Starting all over!!!

Started a saddle series of barrel races for the summer. It is 10 barrel races which started 06/14/13 and will end 08/23/13, excluding 07/05/13. I thought this would give me a good opportunity to get back in the saddle with Skippy and get back on track since I have had many obstacles to overcome since the beginning of the year. Our first run on 06/14/13 was pretty smooth I thought, just not fast. My time was a 19.948 and I placed 4th in the 4D, this gave me points toward the saddle, but no $$. The second week was horrible with Skippy taking over the run and took no ques from me unless I was totally shutting him down. We hit the 2nd barrel. Needless to say, I added more riding time to my schedule to get back on track. Alex Hill video taped my run for me on 06/28/13, which is attached. This is so helpful so I can totally pick it apart and work on improving a few things for the next race. So here is what I see in this video- 1) Great idea making him circle first, shows I am in control. I should wait just a little longer and closer to timer before I let him go. 2) Use your legs more coming into the barrel to get him bent at the rig cage and hind end under himself. 3) Sit deeper!!! 4) I should be looking where I want him to go. 4 ft to the outside of the barrel and 4 ft on the backside, my eyes should continue around and not get stuck in one place. 5) Hold your horn longer coming out of the 1st and stay forward so you don't block him coming out.(Maybe I should try holding the horn until half way to the 2nd, switch hands and always keep one hand on the horn.) 6) Don't forget to kick! THEN SIT DEEPER!!! 7) Again look 4 ft to the outside of the 2nd/4 ft to the backside then look to your next barrel. KICK!!!! 8) Same as above-4 ft/4 ft then look home and KICK!!!! No race on 07/05/13 I have also subscribed to the following website for tips from the pros. Really good info on drills and how these 3 professional barrel racers train and workout problems or issues with their barrel horses.

Well it is now late July 2012 and I am finally posting something on my blog. In June of this year, I noticed there were a couple of barrel race series coming up. A Saddle series in Chino Valley, Buckle series in Buckeye and another Buckle in Phoenix. I decided to venture out of my comfort and hauled up to Chino Valley on the 9th of June to see how we did on different ground. We placed 6th in the 4D with 20.834 with the fastest time being 18.595. I was surprised with how well Skippy did and all the times were somewhat slower than I expected. The next Friday 06/15/12, we tried out Buckeye. I have to say I love to run at the large arena at Buckeye. The ground is always good. On this first night of their buckle series, I think everyone was surprised at how many entered. There were 78 that first night! Skippy and I ran a 19.413, tied for 20th place in 3D. I haven't ran in the 3D in 3 years. I was soo excited. We were doing consistently better and our confidence was building. After going on vacation, I found there to be a buckle series starting up at Horse Lovers Park on 07/06/12. This was soooo much closer to me than the others and was less costly all around. Our first night at HLP, we ran a 20.484. Although I took 1st in the 5D and won $$ and points, I was not happy with our run. But, that's what happens when you don't ride for 2 weeks and then just go for it. So, I was fortunate to have won my money back and a little more. We did so much better on 07/13/12, I had worked on Skippy to get his butt engaged during the week when I practiced and I rode him in competition just like I did in practice. This has always been my goal. Well it really paid off. We ran 19.467 and placed 2nd in the 4D. I was very proud! This is what my runs should look like each time. On 07/20/2012-I had same strategy in mind but the timer had other ideas. We had to run a 2nd time, which turned out okay, as out time was another 19.4?? and we placed 2nd in 4D again. I will try to post video of some to the recent runs I have had once I can down load to my computer.

