Getting our Groove Back part 1

Many of us are friends on Facebook as well as blogger so some of this may be redundent but for those of you who don't do facebook, here is an update.

For years I've tried to figure out what it is that my favorite paint horse is good at.  I mean he is a great trail horse, but I've always felt like with his build and his energy level, there must be some event or physical task that he could excel at.

We tried Ranch Versatility and while he didn't totally suck at it, it was pretty clear that he didn't enjoy it either.

We tried sorting.  Again...he doesn't suck, but he doesn't enjoy it.  He gets pretty nervous in a small pen with a bunch of cows.  Like feet stuck, can't move, going straight up in the air type of nervous.   He really just isn't very cowy at all.  Where as Melody will stomp the crap out of cow if you give her the chance, Trax likes them very much and really just wants to be friends with them all.

I go to a lot of barrel races.  I watch all my friends race.  I've taken Melody a few times and while she runs a wickedly pretty pattern, she is sloooooowwwwww.  So slow that when you watch the video you have to look to see if it is set to slow motion.  She does love barrels though and really believes that she is running as fast as the wind.  She redeems herself in the sorting pen though, so its all good!

Anyway, I digress.

A year or so ago I thought that maybe Trax would enjoy barrels and gymkhana type events.  So I let my young friend O work with him a little and run him a couple of times.  They did ok.  I even ran him myself a couple of times.  It was ugly.

I admit to not having a clue how to teach a horse to get around the barrels correctly.  I had no clue how to get myself around that barrel correctly.  AND the biggest issue of all.....I was afraid of my horse.

I have not been able to trust him ever since the day he bolted with me out the arena.  That was, what...3 maybe 4 years ago?  I made the mistake of researching his ownership and heard of all the bad things and then had our own mishap and I was terrified of him.

Well maybe terrified is the wrong word.

I darn sure didn't trust him.  Every time he got a little ancy, I freaked out.  I was afraid to let him go fast for fear of losing control.  When I freaked out, he freaked out and it was a recipe for ugly runs, and lack of partnership.

So I made a commitment to him and to myself.  We were going to get past it.  We were going to rebuild the relationship.  I would let go of the past and focus on each day as if he was the best horse in the world.  Which really  he is.  He is a good boy with a lot of try and he really wants to get it right.  He wants to get along.

So we started our patterns slow.  I got advice where I could but mostly we just practiced being calm.  And then we would practice sprinting around the arena.  Each time I let him go faster and faster.  And every single time, he paid attention when I said it was time to slow down.  He didn't run off, and I didn't get hurt.

So we started going to some time onlies.  They were still ugly, but we got used to being in strange arenas and we got used to getting over all the eyes watching us (and quit worrying about being judged).   We started having fun....sort of.

It was becoming apparant that Trax actually had a knack for this sort of thing.  Let's face it, he darn sure isn't slow.  He has the hind end that a horse needs to really be able to power around the barrels, and he was actually starting to hunt for the next barrel.  But I didn't know what to do next.

There is a gal I know who gives barrel lessons to so many people in my area, many of them are friends of mine, and I have watched them go from total beginners, to bringing home checks on a regular basis.  I  shot her a message and asked if she would be willing to work with Trax and I.

"I thought you would never ask."

So now we do lessons.

I don't get near enough practice in between lessons, and that is seriously slowing down the process, but it is still helping.....A LOT!

My trainer is SS, and working with her is like being under a microscope.  I don't even know how she sees all the things that she sees.

"Hand forward, watch that pinky, chin down just a little, not so far, flatten your hand out, relax your rib cage, now your hand is too far forward, put your heel down....." on and on it goes.

and we are getting better.

At this point in my life, my favorite words in the world are, "Oh my gosh you guys look so pretty!"

And with each lesson I hear them more and more.

Our first lesson I started to tell her our history and she cut me off, "Nope don't tell me, it doesn't matter.  All that matters is today and where you are going from here."

SS does not allow for negative self talk, or for saying negative things about my horse.  Even when he is being a turd she has me correct him and then love on him and we just go back and do it again.  It is always positive, it is always progress...even when it isn't.    Even when I go and do the EXACT thing she says not to do....it is progress because it is a lesson learned and I don't do it again.

She will not let me stay stuck in my comfort zone.  She makes me push the envelope just a little bit further every time.  Sometimes it is scary, but because of it, I am learning to trust my horse again.

So last weekend we went to a 2 day race.

The first night I was so nervous my hands were shaking.  My horse was as solid as a rock.  He was calm, he was focused and he was ready to race.

So here is the play by play of our run. 

Check out how focused we both are coming out of the gate.  

Then my stupid hat came off and in my mind
there were all kinds of crazy scenarios.  I should have just let it go.  

We ended up walking around the first barrel- cost us a good 2-3 seconds if not more

But then he was ready to go and came out pretty strong

This time I did let my hat go and he was all about the second barrel

We did pretty good on the second barrel at first

SS says that I have a bad habit of not making him commit to the full turn
on barrel #2 which lets him run wide coming out

I was using a lot of rein and not enough leg to get him back in line for #3

But I did get him back in line again

We looked great coming into the third barrel

And he came out soo strong and straight

Then he poured it on and raced home.  

I was so happy with him that night.  He really went out there and did his best.  I messed us up and we ended up running a 23.something.  But the run was pretty and that was all that mattered to me.   I just knew that if I came back the next day we could do so much better. 

I will talk about that in my next post.

I also want to give big props to Vin O'hare from Southwest Barrels, who does all the photography for these barrel races.  He takes the most amazing shots.  You can follow his facebook page here.  A mere 20$ gets all your photos dropped into a digital file for you to use how ever you wish.