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[quote name='ORracer' date='Dec 28 2008, 03:44 PM' post='3140200']
I have this 6 year old that I've been running for about 3 months now. I've owned him since he was 3 and he has a great foundation on him. He is broke to death and you can do anything on him. He is running awesome, and gets better everytime (we just ran in the 1D for the first time this weekend!) But here's the problem, he is a run away out the gate. When he isn't running barrels he will drag his rear, and is so soft mouthed its ridiculous. He isn't a run away during the pattern, he's very responsive and moves where I tell him to, but as soon as I pick him up to stop him on the way home he takes the bit and grabs a gear. So, I then decided to no pull on him and just sit and say whoa, cause he responds to voice commands....that worked about once then he figured it out I guess. I've tried putting a bigger bit on him, but its too much in his turn...and it doesn't do any good stopping him. I'm really concerned because he is running harder and harder and its to the point that its dangerous now. I live in Texas so everything is an open gate, and he will litterally run across entire hay pastures before I can get him stopped. Some of the places have a gate at the end of the alley, and in those I hit the gate almost every time. If there is no gate I have to turn him off sharply to stop him. I'm just concerned for when I run in arena that has pavement shortly after the alley or something like that. Or even if its rained, which happened this weekend, I had to turn him and it had rained and was a little muddy and we almost went down. I'm worried we are going to hurt someone elses horse, or me or him.....Please help if you have any idea what to try! thanks
Sounds like he needs to be taken back to the basics. He is not respecting your ques and request. He is in the all GO no Whoa mode. You are right to be worried about someone getting hurt. When anyone has a horse that they can not control(even if it is only on the way home from a run) the odds of a big wreck coming are just down the road.
He sounds like he really loves what he does, just to an extreme. I would start back in the pen. Don't work him on barrels at all. Just start slowy getting him to respond to each and every queue that you ask of him, especially when you are asking him to rate, sit and stop. Once you have him really listening work him down the rails and work rollbacks. As he responds correctly to you, you can begin to increase him speed until he is really working hard and sitting and turning. If he LOSES IT anywhere along the way, this means that he is not ready for the next step and must be brought back to the previous step. I think that if you work him along slowly that you will get him out of the all go and no whoa.
He is a younger horse. All horses mature at different levels and he might just not be maturity wise where you gauge him to be. I am running a 6 yrold this year. Last year was his first year of seasoning. He was running 4D at the beginning of the year, 3D at the mid to late and he really stepped up at the last NBHA show and almost hit 2D. I have no doubt that this coming year that he will hit 2D if not 1D. A good horse can not be rushed. If you bring them along slowly they have the foundation to win forever for you.
I know it is hard to keep them relaxed and running solid, when you know that they have it in them to put you in the pay checks. But just look at it as a long term reward. Whether you want to run them for a long time or make money on them. They are of no use to anyone if they are not able to stop from a run, even a winning one.
Good luck
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Dec 28 2008, 03:44 PM
