Oh and you can see the post about this with the actual video where he does this twice at "MIA.....And Back!!!"
So when they came out for this run he was going at a good speed then stopped and reared twice and while I was recording the photographer was next to me and I thought "OH I hope he gets this" and right then I heard his shutter LOL!! So after she gets him around having already broke her pattern she chose to still run it as to not let him win a battle. So after they come around barrel 2 Pete hard looks down at his side and then does the same thing coming around barrel 3....I couldn't figure out what his deal was!?!? So the Hubby comes up a couple of minutes later and says "Uh well that was my fault....I tightened his tie-down because I am tired of him running with his head so high"! What...Excuse me....You did what?!?! Right before your daughter went into the arena!!! We have a rule about this, there are no adjustments to be done right before she goes in!!! DD says "I tried to tell him to leave it alone but he wouldn't listen"!!! OMGosh!!!! Well I was flabbergasted that he would do something so bone-headish!! And mainly because Pete doesn't JUST ride with his head high his neck curves so therefore no matter how tight you tighten it, he still has that curve and essentially all's he did was restrict him from freely moving his head around the barrels like he needed to be able to do!!!
So hopefully he has learned his lesson but probably not!! Oh and for those of you who might wonder yes he does rear up on her on occasion. There is usually a reason but sometimes he will simply be excited or he could even be confused and do it...All in all he is a great horse, that is his only vice really, and he has taught DD some things about riding that I am glad she has learned on him because he isn't being mean....And she has more confidence as a rider having been through that!
Well good for her for stickin' to it and completing the run. That's a real cowgirl!
ReplyDeleteMen, I swear. They don't use their noggin sometimes. My mom deals with the same with my dad. He is always trying to tell my niece how to run her pattern or what to do at the rodeo. Then she'll mess up and he'll say, "well, I guess I should have just left it alone." DUH!
Good lessons to learn but a scary way to learn them. Scary for me, I mean.
ReplyDeleteGuys, go figure.
Whew, good to know there was a problem, it wasn't just meanness!! Good for her for keeping going and sticking to his back! You go, cowgirl!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI can understand Pete's response to having his head cranked down right before a run.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I thought I might point out something to you, that Hubby is realizing, even if he went about fixing it the wrong way...Although Pete has a long neck and it is set rather upright, the reason it looks the way it does and the reason he uses his head the way he does, is because his neck has developed incorrect muscles. He has developed muscle on the top due to depending on his tie-down to support him.
This changes Pete's center of balance from where it should be, over his loin to just in front of his wither. That has a lot to do with why Pete flips his hindquarters around in both his barrel runs and especially his pole runs.
It can be fixed. It just takes time and slow consistent training, mostly off the patterns, to teach Pete to engage his hindquarters and to build his loin and hindquarter muscles up. That also means his tie-down will have to come off while you are working on this. The biggest thing will be to get him to stretch his neck out and down. A beginning dressage book would likely have many good exercises that would help.
I really hope I don't come off sounding like an internet ass, but I have seen and heard of too many people being injured by horses coming over backwards and people ending up losing a spleen or with crushed pelvises...or dead. If a horse is rearing, there is a problem. I have always counseled Megan, that if she is competing and things start falling apart to slow down-walk or slow trot the rest of the pattern. No matter how disappointing or frustrating it is, it is the safest route and a guarantee that our kids will live to compete another day.
I'll step off the soapbox and hope I have not offended.
My barrel horse started pulling that on me...it was so aggrivating!
ReplyDeleteNow BEC~ I have told you before I always except what you say LOL! I appreciate the feedback, because it really helps to have fresh eyes looking at the situation and giving an opinion!! I am not sure how he was ridden before we got him 2 years ago, but when we first put a tie down on him he adjusted OK. But the reason we put it on him is that neck issue...I will have to look into that and see what we can do to correct it! So thank you for your help!!
ReplyDeleteOh what a brave little Cowgirl! Good for her. Good for you keeping the camera on her and not dropping it! lol Great shot by the photographer too !
ReplyDeleteI can understand the 'no adjustments before entering the arena' concept. Coming from a girl who rode warp speed without stirrups through an entire barrel pattern, due to some "adjustments" - ha!
ReplyDeleteThat looks scary, he looks SO big rearing with DD on him! I am glad there was a reasonable explanation for this kind of bad behavior, usually there is, though, we humans just have to figure it out! I liked BEC's comment, because she is truly a horsewoman who gets to the root of the issue and aims to solve it with proper riding and training. I wish I had that knowledge! I never would have noticed the neck muscle thing. I guess it takes many years of riding many different horses and experience.
ReplyDeleteI got my gifts and love love them! I hope you saw my post where I modeled them. You picked out such perfect stuff for me!! :)
I'm just so relieved that she's such a good rider that she can stay on through that behavior...and that he didn't flip over backwards and crush her. That scares me so much. That is scarier than bucking, imo.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome photos, though. Wow. I bet she is proud of herself and her good sense and determination.
~Lisa