# My mares training



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

The video is very small, crooked, and hard to see.

Are you wearing shorts? Guess this is my own personal preference, but jeans are a must. 

It's hard to tell with the small video, but your running ground looks VERY hard. That makes it really tough on horse's legs and feet, and not to mention very easy to slip when going around a barrel. If you can haul in some dirt at least to put around the barrels, I would strongly advise that. Safety and health of your horses should come first. Bad ground is risky. 

Have you ever had your mare check by the chiro or vet? Do you notice how she's wringing her tail during the run, especially before turning? Twitching tail is often a sign of soreness somewhere. Saddle fit should also be checked, along with teeth and feet. Although I may suspect the hard ground could be contributing to her unhappiness. 

The pattern itself, as far as I can tell, looks good. You seem to have a good distance around each barrel and make straight lines from barrel to barrel. 

It's only for a split second, so I can't really tell if it there or not. But did you start the pattern off on the wrong lead? It almost looks like she is on her left lead for a stride when you enter the camera view, before she switches to her right. Perfect practice makes perfect patterns so I'd get her to start off on her correct lead. 

Your horse appears to be more free-running. Have you tried not checking her at the barrel and KEEP her speed up instead? Try it. See how she does. You do need to speed up your turns, as they are slow and costing you time at this point. And by letting her keep her speed (and just collect instead) you may not have to whip her so much in-between all the barrels. We want to promote free-running as much as possible to get the horse to WANT to run the pattern for us. As I already stressed though, better footing around the barrels is essential - especially if you want to speed things up. 

I can't really see much else based on the video quality. She seems to be coming along nicely though.

How old is she?

How long has she been in barrel training?


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Please tell me this isn't the 3 year old that has been in barrel "training" for 3 weeks..

There are many things wrong in the video that I can point out..

First, as Beau has already said, the ground is terrible. Good footing is a MUST for a barrel horse. She can't "dig" and rate well on hard solid ground. That is just asking for physical problems and her getting hurt.

Second, Why are you whipping her? At home? Practicing?? Really? Would you want to work for someone who whipped you the whole time you were trying to work? That is a first class ticket to making her sour and hate her job. 

Third, If this is the 3 year old..Why are you running her? NO barrel horse will be ready to run the pattern in 3 weeks. I don't care who you are or how long you've ridden. You just cannot push a barrel horse's training that fast, people who push a horse too fast and make them do things they aren't ready for are just asking for future problems and a sour horse. 

Fourth, the tail swishing usually means a horse is sore, turning sour, and is not wanting to work...This is not a good sign. You should check all of your equipment and tack to make sure she isn't sore and have her vet checked. You never want to run or practice a sore or sour horse. 

Fifth, she looks very uncomfortable in her turns. Almost like she doesn't know how to follow through the turn with her body correctly. It's very choppy and pushes you forward out of the saddle. This can throw her off and mess you both up. 

All in all, it looks like you need to slow down, lose the whip, and go back to flexing and rounding basics. She's not rating herself correctly and you or your trainer need to teach her that or help her into it before running her at all. Take her off of the pattern and change up the routine. Don't run barrels everyday, take her for a trail ride and turn random objects. She needs to learn to follow through and correctly turn before you start pushing her on the pattern.


ETA - I watched it again..You don't need to run right at the first barrel, that can throw off your turn. You should com e in straight towards the third barrel and then arch over to the first..


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## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

If this is "practice" there's definetly something wrong.


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## beverleyy (Oct 26, 2011)

that's some really tough ground you've got there. try finding an arena with much softer footing?:?

/ I don't run barrels = no critique sorry.


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## 1RedHorse (May 3, 2011)

And you're entering this horse in futurities?!

Save your money. And buy a tractor to disc that concrete you're practicing on.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

The crop..sooo unneeded on tho poor horse.
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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

Okay I never asked for your critique on my "whip" it's actually a light nylon goat tie. She is swishing her tail bc of the whip. She always does. I only made this run for this video for a critique. There IS dirt around my barrels and this is my paint that is TEN not THREE and she has been on SIX months. This is just how far she has come along. She gets ANUAL checkups with the chiro, vet, dentist, ect. She is FINE . The reason I slow her so much
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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

For the barrel is because the dirt around the barrel gets deep and no it is not ruts. I drag the ruts with a old fence with tires on it. We are working on making a arena and yeah. 
THERE IS NO SORENESS OR PROBLEM WITH THIS HORSE! She JUST had her CHIRO and VET ! Like a WEEK ago!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

@Drum Runner , she has been taken off the pattern bc when I got her she was a "barrel horse" already sour. So I took 6 months of ground work, trail rides, basics with her. She has been started on the pattern two months ago. She WILL be taken off once again in about a month because she is being shipped out to be bred to a QH.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Well, you asked for input and got it - no reason to turn nasty when the obvious is being pointed out.....all your responses seem to be pretty well contradicted by what is clearly visible in the video.


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## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

If you believe you are excellent at training horses, then, please, educate us all and post a video of your three year old. I'm sure we'd learn a lot from it.


