b'Running the RaceTRUST THE PROCESS!By Betsy Lemairehowfastdouwannab@gmail.com, facebook.com/betsy.lemairenunn, instagram.com/betslemaire,Lemaire Barrel Horses: youtube.com/user/howfastdouwannabT oday, let\'s talk about trustingWe get so bummed at our horse and it\'s literally an ailment your training and knowingof some sort. It takes us months to figure it out but we keep the horse that you areentering and then we create a problem in the pattern that seasoning. You are doing all the right things but you aresticks in that horse\'s brain even when we get them sound. having heck. Maybe youve won some big checks on thatThen they still work badly because they remember the last horse. So what\'s next? What\'s a girl to do? And this girl istime they did, it hurt them. Next, we have to retrain them to way handy!realize it is not going to hurt anymore and they can go back to work. Don\'t get me wrong, there are some horses that So let\'s just say for example youre having heck with awill give it all to you whether they are sore or not. Those are futurity age horse or an older horse that you or someoneone in a 1,000 and most may not be as forgiving. else have started for you. Maybe this horse has always tried even if it\'s not perfect. His pattern is solid. His foundationFor the most part, I think we as horsemen, whether is solid. All of a sudden he is stepping off the second. Hecowboys or cowgirls, have figured out that these horses is also off at his third. He is smoking his first, every trip.don\'t lay up at night in their pens figuring out what they I mean he is a really dialed-in type of horse. So you startcan do to get to us. (That\'s something my mom, Bonnie riding defensively. He feels like he is dropping in comingLemaire, used to say). There is always a reason why they into the second. He is really in your hand so you work himdon\'t "want" to work. Try to figure out what that is and give out bigger coming in. You also put some rock grinder spursthem the benefit of the doubt. Follow the process in your on and get out your stingy whip so you can tag him on thetraining. Don\'t change bits just because he makes a wrong inside on the way there. Then he is running by and now youmove. Don\'t ask every Tom, Dick, and Harry how they are really sitting deep, snagging his face and the 3/4 point inthink you should ride your horse. Keep your circle small, the turn at your second. Next, you talk with your buddy andas far as whose advice you ask for. By golly, if you have they say, "Man you should really try this bit or that bit!" Sojumped through every hoop and done your due diligence now you change the bit (because we are barrel racers and iton that horse, that has always given you their all, then it\'s has to be the bit). LOL. time to give them a rest. Leave them alone and throw rocks at them, (just kidding) but you get my drift. We cannot just You have had his stifles, hocks, and SI\'s done or checked.keep going around and around the mountain and doing the Sometimes you can even check one for EPM and startsame thing, expecting things to change. This game costs too them on Paige Conrado-Dove\'s EPM super dewormer ordang much money to do that and we love these animals too EPM meds. You may have had him at five different vets, themuch to ingrain a bad habit just because we want to go. chiropractor, and the pulse machine plus changed shoes behind. Something has got to work as you are up in theSometimes I say he is sore. Then they say "Oh no- he\'s morning at the rodeo. Something has got to give.not! We did this, this, and this to him and he has anti-inflammatories on board." Come to find out two more At this point, we really start to get in our heads. We questionmonths down the road, yep- they are sore!So, shoe them our training. We want nothing more than for this horse thatbalanced, have them in good shape, don\'t inject the crud we dig so much and we know has all the talent in the worldout of them, and break down their joints. Use them when to come to the party. But it\'s not working. We keep changingthey are firing and winning and only inject when there is things and keep entering. We may even throw someonea problem that shows up after a few runs or if they else on him in the practice pen. And guess what? He workshave fallen or slipped etc. awesome. Now we are really scratching our heads. Maybe it\'s how we are riding him!I am not getting on anyone at all as we have all been in this position if we have ever played the But if we entered someone else on him and put a quartergame at a top level. I know as much as anyone how up, it is a good possibility that he is going to do the samefrustrating things can be but just be thankful you thing with them. So here is my proposition. Why not justget to be out there and thankful to the Lord for draw him out or vet out of the rest of the places that you arethat really neat animal that He has given you to entered and turn him out for a few months? Some folks willsteward. And don\'t worry; it will all come together give that horse the benefit of the doubt and turn them out.in God\'s timing. Just keep swinging and look for Sometimes it\'s something physical that we haven\'t been ablesomething else in life to work on for the time to peg or fix and it can also be mental. being while you give that good one some time to heal up. It\'s all going to come together. Just be patient and follow the process. Love you all! LEMAIRE BARREL RACING & PET CAREBarrel Horse TrainingPet SittingDaily Chores928-231-6184howfastdouwannab@gmail.comArizonaRealCountry.com September 2023 31'