Easy Indigo has been a challenge to rehabilitate. When Cheryl and Savannah purchased him at 16, he had stress and avoidance behaviors. He couldn’t be hauled alone, was difficult to get into the arena, and had ulcers, which made it hard to keep weight on him. But he loves to run, so they took a chance. They’re taking their time and he’s steadily improving. He’s been winning, but maintenance includes taking him to some events, saddling him and leading him around with another horse, so he enjoys going and having a buddy, without always having to make a run. Photo by Cheryl Magoteaux.

Any horse, at any stage of training, is going to benefit from a confident rider, reassuring treatment, and lots of slow work. But sometimes you buy a horse that already has problems, or you create problems yourself before you learn to be a better rider.

Training and riding errors can create avoidance behaviors. In many timed-event horses, that shows up as not wanting to go into the arena, being anxious at the trailer, jigging or charging instead of walking and loping, and other uncomfortable or unsafe habits.

The Pain Factor

Although a great number of problems are completely stress-related, other problems have a physical beginning. Causes can be numerous, or happen as a chain reaction, so we always need to fix not only the problem, but any underlying factors as well.

A horse could have sustained an injury so he feels pain when he runs or works. Feeling this pain and discomfort will lead him to have anxiety about doing his job. The horse expects work to be painful or uncomfortable at best, so he begins to dread working.

He’ll hesitate at first. Then maybe he’ll stop or whirl away from beginning a pattern. He’ll start to sweat more, maybe begin to swish his tail—try to rush through, or begin to go past turns—as that is usually the point where the most pressure is placed on his legs and body. Maybe his time will decrease slightly because he’s taking care of himself and not pushing quite so hard.

If riders ignore what the horse is saying by these signs, the problem gets worse. Now you have to deal with the injury and the avoidance behavior. And when stress-related avoidance gets deeply engrained, it’s time-consuming to overcome.

Most people understand injuries, but it’s sometimes hard to accept when the horse’s physical conformation just isn’t suited for the type of work the rider has chosen for the horse to do. You can have the greatest-minded horse in the world, one who really wants to be good, but if every time he runs he ends up achy and sore, eventually he’s going to begin to avoid or resist the work. Who can blame him?

Therapeutic Riding • Learn to recognize the early signs of anxiety, such as excessive sweating, tail-swishing, and resistance. • Slow down. Spend arena time walking the pattern and working on other maneuvers. • Attend jackpots and playdays, but don’t compete. Use them as a stage to calm and reassure your horse.  • Work cattle, trail ride and do other things to give your horse a mental break. • Keep a journal to help you track and evaluate your horse’s progress.

Rider Error
Other horses have had inconsistent riders—or worse—riders who take their frustrations out on their horses by jerking or kicking. It’s no surprise that a horse becomes anxious in this situation. Eventually that distrust will carry from rider to rider, because the horse doesn’t think he can trust anyone.

Some riders feel they need practice going fast so they run  through the pattern again and again. They are trying to gain confidence, but asking for so many runs is wrecking the horse.

Everyone has heard that phrase, “crazy timed-event horse.” We know that’s not what we want.  Most of us  love our horses and we want to correct the problems we help create.

Do You Have Questions for Cheryl & Savannah? Fast horses and timed events are a two-generation topic for the mother-daughter team of Cheryl and Savannah Magoteaux. Cheryl is a former college horsemanship instructor and Professional Women’s Rodeo Association barrel racing national champion. She was an instructor for R.E. and Martha Josey barrel racing and roping schools, and conducted clinics on her own as well. Cheryl co-authored Charmayne James on Barrel Racing. Savannah, 21, is a journalism and broadcasting senior at Oklahoma State University. Her earliest riding time was spent on timed-event horses, and in 2006, Savannah filed her Women’s Pro Rodeo permit and is now competing as a rookie. Together, Cheryl and Savannah will share their insights and techniques when it comes to developing timed-events skills that are fun and rewarding for horse and rider. Cheryl and Savannah would love to hear from readers. E-mail your questions to info@magoteauxcom.

Sometimes we even choose a problem horse. For many of us, shelling out the cash for a top-notch competitor  who can make winning easy isn’t an option. Such a horse may be out of our price range. So a horse that has problems but has shown he has ability might be an option if we feel his problems are correctable or manageable.

