Rodeo Ready
The ramblings, rantings and ravings of a self proclaimed hippie cowgirl.
Everything Equine
If you're like me, you spend way too much time browsing forums and reading articles about tips and techniques for training and conditioning! I try to have a plan for each ride, even if it's a simple conditioning hack, I want to accomplish something! When I'm having a problem, I want a plan to fix it! I keep an arsenal of tools at the ready to tackle any issue. These exercises help pinpoint the holes in my training and improve my horses performance. I hope you can enjoy and utalize these as much as I do!
Articles Archive
Softening Excercises - Sherry Cervi
Figure 8: To Improve Balance
I love these two exercises for teaching a horse to balance through their transitions!
It really helped my barrel horse engage behind when rating for his turn. To up the ante, after he mastered it both directions, I repeated the exercise from a hand gallop to a collected canter on the Bow Tie. On the Figure 8 I would still ask for a simple change at center. This taught him to extend and collect without getting heavy on his front end and shutting down. He has a tendency to quit moving his feet and fall forward in transitions and turns; this was an easy way for him to understand what I was asking on the pattern.
These are excellent exercises for horses of all disciplines and levels of training! Before I begin asking a horse to move laterally or work in smaller circles, I want them to be confident and consistent in these drills.
Follow the link to read the full article with step by step instructions on how to effectively perform these drills.
Bow Tie: Balanced Transitions
We all know how frustrating it can be to perform an efficient and balanced canter transition! I don't care what discipline you ride, you have to ride a balanced canter! The feeling of weightlessness when your horse is cantering along, balanced and relaxed is amazing! Now why can we get it on the first try one day, and the tenth the next? That is a mystery I have yet to solve. Though I tend to chalk it up to two main factors, my balance (mentally, emotionally and physically) and my horses balance (mentally, emotionally and physically). I know that doesn't simplify anything but hopefully it reminds you that we all make mistake and some days our focus simply isn't there. Our horses are no different. Not your day? Relax, try these tips and tricks to get you back on track!
7 Essential Aids For An Epic Canter Transition
http://horselistening.com/2014/08/24/7-essential-aids-for-an-epic-canter-transition/
I'm a firm believer that a horse only has so many runs in them. I try not to waste them in the practice pen.
To avoid creating a horse that tries to run the pattern without you, I utilize different exercises away from the pattern to teach them what I expect when we make a run.
I try to teach my horse honesty. By that I mean, they are responsible for maintaining proper body position and forward motion through the turn. I am not coordinated and fast enough to ride them every step of the way through a run. I expect them to follow my aids through my hands, seat and legs to turn for the most part on their own.
To teach this I have to be consistent. Consistency in my ques and training comes from repetition and muscle memory.
This is one exercise that I utilize to reinforce forward motion and correct body positioning. It encourages your horse to remain elevated in the shoulders and driving from behind.
Don't let the name intimidate you! It can be a little tricky to ride effectively and correctly at first, but that's all part of the process. You and your horse will struggle a little at first. It will not look pretty. It will not feel good. You will not have perfect circles. That's okay!
Remember to reward your horses’ efforts. If they only manage one circle with elevated shoulders on the inside bend, quit at that! The goal is to use the counter arc smaller circles to correct your horse when they want to drop in. If they make a circle without dropping in, reward them! Move on. Next time, aim for two! Keep working on it with your horses’ mental state and conditioning in mind.
These are tools to keep your horse listening to you and enjoying their job, not punishment!
This is a great short video on Hip Control. In this case, he is reffering to how controlling your hips and movement conveys to the horse the way you want them to move.
I do not like to use "hip control" in the sense of trying to control the horses hips and hind end through my seat and legs. Now saying that, the reason I don't is because I want to teach my horses that honesty I was talking about earlier. It's their job to maintain forward motion and remain engaged. I will use my seat and legs to encourage that forward motion but I will not lock a leg on to hold the hip in or out. If they are moving forward, their hind end will follow their front end and make it impossible to swing thier hips.
In a barrel horse as opposed to reining horse, we need to have a horse that adjusts immediatly at high speed and I don't believe you can effectively hold the hip in with your outside leg around the turn at a run.
I really appreciate the way Danyelle Campbell encourages her horses to maintain forward movement and a rounded, balanced position in the turn. Doing this Three Barrel Exercise you can teach your horse so many things!
First, it teaches them to extend and then rate back, driving up underneath themselves to maintain that forward motion. Then, it teaches them that honesty and responisbility to maintain a rounded position in the turn. By using your inside leg and rein to encourage a soft ribcage, elevated shoulder and engaged hip, they can turn efficiently. Lastly learning to turn efficiently sets them up so that they are already balanced and engaged to drive out from the barrel!
The Barrel Race is won and lost in the turns. How a horse comes into, drives through and leaves a turn affects everything that comes after! If the horse doesn't rate, they can't engage. If they aren't engaged, they can't be balanced. If they aren't balanced, they can't turn efficiently. If they can't turn efficiently, they can't drive off hard and in position for the approach to the next turn!
This Page, like the rest of the site, is a work in progress. I'll add more as I'm inspired. If you have any requests, comments or questions, please start a conversation!