Rodeo Last Night... (Video Added)

So Larry and I did amazingly well, we knocked over three seconds off our last barrel pattern! We still have a long time to go, but we'll definetely get there. I'm going to put video up of just poles and barrels hopefully today... It will be my first experience with youtube lol. This is definetly not bad for only getting in two weeks of riding since the one from last month.

-Barrels: 22.306 (Last Month was 25.695)
-Poles: 28.565 (Last months we DQd, but the time would have been 32.708)
-Big W: 21.382
-Hour Glass: 23.683

Larry is very cappable of running barrels in the 15/16 sec. range, it's just going to take some more time and getting him in shape is KEY right now. I only came home slightly injured from my saddle horn doing the Big W and Larry came home sound too! Add on that, we took home either first or second in everything and it put us in the #1 spot for the buckle series! And I think I'm the only one who can qualify now, because no one has been to enough of the series besides me. YAY! My little horse ran so nice for me, I am so proud of him. It was a real late night and we were both exhausted, but poles I was super proud of, especially because it is the event we practice the least of any. I think he got most of his leads, I'll let you guys look at the video. The barrels, don't even go there about the leads and how wide the turns were lol. He's a rope horse, we're still getting out tight work down. On the poles, my end poles are really bad, and I figure if I can get those better, I can cut about four seconds+ off our time, which would put us in a SUPER good spot. Ok, sorry, I'll go try and get video on now lol.

(here's our pole bending class, it's not edited sorry, that would be mom mom yelling in the background btw.)

Sounds like you two did great! Just hanging out and waiting for the video. Congrats!!!

thats awesome!

I know one thing that can/will help you get those turns tighter... You really have to slow things down though.

I went to a Connie Combs clinic, and MAN is she spectacular....Taffy and I cut down about 10 seconds on our time (she is also thinning down LOL, once I have my pens done to keep her off grass, as well as slim down myself... I think we should be super fast) I hope to go again this july.

Its hard to explain... but ill try my best. So you start at a walk, (cones spacing from the barrel), look straight to ride straight... looking to the top barrel rather than the first barrel. as you get quite close to your time to turn, you look to the wall, rather than the barrel, and get your horse to turn around it and stop at the back side. Make sure they are not cock eyed, but hip aligning with their shoulder. This will give their inside leg the power to correctly push them through the turn.

Need to really slow things down every now and then and change things up (ie, only work 2 barrels one day, then the next work on one etc), because even a barrel horse who absolutely loves its job will try its best to cut corners.

Also, another tip... Lots of us tend to pull back on the rein, or back and slighty out to turn a horse... ( I know I was ) To get the proper wide turn, you have to let them have their shoulder... So open up the shoulder by bringing your hand forward and out. Pulling mosty back on the rein to turn will often leave a horse who was having issues powering out of the turn even more unable to turn his shoulder... so makes for an even crappier turn. LOL I know from experience! haha

Connie really did help me and taff... lol I like her better than charmayne james... and they've won close to the same i do believe...

Ill see if I can watch the videos on my slow dial up, but I'd really like to see them! I have a barrel race this weekend, and Im pretty excited myself!

congrats on shaving off seconds... 3 seconds is a TON!!!

I never pull my rein out. Let's them drop shoulders, which leads to downed barrels. I lift my rein hand to turn.
I don't have a clue what the Big W thing is. Care to explain?
I love poles. They are my favorite. I approach the end poles as I would a barrel. Evenly spaced pocket the whole way around. I use Charmayne James' method now. Shaved so much time off that I went from the bottom of the threes to the top of the twos in 1 jackpot. And I don't have anywhere to really practise. I keep Vamp in condition and just show up and do the pattern. She is really against even pockets (Vamp, that is). She likes to almost roll back, but when she does it right, I bring home the money.
The pole time is pretty good. What size patterns are you running?
And where is the video?

I'd never heard of the Big W or the hourglass! Around here they run barrels and poles and flag race and down and back.

