of my head - does your niece have more confidence than you on your horse? I would suspect this is the case and your horse is feeling that and moving out more for her. Just a thought.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2014 20:07:01 GMT
I have dabbled in it, but do not profess in any sense to be anything more than a novice myself. I did board at a barrel barn for a few years, and picked up some tidbits here and there. It is something that I would like to try and get into with Benny as a means of cross training though.
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aes
New Member
Posts: 188
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Post by aes on Nov 3, 2014 22:13:32 GMT
She doesn't have more confidence in terms of her relationship with my horse, but because she's young and hasn't had a c section she has way better core strength. My horse turns HARD but she's also very adjustable. So basically you have to give her a loose rein and let her rip, if you try to check her at all she will slow down way too much. She checks herself. But you really need to be able to sit up and stay with her when she digs down in the turn and I just feel like I get thrown around. My niece can sit it somehow. I'm trying to figure out if anybody has some good tips.
Conversely if you don't WANT to go fast she is inherently lazy so she will go really slow. She knows my balance isn't as great in those turns, she's very sensitive to your seat and balance, so I just cannot for the life of me keep her moving as fast in the turns as my niece can.
Does that make any sense?
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Post by horselover4life on Nov 3, 2014 22:28:32 GMT
Yes, it makes sense... My friend barrel races up north. She has one heck of a horse....when they compete the competition fights for second place.
I think from watching her school, when she gets into the turn area she steps down on her inside stirrup to help the horse come around her foot and the barrel easier...at least that is what it looks like. I know she like almost never "runs the pattern" but breaks it apart into sections to work on....her horse is so well trained he anticipates her every move which is not good actually. {we use to do that with the reining horses I took care of & rode, pattern pieces never the whole thing}
I know her friend is one of the best of the best in the industry....champion extraordinaire.... If I can catch my friend home I will ask her...she is very busy and not home much. Between her and her families "rodeo" activities they are on the go and away from home more than in residence...
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aes
New Member
Posts: 188
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Post by aes on Nov 3, 2014 23:14:15 GMT
Thank you I appreciate that. My horse is not a 'barrel horse' per se, she's a cow horse for sure. My friend has an actual professionally trained barrel horse and he's a very very different ride. He knows the pattern and turns but you can rate him with the reins. He has a lot of go and is very forward. My horse has been trained to stop, like a reining stop. Basically all you do is think 'stop' and she stops. Her horse is much less sensitive to the bit. Even in a halter, my horse has a lot of stop. Her horse has a lot of go.
But I know this about my horse and I can stay off of her face (theoretically, it's not always easy in practice at speed), it's more how do I sit those turns without getting popped out of the saddle and losing my balance which in turn makes my horse slow down. She also gets REALLY low. I think the issue is more with my core strength and balance, because between my niece and I - well we are riding the same horse here!
I don't want to put this on 'The Other Place' because the googler always tells me to stop gaming my horse that I will ruin her. But I have had her for five years and she's still lazy unless you take her to a gymkhana or to work cows. She also stops just fine after she runs her pattern and walks calmly out of the arena. So I am unconcerned about ruining her.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2014 23:19:40 GMT
Makes total sense. I have also seen what HL4L describes with the sitting into your inside leg a little bit. One of the tidbit I learned ( and found a bit hilarious) was that your turns should be like going on Jenny Craig "you come in fat and leave skinny" meaning you come in a little wide on the approach and allow your horse to wrap itself around your leg and the barrel and suck itself out of the turn. Not sure if I did a good job of describing that. In my time boarding at the barrel barn, they never spent a ton of time schooling the entire pattern, just small portions of it at a time, along with other various exercises to help keep their horses supple and fresh.
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Post by lorddaxter on Nov 3, 2014 23:25:41 GMT
I found lots of work without stirrups at all paces improved my core strength, even jumping without stirrups too.
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Post by horselady on Nov 4, 2014 1:04:48 GMT
I admire the speed and stamina of barrel horses and their riders. when i was giving lessons i had my english students running barrels just for fun and let me tell you it is difficult . as hl4l says all steps are broken down into segments. towards the final result. as for your niece and you riding the same horse. i think the horse just knows you are not strong in your core because of the surgery and is taking care of you .
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Post by Shelly on Nov 5, 2014 19:53:45 GMT
I am no pro at barrels, I've had the opportunity in the past to game and get a few lessons from a seasoned trainer on one of his crazy gaming horses. I think the only reason I was able to stay on was because I'm used to riding english and at that point I was riding probably 4-5x a week and jumping. Maybe that could be an option for you to try riding him english on the flats to help build up your core or if you're more comfortable western lots of no stirrup work. What HL4L said actually makes sense, the trainer told me to drop my inside rein to help the horse do the turn and naturally I was actually probably doing that. Anyways, what I said is pretty much just a repetition of what everyone else said Maybe a video would help us pinpoint exactly what's going on?
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aes
New Member
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Post by aes on Nov 5, 2014 20:01:33 GMT
Oh yes I ride English and jump as well. In fact this gymkhana was probably the first time I've ridden Western in months. She's not really a hunter/jumper but she goes along with it. The highest we've jumped together is maybe 2 feet, but yes riding English I definitely have core strength issues there as well. I realize that I need more two point and no stirrups work in that capacity also.
I guess I've answered my own question, if I can increase my own core strength my riding should improve a lot.
I guess I need to do more of these exercises and maybe hit the gym!
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Post by Shelly on Nov 5, 2014 20:04:50 GMT
OK then definitely English no stirrup work is a must!!! Happy No Stirrup November!!! I'll be joining you with that one lol!
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aes
New Member
Posts: 188
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Post by aes on Nov 5, 2014 20:09:26 GMT
OK then definitely English no stirrup work is a must!!! Happy No Stirrup November!!! I'll be joining you with that one lol! Ha ha my barn has declared it 'no tack November' so I think I'm going to be forced to ride in a halter bareback regardless. Still, I'm useless if somebody says 'post with no stirrups.' My body just doesn't DO that.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2014 20:21:36 GMT
My body doesn't do that either, it tries, but it is not graceful. There was a time, but since a bad fall a few years ago hurt my back and hip it has been hard. Still worth doing though as there is a lot of benefit to it!
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