i have a 14 year old quarter horse/ morgan mix?

Question

shes about 14.4 hands tall and a lil bit chubby. she does barrels but the season hasnt really started back up. she is a little hyper at times. how often and how long should i ride her? also any suggestions on how i can get her to turn tighter. what she lacks in the turns she definatly makes up for in speed but i could only imagine how she would fly if she could turn better!

Answer 1

There are things your horse should know before you even begin training for barrels. Your horse should be able to do flying lead changes, respond well to all cues you give him (legs, hands, voice, and seat), and definitely have a willingness to learn.

Your approach to each barrel and how your horse makes the turns is important. Most barrel horses can run fast enough between the barrels, but not every horse can make a nice, tight turn around the barrels themselves without knocking one over. (For beginners, if you knock over a barrel during competition, you are automatically penalized by adding 5 seconds to your time. This makes it pretty near impossible to win at any competition.)

The key to making these turns the way you want is your relationship with your horse and how well you’ve trained him with cues, etc.

Begin by walking your horse; don't even trot just yet. Walk him all the way to the first barrel, just to the point where he's going to have to make the actual turn around the barrel, and stop him. All this does is teach the horse that this is the point where he needs to check his speed. He'll get used to stopping there at a walk; then, slowing down at faster speeds. Have a good voice command for stopping, something simple like "Whoa." Having a good whoa on your horse is great for everything you choose to do with him. After stopping your horse at this turning point, let him sit for a moment to absorb it, and then continue walking around the barrel in the correct pattern. Be sure and set up his body the proper way as well, so that he learns everything at a slow speed first. It's so important to take things as slowly as your specific horse needs so that he's not confused, and so that he trusts you and your judgment for him.

When turning around the barrels, feel your legs along your horse's sides. This is why it's important for your horse to understand all of your cues before you begin. In barrel racing, you're almost constantly cueing your horse in one way or another.

As you're going around a barrel on the right lead, for example, you want your horse's nose to be turning hard to the right, with a nice curve in his neck, but his body needs to be in a good arch, or curve, as well. The way to achieve this, while keeping his rear end tight around the barrel as well as his nose, is to use your inside leg to cue his mid-section away from the barrel itself, and your outside leg further back (toward his flank) to cue his rear end toward the barrel. This completes the curve of his entire body.

Practice walking the cloverleaf like this,this cloverleaf pattern is called that because the horse and rider make a complete turn around each of the barrels, resulting in a cloverleaf shape, and then progress to a trot (still stopping your horse at the turning point for now). Whatever you do, don't spend too much time on the barrels themselves. As soon as you know your horse is beginning to understand, and if he's done as you wanted him to do, leave the barrels and go to something else. It's really important to keep your horse versatile...

Answer 2

I agree with GoldenPonehRider. (; Just because someone has had a great experience with a draft horse doesn't mean they're all that way. Same with a Quarter Horse. Any breed could be a suitable beginner horse, it depend's on the particular horse, it's history, training, disposition and temperament. The best thing for you to do is try a bunch of horses. Look for something around the 14.2-15.2 hand range. That would be a good size for you. Often one horse isn't suitable for multiple riders. For example, if you're 5'4" and your brother is 6'1" it's unlikely that you'll find a horse that will work out for both of you. If you're brother doesn't ride much, then don't try and find a horse that will work for both of you, find one that will work for you. 10-15 is a good age range for you to be looking at. I wouldn't consider anything under the age of 8, even if it's a very calm horse that you like a young horse needs training and a novice rider can not train a horse. You could go above 15 years old too if you'd like. There are plenty of older horses that still have plenty of years left in them. And you'll probably have better luck finding an older horse that fits your needs, instead of a younger horse. I'd stay away from the draft horses. B Grand Blue's point of a draft horse was a good idea, but whether or not you'll find a draft cross that's totally beginner safe with smooth gaits and that's not too much horse for you, I don't know. I exercise a Belgian cross mare who can be quite a handful. She is used in lessons for intermediates, and she's fine with supervision but she does try to take control of her rider at times. She is only 6 or 7 years old. On the other hand, I know a different Belgian cross mare who is in her late 20s and she's the best beginner horse I know. When you are looking for a beginner horse, your first horse or an all-around horse similar to what you are looking for, you are going to start running into problems when you limit yourself to a breed. Sure, some Arabians are energetic, spirited and too much for a beginner. But I learned to ride on an amazing Arabian mare that taught countless little girls how to ride. And yeah a ton of Quarter Horses are very calm and relaxed and make great beginner horses, but some of them are sensitive, energetic and spunky and not trustworthy for a beginner rider. Good luck with your search!