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never pull my rein out. Let's them drop shoulders, which leads to downed barrels. I lift my rein hand to turn.
I don't have a clue what the Big W thing is. Care to explain?
I love poles. They are my favorite. I approach the end poles as I would a barrel. Evenly spaced pocket the whole way around

IF, you do it up and out! To help them not drop the shoulder, I Agree! Teach them lift before they ever go to the pattern. You see that sooo much! Dropping I ran Speed events for 18 years. Made more money on week ends, then I did working 40 hours! But Children came along, and I was ready to move onto more training. I love a trained Pole Bending horse, Nothing slicker then pretty fast flying lead changes, hugging the poles! Makes me want to do it again!
The biggest mistake I see is,
1. the horses arent broke, they just run and get cranked, mouths jerked on. No stop, Not trained period. Its more then the pattern!
You know these horses should side pass, Flex, turn on the forearm, off the hip, All of it! and did I mention FLEX!
2. The riders don't know how to keep the center of balance, and throws the horse off.. They need to learn how to ride. They fall behind, Throw themselves into the turn, causing the shoulder to drop.. Can't control the horse.
3. the horse is not conditioned. Long Trot, Long trot! Flex them!
4. Feed the sucker! Mercy!

I'm not a gamer at all and probably never will be, but I definitely agree with Triple J's top four mistakes, at least in the horses I see locally. I'm sure the top levels are pretty well trained. The local gamers appear to ride only at the shows, or if they ride at home, they are not reinforcing their horses's training, but more likely ruining it! They show no pride in their appearance or that of their horse. I know appearance is not judged in speed events, but I think you should at least look nice and groom and feed your horse once in a while! Most of the horses are just hyped up, with not a clue as to what they are doing. Sounds like competition is better in your areas.

I'm having a really hard time getting videos online with dial up :-( Thanks everyone for their tips, by the way. When I go to town where there is wireless high speed, I'll get them uploaded for you guys

As far as Larry goes, he's been a blast to work with. He's really willing to do the patterns and I make a goal of working on barrels and poles no more than about two days out of the entire week. Every other ride, it's all lots and lots of long trotting and trail riding to keep him nice and sane. A big part of our problem has been figuring out the right equipment. I wish you guys could actually feel this poor horses mouth. He is so rock hard from scar tissue from being yanked around when roping. I put him in a hackamore and he's been doing GREAT with it. He's so much softer and more willing to turn, especially around the barrels. I will try and get my very first video of us doing barrels up too so you can see (it was really bad lol.)

I still need to have a lot more trust in this horse, I feel like I'm holding him back a lot (it shows in the times we run.) And I am definetly pulling more back and to the side than out (especially during barrels.) because he used to go roping all the time and he gets going in such straight lines you have to slow him down to turn him some. I am aware I do this though, and I think I will improve, it's just going to take some more time. All in all since I got this horse I think I've only got 15 rides on him and three of those were from before the first rodeo I went too. He's still out of good shape, that's why I'm not pushing him hard during these little things. I'm hoping that by September, when they start up again, that we'll really be able to just run better and better.

He is really well trained though, he does all the sidepassing, etc. that you mentioned TJ and he does it really well now that I've been working with him more and more. I'm working really hard on my center of balance with him, sometimes you will see me fall behind. I'm not used to riding a horse with this super explosive speed, but if you get a chance to watch the first video, I think you'll agree that I've actually improved there too We're both getting better and better, I'm just really excited that we're improving. Like I said guys, thanks for the tips I'll try em out next week.

Stockman, I totally get what you're saying about how the horses are kept. I get Larry ready just like a show horse, minus the extra shine in a few spots. He gets a bath, tail braided, clipped up. That's why I always get compliments on him, because he's super healthy looking and has an awesome haircoat. A lot of the girls I run against just pull their horses out of a pasture, dust em off and saddle up. I don't think I could ever do that, even if I was in a huge hurry...

Hey, you still forgot to tell us what the Big W is.
As for appearance, I bathe and clip my speed event horses. And feed them .
With Vamp, she's a hard keeper, so although I feed her as much as she can eat, it's hard to keep weight on her, but she's bright eyed and shiny, so it's not like she's in bad health. And she does so much more than just barrels and poles. She's used for ponying horses, 4-H lessons, trail riding, you name it, other than roping, we try to do it with her. The broker they are, the better and if you keep them from getting bored with their jobs, they won't sour up so much on you.

