i first of all wanted you to know i have been working hard at home and using what i learned with you. i know i haven't been in touch in months, but everything has been nuts and i haven't been able to break away to get down there. i didn't want you to think i didn't appreciate you and all you did with me.
i'm at a point with jamie that i really need help again. i don't know if you will be willing to do this, but i wanted to ask.
i opened a youtube account so i could post some videos of horses (in work for another person who lives out of state, a friend, etc.), and now i find myself in need of you looking at my videos. i'm not sure if you can watch them and then email me an analysis/prescription of how to fix it, or if i need to come see you. either way i will be paying you for your time and efforts. watching the videos has helped me to see a lot of what is wrong and is very helpful. i see two big things when i look at them:
1) i know that i still ride english--i'm riding like i'm riding to a jump. i feel like i'm letting him have his head when i'm riding, but it's obvious in the videos that i am not. i finally got to go to a jackpot last night (suwannee), and he is not running at all. it seems like he maybe needs to push off harder coming off the barrel also (and that may tie into #2). one thing i know about myself is that my seat was very english (not sitting on my pockets), and without meaning or wanting to, i was keeping "rate position" at all times. so then when i actually needed him to rate it was like he couldn't feel me--and he couldn't--i had been asking all along and he had tuned me out by the time i needed it. so i've been working on making a distinct difference between go and rate positions.
2) jamie is not engaging or using his hind quarters properly. it seems to be more pronounced going around the 2nd barrel. i'm sure you'll see it in all of the videos. i've been working on what i know to do for this, which is basically spiralling in and out on a circle making sure the shoulder is lifted and driving him to make him use his hind quarters. also stopping and backing up, rollbacks, leg yielding, counterbending. i'm also planning to get him comfortable ground driving and pulling a log.
i'm sure you will see tons more than those 2 things. watch any and all videos you want. i tried to mark everything clearly, so anything that you see that has jamie in the title is game.
so let me know what you think. after you watch the videos, let me know if you can do this thru email or if i need to come see you. also if you're going to do it thru email tell me how much to send you a check for. oh, and i know i started out on the wrong lead at the jackpot (suwannee)...that was dumb...
http://www.youtube.com/user/ridehard2222 or if that link doesn't work go to www.youtube.com and look for user ridehard2222.
thanks so much!!!
Darla
Hi Darla,
It's been a long time. I am glad to see you and Jamie are improving. Obviously, me riding him would better tell me where he is in his training and competition, so if you could come for a lesson it would be better then trying to pick it apart in a video but I will offer what I can see.
The one video I watched of you in an arena on Jamie right before a tractor drive at this link above, it appeared Jamie was a little lost coming in. He was looking around on the wrong lead until he got to the barrel then switched and not really running in looking for first barrel. I did also notice you do keep contact and sit very upright, "english looking". None of that is wrong, for a novice horse it's normal, for a free running horse it's ok to sit neutral and have slight contact.
Your concern was 2nd barrel, but you must realize without speed leaving 1st he didn't have the drive going into 2nd to really rate/collect to use his hind end and snap that barrel.
My favorite barrel for you both was 3rd barrel, you have the 3 most important things you need in a barrel run, RUN, RATE & QUICK TURN! Notice you sat much harder, because he was running harder, notice he used his hindend as you sat more too.
There must be 3 cues from you for him to advance. I believe you are doing a good job on his basics so keep that up. You need to add a CUE for run, a CUE for rate and a CUE for turn. Once that is fully established the harder you send him the more he will know exactly what cue comes next and be ready to make a winning run for you!
Usually a SEND cue is slightly looser rein, slightly lean forward or kiss/cluck on the free runner, on the ratey horse it can be reins to ears, kick 4 times and whip.
A RATE cue is stay two hand but sit down the reins will shorten, your body/seat will say slow collect. Some horses will rate with just 1 hand, that are sensitive about face contact. You can also add a voice cue to rate.
A TURN cue will be when you drop the outside rein, go to the horn, your face, shoulders, hips and thighs will all start to turn, thus cueing your horse to mirror you. You may use a voice cue too.
You are doing a great job, but remember it takes time to do all 3 perfect at full speed. Watch your videos and they will tell you what you are doing right or wrong and make adjustments.
I watch my videos on every horse I ride, since they are all so different I rarely ride anyone perfect, but I am always striving for that in my personal riding, it's hard but a goal to strive for.
The key is you are building confidence in your horse and not taking it away.