November has flown by and has not been a good month for me. But October was pretty good. Hopefully if this pictures uploads correctly, this was the North Valley Saddle Club run I did on 10/15/11. I would really like to thank the gentleman who goes out and take several great pictures of each of the riders then gives a CD ROM to those riders for free. These are great photos and you really get the detail of your run, because he takes so many shots of you. I do not know his name, but what a wonderful gift you you give to us. Thank you! At the end of October, I took Skippy and competed in the 2nd Annual Fall Spooktacular at Dunn's arena on 10/29 & 10/30/2011. Our first run was great! We ran a 19.537 and took 1st place in the 4D and brought home a nice check that paid for the weekend. Day 2 was not as good as we hit the 2nd barrel. The next few runs we did were terrible. I have to say that this is due to not enough slow work to correct our mistakes in between runs. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the biggest is time. I don't want to say oh whoa is me, but the truth is, my full time job is a priority and so is my family. Making so many runs without slowing it down to correct yourself and your horse may lead to what happened to me. On Nov. 2nd, I was able to go to Dunn's with my daughter for the Jackpots they hold on Wed. nights. My run on Skippy started out great to the 1st barrel, but leaving the 2nd we were out of position and ended up smashing into the 3rd with my left knee. OUCH!!! Any one who was there and reads this, first let me apologize for my language. And there were children present. And to the woman who gave me ice, thank you so much. And to my daughter, Korrina, thanks for all of your help and I know it didn't help that your run was quickly coming up. So I had some major swelling and bruising, but was on my horse in a couple of days trail riding on Sat 11/05/2011 for the Larkyn Memorial Arena annual poker ride as Trail Boss, and then went to PBRA @ BEC on Sunday 11/06/11. Skippy and I did pretty well that day, first running a time of 19.6 I think in our first run, then really improving by running an 18.6 in our 2nd. So we brought back some of our $$ that day. A last minute though came to me that next Monday, Connie Combs Clinic was going to start that Friday 11/11/11, which is a bank holiday. I called Leigh Cheatham and found out I could still get in. So on Friday I was in Buckeye again learning more about this barrel racing thing and where I can improve. It has been 2 yrs since I last went to her Clinic, and no surprise she changes it up and you learn something new every time. I have to leave now, but will come back with more info on the clinic and other news to share.

What an improvement!

Oct. 18, 2011, so if you are doing things different while practicing than you are when you compete, don't expect the same results. AND-when you compete, if you don't make any changes how can you expect your run to get any better. These are things that I have been learning during this whole process of trying to better my competition runs. Last night was THE best night I have had and THE best run I have made in quite a while. there was no competition, it was only time only's at Larkyn, but I changed one thing I was doing and it made a world of difference. Let me explain: Skippy, my trustee partner in this quest, is big! He stands 16.1hh and is longer in the back, kind of like a Thoroughbred. He can stride out very good, but not real good at rating. So for a few weeks we have been working to get him to rate better and he has been doing well during practice runs. It is when I add additional speed that I cannot get him to turn the 2nd barrel very good. I was still having the same problems of him over running the 2nd and the 3rd for that matter. Those turns were costing me alot of time. So on Monday of this week I added a little kick to the inside girth area to get Skippy to give me more bend going into the barrel. this worked really well during practice, but often times what works in practice does not help to stop the clock in a run. Last night it was my plan to run Skippy a couple of times until we could get it right. My first slot at the time only's I felt it was disasterous because Skippy just thinks he is supposed to run when all I want to do is trot up to the barrels and get him to rate. so it is almost a fight with him to settle down. the 2nd time I went in, I just went for it. I didn't push, but at the same time I didn't slow him up. going to the 1st, I used a little inside rein, a little inside leg and outside leg and he snapped around so good we cut around really close to the barrel. Heading to the 2nd I used more inside leg, bumping him a couple times, lifted the inside rein and and pulled out to the side also using outside leg.His turn was text book, just beautiful! I stood up in my stirrups holding onto the horn with my right hand and rode one handed to the 3rd. Halfway there I sat down, bumped the inside leg again a couple times, lifted with inside rein and used outside leg to finish. It was AWESOME. This is what I have been trying to get all summer. I wasn't even pushing and our time was 18.7??. Not even pushing! Keep in mind this is not a standard pattern, but I ran this same size pattern for the NVSC on Sat. 10/15/11 and got 19.7 and I was pushing. So you can see I improved by 1 second without pushing. It is not the in between that gets you better times, its the turn around the barrel. Now my plan is to stay consistant in how I run and see where Skippy and I can go. this weekend I plan to go to the AWPRA at Horse Lovers on Sunday. I was only going to run a exhibition run because if I am only running 20's there is no since donating my money. But now if I can actually be competitive, I will enter and compete. Wish me luck!!!!