I wasnt pointing this in your direction, Hun, Just the BIG MISTAKEs, I see made! I feel like yelling at these poeple, TRAIN YOUR HORSE! TAKE A LESSON, LEARN TO RIDE! Id like to put a bit in their mouth! Oh and what the heck, a hackamore, these young horse in them??? Just because someone doesnt want to break a horse to the bit, Or you know the ones that hand down, with 3 foot of shanks on them! So maybe, its not quite that long.. Hee hee

Oh, I know TJ. I was just pointing out some of my own flaws lol. It's just been quite awhile since I've really done this stuff lol. I know what you mean about the young horses that are in those insane looking mechanical hackamores, they are nuts... Maybe they're not 3' long, but I've seen them with over 9" shanks... Seriously, nusto people. Larry does have a really nice stop, but he has some issues with his stifles so you will see me bringing him into a big circle to slow down.

I will try to find a picture of what the Big W is, it's kind of hard to explain but it's just weaving around barrels that make the shape of a W??? lol.

I wasn't taking it wrong either, I was just agreeing with you Triple J. I hate seeing those kids come in on nutcases who aren't terribly broke. But we prove our philosophy (sp?) right everytime Brennen beat the 15 and 16 year old girls in Junior barrels, when technically he should have still been competing as a PeeWee.
This Big W thing sounds interesting. We are looking for new events to hold at our club level gymkhanas. If you can get a pic, that'd be great.

try here: http://www.cvsc.net/Patterns.html it's great!

Hey TripleJ, if you could take a look at that video when you have a chance, I would really appreciate it. I'd just like it if maybe you could point out some things I might not see? Thanks so much.

You are coming in to the end poles too close, which makes him head out wide. Either make your turn even all the way through, which can be hard, or come in wider and out closer. He needs to be giving a little better to you. But all in all, for the amount of work he has, he's coming along. I'd work the pattern at slower speeds to get those turns. Yeah, he missed a few changes, but it'll come with time.

[quote="Triple J Quarter Horses"]

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never pull my rein out. Let's them drop shoulders, which leads to downed barrels. I lift my rein hand to turn.

haha... thats what I meant lol. Thanks for correcting me!

My barrel mare really had issues with dropping her shoulder... even when doing simple lead changes she wouldnt pick up her right lead because she'd drop her shoulder. half a year later and a lot of work, she doesn't drop it anymore... Have yet to knock down a barrel or pole.

Another thing I was taught by Connie Combs is that when you're heading to your first barrel, sit tight and be thinking "woah, woah woah"... lol that helps hard to turn horses as well...

Often times (like in the case of my mare), we anticipate... if we anticipate and our horses do... what kind of mess are we going to get into? My mare is notorious for anticipating... when doing anything anywhere... so i really have to have a calm almost blank mind or else we can't do our best.


oh and watching some barrel racers/other speed event enthusiasts...wow.... lol lots of them need to go back to horsemanhsip classes before running at 40-50K speeding around barrels and such.

I went to a few gymkhana practices... and I watched people who didnt know how to ride, run the absolute crap out of their green horses... its like geez... umm, blow out your horse much? My mare was green at barrels at that time... so I trotted her. My goal was helping teach her the pattern, not running like a fool all over the place because wow my horse is fast and I wanted to show off...

Im surprised a ton of them stay seated, I see a whole lot of air under neath their bums as they run home and to the last barrel...

Thats another thing I dont do, I wear spurs for better cues. But I dont kick her hard, and I dont whip her. I talk to her and squeeze a tiny bit, and she runs just as hard. LOL may look like the oddball idiot, but my horses sides aren't dead. We're also running 2D times... which aint bad for my barrel mare who doesnt get kicked the poop out of.

I agree with using spurs. They do give way better cues. But I cant wear them Lol. Pinto and Alley are both SO sensitive. If they even touch his side, Pinto is literally up in the air. Im pretty sure that someone probably overused them on him when he was a colt. Alley just wont listen to them all together.

But Ive noticed that they do work for many horses. When I run my friends horse Smarty, he does way better on spur cues then on anything else. It makes him easier to run.