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Entering My FIRST “Big” Barrel Race

Entering My FIRST “Big” Barrel Race

by | Horse Training

 I remember showing up to my first barrel race; a local rodeo in my hometown.

I drove to the fairgrounds earlier that day to enter. I wasn’t a member of whatever organization it was, I was just some 14 year old kid who wanted to run barrels.

At the time I was riding this horse who never wanted to go fast. I trained him for the pattern in this small little patch of sand in our fields. Our property was beside a river and it flooded yearly. The floods left behind river bed, also known as sand all around the property. I hopped on the tractor and started to reassemble the sand into patches where my barrels would be. The pattern was no bigger than a 40×40 foot square. It was small but it got the job done

He ended up becoming a great 4d horse. At the time I didn’t even know what that was. (if you dont know what 4D is, click here)I just wanted him to try and go faster that day at the rodeo. I even breezed him a little at my house before loading up, hoping to get him excited and want to run like that later. Its debatable if that really worked.

I knew no one, We showed up in our tag-along stock trailer just in time for my event. I don’t remember being nervous or scared, I just wanted to go do a run.

My run wasn’t bad, I remember pushing him to go and we ran what felt like three nice barrels, first run complete! I didn’t make money but I was just as excited to have been in that arena!

Even thinking to my first few bigger first races, I remember a lot of it, but nerves were not one of them. At the time I just didn’t know anyone nor did I care. Staying focused on you is key.

I was so in tune with it just being me and my horse out there.

That’s all I cared about, I had a better horse, one that was all mine and I wanted to race! It was me and him. No pressure, no feeling dumb, just me riding my horse and being in that area I always dreamed about growing up!

Things change as we progress in this journey. One that should not is our level of excitement showing up to a race and running our horses! We must keep that fire alive, the fire I had as a 14 year old showing up to a random local rodeo.

I’ve fought with it a lot but at the end of the day I love it. I absolutely love horses and what they do for us. I love being able to communicate in such a way and always striving to do it better and faster. It can be so fun and beautiful if you let it.

So let it, show up as the eager younger self in you just crazy about horses and wanting to go run a barrel race. It can be as simple as that.

Exhibitions with your barrel horse

Exhibitions with your barrel horse

by | Horse Training

We Do Exbos!

We feel they are a good thing. Especially if you have a hot horse that doesn’t want to slow down and concentrate on you. They are a great time to go in the arena and allow your horse pay attention and not think its time to go run. They slow down and will listen more to what you want to do.

With our hot horses, it works for us! Not necesarilly to make them do a perfect pattern, but, to get them think and slow down, not think they do a competitive run everytime in the arena.

When people say “I can’t exbo my horse…” It should be your decision if you feel the need to or not do an exbo. To not do one because you don’t want to fight with your horse is a problem. That should be a sign you SHOULD be doing an exbo and try to strive to do.

Exbos tell the horse “this isn’t just a place to run.”

We have broke horses and were all proud of that! We should, be able to, no matter what speed and what were asking, it doesnt matter where we are doing it, they should be willing to do what were asking of them.

So what haoppens if the Exbo doesnt go to plan?

You have to put it behind you. You know you are as prepared as youre going to be for the show. Unfortunately, we cannot fix anything major in 1 or 2 exhibitions. We have to make the most out of the 60 seconds in the pen to help you and your horse feel ready to succees!

We know this is a controvercial topic. But I want to hear your thoughts.

Do you OR don’t you exbo? Why or why not?

How to Tie a Horse That Pulls Back – The Best Knot To Use

How to Tie a Horse That Pulls Back – The Best Knot To Use

by | Horse Training

Imagine, your horse is good and never pulls back.. Until that one time they did it, and now your “quick release” isn’t so quick. The knot is soooo tight there is nothing you can do except cut it off.

Well, this handy knot will never get too tight where your only option is the knife. It might take a few extra seconds but its worth it!

I don’t know what the name of this knot is, but I discovered it while interning in South Dakota.

