As you see, the rider is quiet and in balance, leaning out of the turn with quiet legs. The inside toe is turned down which is the only fault I see with this picture, but the hands are forward (doesn't look like she's clutching the horn at all) and she isn't hauling to the side or even really pulling on the inside rein. Her body language and weight is showing him where to go. You see the reins are loose but not flying or being flung anywhere and he's not set against them.
The horse himself looks very relaxed like he knows what he's doing and trusts his rider. His head is down and forward to work with the turn, not up and stiff or unnaturally low. His ears are back listening to his rider and in concentration. They aren't pinned and they aren't focusing on anything else because that horse is focused and comfortable in his job.
He is bent very very well with his head in the right spot and his whole body wrapped around the turn. He is on the right lead and he's so close to the ground the girls' inside leg could probably touch. And he's well balanced enough that getting out of that lean and bend isn't going to be hard for him.
Nothing in the tack is too tight or pinching or looking like it's in any way hindering the horse and the two make a great pair. Check it out!
On the other side of the spectrum, we find a crappy rider. Not centered, leaning into the turn, hauling on the poor horse's mouth, flying out of the saddle, clutching the horn, heels up, and just all-round chaos. Compare the two horses and decide which one is more comfortable and which one is going to have a faster, closer turn.
Then decide which one likes its job more.
For the sake of comparison, I picked a picture where the horse is in almost the same stage of the turn as the previous picture.
I don't know AMM...Do you think the second rider is looking to her next barrel...trying to get her horse around that one? Looks like he might want to run past?
ReplyDeleteI tend to look as soon as I sit to rate my horse...as soon as we hit the back half of the barrel I try and get my butt out of the saddle, and stand in my stirrups to help his/her drive out of the barrel. I don't actually look at the next barrel...I look to my rate spot. But that's just me.
HAH! FIRST!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the first picture looks like a more fluid run but I an kinda sorta agreement wiht hp. For argument's sake, I would prefer rider 1 to already be looking for that next barrel. And rider 2? From this angle, looks like she bought that barrel. And her reins? Ouch, my eyes!
ReplyDeleteCool pics!
ReplyDeleteI know nada about barrels, but rider #2 looks like the barrel will fall, if she completes that turn.
I don't know anything about barrels, but wouldn't looking for your spot too early effect the horse's turn?
ReplyDeleteI kinda grabbed for pics because I wanted to find one in the same stride, but yes it can be a situation that doesn't happen all the time. At the same time the horse is stiff, its head is flying up, she's grabbing the horn and hauling on his mouth. But I will go and try to find a better example. Lord knows they are out there.
ReplyDeleteThere, I grabbed another picture. This one is truly horrid.
ReplyDeleteYou look toward you next spot, and run straight to it. You don't look at the barrel...look at the barrel - hit the barrel. Part of the reason for looking to your next spot as soon as you rate, is it turns your body to assist your horse in the turn...we are going here now. The second horse looked like he missed, or the rider missed the rate...and ended up pulling on him to try and salvage the turn.
ReplyDeleteThe new 'bad' picture..well it is bad. lol She's out of her saddle...it almost looks like she's trying to pull herself back in with the reins. She didn't sit going into the turn, so she's riding her horse's face, rather than the body. The horse didn't get any pre-signal that this rate, or rebalance was coming up...so it was just running. The horse looks like 'where the hell are we going?' She's looking down, so she has no idea where she's going either. Remember the old...'so are you picking your spot?' You know, what little patch of ground you're going to land on.
ReplyDeleteFor those that don't run barrels rate is where the horse rebalances into the turn. I basically half-halt, I call it an (okay...dont' get all mad) an Oakey Half Halt. I sit, squeeze, and keep a light contact on my outside rein, until I need to grab the horn...and I push the heel of my hand into the horn, rather than grabbing...it shoves my butt down better that way...I sit and squeeze all the way around until we are just about pointed straight to the next rate...then stand up, kiss to my horse...my horse 9 out of ten times coming out of the first will sway leads at this point..and we're off to the second.
sway, should be swap...by the way. Although I've had them sway too. lol Bad bad feeling.
