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3K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  Boo Walker 
#1 ·
Hello, I have a 6 year old QH/Paint mare that I want trained for barrels. She is a good rider once you make her understand you are the boss, but she has no "Go" in her, although she is very fast she just doesn't want to run. I don't know what to do, I have tried walking her around barrels but that's all I know how to do she refuses to even trot around the barrels. Please Help any advice and or tips is greatly appreciated. Also if you know of any barrel trainers neat Houston,Tx please do tell.

Thanks
 
#14 ·
If she was trained as a jumper and was a ranch horse she should be better trained then what she is. Doesnt sound like she even has basic training. Needs to started like she was an unbroke horse. Youv got other issues with the not tieing that need to be worked out.


Shes far from ready to train for barrel racing not all horses are cut out to barrel race either.
 
#6 · (Edited)
How are you asking her to trot?

Ok, how is she off the pattern then? Is she light off your leg moving forwards? Can you move her hindquarters, ribs and shoulders independently? Does she move off your seat? Is she soft mouthed, does she have good lateral flexion, vertical flexion, a good back up, stop etc? Are her leads solid? Those are a few basic things that should be solid before attempting to pattern her. If you have any holes there, they'll be very visable once you start something else with her.

Edit: Is this the same mare that doesn't tie? If so, that can speak volumes to a few holes in her training right there. It could also mean at some point when she's pulled back that she injured herself.
 
#11 ·
Would you be able to take lessons in order to further your mare and your own education? You sound rather inexperienced yourself, which is fine, everyone starts that way but it will be much easier for both you and your horse if you are able to get lessons and ideally also get your mare in training. It can be very difficult to try and teach yourself something as well as your horse at the same time.

If you were north of Houston i'd easily be able to come help out. I'm around Humble.
 
#13 ·
I am not inexperienced I trained my first horse an ottb at the age of 12 he was my first ever horse, I have been riding for 13 years I am sorry if I appear inexperienced to you but I can assure you I can out ride most everyone. Just because I have hit a wall with training my mare does not mean I'm inexperienced. Just because I asked for advice does not mean I'm inexperienced. Thank you
 
#15 ·
That's understandable, training can be expensive. Would your parents be able to afford ( or you if you have a part time job) even a couple of lessons a month? I could write a novel on how to help you out but it just isn't the same as hands on instruction. It would give you are starting point on how to improve and you would be able to work on those things between lessons. Another thing that some barns will allow is for students to work off their lessons, bear in mind you'll often end up work for less than minimum wage when you look at it but it can be a good way to gain additional experience.

Lots of members also post videos for critique here as well.
 
#19 ·
Your mare can be perfectly trained but if you don't know how t properly ask your ques she won't ride like she's trained to. You both need lessons. I've been riding since I was two am now 18 (19 on a month) and I still have a trainer or did I don't have a horse right now. There is nothing wrong on getting a trainer, but with that I'm perfect and she's just a snot attitude you will get nowhere I promise.

Take her back to basics find her holes and work with her on those. I highly doubt she was what you say she was she either was never that or you kust don't know what you are asking for .
 
#20 ·
So. You *don't know how* to train your mare to go faster, but you're convinced you *don't* need any more lessons or training yourself? Sounds like a contradiction to me.

From the threads you have posted it sounds like your mare needs to start over - not being able to tie is a HUGE hole in basic training, and if she's supposedly a trained jumper she should have no problems going faster and tying, etc. Sounds like you need a trainer to work with you and start back on the ground, because with her training you won't get a good barrel horse, you'll get an injury trying to train her to run barrels when sh's not even close to solid on the ground. You should be able to do ANYTHING you want with her on the ground before starting her on barrels - this includes getting her to W/T/C on cue and tie.
 
#21 ·
I probably shouldn't even post here, as my advice will probably get thrown back at me, but I guess why not....

she refuses to even trot around the barrels. Please Help any advice and or tips is greatly appreciated.
If you cannot get your horse to trot, you have bigger issues than not knowing how to train her for barrels.