They used it almost every day, every time they wanted a horse tied. For some reason it took me a while to remember the steps properly. But save this page and video for future reference when you need it.

No more “quick release” and no more cutting leads off your trailer.

Easy Barrel Drill For Smoother, Quicker Turns

Easy Barrel Drill For Smoother, Quicker Turns

by | Horse Training

This is one of my go-to drills

It helps teach you and your horse the cues you’re going to use when approaching and turning the barrel. With some repetition of this drill, you use your hands less and your body more, making your communication with your horse light and responsive! 

I love these types of drills away from the barrel pattern that instils the same concept you use on the pattern. 

Work on having your hands quiet, hold the horses shape consistently and use your body and legs to move from barrel to barrel. Circle the barrel with enough space that your horse can move freely and most importantly smoothly. Once that is accomplished at a trot, feel free to try it at a lope and perfect it at that speed. 

Good luck with this, if you have any feedback, I would love to hear it!

How to Get Shoulder Control on your Barrel Horse

How to Get Shoulder Control on your Barrel Horse

by | Horse Training

This is a sure way to get more shoulder control, get a quicker moving horse that stays between your hands.

As you can imagine the importance of a square horse, we don’t always know the best approach. Are we too straight? Do I need more bend? etc.

This drill came from Molli Montgomery and I began to interpret it into my riding and I have not looked back!

Watch the video and give me any feedback you have. Questions, concerns, if you like the exercise, all of it!

Horse: Bar B Six Slickdash

Thanks for watching,

Shelby Olyschlager

Control your barrel racing nerves with this mindsack hack

by | Horse Training


It happens to all athletes. The mental game that’s required for the actual game is nothing to look past..

During this offseason of barrel racing, I have developed some habits that I feel are total GAME CHANGERS.

They actually have very little to do with saddle time and more about YOU, yes you. There are so many things we can do that require no horse that actually will better our riding skills.

Watch the video to find out what I’m talking about.

How to Improve your horses backup to be light and quick

How to Improve your horses backup to be light and quick

by | Horse Training

I got a question recently about stopping a horse and most importantly, backing up.

We want to get them to be able to back up with ease where you’re not forcing them and they’re not getting stiff on you. They’re able to backup, off your hands without you even moving your hands. Im going to demonstrate how I start to interpret that and get them to back up easily!

When i ask my horse to stop, theres a few steps to it.

Step 1: It’s, Whoa my body and my hands don’t move, they stay in a fixed position, my arms around 90 degrees. then I try to Imagine I’m creating a wall with my bridle, my wall is my reins and they need to back off and get behind it. The stop goes into the backup as well because I really wanted it to enforce them to stop and the backup just enforces it with the same gesture.

I’m not changing my hands really. They just kind of realized that when they stop, they have to keep backing off the pressure of the wall infront of them. So when im going forward, at any speed i will “Whoa” my body and say woah. , My hands will pick up a bit to create the wall there and hold it until they actually back off.

If I feel her refusing a bit, she’s not really wanting to move in a hurry, I might squeeze my legs and if you have spurs be careful, start with your calf muscles. Then really mean “whoa” if she’s still not backing up then I might get my spur under her belly to pick her belly up and I keep saying say “Woah” as she’s doing it.

When I feel her move with energy, I release all the pressure.

I want her to move with energy in her backup if she’s not really backing up quickly. I hold the pressure until I feel a really take a few good steps back with energy. Like she’s actually meaning it. Then release everything. That is her reward. 

If you have a very green horse or they’re really being stubborn and not wanting to give any step backs, I go back to the basics. If if they’re refusing to move their feet, I’m going to move their feet and then ask them for the backup.

So how you accomplish that: get them to turn on their forehand. Just get their feet moving. So I’ll try and spin her butt around and as she’s making that spin, I’ll start to pull back and the goal is to even get an inch back, just even half a step back is a good start. Once you get that move, release. Keep working on that until you don’t have to turn anymore.

But when you start, kick her hip around and then pull back and get steps. then you’re slowly getting one step closer to a nice, light, smooth backup!

