Hi...
The girls here are all offering some great suggestions. I have ridden some difficult horses
behind the alley myself. Alot of them. If its not physical (and alot of the time its not,
especially when you find yourself clocking the times that you need to, to win) its purely a
mental issue with the horse. Finding a way to relax the horse before the run, even if it
means stepping off of him, and not stepping back on him until right before you go in the arena
is sometimes an option. Having a horse that he likes and knows, sit and wait with him is also another
option. Warming up early, getting off, and tieing him up, then getting back on and leading him
back up there and then getting on is another. You can stay wayyyyyyyy far away from everyone,
and everything, and then have a friend signal you that its your turn and come at a relaxed trot in
forward motion.
Alot of the time what I see is riders who are clenching up, or picking a horse "up" way before they
get to the alley. What I tell them, is ride the horse NO DIFFERENT than you would if you were going
for a ride in the pasture...loose. One hand on the reins, make sure you are sitting straight up, with
your legs riding very loosely and relaxed. I tell my students to imagine you are in the "meadow"....
Don't try to hurry him along, let him me-ander on that direction and don't try to position the horse until
you already running down the alley. Anytime you signal him that you are going to position him before you
get in the alley, he will ball up and start his anxieties. So change your game plan.
Its very hard to achieve all of this if you are not relaxed yourself. And holding pens are the worst.
I know when you have to get into that situation with one of these kinds of horses that its very unmanagable.
You have to rely on YOUR ABILITY to keep the horse quiet. I assure you, the quieter you are, the better
response you will get. Let us know how you are doing.
Thanks,
Laura Schumann
Laura's Ladder to Success Barrel Clinics
I BELIEVE TOUR 2009