Any tips?

*sneaks in*

Um, hi guys! *nervous laugh* So one of my new friends (OMG I have a friend! Can you BELIEVE it?!) who's on my FFA horse judging team asked me if I would do the Chowchilla Fair horse show through FFA with her, because she didn't want to be alone. There's Showmanship, English, Western Pleasure, Trail, and Gymkhana divisions. Since Mudpie's still out, I can't do English, which is what, on any normal occasion, I'd do. I've decided that (now, this is just for kicks & giggles – I'm not getting all gung ho about this or anything) I'll do western pleasure and gymkhana with Cherry.

Miss Cherry and I are definitely not going to get anywhere with this shenanigan, but it will be fun and that's all that matters. Cherry has really rough gaits (her lope is worse than her trot – no joke) and I don't know her that well. I haven't spent a lot of time with her, and she only just recently got off of my sh*t list.

I haven't done any sort of gymkhana thing in over a year and a half, and it was pretty much an epic fail. But getting more into dressage and jumping I understand lines, balance, leads, etc. so much more. So I think I'll be able to swing this without making that much of a fool of myself.

I'm going to start riding her about every day (if my back is functional) and we can practice our behinds off until we're performing like a team should.

I have lots of poles and I can get barrels up there, too. Obviously, we're not even going to attempt those things until we're performing well on the flat. My biggest concerns are just about lead changes between the barrels (how is that taught?) and balance through poles.

Any tips for us? :)


Here's Miss Cherry being good at my school. The day I decided I actually liked her.

Hi, that sounds like it will be a good bit of fun for you both.. Those fun shows are always a nice way to relax and just have fun.. There are a good bit of threads that already have SOO many exercises you can do with Cherry before the show..I would take a look through those threads and see what you think would work for you both. Just remember to take things easy and slow, make sure you keep it different and fun for you both..

*Barrel Racers ! * I need some good exercises !

Barrel Racing Exercises?

What drills do you do?

barrel tips

With the lead thing, what I do with a super young horse is teach them leads on a straight line, then I will lope up and turn the first barrel then about two strides out, I stop, walk a couple steps then pick up the correct lead and turn the next one. Eventually you do it through the walk, then the trot, then try signalling at the lope and after awhile it becomes automatic. With Selena, since she was a reiner. I just pushed her with a flying lead change and she picked up that in the middle she was supposed to change leads for the next turn.

I actually typed all of this out yesterday if you want to read it..
Barrel Racing Exercises and Drills.

While going through poles at a walk or trot, sidepass her. Don't turn her, sidepass her. This helps them to position their body better through the poles and helps them naturally pick up the correct leads on their own.
Posted via Mobile Device

Okay. She was trained under multiple time world champion Reined Cow Horse rider Brad Buttrey (who's rather harsh with his horses and kind of a jerk anyways) as a working cow horse, I believe. Or was started as one. I haven't ridden her enough to know even which lead is easier for her. I have another question:

If a horse isn't picking up the lead, how do you ask for it when, like, neck reining? You don't have a connection with the outside rein, you can't counterflex...

I feel like such a little idiot, but I never rode properly or effectively before I decided that I wanted to be an eventer.

Even on a horse that neckreins, if they don't pick up the right lead after trying multiple times, ill pick up the outside rein so I can better position them. You should be able to put your outside leg on her and have her shift her butt towards the inside to allow the correct lead to be picked up.
Posted via Mobile Device

Okay thanks. Also, when doing barrels, is it truly necessary to pull the horse's head around? I've seen a lot of people do that and they end up looking like this:



Their body doesn't follow. I don't want to pull the horse's head around to my knee because it doesn't seem effective or comfortable. Thoughts?

No, a ton of people will have those type runs where they just have to pull the horse's head around but if done correctly the horse's body should follow through the turn with their head. Not just snatching their head around and having a messy turn, hauling their head around usually causes you to blow the turn... Now, I'm not saying I haven't done it before. Girly I have..It just takes practice and knowing how to set the horse up properly for your turn.. It should look like this..and this isn't even perfect..Do not look at my hands! They are WRONG, but I thought I was going to hit the barrel and I was going to save it if I did.


You can see in the picture my hand how I'm using the direct rein to turn her..My hand isn't all up in my face or out to the side.. It's just up a little and kinda back to my waist. You can see it better in the second picture where my hands are actually right..I have my outside hand on the horn, and my inside hand using that light direct rein pulling a little up and to me. Not out and over the barrel..