I hope it was helpful. If you have any questions just let me know.

Thank you,

Shelby

 

Well Technically, This Was my First Rodeo

Well Technically, This Was my First Rodeo

by | Horse Training

You know how they said “it ain’t my first rodeo” well, this was my first IPRA rodeo and like the second rodeo ever to be in.

It was weird doing something different and having no clue how it worked.

I heard people say if you have an open horse beware, rodeo is a totally different ball game. Which to me, sure maybe you’re right but it’s still the same three barrels I’ve been doing for the past ten years.. I didn’t want to treat it like some unreachable thing!

So I didn’t!

I went out, knowing my job and working with my horse.. and SHOCKINGLY we placed second in the whole dang thing!! There was over 100 girls entered in this rodeo, and it blew my mind hearing a 14.4 and new top time.

I told my mom after watching some run, “this is us! We can easily do that” and my thoughts didn’t change from that.
Goes to show the mental game required for this sport.

Never put a glass ceiling on your goals or potential results. Do the work and then know it’s possible no matter what!

Where Did We go Wrong?

Where Did We go Wrong?

by | Horse Training

When did leaving welts on our horses from spurs and whips become ok? When was cutting a horse’s mouth with a sharp bit not concerning anymore?

Unintentionally or not, where did we go wrong? Is causing pain to our horses overlooked now or is it seen as a part of training? 

We are told, horses should want to work and enjoy it! Yet, here we are replacing that willingness with exhaustion, sore mouths and welted ribs.

Horses let us be apart of their lives, yet, we forget how special that actually is. A creature that becomes so submissive, we can literally beat them one day and the next, demand more? And crazy enough, they forgive us and they let us try again.   

When did we lose sight of the incredible partnership horses allow us to have?

These creatures work under us, just to please us. They will do pretty much anything we ask. They allow us to force them around with overpowering tools; tools which we often take advantage of. 

After thinking about it more, my mind went to elephants. They are massive, yet, so willing to do what humans ask of them. They can get broken down just the same. After forceful tactics, they become so obedient and will even do things bad for their health.

Like, take multiple baths a day for tourist experience and pleasure. I see horses in that scenario. With each forceful demand, we are breaking their spirit. With every “lick of the whip” and every angry kick with spurs, we are slowly turning them into unspirited, submissive animals that lose their excitement to work. In some cases, refuse to work anymore. 

I ask, Where did we go wrong in Horsemanship?

When was it acceptable to not acknowledge our own weaknesses as horse riders or trainers?

Do you think a sharp mouthpiece is going to solve your problems? In most cases, in order to fix your problems, you have to fix yourself. No mouthpiece is going to do that for you.

I read that horses don’t become hard-mouthed, or less sensitive, they just literally accept the pain easier! Read that again and think about it for a moment. They accept more pain and continue on, confused what you’re asking but accepting what you’re doing.. and it’s not for a lack of try.

Think back to basic horsemanship. Cues are what we use to communicate with our horses. If your horse starts to accept more pain, ie. taking more pulling on the mouth with less results, you have gaps! There are cues missing. It’s our jobs as riders to develop the cues we need to perform a certain task, whatever discipline it may be.

We’re not perfect, we all make mistake. But when did we feel we aren’t the ones accountable?

How did we lose sight of the big picture?

Where did we go wrong?

 

Full Disclaimer: I am guilty of this. This rant is brought to you by the aftermath of a bad ride and poor judgement on my part.  I worked my young horse and should have ended on the good note we had, instead, I continued on. Which made it get worse and worse. My horse got worked way past the point I typically allow and all said and done, I accomplished nothing.  I was ashamed after. I felt awful and I realized the mistake I made and told myself it will never happen again. 

We are not perfect and we all make mistakes. We are continuously learning from our past problems we face and overcome. Horses are the greatest teachers. We get lessons by them all the time and in order for us to learn, we put them through things we shouldn’t. Of course, you realize that after the lesson has been learned.

All I ask is to appreciate and see you first, then the horse. Work on you and all your horses in your life now and later will thank you.