Better Basics, LLC

Box 272

Kinnear, WY 82516

(307)851-9933 cell

goattyer@wyoming.com

07/27/10

Previous Tips on Horse Work & Dismounts

Horses that duck right (out)

It's easier to prevent a problem than fix one & one of the biggest goat horse problems is a horse that ducks away from you while stepping off. It's time consuming, dangerous & worse of all; a total confidence BUSTER.

To PREVENT:

#1) I make things easy for my horse in practice.  Bucket of grain at the end of the arena every time I practice with him or a buddy horse & I practice in the direction my horse naturally wants to go.  (most often towards outgate, but sometimes don't matter if there's a grain bucket!) NEVER let any other horses be tied to the right, temping your horse to wander to them. I like to practice with an empty arena with the exception of the buddy horse if needed. You're building habits in your horse in the practice pen; so why not make it easy to build good habits?

#2) When stepping off & NOT tying the goat I LEAD my horse by with my right hand coming off the saddle horn & getting his reins.  I NEVER allow my horse to wander to the end by himself if I'm not tying the goat.  I do this prior to the rodeo in the arena if possible before I compete, so my horse knows where to go. I also tie his traveling buddy at the other end &/or a grain bucket, so he'll look for those during competition & stay straight.   If I'm running him down hard in the practice pen & stepping off fast, I really need to kick it into gear to keep up with my horse & get the reins to prevent him from starting a bad habit- you'll be surprised how fast you can run when you aren't preparing yourself to tie a goat!

To FIX:

#1) Bad habits are learned.  Don't expect your horse to break his bad habit in a day- people can't why should a horse? Worse thing to do is loose your cool, get after your horse & give him more reason to ditch you next time!

#2) I do a lot of ride bys

#3) Then I'll do lots of frog bys - sliding right foot to his rump & balancing myself with a BENT left knee & keeping my left hand up for support on the reins, pushing back on the saddle horn with my right for balance.

#4) Then I'll do a lot of hip bys- Slide to the frog position first then slide my right hip into the left fender of my saddle.  Keep my left knee bent, holding my body close with my right hand & keeping my left hand up for support on the reins.

#5) Then I'll do a lot of lead bys. I'll frog for a stride, hip for a stride & then step down & lead my horse by.  I do steps 2 -5 at all paces- don't speed up until it's getting better & then slow it down some when it gets worse. I'll mix it up where I step off; sometimes really early, sometimes really late.  I also do steps 2 - 5 when starting a goat horse.  Sometimes you have to make more training runs that practice runs, so don't get frustrated if you aren't tying the goat off your horse every trip down the arena.

Some horses may start leaving because they get sore.  Get him checked out with your vet & see what you can do to make him more comfortable while performing.

Changing saddles, saddle pads sometimes can help.  I don't like practicing a whole lot on my 'good' horses once they know their job, especially during the rodeo season.  At the most I'd practice every other day on them, making practice sessions short, sweet & easy on my horses.  If I keep it simple & fun for my horse, it's surprising how fast I can have a good goat horse that wants to work.

Some horses need support from your left hand/reins while stepping off.  Doing steps 2-5 above will help you learn how to ride your horse while dismounting.  Every horse is different.

I am not opposed to blinders over the right eye.  When it comes down to it & you need every run to count for points/money/standings/championships; it's hard to train & compete in the rodeo arena with 100% confidence that you need.  An easy way to make a blinder is to take a fly mask, cut out the left side for clear visibility & paste dark/heavy material over the right side to block your horse's vision to the right.  Fly masks are easy to put on & take off; go over a headstall & tie down with not problem & are available almost everywhere.  I don't want my horse to get too comfortable with the blinder, so I don't put it on until directly before my run.  You will need to practice with it several times so you know how your horse will react.  Some horses may come in front of you; if this happens repeatedly, cut away some of the fly mask on the right side so the horse can see forward but not to the side or back. Some horses may come in front a time or two until they get a little more comfortable with it.  I NEVER want to cover the left eye- because then your horse can't see YOU!!  Too dangerous!

• Eyes/head up- looking at the goat.

• Shoulders back, hips under

• Right leg reaching up & under body to keep feet in front of you when you land

• Left knee bent stabilizing & lowering body to the ground  CRUCIAL!

• Right elbow bent to keep close to horse

• Left hand still on reins for control of horse.

   

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When dismounting off your horse, it's important to reach with your right leg, up & underneath yourself so it lands by your horse's shoulders.  You should land heel-toe; not flat footed, straight down by your horse's back cinch.  If you reach up & under yourself, you will be putting your feet in front of you, which will help you step off faster & keep your feet.  It is important that you stay close to your horse with your upper body & don't let your body get to far forward while you are reaching with your legs. Your body should stay back by the saddle not fall forward to the shoulders of your horse.  By staying close & almost 'back' with your body (not legs) it will help your horse stay with you longer.  This is particularly important on horses that tend to fade (or veer) away from you while you are stepping off. It will almost feel like you are falling on your butt, but you won't as your horse will keep moving forward, bringing your upper body "level" with your feet.  

 Working on confidence in getting off your horse fast.

The fear of falling while dismounting is one of the most common 'fears' in goat tying.  It's embarrassing and sometimes painful. But most of the time, the mental effects of falling last far longer than the physical.  Learning how to get off while going fast is like anything else- it takes practice and if you have good technique your chances of success are increased. 

While there are several important factors to remember while getting off to help keep your feet, I like to think of one- push on the horn.  All to often, goat tyers anticipate getting off & lean, (either to the left or over their horse) which is causing the rider to be off balance and often leads to horses ducking away from the goat tyer. 

When working on speed, I like to get off along the fence of the arena.  That way the horse has got to go straight and you have nothing else to think about but getting off.  Image a spot down the arena (close to the fence) where the goat would be staked.  Tell yourself that you have got to be OFF & IN CONTROL by that spot.  Let your horse run, check & step off.  Make sure you allow plenty of room before the corner of the arena, so that your horse isn't forced to make a turn into you. Keep control of your horse even after you are on the ground and run a ways with him to encourage him to stay with you.

Few points to remember

1. Push on the horn

2. Keep your eyes/head up

3. Reach underneath yourself with your right leg & STEP off (don't jump).  Your right foot/leg should land by your horse's shoulders.

4. Push your left arm out to the side after both feet are on the ground.

5. Don't let your right hand hang onto the horn after you step off. (May cause your horse to duck)

6. The fastest way to slow yourself down & get control is to BEND YOUR KNEES after landing.  This will really drive your butt under you & help you get low.

7. Keep your feet moving!!

8. BELIEVE you can do it!