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Horse/Dismounts |
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Previous Tips on Horse Work & Dismounts
Question: I am starting a new horse for goat tying and wondering if you have any tips or steps that I should follow in training him. I would appreciate any information that you can share with me. Thank you. Dacia Bergeleen
If you have an arena this is easy-
start with riding him down the fence at a walk & swing out in the
frog position. If he stops encourage him to move forward again,
when he does step down & lead him forward. They usually will stop
again as you lower yourself down, but don't worry because leading
him forward will help him stay moving as you add speed. If he
doesn't worry about this, speed up to a trot. Get him to where he
can trot & carry you in the frog position with out slowing down much
& he stays moving as you step off. When he stays moving easily at a
trot, then go ahead and add more speed. This will be over a week or
so period of time, depending on your horse.
The shorter the sessions, the
better for him. Keep him interested by not doing too much. Quit for
the session when he does a couple good ones. Give him credit for
small improvements!
As he gets comfortable with you
stepping off of him start pushing him to go a little faster. When
you get to where you're doing rodeo paced runs down the fence &
stepping off then add a goat. If I have a helper, I stake the goat
about 10 feet off the fence & have the helper hold the goat until I
get there, so it doesn't run back into the fence. Start with riding
him by until he doesn't look at the goat anymore, then go to leading
him by- trotting & slow loping. Have a grain bucket or a buddy
horse at the end of the arena so he knows where to run to after he
gets by the goat. As he leads by easy & finds his reward (friend or
grain) go ahead and start stepping off & tying the goat- again have
the helper hold the goat until you get there so it can't run in
front of the horse- or even lead the goat off to the left some to
give your horse more room to run by depending on how your horse is
working. Gradually add speed until you are going rodeo run pace-
again this will take several weeks, depending on your horse. When
he can go fast, slow down for you to step off & he runs straight to
the end of the arena, then you can gradually move the goat farter
off the fence- maybe 20 feet for one practice session and if he
stays straight & it goes well, keep moving the goat out to the
middle of the arena more. If at any time your horse doesn't work-
frog or lead him by for a few runs to help straighten him out. If
you need to move the goat back closer to the fence go ahead, this
may allow you to ty the goat more so you get some practice in as
well. Just pay attention to how your horse is working & adjust what
you are doing from there. Frogging & leading him by will help keep
him straight & to the end of the arena.
"The real contest is always between what you've done and what you are capable of doing. You measure yourself against yourself and nobody else." -- Geoffrey Gaberino
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. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you too, can become great.--Mark Twain
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!
"Winners are too busy to be sad, too positive to be doubtful, too optimistic to be fearful and too determined to be defeated." ~ Unknown
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