Meg went with me to Cortez over the weekend, so I finally have videos of the boys running.
Saturday was a good day for everyone...Moon picked up a check in the Open 2D, Spooks picked up a check in the Open 4D and Megan on Rip picked up a check in the Youth 4D.
Spooks made the prettiest run on Saturday...
He still takes that one stride out as he is coming out of 2nd, but it has smoothed out tremendously this year and I don't really think it costs him a substantial amount of time. He looks really wide going to 3rd, but most of it was camera angle. He was a little bit wide on his pocket, but not horrible.
As for the not so pretty...
This is Moon's run on Sunday...
Ugghhhh...He was scotchy at 1st and completely out of control after that. He did run an almost identical time as his Saturday's run...a tish faster even...Saturday's time was 16.968 and Sunday's time would have been 16.928. Looking at this video...I am so mad at myself...I was behind Moon from the start and once again trying to play catch up to stay with him. My hands are everywhere and I am heaving my shoulder at 2nd trying to keep him off the barrel, which results in him throwing me around like a rag doll. Apparently I also had my mouth glued shut again. I didn't make a sound during this run and I KNOW that Moon needs me to talk to him during his runs. Ugghhh!
One thing I may have learned; The first day, Moon was 'up' but not 'hot'. On Sunday, he was almost uncontrollable, even during the warm-up. When Moon gets too hot, he is as rigid as a board. I have tried to use a lot of bending and softening and strive to keep him quiet. A friend suggested that since Moon is getting overly 'up', it may be better to take him out and breeze him well in advance of a run to take some of the edge off.
I have been awfully careful with Moon due to his respiratory problems and then worrying about his stifle situation. I did not want to over-tax him or take too much of his edge off...but now that I know that his stifle is okay...she may have a valid point. Moon does not make good runs when he is overly excited...he tries way too hard and I find it almost impossible to stay up with him. It becomes a fight to just try to keep him on course, as you saw in this run. I probably do need to take just a bit of his edge off, so that he is more relaxed and quieter when it is time to run. I am going to try that this coming weekend and I am going to exhibition him at a much reduced speed. It's all well and good that he wants to run so hard, but if it is out of control running...it doesn't do either of us any good. He's frantic and I am late in everything I do.
Dang...this is a tough learning curve.
12 comments:
First of all , HOLYCRAPDOESHEMOVE! I would be behind him all the time, like behind sitting in the dirt! Sounds like you know where it went wrong and how to fix it so as I said in the last post , go get 'em
Interesting...nice to get some cheques though! Having video must really help you correct things you don't like.
Moon can sure move though!! I would be ass over teakettle off the back of the horse on the first 2 strides! hahaha I can see your point though - he came in with his head way up high and never quite came back down to you...
Way cool to be in the money on three horses! Not a bad deal at all.
I know it is not about the eq here, but then again it sorta is at the same time. When you came in on Moons, Your hands are way up in the air. What's up with that? You want him to come down, your hands need to come down. You need to be ready before you start or as you well know, you will be playing catch up the whole run.
Now go kick some butt!
Boy's got afterburners even if the steering isn't perfect!
So cool to be in the money on all 3.
" I would be ass over teakettle off the back of the horse on the first 2 strides!" Second that!
Still, three checks, very nice!
Cut-n-Jump re the hands, I believe BEC is riding how Ed wants us to ride, which isn't eq pretty that's for sure lol BUT it is very effective, you can have so much control with the smallest of movements when you have your hands further ahead like that. Also lots of trainers in non-barrel events will raise their hands during training to get a lower headset.
BEC can correct me if I'm wrong there.
BEC Voodoo is doing something similar on 2nd. Comes out a stride (or 2, 3) kinda blowing sideways but forward. On a bad day he's overly bent and moving halfass sideways all the way to 3rd. KILLS on time and sucks. Really working on it though, its all in my hands and timing it seems, although I do need to get stronger with my leg helping him shape as he comes out.
I know you're kicking your ass on that run on Moon, funny thing is that I bet 90% of the girls running out there wouldn't see anything wrong except the knocked barrel.
Well the hands thing is effective and equitation correct when a horse enters like Spooks did. My hands were in exactly the same position when I started Spooks' run. Because he broke at the pole and gathered into himself...it not only looks 'pretty', it allows me to bring my feet back under me and to slightly raise my butt out of the saddle. That is the position you want to be in to start a run.
It does not look 'pretty' when a horse throws their head up and nose out like Moon did. If you look at the first couple of frames, Moon was gathered and even started on the correct lead. Then he threw that head up, flipped leads and it all got awkward. My butt slapped down and my feet came out in front of me. Moon's really good at doing that to me. Now...If I had been at a local run, I would have set his butt down, regathered him and made him restart properly...
This was one of those races that does not allow for those types of corrections. Once you enter the arena...it's game on.
I have a mare who runs just like moon! All the frikking time. I don't run barrels on her, she's technically a cutting horse and I use her as a ranch horse. Definitely interested to see what you find out about moon... My girl is so sensitive you can't get into her, or she just shuts down. And she runs, runs, runs all day. I wish I could send her up to you to run barrels on her and see how she does :)
Some straightaway run, rate, run work would help you both a lot. Break the training down to one single problem puzzle piece. Moon has trouble rating, and is anticipating the turn instead of just rating his speed, so gets frantic. Smart horses are like that, haha!
kestrel...As always...You hit the nail on the head. My neighbor has a bunch of barrels set all over a 5 acre lot and we were over there practicing long trotting and loping up to a barrel, getting Moon to gather and then just easing around the turn. It's not an easy exercise for him...but after awhile he started shortening his stride and curling through the turn. It's good practice for both of us since it's not exactly a barrel pattern and *I* have to think about preparing Moon for the turn and then decide which direction to send him next vs. just heading to the next barrel. Gets us both 'thinking' and paying attention to each other again.
cdncowgirl- small corrections= big changes is spot on. Hands straight up gives a different cue through the reins and bit, which yes, makes the horse break at the poll and drop their head. I get that, and like BEC said, you can see Moon flip his nose up and out and it all goes wonky from there.
If you can 'set the horse straight' after something like that, the majority of the problem is solved right there. You don't always get that chance though. Sometimes it is the rules, sometimes it is the horse. Knowing when to start a war or let it slide is up to the rider and changes in different situations. Not like we haven't all been there before.
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