I know you’re tired of advice, but you did ask for it. So I’m going to sum it all up this way: If you don’t take everything slower with your young horse, you may likely end up with a brain fried horse with a lot of behavioral problems that no one, including you, wants.
When we take our young, green performance horses— and I’m including reiners and ranch riding horses— to shows for experience, they often just hang out. We might not even ride them until the last day, if at all. We want them to learn that the competitive environment is not a scary or stressful environment. By doing expos you’re adding the barrel pattern to an already chaotic setting. You’re setting her up to be explosive, act out and display her worst impulses. That’s why we’re questioning your judgement.
OP, I can tell you are young and feeling attacked by all the input on this thread. It is hard to take these things graciously when you don’t have much life experience with receiving constructive criticism. But COTH is an amazing resource! Myself, along with many others, have gotten tough to swallow, to the point advice on this forum. But I can confidently say that all the “tough love” I’ve gotten here has made me a better horsewoman and improved the life of my animals.
Try to listen to what people are saying here. Your mare was communicating extremely loudly just a few days ago that she was this close to losing it in a big way, even if you feel like you’ve solved a part of the issue by adjusting her feed and the vibe of your most recent rides. Don’t do any sort of expo with her at this competition, even if it’s only W/T. But if you must bring her please consider her clearly fragile current mental state and consider just hand walking her around instead of riding at all.
She is only 5… that’s so young! I’m only hacking with my 5 year old right now a few times a week on the trails. At this age, I think it’s really important to instill a good work ethic and a healthy, happy attitude towards working vs. frying them mentally before they are even done physically developing. You are absolutely on track to fry her brain if you don’t take several BIG steps back.
Yes, a lot of things can be changed in 5 days but baggage is baggage is baggage. Horses remember things, and you might find yourself right back at square one the minute you take her down that alley, even if it is just for an exhibition. She does not know when she is expected to make a run and if that alleyway is a point of anxiety for her (which it is), you may not be doing what is it her best interest.
I have been at shows before and had to scratch. Sacrifice entry fees and not make a run. The health of my horse comes first, both physical and mental.
Why the pressure? Leave her at home. Let her relax for a couple days while you are gone.
Turnout time can do wonders for a horse.
There is no reason you HAVE to take her with you. Leave her home.
You can delete your posts OP but you are still quoted.
You said that: “Yes my trainer said to slow her way down on the pattern because she isn’t quite mentally ready to be running like she is, and I agree.”
How are we not supposed to interpret that you are RUNNING her?
You say you aren’t running her … but yet you say you are running her.
So which is it?
What do you mean you have ruled out pain? You also said " I’m 99% sure it’s either pain or a buddy sour thing."
Have you taken her for a full equine lameness exam with a performance vet?
This is why folks, including myself, are pointing out your posts. You contradict yourself.
Seems you are just making things up now so we stop commenting. But you can’t do that. Not for the sake of your horse.
Yes, it is your horse and your decision, but it doesn’t sound like you are making very good ones and we are voicing our opinion for the concerns of your horse. No one is perfect, by any means, but those who have an open mind and are willing to learn from others, are the ones that can advance in their training.
You might be mad at us now but you might think differently in 5 years … and realize we were right. Even if you weren’t willing to accept it in the moment.
Do you shout at your trainer like this too?
And again, if you are not running your horse like you say you are not, then she shouldn’t be a bleeder anyway. Bleeding only comes when they exert themselves full out during a run, not slow loping through.
I have two young horses that I really should sell before a planned overseas move. QH types. One is very quick and athletic and probably would be the type to attract barrel racers. That possibility is the nightmare scenario that makes me want to take them no matter the cost.
My guess is that you are in a stuck position of feeling “attacked” here and having people IRL who are telling you it’s no big deal and just take her.
She’s your horse. You’ve made your decision. Despite what it feels like no one is trying to dogpile. You framed your horse as being explosive and overwhelmed and likely in pain and now are saying she’s totally fine and jumping around bridleless and everyone is over reacting. If I thought a horse was at risk of harming themselves or a young rider I would speak emphatically and directly as is happenig here.
None of us want to see a “horse flips and crushed rider at expo” or a facebook ad saying “6 year old mare. Blows up in the lane. Fine on trails. Broke my arm. I just want her gone. Free to a good home”. Some of us have been around for decades on here and seen a lot of stories turn south. We’ve also seen some incredible turnaround stories when people prioritize welfare and safety.
Personally, I wouldn’t haul a horse to a stressful venue to practice calmness and get a vet evaluation. I’m not what additional information has come to you since thread one making you sure it isn’t pain. Even if you ghost this thread please read the other ulcer threads. Some of us, myself included, had shiny healthy horses that didn’t pin an ear saddling or have a “ulcer point reaction” filled with bleeding ulcers.