Answer 3

First of all, make sure your vet gives her a clean bill of health to do barrels. Then you can gradually increase exercise times and intensities to help burn some of the fat off. Remember, horses respond better to gradual changes, not abrupt ones, so be sure to start slow and build up from there. She should become a little more flexible just by losing a few pounds. Try some bend/flex exercises such as smaller serpentines in an arena to help her turn tighter. Just remember that horses need days off too, just like we do, so don't overwork your horse. Give her at least one day a week to just be a horse and relax in a pasture with some buddies. I like to give my boy 2 or 3 days off when he is working extra hard. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Give the gal a break. I played football in college but I can't move like I used to either. Cornering is VERY tough for a horse. When you dip and drive off a barell the is murder on their knees (used to do stock horse) 14 is getting up there. Use this great horse for trails and such. Deserves it.

Answer 5

She is starting to get up there in age, so you'll want to keep an eye on her joints and legs, and possibly add a supplement to support those knees. But as long as she's sound, there's no reason you can't compete as long as your cognizant of your horse's fitness and abilities. Morgans and Quarter Horses are both hardy breeds, so you have an advantage on that. But if she starts acting or looking off to you, it's time to evaluate how much she's capable of these days.That being said, provided she's sound now, enjoy your partner and by all means keep competing as long as it's still fun for the both of you.

The first thing I would do is drop her weight a little bit. A fat (or even chubby) horse puts undo strain on its joints. She's already older and competing in a strenuous speed sport, she doesn't need the added bulk. You don't have to get her ribby or overly thin, just get her down to a healthy body weight. You can cut her grain or swap it over to a lower fat feed. If you're giving her lots of sweet feed, it may be time to cut some of that. You can also try supplements for weight loss and muscle building.

Now, as for a training schedule, you have to evaluate your horse for her own strengths and weaknesses. I like to give my jumper one to two days of rest a week (the two comes in after a major show or a very strenuous schooling session). We work on the strenuous stuff (jumping) about twice a week, and on the other days we concentrate on balance, collection, flexibility, and suppleness. I know these are words most often associated with English riding, but if you want a nice, tight turn, you need a balanced horse. My jumper has to make those turns in our discipline, and the only way I know we'll get through the course is if he's collected and listening to me.

I would suggest working her about five or six times a week, but only with barrels two to three times. On your off days, work on the turning and the balance. An exercise I love for teaching balance and collection (and I give it to just about everyone because it really does work for every horse I've ridden) is to put your horse on a thirty meter circle and pick up the sitting trot. You want your inside leg at the girth, outside leg slightly behind it. Squeeze with your legs and keep a firm grip on the reins. She might fight it for a second (just ride through any head-tossing and don't let her change the pace), but she'll drop her head and collect for you. You don't need her as dramatized as a dressage horse, you just want her listening and balanced. When you can collect her at will and keep her balanced on the circle, slowly spiral it inwards, making it smaller and smaller, but keeping your pace the same. Don't let her shoot her head up or she'll hollow out through the turn and you'll lose precious seconds take a wider curve than necessary. When you're comfortable doing this and keeping her balanced at the trot, try it at the canter. You should find that getting her balanced and supple on the flat will translate to a horse that's balanced and supple around obstacles, be them barrels or jumps. Remember, the horse's engine, so to speak, is its hindquarters. You need to make sure she's using her back end to fullest if you want to power through those turns, and she can only do that if she's balanced. Good luck!

Answer 6

I would ride her every day or at least every other day for about 30 to 45 minutes. Make sure she is warmed up before you work her.
Begin by walking your horse; don't even trot just yet. Walk him all the way to the first barrel, just to the point where he's going to have to make the actual turn around the barrel, and stop him. All this does is teach the horse that this is the point where he needs to check his speed. He'll get used to stopping there at a walk; then, slowing down at faster speeds. Have a good voice command for stopping, something simple like "Whoa." Having a good whoa on your horse is great for everything you choose to do with him. After stopping your horse at this turning point, let him sit for a moment to absorb it, and then continue walking around the barrel in the correct pattern. Be sure and set up his body the proper way as well, so that he learns everything at a slow speed first. It's so important to take things as slowly as your specific horse needs so that he's not confused, and so that he trusts you and your judgment for him.

When turning around the barrels, feel your legs along your horse's sides. When I say "feel" them, I mean be aware of them and how you're cueing your horse. This is why it's important for your horse to understand all of your cues before you begin. In barrel racing, you're almost constantly cueing your horse in one way or another.

As you're going around a barrel on the right lead, for example, you want your horse's nose to be turning hard to the right, with a nice curve in his neck, but his body needs to be in a good arch, or curve, as well. The way to achieve this, while keeping his rear end tight around the barrel as well as his nose, is to use your inside leg to cue his mid-section away from the barrel itself, and your outside leg further back (toward his flank) to cue his rear end toward the barrel. This completes the curve of his entire body.

Good luck!

Answer 7

horses can live til 30 and beyond i dont think shes old shes in her prime, make sure u warm her up b4 hard riding tho...
spurs can make them turn faster

Answer 8

shes getting old , take it easy on her