Also if you know of any barrel trainers neat Houston,Tx please do tell.
I am nowhere near Texas, so I can't give you any name recommendations, but getting a trainer (based on what you have explained to us) is going to be critical for you. This mare "has your number" and knows how to avoid doing what you are asking.

Don't even think about trainer her for barrels until you have complete control over her.
-walk, trot, canter on a relaxed loose rein
-stop immediately and softly from any gait
-back freely when asked
-can move the shoulders, ribcase, and hindquarters independently of each other
-can do simple lead changes (flying lead changes are not necessary, but it is nice)
-can do "perfect circles" with little help from the rider

Basically, you need to be able to control every piece of her body, at any speed, at any time, with no resistance from your horse. At this point in time, you cannot do that. You need to achieve that first before you can expect to train her for barrels.

She is not green she used to be a jumper and a ranch horse
Just because a horse competed in a few events doesn't necessarily make them not green. Granted, none of us have seen your horse, but from what you are describing, your mare is green or spoiled, or a combination of both.

Her previous owners were scared of her so the let her do whatever she wanted
And this gives a big vote to the spoiled category. She's learned that she can get away with whatever she wants. I've not seen you ride, but again, from what you describe it does not sound like you are qualified to deal with a stubborn spoiled horse like this, because you have difficulty getting her to do what you want (ex: trotting around the barrels). You need lessons to help you learn how to communicate and control your horse.

she is not very responsive to leg ques and she is not soft mouthed
And this is just one more thing that your horse needs to know/have before you start her on the barrels. She is not 100% broke if she does not listen to leg/body cues, and is hard in the mouth. I'm not saying that you are the one that caused this (chances are, it was her old owners ..... although, how long have you had her?) but you have her now and it is your duty to fix it.

I have my own barn. And no my parents won't help out and I don't have time to get a job.
So if your parents don't help you, who pays the bills for the horse right now? Who is going to pay the vet bills if your horse happens to get hurt? Who pays for hay? Feed? Annual shots? Farrier visits?

Do you board your horse? What do you mean by "you have your own barn"?

It's really kind of wishy washy to say you don't have time to get a job. You can make time to get a job, if you have good time management, and if getting lessons is important to you. I know lots of folks on this board who work 3 jobs, have a family, and still have time for the horses. You make time for the things in life that are necessary. You are young; you will come to learn that.

Also I don't need lessons my mare just needs to be trained.
So let's just say that you did have a ton of money sitting around. You send your mare to the BEST horse trainer in Texas for 90 days. Your mare is winning rodeos in barrel racing she has been trained so good.

You cannot possibly (and honestly) say to me that you would be able to bring the horse home and maintain all that training. The horse will learn to do what you allow them to do. Even the best trained horse will revert back to old habits when placed in the hands of a rider that was not trained how to handle the trained horse.

If you don't train the rider, training the horse is pointless.

You DO need lessons and you need to accept that.

Don't worry about how to train for barrel racing, until you learn how to train your horse in the very basic fundamentals.
 
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#22 ·
I'm with the last two posters on this one. As a H/J rider for the past fourteen years, I can say I've never met a Jumper who didn't know how to /go/.
It also seems unlikely that a horse that was bred to barrel race would be trained, instead, as both a jumper and a ranch horse? But that's besides the point. Stranger things have happened. xD

Look into trainers would be my suggestion.
EDIT--Maybe you could work off some of the fees?
 
#23 ·
If you are 16 and say this mare is your only chance at a scholarship, I'd begin looking for other ways to pay for college. She is no where near ready to compete / win, especially since you say you don't have the time for lessons or a trainer. Barrels is not a sport you can rush into. Even if you found the time to restart the basics, work on her training holes, condition and introduce barrels, you are looking at a long time (more than just a few months). That scholarship will go to someone who has been running barrels on a solid horse (or two) for longer than the few years you have left of high school.
 
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