Celebrate the Small Victories
Since my last post, I attended a Barrel Race the following Saturday in Mayerthorpe. It was an arena we have run in half a dozen times before. I let him pick his pace running into first, maintaining our position and approach he had a smooth first barrel, changing leads immediately upon leaving it. Those three things made this run a victory! He went in confidently and on the correct lead, remained engaged and driving through his turn, then picked up the correct lead for the next barrel. From there on out it was smooth sailing. Getting that left lead early allowed me to line him up for our approach quickly and in a small indoor building, every stride counts. He approached in position, rated and remained engaged through the turn. On the way to third he grabbed a gear and when I rated he struggled a little to get in the ground but collected for another half stride then made the turn engaged. We were the bottom of the ground and after running one hundred some horses already there was beginning to be a trench around third. I was happy with how he chose to handle it. He didn’t panic or scramble instead taking the time to engage and get balanced so he could make a safe efficient turn.
Since then we had an Equine Dentist come out to do the boys teeth. My older gelding had seen him in the fall and I noticed an impressive difference in him immediately after so I was excited to provide Dakota with the same relief and function. I will go into more on that experience and Equine Dentistry in an upcoming post. After that I gave them a few days off to adjust to their new mouths and recover from the body soreness. When horses are sedated they stand for extended periods of time in unnatural imbalanced positions. When getting their teeth done, they often have their heads up on a stand or held suspended by a sort of sling. A good Dentist understands the strain this puts on their necks and TMJ’s (more on this in the coming post) and allows them time to relax with their heads down. Regardless afterwards there are changes in the body that need time to settle. I like to give them a day before I work on them and sometimes an additional day before I ride.
Two days later when I did ride, Dakota was off due to a superficial cut on a hind leg. I spent the next few days cold hosing, doctoring and resting him. By the time I got back on him he had a week off. That’s all it takes to start to lose condition sowe began work again with rides out walking. We spent another three days doing light rides increasing duration and distance slowly. Due to my schedule and his condition we haven’t made another run since July 11th.
In two days, Dakota and I will compete at our first finals together. Double Dollar Finals are at an arena he has yet to run at. And it isn’t looking like I will run him again before then. There is a local jackpot tomorrow night that I could take him to but I feel he will run better Thursday if he is rested. This decision is a trade off. We have not made a run since he has had his teeth done, but we have had time to regroup and rest. My gut tells me this is the right choice for him. Sometimes a break from competing is exactly what is needed to get a horse refreshed and eager. These are the kind of decisions we have to make when training performance horses, which option will serve us better in the long run?
During my rides leading up to finals I have been working on the same key elements I need in my runs; Extension, Collection, Balance, Responsiveness and overall Softness. My focus varies from ride to ride, depending on what I feel needs to be refreshed that day. The difference in him is incredibly rewarding. He is travelling freer, collecting easier, remaining soft and staying balanced. I cannot stress the importance of dental maintenance in performances horses enough!
I’ve also taken the time at home to work on my mental game. Visualizing the runs I want, riding with intention and focus while celebrating every small victory. I truly believe the last one is key. When I make it a priority to celebrate the good instead of worry about the bad, my horse is happier and works harder. And I feel excited and optimistic as opposed to frustrated and stressed. Barrel Racing and preparing for competition is just as much mental as it is physical. I try to do my part to keep us balanced emotionally and set up for success. I cannot wait to see what Dakota has to offer on Thursday and Friday! Wish us luck! I’ll be posting results and videos on the weekend. Until then, keep riding with intention and celebrating the small victories!
