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Me and Clippy doing barrels!!!

16K views 127 replies 36 participants last post by  iridehorses 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Morganshow, I see a very unbalanced very untrained horse.

He needs to calm down, and realize that he CAN walk in and out of the pattern without bolting.
You need to get off his face with your hands; they are very very severe and restricting, that is why he is bracing against you.

I still stand by my advice that this horse needs to be retrained from the ground up. He needs to learn that he CAN walk on a loose rein. He CAN trot on a loose rein, and he CAN act like a broke horse.

As for yourself, you are very unbalanced, and landing on the shoulder that you should be freeing up for him to actually get up and around the barrels.

Please get some professional help for both of you. I can see some VERY dangerous habits forming.
 
#4 ·
You are as well, you need to work on getting yourself balanced so you don't have to balance on his mouth; I saw a lot of flopping about in the saddle, which doesn't translate well to a green horse.
Please take him back to square ONE. I am talking WALKING - no trotting or cantering until he can walk around on a loose rein without bracing.
I think the problem is that you are too impatient - you want a made horse right now that you can play around on - Clippy is NOT a made horse; if you want one, please sell him and go buy one, poor Clippy doesn't know what to do.
 
#105 ·
I saw a lot of flopping about in the saddle, which doesn't translate well to a green horse.
I disagree! I did not see much bouncing about at all? your body has to move with the horses body, and thats what it looks like to me? you cant sit stiff up there...........??
 
#5 ·
Just food for thought - I think he is starting to resent being worked. See him acting up throught your run? He is so close to rearing up, but he's too honest to do it quite yet. If you keep going like you are, you could create a very dangerous horse for yourself.
I bet if you keep riding like you are, he is going to become very sour and start rearing up on you and acting out.
He is a cute horse that has potential, but you have to be able to be patient enough to work with him to harness that potential, not just go hell bent for leather.
 
#6 ·
I'm not trying to come across as harsh, but I saw the same that JDI did. Clippy could be a good barrel horse, but from what I saw, you should not be even walking the barrels right now. Right now, he sees the barrels and gets all tense and starts popping up on you like he did. You, either as a result of him or for another reason, are getting tense as well.
I would just work on dry work and no barrels until you can get him retrained. The more that you run barrels on him, the harder he is going to be to retrain.
I would get him out of that bit. Like was mentioned on other threads, that is too severe of a bit for too green a horse. It looks like you are also riding two-handed which although that is a very good idea for such a green horse, it should not be done with that bit. You get heavy with your hands so Clippy starts bracing and gets tense so you get tense.
See how he tried to duck out of that first barrel? He's getting so hot (not in a good way) and panicky. Barrels is not something he is enjoying right now. I see a very stressed out horse.
I can not stress enough how important it is for you to get him off barrels. He is getting sour and getting into some very bad habits. In order to be a good barrel horse, you need to take him back to basic training. Right now I see both you and your horse being in danger. I don't mean to sound over dramatic, it just worries me. If there is anyway I can help, always feel free to PM me
 
#11 ·
I'm not trying to come across as harsh, but I saw the same that JDI did. Clippy could be a good barrel horse, but from what I saw, you should not be even walking the barrels right now. Right now, he sees the barrels and gets all tense and starts popping up on you like he did. You, either as a result of him or for another reason, are getting tense as well.
I would just work on dry work and no barrels until you can get him retrained. The more that you run barrels on him, the harder he is going to be to retrain.......
I can not stress enough how important it is for you to get him off barrels. He is getting sour and getting into some very bad habits. In order to be a good barrel horse, you need to take him back to basic training. Right now I see both you and your horse being in danger. I don't mean to sound over dramatic, it just worries me. If there is anyway I can help, always feel free to PM me
I have realized that he is unbalanced. But when i move barns i am getting him retrained. Thank you for your input!
Look, you're getting some good advice. Please listen. You do not handle your horse well. YOU need more training. You both need training from an adult, not a 16 year old.

I see a hospital visit in your future and I'm scared that your horse will become unmanageable and dangerous. I'm scared for the safety of you both!