ReplyDeleteI never saw the first "bad" comparison ,but the current second pic is a trainwreck! she is looking to not only seat herfelf with her horses mouth she is running a very real risk of overbalaning and injuring her horse, IMO
ReplyDeleteIf I spoke english that would read overbalancing
ReplyDeletewe knew what you meant Fern. lol
ReplyDeleteHP:
ReplyDeleteUsually I just lightly shift back and give the reins a little check to let the horse know "okay, pay attention here." Then it's just a deep seat, half-halt with the inside rein, pressure on the outside leg and if they get in too close the outside leg comes off and the inside leg goes on. If you're paying attention and the horse is paying attention there's no need to be hauling the reins around like that, as I'm sure you can agree.
I usually watch between the horse's ears. It's gotten to the point now where I don't really pay attention to where I'm looking because it just comes naturally... it seems logical that if I'm in the middle of a turn, I don't NEED to be looking where the other barrel is... I know where it is. It's across the arena. I'm more worried about the horse going in and out of the turn smoothly.
FV:
Oh, it's horrible. Sad thing is, it's not uncommon. I could show dozens of YouTube examples that are just as bad.
In fact, my horsey friend showed me a video of her horse's former owner barrel racing and asked me to critique it... poor horse. The lady was whipping her heels up to the saddle pad, her legs were flying everywhere, she kept flinging her hands down and creating a whipping motion with the reins (that poor horse's mouth!)... I cringed.
Amm, the reason to look at your next barrel, is the position it puts your body in, and you should be looking ahead anyway. It really does help your horse...just like in dressage...prepare, prepare, prepare. It's just at a faster pace. You make it easier for your horse. We have a plan, we have a destination...you are in on the plan..I'm not surprising you with anything.
ReplyDeleteEven just sitting there...turn like you were going to look to your next barrel...feel what it does to your torso, and your seat bones...hmmm??? Magic. lol It helps the bend off the inside...keeps your outside leg on, just a hair behind the cinch, keeping your horse's butt from motorcycling out around the turn. If you are half halting with your inside...you are directing the turn with the inside rein. Not a bad thing, but it can cost you time.
Sorry to hit and run. Have three horses to do in town. Talk to you soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't ride with the reins, though. Most the horse gets from the bit is a couple little twitches per turn. I always ride more with my legs and seat than with my hands and the horses wear snaffles. The outside rein comes to the side of the neck at every turn but all in all I mostly leave them alone if I can.
ReplyDeleteLooking for the next barrel in the middle of a turn just does not ever come to mind. I'm more or less concerned with keeping the horse well-balanced and tight in the turn. When we come out of it, I watch to see how fast the next one is coming, but again after that it's about the turn.
Wow!
ReplyDeleteNow that's skeeeeery.
Holy jeeepers.
I'll just listen, mK?
I ain't no barrel Rider.
"Even just sitting there...turn like you were going to look to your next barrel...feel what it does to your torso, and your seat bones...hmmm??? Magic. lol"
What HP said, great words there..
I think you must be looking where you're going, AMM. Looking down is a bad t'ing.
Leaving a horse alone to do his job, and staying in balance with whatever he's doing, is the key, eh?
That lady doesn't know where the heck she's going.
Poor harse.
Oh I do look where I'm going.
ReplyDeleteBut if I'm going around a barrel, I'm not going to the next barrel yet. As soon as I pull out of that turn, I'm going to the next barrel and that's when I look up.
And yes... you have to get out of the horse's way. All you need to do is tell him where to go and help him adjust, but then get out of the way and let him do his thing.
It's like jumping. You point the horse at the jump, check the stride but after that you get out of his way, rise up with him and then literally move completely out of the way... the two-point and release. You get off his back and let his mouth go.
Same concept here.
This is a great topic, AMM.
ReplyDeleteMy current 1D horse runs in a french link, no tie-down. I'm pretty much a snaffle person. I understand them, they work for me, and I'm comfortable. I'm not looking for leverage. I'm looking for rate, balance, engagement and bend. A willing, compliant horse. They can all run. Speed is the last ingredient you add to the barrel horse mix.