If you decide to try to rehabilitate a horse, the first thing you’ll want to do is make sure he does not have any major physical problems that prevent him from  being able to do the job. Have your vet check the horse out, paying special attention to his legs, feet and teeth. Stomach ulcers are also a common problem in timed-event horses, so it’s important to screen for those as well.

If the horse does have existing injuries, treat them right away to take away the discomfort that causes that job dissatisfaction.

Start Slow
For a horse who’s recovering from soreness or injury, or one who’s had negative training, you’ll begin your rehab program by riding him slowly. Since we want to take the dread out of the pattern, we’ll spend a lot of time with the barrels or poles in the arena, just walking him through the pattern. We want to go slow until he does not jig or get nervous. We stop frequently and praise them and have treats ready. The goal is to convince him that riding is pleasant. Don’t rush, and don’t push for results.

We have one horse at our ranch who developed gate issues before we bought him. He’d begun to dread working the pattern and didn’t enjoy his job. In the course of his rehab, we’ve celebrated little victories, including the day he was finally able to stand for 30 seconds on a loose rein without walking, trotting or loping off. Another big event was the day he could come around the arena on the rail on the correct lead and pass the first barrel without tensing up. Then, he finally got where he could trot through the barrels on a loose rein without bouncing and charging.

None of those are strictly barrel skills, but he’s already got those. We’re building his mental strength and trust. And he’s making progress. We’re not worried. The pattern and the speed will still be there when his mind can handle them.

If possible, give your horse other things to work on before you try to go fast again. Help him perfect the basics, or teach him a new maneuver. Taking him on trail rides or letting him work cattle often helps. Different activities will get your horse used to you being on him without the stress of a timed run.

And when you need to correct your horse, do it without getting mad or frustrated. For example, if the horse wants to just take off and go fast and you want to walk, just ask him to walk. When he starts to move faster, smoothly pick up the reins and steadily increase pressure until you get the speed you want, then release the pressure. When the horse speeds up again, repeat the process.

It might take a thousand times to get this through the horse’s head. But after you’ve done it once, now you only have 999 more times to go! The key is not to prevent the horse from making a mistake, but to correct him, and then offer to trust him again. Maybe it will take 2,000 times, but each time we do it, we’re one try closer to our goal, right?

Getting the horse to calm down at a jackpot or some other competition is the next step. Again, have patience. This part of the process may mean just going to exhibit, not to actually compete, for several trips. It’s frustrating to the rider who wants to have fun and be competitive, but walking and trotting through the pattern at a show will help with the process.

If your horse has trouble in the alley, then the perfect time to work on that issue is when you’re at an event. Walk into the alley and stand while other people are going through. Just make sure you walk in while someone is going slowly. Then walk your horse out slowly before the person in the arena comes out. You do not want to rush your horse out of the alley. The idea is to stay calm.

We’ve hauled horses to jackpots and spent three or four hours riding our horses in the alleyway. Spend the time; it’s worth it. Make the alley or the gate area a good place to be. If you get a chance, dismount, loosen his girth and remove your horse’s boots. Make sure you pat him and talk to him while you’re there in that alley.

When you are finished with your exhibitions, continue to stay by the alley, either sitting on your horse or standing next to him. Have treats ready for him and give them to him when he’s standing still. You might also use them to focus his attention on you. You want your horse to tune into you and relax.

It can be difficult to see your horse’s progress from day to day, so it’s a good idea to keep a journal of his workouts. Write down what he did right and wrong. Make notes about his behavior. Tiny, daily improvements are sometimes hard to see, but if you track progress this way you can see how far you’ve come.

It’s more important than ever to stay confident when you are working with a  horse you are trying to rehab—and keep to your game plan. Don’t listen when someone gives you advice that doesn’t fit your program. You know your plan, and you know how important it is to regain your horse’s trust. When we get burned by something or someone, we have a hard time trusting again. Horses are the same. Your consistency will build that needed trust.

Don’t let this scenario unfold: The rider is good to her horse for a month, and he’s improved and gotten quieter. Then she takes him to a jackpot and he has a bit of a flashback—maybe takes off and goes past the first turn. She’s embarrassed and mad, so she starts jerking her horse’s head and hitting him with a quirt. She may take out her frustrations, but she’s just undone everything she worked a month to achieve. Plus, her horse knows she has been lying to him, and he’ll be even less likely to trust her and to relax in the future. 

Instead, remember that while your horse is in rehab, you're riding for the horse—for his needs andhis sensitivities. If you do that, then get his confidence back, you'll eventually be able to ride for the runs.