 
#8 ·
Also Morganshow I believe that you pulled him off that first barrel. From watching you have very little awareness of where your body is and what it is doing on a horse. As Spastic said, you should not be on barrels at all. You really need to go back to basics on yourself and solidify your base. Your hands and arms are flopping all over the place making a bad situation worse. JDI is right too in saying that he needs to learn how to move on a loose rein. If you are not up to getting him working on a loose rein it is time to sell him or send him to the trainers. I do actually see a horse that at one point may have known his way around a pattern but you are severly impairing him. Your weight is in the wrong places (dangerously flopping to the inside) and your hands are way too heavy. I know you have been told to ditch the mechanical hack and holy cow do those look like some shanks.

I'm also concered about the popping that I'm seeing in this video. Issues like that never get better they only get worse unless you work through them. I have seen way too many horses soured on barrels because of impatient kids and that looks like the direction Clippy is going. Let me tell you that the end result is not pretty. Take him off barrels, and as has been said get him working on a loose rein. JDI is also right in that Clippy may need to be restarted at this point it is probably the best thing for him and you.
 
#10 ·
I agree with both spastic and JDI as well. On the first barrel I don't necessarily think it was just your horse, but you as well. Like spastic said, you tense up your hands and then he braces against you. When your hands are not held up, they are flopping all over the place. To make it worse, the mechanical hack you using is putting A TON of pressure on his face. I also think that you need to work on developing a more well balanced seat. I noticed that you have tendency to bounce around a lot in the saddle, for example when you are coming home you lean back too much and lose your seat at the end.

I agree that getting off the barrels would more than likely benefit both you and him. Try going back to basics, you will have a stronger horse at the end result. From where I am from, I have seen way to many horses end up where clippy is headed. They become over-run and completely nutty. Plus, I am sure you want to be a better rider and ruining your horse is not going to get you there. I am sorry if I come across as rude or blunt, I just think it would be shame for your horse to become one giant mess.
 
#13 ·
I don't think it's fair to critique her, guys. You all are giving good advice, but if she wanted critique, she would have put the video in the critique section. I mean, I post my own videos in the videos section because I just want to share the video, and I don't want people critiquing me. So, while your advice is all good, please remember that she's not asking for a critique. She's simply sharing the video with you all.
 
#17 ·
But Equuestriaan - if someone posts something on the forum, even if they didn't ask for a critique - and we see something that needs voice of opinion - we feel obligated to say something because we want to help.

Remember, we are here for the horse - and I look at the horse shaking my head because the poor thing has no idea what his rider is asking. He is trying so hard for her, but is confused beyond belief - and that breaks my heart.

So by friends giving advice on here, whether asked for or not - is not meant to hurt or insult or bash, but to help, aid and give assistance to.
 
#40 ·
There is a right way to offer constructive criticms and there is a wrong way. I've ready through the first few pages of this thread and I beleive alot of people were harsh and hurtful in the way they typed their critiques.

People, please try to remember that we were all beginners at one time or another and not all of us had the great trainers and were surrounded by experienced people that could offer immediate advice and we didn't all have the perfect SAFE horse the first time around. And please remember that this forum is not only here "for the horse". We are here "for the rider" as well.

Morgan,

I was in your shoes once. My first horse, Pistol reared and bucked and bolted and I rode w/ my reigns very tight, he actually used my reign contact as a 3rd leg in the front, he balanced off my preasure and that was wrong. And lucky me, I got the same advice you are getting. And I walked away with the same feeling you are walking away with. "I SUCK AND MY HORSE IS GARBAGE". Well, it took a lot of years but I figured it out and my horse won some year end championships at local shows. He also has been in more parades and performances then I can count.

What I'm trying to say is, yes, your horse is unbalanced right now, you are working too hard to keep him under control, he's popping rears which will become very dangerous if you do not fix it immediately. You have a few balance issues but you are not a horrible rider and you are doing a great job working with him. You need to skip through the "ugliness" and pick out the advice that is offered because there is good advice.

My suggestion is drop the speed events for now. Go back to the basics. Work on small circles, get off the rail and use a small small portion of the ring. do tons and tons of directional changes. work on your sitting trot and your halts. tons of halts and backs. trot for just a few lenghts and halt then back. don't canter for a while and when you do, just canter about 5 strides and come back to a trot or walk. Get him listening to you and get him collected. Get him working on a looser reign. You are looking at a few months worth of work.

But please, don't let this get you down. You are doing great. and you arent' horrible and neither is your horse.
 
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