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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

QHriderKE , I saw your YouTube videos . You obviously army the greatest either. You rushed your roping horse into it. That's sad. My 3 year old, is only walking the pattern and we just started jogging. We will not start loping for awhile. I never asked for your critique on my 3 year old only on this run. I know the ground is hard and I know my horse is not sour when she just got checked last week.
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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

Aren't *
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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

You asked for a critique, you got it. Even if it's not the 3 year old the same factors are wrong. You're still doing multiple things wrong like I said before...If all you want to hear is nice things you shouldn't post a bad video showing off your lack of knowledge and training abilities...


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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

You do not know my "abilities" this is just ONE video. This website and the people on it are obviously arrogant know it alls. You think you know it all but when I see some of you all's videos you run worst or make the same mistakes. Stop and think for a minute. 
I AM 13 AND I HAVE RODE MY WHOLE LIFE! TRAINED 3 horses on MY OWN and they turned out amazing. The one in this video I REHABED! She was ABUSED! Stop and think a minute you ignorant people .
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## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

Tequila1233 said:


> QHriderKE , I saw your YouTube videos . You obviously army the greatest either. You rushed your roping horse into it. That's sad. My 3 year old, is only walking the pattern and we just started jogging. We will not start loping for awhile. I never asked for your critique on my 3 year old only on this run. I know the ground is hard and I know my horse is not sour when she just got checked last week.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I trained my roping horse 4 years ago, quit barrels for 2 years and then just gave it a shot one day, just to see if she rememered anything. The video you commented on was the video of that. If yougo through my videos from this past year, you'll see clips of me slowly working that same horse (now 10) up to a fast lope, as I didn't have proper footing. I'm planning on starting my *4 year old* lightly on barrels this year, maybe you should give me your expert opinion on that. Maybe I should start looking for futurities to enter in April.

When i was 13, I thought I was an amazing horse trainer. I'm 16 and have realized that there was so much I have yet to learn. I've broke and trained wild, abused and messed up horses. While you're on my YouTube, why don't you look at the videos of my Squiggy horse. She was wild,and severely neglected when I got her. 

I have learned a lot from people here, because I chose to be open minded and ready for critisism.


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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

Yes I have watched it . I just sold my mustang we got for BLM 3 years ago that I got when I was 10 . I bonded with it and didn't know about what I needed to do to train then so I spent many hours just sitting there reading to her and she eventually turned dangerous to other people when I was around. One day I got on her bareback with nothing on her and of course she went "crazy" as I would call it then and I kept jumping right back on her and eventually I would just sit on her as she walked around. Eventually though my parents ended up selling Sister . So now I do not have her.
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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

Tequila1233 said:


> Yes I have watched it . I just sold my mustang we got for BLM 3 years ago that I got when I was 10 . I bonded with it and didn't know about what I needed to do to train then so I spent many hours just sitting there reading to her and she eventually turned dangerous to other people when I was around. One day I got on her bareback with nothing on her and of course she went "crazy" as I would call it then and I kept jumping right back on her and eventually I would just sit on her as she walked around. Eventually though my parents ended up selling Sister . So now I do not have her.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


this is a very interesting story. why did your parents sell this horse? why also have they purchased you more "project" horses if they felt the need to sell the one in this story?


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Tequila1233 said:


> You do not know my "abilities" this is just ONE video. This website and the people on it are obviously arrogant know it alls. You think you know it all but when I see some of you all's videos you run worst or make the same mistakes. Stop and think for a minute.
> I AM 13 AND I HAVE RODE MY WHOLE LIFE! TRAINED 3 horses on MY OWN and they turned out amazing. The one in this video I REHABED! She was ABUSED! Stop and think a minute you ignorant people .
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



All caps is not necessary. If you want to have a civilized and constructive conversation like adults I'm more than happy to tolerate your attitude and try to help you and your horse. 

You asked for a critique and I gave you one. A dead honest one, like many people on the forum know, I am a very blunt and honest person. I find it works best, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you and give you sunshine and rainbows. 

No where did you say anything about your age, that the horse was a rehab case, or she was abused. So take a step back and look at your posts. Stop acting like a child and ranting away and you'll receive constructive criticism, ALL CAPS and an attitude will get you no where fast. 

As you said, you are 13. You still have a ton of things to learn about "training" and barrel racing in general. I've been running barrels and riding horses longer than you've been alive and I don't claim to be an amazing trainer and have the best horses. No one will ever be finished learning everything about a horse, I don't care who you are. Even if it's not the 3 year old, there are many things wrong with this video and run. If you like, I'll start over...

Why the whip? You said it was a nylon goat tie? I've been smacked by one of those and they hurt. Actually the thinner a whip is the more likely it is to sting. Another thing to thing about, if this is practice your horse and you cannot concentrate on what you, as a team, are doing if your whipping her the whole time. Whipping isn't part of training...A whip should only be used on a completely finished horse at a show, if ever. Not all horses need a whip, especially a horse that has already been soured on the pattern. That is just going to sour her again quickly and make her hate her job.

