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Discussion on Gate sour | |
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Posted on Friday, Apr 20, 2001 - 12:29 pm: I have an older gelding that is not barn sour or buddy sour but gate sour. And he only does it when my 4 yr old is riding him. We just rescued him and he is really well trained and with me or my older children he is great. But for some reason after my 4yr old rides him around the barrels once or twice he will take her to the gate and just stand there. She is really a very good rider and we got her a crop and spurs to help her give him insentive. He will respond to her but he will just run down the fence or maybe around one barrel and then back to the gate. Any suggestions on how I can help her control him? Any bits or special reins that may help? Right now he is using a curb bit and he neck reins really well. We put a tie down on him to keep him from pulling the reins out of her hands. She really wants to do Little Britches Rodeo this May. Maybe it will just take practice on her part to learn to control him.Thanks for any advice. Melanie |
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Posted on Friday, Apr 20, 2001 - 6:54 pm: Melanie,The horse has your 4 year old figured out. She can not control him, so I'd wait till she is older, wiser and stronger before I had her ride that particular horse, especially in speed events. She needs to be able to anticipate and respond to his THINKING of being disobedient, and I don't know of too many 4 year olds who can do that. Give her time and maybe a different horse in the meantime. |
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Posted on Saturday, Apr 21, 2001 - 7:56 am: Hi Melanie,I would tend to agree with Holly on this, except to add that I think this sounds like a pretty nice horse and I wouldn't necessarily call his behavior "disobedience." He has no reason to innately know that the rules aren't *different* for your 4-year-old ("with Mom, I'm supposed to run the pattern, but with Susie I'm supposed to run down the fence and go to the gate.") Horses often tend to "ask" in subtle ways before they do something, but a 4-year-old child wouldn't be able to recognize that, and therefore tell him "no" early on. Will he walk the pattern with her? Jog? Speed only raises the degree of difficulty of everything, so as I'm sure you know, it's no use even loping it until he's working it softly for her at a walk and then a trot. Re the equipment, I'd personally be wary of adding anything else. Spurs and a curb bit are the tools of a pretty advanced rider, and when you add a crop and a tiedown, it's quite a demanding setup for a 4-year-old. Most kids of that age lack the requisite balance, coordination, muscle control, and mental development to operate that type of rig safely, though I'd certainly give them A's for fearlessness! :-) When I used to photograph some barrel racings, most of the kids of that age that I saw were, understandibly, lacking in subtlety as far as their riding skills---it was all haul on the reins while flapping legs and smacking with the crop (and mother bellowing from the gate "turn!!turn!!now RUN!HIT HIM!!"). Some of these little bitties had some pretty extreme headgear on their horses---twisted wire gags and other nonsense, that actually become dangerous when used by kids who don't have the muscle control to release immediately (or debatably, the mental development to even understand that concept.) I'd be careful not to get started down that path. It makes things very unpleasant for horses and can kill kids. A lot of times a horse that's enjoyable for an adult or an older child is just not as tolerant of the mixed signals sent by a very young child; in the same way that a horse that's extremely well broke usually isn't suitable for a novice. Perhaps you and your older children could ride and enjoy him. He sounds like a good boy. ~Amy |
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Posted on Saturday, Apr 21, 2001 - 6:59 pm: My arab is the same way with my 8 year old son, or anyone else who doesn't have any/much experience riding. He will stop and stand still like a statue. We have gotten him to the point where he will appease my son and walk once around the arena, and then he stops where the people are to visit. It's kinda funny, but a bad habit he has. I don't let my son or anyone else ride him too often. He is a very good horse and doesn't have a mean bone in his body, but he is also very smart and knows who is on his back and what he can get away with. I agree with Amy and Holly and suggest that your 4 year old ride a different horse until she is older. |
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 26, 2001 - 1:57 pm: Thank you all for your advice. Since my first post we have been working on my daughters skills with my Arabian mare who responds really well to her. The only reason we got this horse was so my daughter could have a slower horse to ride. I only want her to walk or (maybe) trot around the barrels and poles. My mare loves to run. Anyway, I think with time and practice my 4 yr old will do great with him. He really is a very good horse and my 14 yr old now says she will take him as her back up horse. I guess my youngest will just have to keep growing and learning. She will be a great horse woman one day.Melanie |
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 26, 2001 - 2:35 pm: Great, Melanie.I'm certain your daughter WILL be a great horsewoman someday and I have no doubt that the gelding is a great horse. He's a pretty smart guy and will need stronger cues and follow up than your 4-year old can give right now. When she graduates to the gelding, it will be a sign that she HAS grown in her horsemanship abilities. Have a great season. Holly |
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 26, 2001 - 4:44 pm: It is funny that we all are having the same problem with Arabs. My 10 year old daughter rides an Arab also, she has had her for 3 years now and in the beginning I was about to sell the horse. She was not mean but did the same tricks you are speaking about with being gate sour, and also the statue move. It was so frusterating for both me and my daughter who at the time was only 7 year old. Misty even pulled the laying down on her trick a couple of times. I am glad to say that my daughter Carli Jo had more stubborness than did misty the horse. And now the two of them are a perfect match. In fact so perfect that misty has turned into a one person horse. My son who is 13 can not do anything with the horse, she even goes so far as to try to pitch him off and he is a very experienced rider. She also tries to pitch off my husband if he tries to work her. But Carli and her are doing many events together ranging from halter shows to barrel racing. But I agree with all the posts on it is a matter of confidence in the rider and the horse knowing what they can get away with. We spent a year of not so good times with carli and misty until one day carli got enough confidence in her ability to control her and make her do what is needed. They still have a battle every now and again, but Carli is winning most of them now. LOL Good luck and dont give up on him. |
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Posted on Monday, Apr 30, 2001 - 3:55 pm: An update on good old Magic. We tryed a different bit on him the other day and it was like night and day. We switched to a Tom Thumb bit, it has the long shanks but with a snaffle flex on the mouth piece. My daughter has gotten much more confidience since she last rode him, and it was so great to see her do the barrels on him and then make him turn around and do them again. She will be able to ride him this weekend in the Gymkhana after all. She is so excited. I am very proud of her and of Magic!Melanie |
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