He is so soft from standing around the corrals all winter, there isn't much to tell about riding him. I just need to ride every day to get him legged up. At this point it is just a lot of walking, a bit of long-trotting and a little bit of loping.
He feels a lot stronger this year. He walks out better and his lope(what little I did)feels deeper and smoother. He doesn't have much for stamina, but I expected that.
Last year I had to do a lot of work to get his stifles stengthened up after his injury, but he doesn't feel weak behind now. I'm optimistic that he is completely healed and as long as I keep him running correctly, he should not reinjure himself.For those of you who don't know the story, I let my niece use him to HS rodeo on a couple of years ago. She wasn't as good at riding a barrel horse as I was led to believe. While she didn't really do anything to injure him, the way she let him run...all strung out and in the wrong lead going to first, resulted in him hanging his hind toes in some deep, wet sand and he pulled his stifles. I lost that year on him, plus had to go back to basics to get him running correctly again the next year. So basically, I lost 2 years. Unfortunately, it caused a lot of hard feelings when I told her she could not use him anymore(irregardless of the injury). Family is family, but my barrel horses are off limits now.
I had thought about letting Megan use him for her HS rodeos this year, I trust her. But since Moon has found another gear or two, Meg said "No Thanks". She is going to stick with her blue roan horse. She may not win, but she will be riding a horse she is comfortable on. For that reason, she is only entered in the Regional rodeo. We skipped all of the practice rodeos going on.
I have to laugh at a lot of these parents that are so insistant that their kids rodeo(4-H, HS and Little Britches). For a lot of them, it's all "Go, go, go" and quite frankly...their kids suck. They are riding new horses every year and they never get any better. Poor Megan, she was cursed to be born into a house, where you have to at least try to do things correctly and show improvement before you can compete at those levels. Besides, a good majority of those kids graduate and have nothing to do with rodeo again. Megan enjoys what she gets to do and has the rest of her life to decide if she wants to go fast or not. I'm certainly not going to push her.
My, don't I sound high and mighty? I'm really not. I do think every kid should be given the opportunity to rodeo(or show). It's a proven fact that these kids are less likely to get into trouble with drugs/alcohol or the law. They have to pay attention if they want to rodeo, cause the rules for some of these organizations are very strict. So if it keeps them out of trouble...good! I just wished some of them would put more time into trying to improve over the years. But hey, at least we don't have as much of a problem as some other states do with the parents going out and paying HUGE sums of money for NFR quality horses so their kid can win. Most of the kids who win earned it. There is a bright side to everything!
We had to git headed for home, cause these bad boys were headed our way...
All we got was some thunder out of it. As much as I hate to say it, we really could stand a shot of rain, so the grass keeps growing. Looks like Friday...maybe!
18 comments:
Amen girl on the parents putting there kids into every little thing! I know we havent' pushed Savannah~she actually didn't want to do her little rodeo series last year, or ride, so we didn't make her! She is back to riding and improving and moving right along! Now I do say I make her practice~you practice and keep your horse legged up or you don't get hauled! Period end of story! I'm proud of her and her progress she is making. We don't do all the "right" rodeos~like you were talking about! We have her in our church's kids series and she does one other one RCRA that starts Aug-Dec. It is a Christian based organization and we love the rodeos. We have Piney Woods, lil britches and things, but I don't like the mentality of the parents or the kids riding there! I haul my daughter to rodeos so she can compete, yes, but also so she can learn horsemanship and how to handle and better herself and her horse. She knows to win~you have to work at it, it will not be handed to you. You can't win everytime! I think that's a great thing to install in the kids. Off soapbox now! Sorry!
I so agree with you on the HS rodeo thing. It has been many years since I was in HS but I remember the girls oh so well. They had back up horses for their back up horses and most could not ride their way out of a wet paper sack. I had one horse and competed in everything I could with him including cutting. Most of those kids were the products of parents wanting something out of it and like you said, they have noting to do with rodeo now.