The dirt in between the barrels is just as important as the dirt around the barrels. Anyone could tell you this, it doesn't even have to be a barrel racer. Good footing is a must for every type of work for a horse. (Outside of trail riding with proper gear, but that's another story) There are so many things that can go wrong while running on grass and hard ground..She could slip on the grass..She could and will end up hurting herself muscle and joint wise running that hard on hard ground. Many things can happen with bad footing.

The tail swishing - Any time a horse is doing this, besides getting after a fly, she is trying to tell you something is wrong. Pay attention to your horse, not just your own want to make her run. 

She looks very uncomfortable in her turns. Period. It doesn't look like you are helping her at all and she doesn't know how to follow herself through in her turns. You are putting her into the barrel and then hauling her head around and not letting her use her body position correctly. 

You are running right at that first barrel, that's why she isn't doing her best at it. You need to run in straight and then arch over to the first so she can collect herself and you can set her up right for her turn. You can't expect her to run right at it and turn it.



Other videos and/or pictures would be more help at giving you any advice to help you and your horses. But getting an attitude and being all defensive is only going to make others who are trying to help you think the worst of you. Put your big girl panties on and try to understand what we're saying instead of taking it all as an attack. You asked for a critique without giving any really good information. Expect to get out of a critique what you put into it, if you want a good critique have a *good* video of you and your horse and explain your situation. Not

 Critique my pony please! We barrel race!

^^^ That right there just makes me shake my head and say "Oh Lord.. here we go again, another know it all kid who has no idea what she's talking about"

If you want an educated response and help...try to act like you have some sense and do things the correct way instead of stamping your foot and getting mad when you don't hear that "you are awesome! Your horse is pretty." 

I'm not going to give you that, I'm going to tell you the truth and try to give you advice. How you interpret that is up to you.


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## draftgrl (Jan 8, 2011)

When you ask for people's opinions BE READY FOR THEM. *You* asked, you received. Because you didn't hear what you wanted to, don't get mad at people for it.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

There's no reason for a bunch of people to be nasty to her. She's already been told that she got what she asked for...Give her another chance to say something and act like an adult before jumping on her and telling her she acted like a brat. That's already been said, you don't have to keep rubbing it in her face. She's a child, give her a chance to make mistakes and learn from them. Let her speak her piece and try to help her with educated responses...not ten responses of snark over and over again...and I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, I am one of the the people who get the pm's for being snarky and rude. I have done my fair share of being mean around the forum...but she's a kid! Don't shut down a young mind, try to steer her in the right direction and encourage her to do the right thing. Shutting her down on the forum is not helping anyone but making yourself look like a witch and hurting her feelings. Be the adult here.


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## draftgrl (Jan 8, 2011)

DrumRunner: You are correct on your last comment. Unfortunatly my computer did not cooperate with me on posting my comment when I had pressed the button. 

Tequila: I am sorry about how I had worded my comment. I could have been more constructive about how I responded. You became the brunt of my frusteration of people who want others to say how pretty their horse is, when they ask for critism of their horse, or how they are progressing. 

This forum, in my eyes, is for learning. One needs to be open to that fact, and able to actually *learn*. 

Again, I am sorry, and please take take the information of those who have provided *constructive crisism* and use the information they provided to your advantage. There are very few other places where one is able to find all this knowledge in one spot.


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## Tequila1233 (Jul 30, 2011)

Thank you all for the criticism . Really. I have learned a lot and some do's and don't's . I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. DrumRunner, I don't find you snobbish. I actually believe you are the most knowledgeable on here. Draftgrl, thank you for the apology!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Tequila1233 said:


> Thank you all for the criticism . Really. I have learned a lot and some do's and don't's . I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. DrumRunner, I don't find you snobbish. I actually believe you are the most knowledgeable on here. Draftgrl, thank you for the apology!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I grew up learning the 'ropes' for running barrels and I've taught a few kids, including my little sisters. I know it can be frustrating and people get defensive over their horses. Every horse person does, even I do. 

That said...Tequila, I really am trying to give you good advice. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about, and that you could benefit from a lot of the people's advice on the forum. You just have to be openminded and not shut everyone down when they simply give you what you asked for...On the forum, the more you communicate your problem and act like an adult the more help you'll get. Yes, there are blunt people here but try to read things from everyone's side. 

If you would like to post another video, hopefully a better one, I'd be more than happy to try to help you. But please PLEASE throw that whip away! I have seen WAY too many good horses ruined by a whip and being pushed too hard, too fast. I have literally snatched one away from a girl who was a few years younger than me (probably 18 or so) after seeing her beat her horse the whole run, and smacked the crap out of her with it a few times. All she wanted to do was get the heck away from me, not work out the problem "why am I being smacked?"....Horses think the same way. She hasn't used a whip since and she and her horse are a better team. She can communicate with her horse besides depending on the whip. Make sense?


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## draftgrl (Jan 8, 2011)

Yup!


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

I don't want to get involved in this. I just wana say i like your horse! And I would just trot the pattern and maybe (big maybe) slowly canter it as I can see the ground is a bit hard. But keep practicing! You'll learn the ropes
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