ReplyDeleteWhat times are you turning on the full course? Just curious.
I ride my jumps different than you do too...if I'm understanding your description. I release, but I don't pitch them. I tend to ride them through the jump, following through and down...and yeah, sometimes I'm looking to my next jump even before all feet have landed or just as they are landing. That's part of my, 'We're headed here now.' (I used love jump offs. lol Let's go fast now, we've already run our warm-up through this course. lol). I also like timer failures some days...and they ask, do you want your re-run now, or later. NOW...right now, just ran it. Horse is on it..lets go. I'm almost guaranteed a faster time the second time through the barrel course.
What kind of horses are you girls running? Breeds, ages, sexes, etc...
ReplyDelete.......... (sorry, couldn't help it)
My current horse is the paint mare Cat, that is pretty much all old quarter lines. She has Catechu right on her papers. Her sire was Regal Mount, a paint that did well all around, he has ROMs in Halter, WP, Roping heading and healing, barrels, and something else. Can't remember.
ReplyDeleteMy previous barrel horse was Strider, also my 3rd level dressage horse. He was a Hot Lightening grandson out of a Cal Bar mare.
OH, Cat is now 17. I think we're done with barrels. Day before yesterday I talked to a barrelracer friend that's been to NFR...she said "BREED HER".. lol I'm probably going to wait. She really likes Cat. My friend that was riding her, has hauled with this girl, so she knows Cat pretty well.
ReplyDeleteIt really is all about the timing. Looking for the next barrel too soon can be just as time consuming as looking too late.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be about 2.3 engaged around the barrel before looking for the pocket or the horse will start dropping a shoulder to compensate for your extra torso twist. It would be like trying to find your next jump at takeoff instead of at or slightly before landing. The jump and barrel disciplines have a lot in common, in that you and your horse have to be in agreement, and willing to help each other. At least in my limited experience : )
Yeah, I look as soon as my horse's shoulder is coming even with the barrel, on the way in...if you wait until you are over half way through the turn, you're too late, but my horses don't dive around a barrel...their butts are in the ground driving around (except for Strider). Then there is the issue of how big a pocket does this horse need. Cat doesn't need a big pocket. Strider wrapped his barrels and thats a whole other ball of wax. It didn't really feel like he rated coming in (used to scare the crap out of me) he'd just kind of sink and wrapped the barrel..still running. I tend to come in a little wide and come out close...that sets me up for a straight shot to the next pocket. If you come out wide, you've got one or two strides to get back on track. If you wrap around too far, even harder to correct and more time lost.
ReplyDeleteHi Marshmellow
ReplyDeleteHey JR! Imagine seeing you around.
ReplyDeleteHP: I usually end up comfortably in the 17s. It all depends on the situation. On the more amateur courses I ran one time in the 14s but those courses are shorter. I remember getting very frustrated on the full course because I was getting "crap times."
NCC:
Right now I'm working with three QH geldings, one is 7 and two are 9 and an 8yo Quarab mare. The mare we're getting rid of and one of the 9yos is soon to go to a new home. Usually they're fairly short. The tallest one of the four is 15.2hh and the mare is 14.3.
HP, great explanation. Mel, nice times! Hi JR :)
ReplyDeleteThe nice thing about barrel racing is that it's any horse that can run and turn, and stay sound. There's a little Arab mare in this area who runs a hole in the wind, even with a rider that's all over the place. My Morgan was 'master of the gaming' back in his heyday, even though he showed hunt, saddle seat and jumped. (Really fun for the 'English sissy horse to kick some butt') Fastest ride was an old style QH mare that could drop down and git! I like a bigger head on a barrel horse than show people like, but still in proportion to their body. Too light in the head and they don't follow it as well.
I've found that dressage concepts of bend and straight are incredibly helpful, and work with 'bend then straight' on trail rides at the walk around trees, a little field work at the trot around bales etc, then into the arena for a few perfect slow rounds, then a few alfalfa pellets while in the arena keeps them trying to get INTO the arena rather than out! Plus, sometimes set one barrel, sometimes five, just to keep the horse looking to go where I direct him, rather than where he wants to go. I use jump poles set in a wheel spoke pattern around the barrels and work at the trot to keep horse focused on placing each stride around barrel, instead of hitting the pocket and scrambling.