By the way, I really enjoy your blog. You make me realize that I am not doing any good just sitting here, I gatta get out and get on the horse I bought to rodeo on and get after it!! Thanks!
I will gladly send some rain your way. We have had way too much and expect more starting tonight or tomorrow. We are floating here!
I'm wondering if you could explain the types of problems you see with riders and what they can do to fix it. For instance, when you said the ran Moon strung out and on the wrong lead, I understood what was going on. What are some other things riders do that makes you think they suck? I once overheard my friend telling someone that I'm a weak rider. I thought she said that because my posture was bad, so I started sitting upright. The next thing I knew everyone was correcting me because I was stiff as board. So, I'm always wondering what people see that makes them point out someone as a poor rider. For me, the types of things I see other people do that bothers me include getting in the horse's mouth constantly, kicking or spurring too hard when it's unnecessary, and not staying balanced.
That's what I'm talking about K. You are instilling a desire to do things correctly, not to "just go".
I will say one thing about this area, there isn't much(if anything) for playdays and fundays. If the kids want to compete, they do have to enter what's available, ie-LB, HS and 4-H. You would just think that as much as a lot of them get to go to rodeo after rodeo that they would get better, but they don't...so something is missing.
Back when I was doing the youth things in this area, the kids rode the same horses year after year. I can still remember a lot of those horses. And they took good care of them so they would last. Seems nowdays, nearly every year these girls are riding new horses. There was very few barrel horses that I recongized at the HS rodeo from last year. And I know people are like huh? How could you remember horses from last year, but I do. That has always kind of been my thing-I remember horses. LOL-That's how I remember people I meet at the shows/rodeos and stuff too. If I can place their horse, I remember them.
It is funny how things are different and yet the same. I haven't been cutting in 4 years now (wow) but I still check the stats. Within the first year out I didn't recognize most of the horses names because people trash 'em and sell them to the next guy. I really took pride in working my way into it with an unproven horse, even though I made (and still make) a lot of mistakes.
In response to Nuzzling Muzzles, I was watching the neighbors ride the other night. (Not spying, just happened to be outside). I think they must be watching me ride recently and were trying to sidepass their horses, who wouldn't so they ripped the horse around. I do not promise to be the best rider, however I can spot the good and the bad. For Example, these folks were sitting the trot. No problem, but they had NO rhythm to it, they looked all over the saddle. When they loped, they looked like they were rocking their upper bodies back and forth. It looked like they didn't "feel" the horses, just pointed them in a direction to go. The horses looked rough to ride, even though watching them riderless in the field the one looked pretty decent.
So that tells me the rider is interfering somehow. I look at the spurring and ripping the mouth off too. I used to think cutters were awful for jerking their horses around until I realized it doesn't take much to get them to come off the leg, or pull them around. So it may look like I am jerking a horse around, when I am waking it up to go into a class where I will not use the reins other than to cut the cow. People who seem oblivious to the horse under them are in my opinion, not good riders.
NM-I started typing out a comment on your question, but it got so long, it's a post. In short, most of these kids ride well. The things you mentioned...is what you see these girls doing that makes me think they need help. You cannot win a speed event by yanking, spurring and whipping a horse around the barrels or through the poles.
I agree with you concerning the HS and Little Britches Rodeo. I currently am teaching the Junior all around gal - and though i think SHE will continue forever, her brother just totally takes advantage of the money and time his parent's pour into them. My parent's made me appreciate what I have, and maybe I'm just now finally getting further along at least I know what I have and appreciate it.
Your daughter will too!
Ya...you can have some of our rain anyday...
What always used to bug me when doing the youth stuff was that parents would buy their inexperienced kids, young green horses to ride. IMHO one member of a horse and rider team needs to know what the heck they are doing. Then what happens is of course the new horse doesn't work out (DUH) and they go get another one.