@Canchaser2009, the best way to make people open your thread and read it is to change the title to something like Nevermind.
Threads get quiet and end up off the main page pretty quickly if you (general, the original poster) just let the people talk to themselves and stop trying to convince them that what they read that you wrote is something other than what it said.
I am sorry you and your mare are going through all this.
I hope you read some of the comments here again and realize that people just want to help you and your horse.
Continued Jingles for both of you.
Yes, why is this? I’ve always had the impression that barrel racers have very poor horsemanship. I’ve worked for two vets that have had this opinion; several farriers and all of the bodyworkers that this topic has come up with feel the same too. There are exceptions, like the very knowledgeable @beau159. Maybe beau has some insight to this?
I’d be curious to hear. Anecdotal, but the worst horsemanship I’ve seen as an adult was by a barrel racer. Downright appalling and she was kicked out of one of the barns I was at.
The “Nevermind” is exactly what drew me back here
& it’s obvious @Canchaser2009 (who wants to bet that 2009 is her birthdate? ) is going to retell her Tale of Woe, add, subtract & embroider details & ignore any advice that doesn’t encourage her to take this mare to TX.
Time for the popcorn & boxed wine
C U All @ the Blue Saddle Inn.
I’ll be parked next to the topless trailer.
You probably won’t read this, but I’d pull her from the Omolene and just put her on a ration balancer if you aren’t feeding the recommended amount. Or just put her on the Outlast. If she were mine, I would turn her out for a couple of months or do anything outside of the arena.
My farrier breeds for barrels and he has a network that he sends his babies out to. The trainer I have used in the past is a barrel racer that also does eventing on her barrel stallion. Both have really good horsemanship.
That said, I think barrels generally attracts a very young crowd. It has a very open entry price point as well. I think that lends to a much bigger pool of people who have learned to ride/horses by just buying one and getting on.
I think the entry point is easier for most people compared to other equine sports. You don’t have to learn how to swing a rope. You don’t have to learn how to count strides between fences. You don’t have to learn how to read a cow. I know there is more to running barrels, but to start, you just need to run fast around 3 barrels.
I also agree that a ration balancer may be a better option.
Gastric support in a feed will not prevent ulcers. I’ve had a horse on similar feed still develop ulcers so always a good idea to scope and see or to just treat if the vet agrees.
Five year old also have a lot of physical changes in their mouth, hormones, body getting more filled out so always good to still have a vet check. Some mares at this time may need regumate if they really struggle in their hormones.
I don’t think our message is any better received by transforming this thread into a bash your discipline of choice thread. We have ample other opportunities to provide our thoughts around disciplines or methods of training so I really don’t feel like this is the place.
Across disciplines, we have many of threads about unscrupulous behavior and compromising ethics in order to get to the ribbon.
At the end of the day, this specific Horse is in need of a break and hopefully on some level our words have stuck with the original poster. I imagine they are in a very tough spot of feeling like there’s been a flood of messaging likely very different from what they’re hearing in real life.
In many communities, it is still very uncommon to truly pursue pain and scope for ulcers, ultrasound ovaries, use an independent saddle fitter, etc. You were just supposed to listen to your trainer or somebody who is older who will have the ability to expertly discern whether something is pain or behavioral.
OP, I hope that you trust your gut intuition that there was a training and pain intersection like you said in the original post. While it does not benefit your horse to be traveling it sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. Treating this as an opportunity to let your horse hang out at a showground with no expectations can be a positively reinforcing activities. At a minimum, please consider starting your horse on ulcer guard several days before travel, continuing through the show, and for several days after return and keeping as much free choice in front of them as possible. Even for a well seasoned horse a long trip to a busy showground can result in ulcers.
For most of us, it requires weeks to months, vs days, to change our riding enough for the horse to understand and trust the new signals, and develop the improved level of communication and teamwork we all seek.
Posted a few times above, if either of you have read all the replies.
I agree that this does not need to turn into barrel racing bashing thread. There is poor horsemanship and poor riding in every discipline and every barn. If you want to lump us all together, well, then have at it.
But there are many of us, myself included, who pride themselves on good horsemanship, even for running barrels.
to losing it in a big way, even if you feel like you’ve solved a part of the issue by adjusting her feed and the vibe of your most recent rides. Don’t do any sort of expo with her at this competition, even if it’s only W/T. But if you must bring her please consider her clearly fragile current mental state and consider just hand walking her around instead of riding at all.
) is going to retell her Tale of Woe, add, subtract & embroider details & ignore any advice that 
& boxed wine 