Mel:
ReplyDeleteHaven't run barrels in like 2 or 3 hundred years, but when I did, I loved it. I was going to tie jumping in with this whole thing but some other smarty pantses beat me too it.
The rider in the second pic appears to be looking at the ground, not good in any discipline except dirt eating.
I didn't get to see the first bad pic.
Hello JR, how are the twins?
I love the cross-pollination of disciplines here. Jumping and barrel racing and dressage... Wish we could figure out why the lightening speed backing up is so important to reining...
ReplyDeleteMel, I am curious to know if barrel courses are set up the same in Canada as in the U.S.? Are the distances the same? I know Canada is metric, and the U.S. is archaic, so I didn't know if the distances between barrels were the same?
Blue, yes, it's a question I'd love answered.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see if anyone pipes up.
FernV(?) suggested that they need to back up quick in roping. That makes sense.
But a LOT, and over and over, in reining?
Please, calm rational, non-defensive western people, could you explain?
LOL, Canada is Archaic, TOO:)
I promise I'll remember a good answer.
The blast away backing in reining is for the same reasons we torment big lick Tennessee Walkers to pick up higher, peanut roller WP horses, mutant halter horses of all breeds...rider error, corrupt judging, and the general public is no longer exposed to horses so they really don't know any better.
ReplyDeleteThe back is very important in real ranch roping. Dab a rope on a big bull or a range cow and you want it off it's feet and held down as you try to doctor it without getting killed. Horse has to back fast enough to not get tangled, hold cow still and not drag it but hold enough to keep it down. Pissed off ton of hamburger on the hoof circling you with a rope equals 'really bad thing!'
Thank you, Kestrel!
ReplyDeleteThat makes so much sense. What we see in reining is the extreme "show" form of something that has actual use. Very cool to know.
Leave it to the human race to turn something useful into something ridiculous and destructive.
ReplyDeleteHere, here, CCC.
ReplyDeleteHuman beings: capable of the most amazing, life affirming goods, as well as the most blood curdling bads. I wonder why?
Hey, look what happened to dressage, just when we thought it might be a discipline that would stay true to the original function of well trained horses. Rolker!
ReplyDeleteBingo Kestrel!
ReplyDeleteWell, I will admit I will have to come clean about my detriment to the barrel racing sport. I, too, took it to the extreme running a whopping 36 seconds on my fastest run with my appy mare. I would have looked to the next barrel but I was too busy hanging on and trying not to wet my pants.
ReplyDeleteFastest 36 seconds of my life, not counting my second honeymoon.
NCC, we wuvs you! Now that's fUUNny!
ReplyDeleteSNOOOOORRRRRRKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteROFLMAO Ncc!
ReplyDeleteOMG Ncc...I'm not quite sure how to even reassure you with that time. lol Did you have fun? You survived, horse survived, nobody hurt? Good run. lol
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously thinking of taking Top to either a gymkhana, or a horse show, you know around the rail horse show. Pretty much guaranteed he's never been to either. lol If I go to a gymkhana, Top and I may turn a 36 sec barrel run too.
ReplyDeleteLordy sakes NCC, that was hilarious! I laughed out loud. :) I'm still chuckling.
ReplyDeleteI have limited experience with barrel racing or other speed events and we are very small potatoes here, only showing in-state open shows but I have observed what all of you have been talking about, even at out level.
We show WP/EP and train and practice with the techniques all of you are familiar with. For relaxation we go to a casual local speed show at the end of every summer and we do fun stuff with our own 4H group and our horses bend, collect, rate and switch leads and can run the barrel and pole pattern with no problem. They are slow, but they are handy! But the horses I see here that do strictly gymkhana events (especially the 4H horses) cannot compete in a WP or EP class. And they try, bless their hearts! But there is no collection, no even gait cadence and almost all of them are so beavered up to run a barrel or pole that as soon as they come in the ring they are jigging and snorting. They want to do the job they are used to doing when they come into an arena!
