I need some help on barrel racing training?

Question

My trainer suggested doing serpentines and rollbacks, I need help on how to complete these... All help is greatly appreciated...

Answer 1

If you do not understand what your riding instructor wants you to do you need to speak up, they are there to help you learn and they cannot do that if you do not communicate your needs.  Serpentines, circles and figure eights teach a horse to bend and supple through his spine and will assist you in running barrel patterns by making it easier for your horse to turn around the barrels.  A circle is the starting point, at one end of the arena, as you become more advanced in this exercise you can circle anywhere in the arena the end simply helps you judge the size of the circle more easily, you will ask your horse to circle, the point is to gain regularity of stride and bend, in other words the horse should hold a steady curve in his spine with each step around the circle, you are trying to ride the perfect circle with your horse, this is easiest to judge at the trot but the walk is also appropriate, I would not canter until you have perfected your circles at these slower gaits.  From there you can go on to ride figure eights, which are simply two circles connected, ride one circle, then change direction and ride another circle going the opposite direction, you are now seeking to create two perfect circles with you and your horse bending through one circle, straightening for a stride where the circles meet then bending in the opposite direction to create the next circle.  As you learn to do this you may continue to add loops to create a serpentine.  I am going to include this website ( http://www.dressage.net.au/natestdia.htm... )  Scroll down and under the heading 'Training Level Tests' click on 'Test 3'.  Movement 4/5 is the circle I am describing, you can combine the circles in movements 2 and 3 to create your figure eight.  If you go under the heading 'First Level Tests' and click on 'Test 1' you will find the serpentine as movement 5.  Do not worry so much about all the writing, I am only giving this link to you to give you an idea of HOW to ride these patterns, you don't have to worry as much about the technical aspect of the dressage test but you are trying to create a steady, even rhythm and bend.  Rollbacks involve a number of intricate transitions which focus a horses attention on its rider and sharpen its response to the aids, rollbacks, when performed correctly include a halt, reverse, halt, turn on the haunches of 180 degrees and moving off.  First you should learn to halt through your seat rather than the reins and this is easiest to learn at the walk.  While on the rail at a walk prepare to halt by sucking in your abdominal muscles (your stomach) then pull upward and back with your thighs, most horses respond immediately and will halt, but it may take some repetition before your horse gets it so don't be disappointed if you don't stop right away.  The next aspect of the roll back is the reverse, this does NOT involve pulling on your horses mouth.  With your legs gently encourage the horse to move, at the same time take up the reins to let your horse know you do not want him to move forward while continuing to apply leg pressure, your horse should respond by moving backward readily, but again, this may take some repetition so don't be surprised if your horse starts by trying to bull his way forward, simply take up more rein in incriments until you obtain the desired result.  Once your horse has learned to reverse properly praise!  Drop the reins and let him move forward, pat his neck and tell him good boy, it rarely takes long for a horse to learn that backing up is easy.  Now you can add the turn on the haunches, do this at a walk along the rail without the other elements first.  Take up the reins again slowly and apply a steady neck rein to his neck on the outside (the side against the rail).  Bring your outside leg forward and apply pressure to ask his shoulders to move over while bringing your inside leg back to give his shoulders room to move over and tell his haunches not to move.  Once you have completed a 180 degree turn release the aids and ask him to move forward.  Now you can put all of that together to execute a rollback.  This will teach your horse to pivot, which is the fastest way around a barrel, though you do have to be careful in a barrel run not to turn too tightly as this can knock over the barrel.  As you get better at this exercise you can add speed but don't try it any faster than you are both ready to, if your horse doesn't understand or you have trouble conveying what you want slow down and work on the elements seperately again.  If you need help speak up, your instructor doesn't see you everyday, so he or she can't know what problems you are having until you voice them or they see them, which could be days or weeks depending on how often you take lessons.  Good luck!

Answer 2

If she said to do them,, Then SHE should show you HOW to do them ,,

If she can not..do them ...and not explain  to you what they are !!

Get a different trainer asap,,

Some trainers get their education from the tube ,, But they,, have no idea how to do them,,, them selves

Ask her that she show you,,on your horse ,, what she means... ,,

if she can not

Change trainers real fast ..

Hope this helps some....

Answer 3

The rollback will help strengthen his hind end and help teach the horse to more effectively use his front end while pivoting on his rear and then pushing off in the opposite direction. The exercise is more beneficial if done at a lope or canter but you can walk until you get the hang of it if you like. Canter parallel to the fence and with your back straight and weight on your butt sit your stop, and then to shift weight to his hind end immediately ask the horse to back up 3 or 4 steps and then using the rein tip his nose to the fence while putting your outside leg on the horse asking him to turn with his nose to the fence so that he will have to pivot on his hind end. Push off to ride immediately then in the opposite direction when he has completed the pivoting turn. Alternate the exercise with the fence parallel on your right and on your left. This is a strenuous exercise for the horse so spread the sessions out and don't over do it and take care to alternate the exercise equally left and right. You won't need the fence when you and the horse have mastered the exercise and you can practice it anywhere then in the paddock.

Serpentines are a great exercise and easy but will help him with lead changes if done at a good lope. Just start at one corner of the paddock and launch toward the other and then while maintaining forward movement bend him to do half circle S turns from one side of the paddock to the other, weaving left and right, until you reach the opposite end of the paddock and start back.