And the winner is...

Time has just flown by these past couple of months. I set outto practice more rather than spend time on a computer that takes so long to bring up what I would like for it to bring up. It is so frustrating. I continued to struggle on the 2nd barrel but we did get better on the first. We ended the buckle series winning the buckle in the 5 D. I am very happy for my win and for the experience. I am not real excited about the times Skippy and I are getting. So I will continue to make improvements where I can. My goal now is to not only work on slow work, but I will also work him up to speed so I can get over that fear and give guidance where Skippy needs it. This has really helped me with my confidence and his too. I am looking forward to the season this year and I am setting goals that will move me into the upper divisions.

Aug. 19, 2011

After reviewing my video from the previous run and knowing what has helped in the past, I set out on Friday to #1) keep Skippy calm before a run, #2) don't tug or pull on the outside rein going into the 2nd barrel and #3) do the best I can with the horse I have. So in my previous runs I made this summer, I thought I would incorporate a couple of practice runs prior to my actual competition run in an effort to get myself right. Well with Skippy, this just makes him more agressive and I don't need that with him going to the 1st barrel. I need to keep things slow right now, almost like I am starting over with him. So this time we just warmed up and waited for our turn to go. Well it paid off because he stayed calm going into the arena and I did not have to fight with him so much getting closer to the timer. He also had a much nicer 2nd, (still not perfect) getting around it quicker. The 3rd still needs work, but I am happy with the improvements. I feel I am headed in the right direction. My time was 19.629 which is my best time so far this season.
My next plan of action will be to work on Skippy's circles, both large and small and I have some great excerices to help mix it up some. I'd like to continue to work on making our barrel turns smoother which, in turn, will make them faster. I am really trying to educate myself on proven methods that help in this area. Does anyone have any suggestions, if so please let me know.

The Classified Horse @ Dunn's Arena Sat. 08/13/2011

Although the weather said thunderstorms, I didn't not see any rain while at Dunn'd Saturday night. The plan was to do the same in competition as I had been doing at practice and Skippy had been doing well. Friday night I practiced and had great expectations for the run on Sat. but here is the breakdown-I had some help at this race, my daughter video taped the run and I was bale to see where my mistakes were. This is so helpful.
We did an exhibition run and everything went well. Skippy was listening to me and I did not have to rack on him. He rated well at the barrels and turned each one nice.
We were 4th out, which was fine with me and we entered the area and Skippy did his normal trot to where we start out. As we picked up to a lope and came around to be lined up with the 3rd, he started getting pushy with me so I had to hold him back. Then as we approached the timer, I let him go and gave a couple of kicks. (I usually don't kick to the 1st) We came in wide to the first, but he turned it and we were set up for the 2nd My hands are where I want them to be while going around the 1st, but I could sit deeper in the saddle.
Going to the 2nd, I held the outside rein too much, making him tip his nose too far to the outside. I can see why our turns at the 2nd are off. I am totally throwing Skippy off balance. He should have a slight tip to the inside before we get to the 2nd. This is why he is coming out so wide on the back of the 2nd. He lines up nice to the 3rd as we are leaving the 2nd and I held the horn all the way, then sat and turned. The turn was wider than I would like but that is an issue I will have to work on after I get barrels 1 & 2 better.
So I am trying to download the video-which is not pretty-so you can see what is happening. Please post any comments you may have.