I guess my observation is (and I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong!) that learning lateral/vertical flexion, collection and all of the other principles of dressage is a good thing for a speed horse too, right? Being handy enough to do about anything that is asked (even if they don't do it on a competitive level) is a good thing. :) A speed horse could only get better if they incorporated some dressage principles into their training, no?
NCC,
ReplyDeleteWhich 36 seconds was more enjoyable? Hee hee!!
Hp, I'll bet if you and Top ran a barrel pattern at a show it would be a blast. Even if it was 36 seconds it would be a success. Does Top have some speed?
ReplyDeleteHe was pretty quick when he bolted with me that day. lol I don't know. He must have some or he wouldn't have made it as a jumper, right? I don't think he's going to be great in the turns..talk about needing a big pocket. I figure with how he's built the only way we're getting in the ground around a barrel is if we fall over. lol
ReplyDeleteOkay, years ago to make a point, and because they 'the experts' told me it couldn't be done I rode my gelding for one season in both gymkhana and at horse shows.
So, we would do a gymkhana on Saturday, and the following day we would have a horse show. I high-pointed at the gymkhana, took a top five buckle at state in gymkhana on him. I won second place all around year end for horse show (english classes saved my butt, we struggled in the wp). Would I do it again, probably not. Made my point though.
Oh, my point was if you take the time, and train your horse properly whether it's gymkhana or dressage, or cutting...you can pretty much go do any discipline at some level or other...(no you are probably not going to the World Show or the NFR) and not have a spun/fried horse. Barrels and gymkhanas don't fry horses, bad riding, poor training, and bad habits do.
oopss...left this out.
ReplyDeleteYou can have a nice all around go do what you want when you want horse. No, you're not going to the Olympics...but you can have a lot of fun.
NCC, I KNEW you were holding out on me!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the snorkle all over my laptop.
snickkkker....
I knew kestrel would 'splain, so I'd never have to ask aGain.
and of course, HP's right, again.
SWA, yes!
Whatever you ride, you should be balanced and helping along when you can. It's just polite, to the horse.
50 comments, said oh, so sheepishly..
I think barrels are a cowBoY plot to keep women looking foolish and out of the pens. Well, I do.
(runs, hides)
omigosh NCC I almost choked laughing.
ReplyDeleteAs for the distances between barrels, they are measured in feet so I can only imagine that they are the same as American distances.
Well, you need a big arena to run the full course, the smallest the full course can be set up in is 150' x 200'. Most patterns are set up to fit the arena. Like the NFR course in Vegas, is tiny. You better turn a 15 or lower or you're out of it. To win here you in Ferndale you need to turn a low 15 or high 14. In McKinleyville, the arena is huge 200 x 300' at least, and it's deep...you run a 17 you are flying. Fortuna is an average size course and 17's are common, 16's are fast.
ReplyDeleteI think I am going to train Buck to barrel race, what do you guys think? I'm guessing we could do the pattern in maybe 3-4 minutes.
ReplyDeleteHaha I'm not a huge fan of drafts barrel racing. It's hard on their limbs to turn that hard that fast. All that weight. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteMel:
ReplyDeleteMy idea of barrel racing is a bit different than yours, especially on Buck. I was thinking we would stop at each barrel and have a quick breather, maybe a carrot, then proceed to the next barrel, then finish the whole thing with some sushi.
You know I was just being silly right?
CCC, when you barrel race with draft horses, the goal is quite different. At each barrel, you stop, load the barrel on a little cart your horse is pulling, proceed to the next barrel, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe difference for the ranks is in the weight limits. A 1D draft barrel horse is pulling barrels filled with cement, whereas a 4D barrel horse is pulling barrels filled with pine shavings. Have to finish the course in under 5 minutes to qualify, too.
How do you think Buck would do?
I'm not kidding about taking Top. I think he'll do fine. I wonder how he'll do on poles. lol
ReplyDeletehaha CCC I know. I was just voicing a random opinion <3
ReplyDeleteHP- it might be fun for Top. A new mental challenge that he can not fail at. Might be a huge boost for his confidence, if that is part of the issue.