Stephanie,
What about the parents that would go out and spend 30 grand on a horse for "princess" and she knew nothing about the horse or even how to ride and you have to sit back and watch them ruin a dang good horse? That would chap me!! heck, still does!
Another thing that parents should be teaching their little prince and princesses is manners. If they get beat don't throw a tantrum and take it out on the one that beat them. That just shocks me to see that.
I had no idea about you letting your Niece ride Moon. I have issues with people riding my horses. I am really picky about it. I have some horses that I won't let my husband ride. I am mean, but I don't want them messed up.
And I think you are good to let Megan ride the horse she is comfortable with. You know those fast crazy riders will always mess up. And the steady ones who ride correct will always place in the top 10 if they just ride consistently. My son rides Peanut in an open rodeo. And they are by no means as fast as some of the little girls down here. But he gets 5th and 6th places all the time. I think right now he is number 6 in the rankings. So, the steady ones do well too.
Those are some impressive clouds!! Crazy!!
I remember when I was in 4-H, there was a girl in my club who was very spoiled, I will never forget at pre-fair one year during a showmanship class she felt like she was going to get sick, her mom came into the ring and she ran out to throwup or something, anyways, she was disqualified from the class, her and her mom threw the biggest fit, I mean they were screaming, swearing, they loaded their horse up and went ripping out of there. I had never seen anything like it and could not believe the immaturity, especially from an adult. This is how these people were, if the daughter did not get grands or reserves they always went to the judge to complain or would just leave the show.
Of course there were the ones who rode $20,000.00 horses who won everything and like others have said, all they do is sit there and look pretty. They don't actually work at it to win, the expensive horse does it. I rode a $1200.00 horse, did not have a trainer, worked very hard almost every day to get where I was at. It was hard competing with all the "money"!
I don't know how it is these days, I have only done one show in the last couple years. But from what I've heard, it is worse now than 20 yrs ago.
I understand and agree with what you are saying. My DD is a dedicated rodeo girl, she does just about all of the rodeos she can. But not because we ask her or make her, she truly loves it. She is currently riding her dads horse because that is who she started rodeo'n on because her horse had a foal. So her horse is currently getting some tuning up to see if she will be able to ride her or not. I will not put her on a horse that won't mind her. Basically everything my DD knows is what she has taught herself and some pointers from friends. I have never evented in anything as I wasn't lucky enough to have my own horse as a child so the most I got to do was trail riding on some family horses...DD did a circuit this winter that she will never do again, it is the epitome of what this post is about. Kids whose parents put them on horses that are so powerful and trained to the pattern that all's they do is hold on..To me that defeats the purpose. So we may not know everything there is to know but DD is learning as is her horses who have never rodeo'd before, and not because they are young but simply because they are ranch horses...
I totally agree. As much as I would LOVE for the boys to love being with horses, right now sometimes they are too interested in just playing with the little boys. And regarding high dollar horses for these little kids who don't have a clue of riding correctly. And then THOSE people have the NERVE to make fun of your horse when theirs is an idiot but the second you make a little comment about theirs, all holy hell breaks loose. Sorry, bad day at the barn yesterday, lol. But you are right on the nose.
Good post, I curse myself for not getting back into horses earlier when my kid was little, but as it stands she's a good young adult and I can't complain. I just think of the fun she missed out on. And I think your not so bad boy clouds are headed this way, but I'm thinking it's not going to have the punch they predicted either. And thanks for your advice for my friend, Jess. I know she appreciated it.
Girlfrien' Megan is lucky to have you! Too many kids just don't get those basics down and they wonder why they can't make a horse respond. Keep working the steps until she hits a gear right- then go to the next. She may hate you now- but she'll thank you later ( much much later!)
Callie-I felt sorry that Jess had asked a legitimate breeding question and was attacked by a bunch of ignorant people.
Been skimming through your posts of late that I haven't read through my google reader and just had to pause at the last photo in this post - awesome shot!
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