07/17/2018
Jetta, my 2014 filly by Nexavar out of Saucys Jet x Rene Dan Jet 3rd day going thru the pattern. She won’t see the pattern for a few weeks after this now. She’s so cool! 💜
When I first start a horse on the pattern, I make bigger circles around the barrel for a few reasons.
1.) bigger is easier. When a horse is first learning body placement & where to put their feet, you don’t start doing small circles and quick turns. You teach them in big circles so everything is correct & balanced and easy for them until they learn how to regulate themselves. If you make it too hard right off the bat, they will naturally drift out to make it easier on them. But if you gradually come in, they will grow in confidence & want to be there naturally.
2.) with more room, mistakes are less likely to happen because that’s where most are confident. Horses are naturally flight animals, so when you put them in tight confined places, they tend to rush, lack respect & lose confidence when you begin to pick on them to correct them. If you start bigger, they grow confidence because they are more likely to do it correctly & easily.
3.) horses naturally will Come closer to the barrel when you add speed. So if you teach them right off the bat to be super close to the barrels at slower gates, expect to have a barrel hitter & Cheater when you add speed.
4.) I will always do everything as fast & tight as I can perfectly. I know this is where this mare is comfortable and confident right now. With 53 rides under her belt, I’m not asking for her life.. I want her to enjoy her job. Turning the barrel should be fun & as easy as possible. I don’t want to get there and her get flustered and anticipate me to correct her & pick on her because she’s making mistakes because she’s not close enough or is too close or is cutting me off or lacking respect.. I want her listening to me at all times & everything be my idea.
5.) when starting a horse on anything, it should be easy! If you start off the bat making it hard, picking on them, having to correct them every step, having to tell them what to do every second they will learn to hate it, and they learn that fast!
Remember, don’t over do it, never move faster than the horse is ready for. Be patient, let them grow confidence, don’t set a deadline. If you put on more pressure and they don’t take it well, don’t be afraid to go back and lighten it up again. Do it now or pay for it later..