ReplyDeleteBuck would most certainly be a 1D, and if I got a horse fly to chase him, 5 minutes, no problem.
ReplyDeleteI think we could be on to something, CCC. With the increase in draft horse ownership, we could have a whole Draft Gymkhanna...
ReplyDeleteHow would the Poles go?
Very Slowly!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the poles would be telephone poles...
ReplyDeleteSet 25 feet apart!
ReplyDeleteOkay, and you are dragging a log behind you, and your job is to weave in and out between these 25-foot gaps, without banging the log on any of the telephone poles.
ReplyDeleteWith 5 people sitting on the log.
ReplyDeleteOh, I want to be one of the people sitting on the log! Talk about a fun ride.
ReplyDeleteAlright, what are the other gymkhanna events that we can re-configure as Draft Gymkhanna?
How about a pick-up race with drafts?
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to envision this... People run into the arena and try to pick up the draft horse and run across the arena?
ReplyDeleteHave never seen a pick up race. Please describe. lol
BH:
ReplyDeleteSnork! I just got a visual on your description.
Actually, the other way around. A person is waiting at the end of the arena by a barrel and the horse and rider run full blast towards them, go around the barrell, the rider reaches down and hauls the ground person up and then all three run like hell back to the starting end of the arena. This is a timed event.
OH!
ReplyDeleteSo how about having five people at the barrel? All five get on, maybe they all have to make a vaulting pyramid formation on the horse's back, and then trot sedately back to line?
Snorkle!!! My uncle drove a cement mixer, and he and his buddies used to put on a trucker's Omoksee. A mixer truck trying to run a barrel pattern is a sight to behold!!!!
ReplyDeleteI rode a draft cross as a kid and my sister and I rode pickup races. She is tiny, so never really set her up behind me, just grabbed her arm and let her flutter in the breeze like a flag...
I think it would take some guts to stand at that barrel while a draft came thundering down the line right at you.
ReplyDeleteKestrel, I remember seeing some people doing that. It didn't matter as long as the ground person didn't actually touch the ground.
BH, we could call it Pyramid Pickup.
I'm thinking the draft gymkhanna is more a test of the human endurance/mettle than the horses. lol. I like Pyramid Pickup.
ReplyDeleteSo we've got our barrel race, pole race, and pyramid pickup. What else is there? Egg and spoon? 'cept it's a plate and a ostrich egg? lol.
Great image, Kestrel.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking we could have strings of little kids fluttering in the breeze... Like Tibetan prayer flags!
With the size of Buck or Trooper, we could have a string of 8 or 10 little kids fluttering behind.
ReplyDeletePlate and egg would be good, how about a trail class?
Trail Class-
ReplyDeleteWalk your draft horse through this mud pit. Then you get timed on how long it takes you to clean your horses feathers! lol.
Boy, the bridge would have to be strongly reinforced, wouldn't it. lol.
It would be fun to watch riders open and close a standard height mailbox too.
ReplyDeleteTook me a minute, CCC. I was thinking, okay, what's the big deal. Then I thought of you or BHM up on your steeds, and started laughing. lol.
ReplyDeleteYea, kind of a long way down there.
ReplyDeleteOkay, you're 25' pole spacing is going to be a tad tight...the standard course is 21' between poles. lol
ReplyDeleteHmmm...kind of like a hide race with a pole? Have any of you ever done the hide race...I have...I'll be the rider. lmao
ReplyDeleteAnd here we thought 25' was giving ourselves a wide berth. lol. Okay, how about 30'?
ReplyDeleteIs the hide race anything like snow sledding with horses?
What have you guys been drinking?
ReplyDeleteMaybe we better go 35'. I didn't realize they were that far apart on a standard course.
ReplyDeleteHide race-not familiar with that one and somehow, I'm not sure if I want to be.
NCC, not yet. LOL
Hide races are more like farming than sledding, lots of dirt involved...Drinking? Us? ;)
ReplyDeleteKestrel, splain pleeze.
ReplyDeleteDrinking? Only for medicinal purposes.
Old Omoksee game...Take an old cowhide, talk some (sucker) friend into laying down on it, and drag it down the arena at full speed... with a rope tied from the hide to your saddle horn. Meanwhile, dirt clods are hitting friend (sucker) from horse's hooves, old hide is flipping over and plowing through the dirt, dirt's flying, horses are spooking, great fun!
ReplyDeleteI could not have explained it better Kestrel...as I said...I'll be the rider. lol
ReplyDeleteHP, I was guessing there was something about the whole thing that wasn't such a good thing.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine the dirt clods that would fly from a draft's hooves, might give the poor sot on the cowhide a concussion.
So with the draft gymkhanna, the winner of the hide race would be the one who had the least amount of dirt on the hide. lol. slow and steady...
ReplyDeleteNaw BH....it's a speed event. Go big or stay home.
ReplyDeleteAlready on a draft horse. Isn't that big enough? lol.
ReplyDeleteBig and Fast....I want it all.
ReplyDeleteWell, good luck getting a fast draft horse. What you riding, a Fresian? The barbie-doll of the draft world...lol.
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm all for slow and steady. I'm the turtle in the fable.
Meanwhile, about that draft gymkhanna... What about flags? Should there be a flag drill team?
gaak
ReplyDeleteLovely Draft Horses with little head caps, like beanie caps, with flags flying from them.
ReplyDeleteAll marching in time with each other, each pulling a drag thing (whatever you drag the arena with, before a show?).
2-for-1 opening act!!
Hey, I'm late to the party, but I've got another one! For the ball and pail you could use beach balls and 50 gallon drums for the pails. :) No ride-a-buck for drafts, you'd have to put at least a $10 or $20 under your butt for that class. Ever see the ribbon race, where there are 2 riders and they have to stay together while holding each end of a ribbon and running down, around the plug and then back? That would be WILD with 2 drafts in the ring. :)
ReplyDeleteAt our show this past Sunday the kids did a timed class called the "egg stomp" where they ran down the arena and had to have their horse stomp the fresh egg that was placed in a circle on the ground and then run back. Hilarious. Most of the horses were doing their best NOT to stomp on the egg. Drafts could do Stomp a Watermelon. :)
ReplyDeleteOH, SWA, what about a draft and a pony for the ribbon race! Now wouldn't that be fun. :
ReplyDeleteStomp a watermellon! Love it. Oh, my. If your draftie had white feathers, they'd be pink!
ReplyDeleteI always loved the ribbon race. My friend Sheri and I were really good at it. Well matched horses, full brother and sister....and fast fast fast. Strider and Yanki....if Strider the younger of the two would start to get a head of Yank...she'd snake at him...he'd back off to even. Worked great. Probably didn't hurt that she was the pony horse for him when he was too young to ride. lol
ReplyDeleteWe were riding down Clam Beach...and decided to let them out a little...we're scootin right a long. This guy in a white Jeep comes cruising up beside us. I'm ready to say something rude to him. He yells out his window, "Do you have any idea how fast you're going?" We shake our heads no. He yells back, "About 40 miles per hour." Well that was enough for me. Oh hell no. Sheri is laughing, I'm yelling at her to pull her horse in, so mine will pull in easier....crap. My insane friends.
Holy cow, horspoor!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Cami didn't see you two racing, lol. 40 mph.
The Draft ribbon race will be made more challenging by having riders bareback, with the horses greased.
I want a cut on the admission charge for this rodeo.
ReplyDeleteAre you providing refreshments, NCC? We'll probably need an arena with especially good footing for the thundering herd. :)
ReplyDeleteAh....no big on the bareback and greased...you have to scoot over to the side to fall off a draft. lmao
ReplyDeleteHah, you're funny hp. I figured one inadvertent tug on the ribbon, and off you'd go, sailing through the air, if you're riding a greased draftie. I envision one's legs sticking straight out to the side, not much purchase...But never having ridden one, I bow to those who have. :)
ReplyDeleteYou haven't been on a draft? Well, the Friesians are light drafts, did you ever ride either of the girls?
ReplyDeleteDid you guys ever do the pop or soda (whatever term you use in your neck of the woods!) race? Growing up in the chug-a-lugging 70's prepared me to be the best darn pop chugger ever. :) :) One year, at the Fair, all of the moms decided to enter fun classes in the open division and the kids had a ball watching us. I won 1st place in the pop race and it wasn't 'cause my horse was fast, we actually loped to and from the plug. It's 'cause I could down 8 oz. of soda in 2 seconds. What a claim to fame. :) I hopped off Hunter, chugged the soda and the guy who was holder shook his head and said, 'impressive!'. :) With drafties I think we should have to chug 32 oz. and there could be a port-a-potty halfway back to the start/finish line so that you could stop for a pee break if you needed on the way back. :)
ReplyDeleteNo, I never had the privilege. But they seemed awfully round. And they are light drafts...so I was thinking Trouper and Buck would be gynormous. lol. What's it like, riding them, CCC and BHM? Can you see the tops of your feet without looking down?
ReplyDeleteomg I'm dying here, SWA.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing is, there needs to be a ladder for getting up/down to drink the soda. And the porta-pottie should be on a platform, so you just step off your horse. Oh, jeeze. NCC will need to install a 2nd-story porta-pottie to host this event. She'll be so thrilled.
BH:
ReplyDeleteRiding Buck is like riding a really plush sofa, lots of width and things to hold onto, so sliding off the side takes a bit of doing.
SWA, I can chug some diet coke, so I'm game.
I have a problem with the stomp a watermelon game, Buck loves watermelon, he would want to eat it, not stomp it. I swear that horse will eat everything.
I used to do the plug race with my first guy Cody, it was a blast. Draft plug race, probably not to exciting.
Ride a buck ($10) sounds pretty fun. Buck and I would be real good at that.
(roflmao)
ReplyDeleteLook what I missed!
I think you guys are onto something BIG!
Berry, berry big.
Bigger than bucks.
114th, HAH!
ReplyDeleteOkay, would 113 be unlucky?
ReplyDeleteCCC, what's a plug race? I missed that. How about big water balloons filled with jello? Can we stomp those?
ReplyDeleteGL, I'd say it's bigger than Buck. And he's huge. lol.
Okay, Draft Gymkhanna at NCC's in September. Be there or be somewhere else.
I am proposing a REAL draft class. Similiar to the wine glass class they do with paso fino's but instead of a glass of wine, you carry a mug of draft beer. The bigger the head, the better.
ReplyDeleteAs far as two story porta potties, I will install a slide. Back up your draft to it- fast or slow depending on need.
BH:
ReplyDeleteA plug race is where they set 2 barrels at the end of an arena, one on one side the other on the other side. The goal is to run fast as hell around the outsides of the barrels (pretty much the perimeter of the ring). It is timed and the fastest time wins. The fun part is you start out from the outside of the ring to get a running start, there is a line you cross to start the timer, your run around the ring and cross the finish line and end up running back out of the ring. Cody was a quick little dude but we never won because there were always 40-50 entries.
NCC:
ReplyDeleteI like your draft class idea, sounds like my kind of class.
Great idea with the slide.
Okay, so we've added a draft class, with draft rootbeer for the kids and teetotalers. And a Plug race. Perhaps the drafties could do this in a team? Dragging a plow? lol.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're into hosting this event, NCC. And Mel, maybe you ought to make plans now for trailering you steeds down to NC.
I'll start working on the entry forms...
Hell, there goes my whole hay field- this is gonna take a HUGE arena.
ReplyDeleteDrafts Rule, Regular Horses Drool!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDo you know how many yards of material it's going to take to make my draft costume for the costume class? Sheesh. After I make the costume I'll have to find and buy a draft that fits into it. :) What's a good costume for a draft? Paul Bunyon's Babe the Blue Ox? Or maybe something that would ordinarily be tiny, like a bunny or a mouse. :)
ReplyDeleteSWA- I am thinking a beer keg would be original
ReplyDeleteSWA:
ReplyDeleteOr maybe a Battleship.
I like it...dress the drafts up like giant Saint Bernards with beer kegs around their necks. Rider gets a long flexible straw...
ReplyDelete