Barrel Mare Slipped Down on Rider

[BarrelsandMore]

Hello,
We run two barrel mares & the questions concerns our appendix registered (very throughbred-built) mare. She has already won a good bit of money for us--she is wonderful. She's about 16+hh and built like a grey-hound--(i.e. narrow, long neck and legs). She can really move fast and turn on a dime. She's loving, brave, willing and calm. She has very, very tiny little feet & she is sure-footed in a 'dragged', deep arena--she digs-in with all her heart & might. But twice now--once at the end of a run--leaving the arena, and leaving the deep, drug area--and passing onto a harder--scrabbley area--her feet (all four of them), have flown out from under her & she has landed upside down upon her rider. The other time, again all four feet flew out from under her & she landed on her rider--she was practicing in a warm-up area that consisted basically of dirt (not grass)--but it was not dragged--just plain 'dirt'--she originally ran for us in plain horse-shoes. After the first slip-down our farrier put rims on her, at our request (all four feet). That helped her not to slip some in the arena during runs--but she still slipped down, completely, outside the arena. Of course the rider began stopping her, (at the end of the arena run)--immediately after crossing the timer--but still, her momentum and drive (accelerating) carries her onto poorer surface(s) prior to a complete stop. Do you have any suggestions? p.s. she does not appear to have any lameness problems, etc....even after falling down twice.

[Red Amor]

OH Id sue them both farrier and horse :rolleyes:

[BarrelsandMore]

To Red Amor,
Thanks for the professional suggestion--I'll be sure to try your advice. Very helpful. Be sure to keep posting--it means a lot to this forum to have consumate pros like yourself.

[Gary Hill]

When the mare is slipping and falling is she trying to stop straight or is she being turned to stop? Just yesterday, at a barrel race my wife was running at ,the racers ran out of the covered arena into a grass pasture and I couldn't believe (yes I can!) how many men and women can't stop their horses properly! 8 out 10 wouldn't even pickup on their horse until they were way away from the arena? They must have never run at a closed gate before? Anyway I was just wondering how your mare stopped? Good Luck! Gary

[BarrelsandMore]

Hi Gary,
My 38-year old daughter rides the two barrel mares--(she ran high-school rodeo years ago & as I'm sure you know, they were required to run to a closed gate-& then turn)-so she is used to being prepared to stop as soon as she crosses the timer--not to wait). The buckskin mare has no problem, but the appendix mare does--and curiously the mare w/ the problem can normally really stop well--so I guess I'm wondering if your advice would be to remove her rims, try sidewinders or turbos, or even to try beginning her stop before reaching the finish line/timers? Our farrier is very good--his wife runs and wins at barrels--but he is willing to try anything we want, as long as it won't hurt Emmy. We hated to start stopping her too soon, if there is a better way to help solve this problem--but of course if that is what's needed, we will do that (start her stop earlier). Is there a type of shoe for her small feet that would help her not to slip on the ground that's not drug? Sincerely, Margaret

[Gary Hill]

If she's wearing rims now, it may just be that the straighter the stop the better? Might extend the heels behind with a shoe one size larger so there is more shoe under her and try to stop straight? Good Luck! Gary

[Rick Burten]

Running that hard, the change in surfaces is all that is necessary for some horses to lose their footing and go down. Fortunately, thus far, it has not caused this horse to start to shut down too early.

I don't think that switching to sidewinders or anything else is going to help with the problem. The rim shoes are as good an approach as any.

Most of the barrel racers I work on are running a closed gate , so I'm not sure where the timer is on the open gate pattern that your daughter is running. If it is such that there is room to turn the horse as though it were a closed gate, then that is what I would do. If not, then I think I would seriously consider drilling and tapping the shoes for screw-in studs and then, at those arenas where the footing is "iffy", I'd put some smallish studs in the shoes and see if that helped. Though your times may be slightly slower, at least the horse won't have a wreck.

Rick

[Peggy Dolan]

I agree with Rick about the traction enhancement. Sometimes I use a snow nail in the toe holes and heel holes to give some balanced grip. On a philosophical note, a good stop before the gate would be desirable. The training to stop a horse well is also useful in running the pattern. Small feet are small feet, a wide web shoe like a St Croix eventer might give more surface contact without running the risk of pulling it off, if you safe both ground and foot sides.

[John Barney]

Rick and Peggy offered some good ideas for traction. You might also consider a small spot of drill-tech on the heels and toes. You might be able to zero in on the right amount of height better.

JB

[BarrelsandMore]

Hello,
Many thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond. Your answers give us some good ideas and direction. We will try to implement the suggestions & hopefully avoid any more spills. (In answer to Gary's further question--the timer was placed very close to the alley--and the alley was not a true alley--just a gate in the arena). Each of your ideas are very helpful, and we will let you all know how it goes. Again, thanks to each of you.

[Grippin&Rippen]

Have you considered that this may not be a shoeing problem? When did this start?

[frustrated]

I don't think she was really implying that it was a shoeing problem, I think she was just wondering if there was anything that could help the horse. I have one that will stop OK if there isn't a gate, close the gate and he is scary. Some horses just have funny quirks when they get done with the run. I have had more that I had to beat across the line and they were more than happy to stop. The end of the run can be very dangerous for sure. Mine about killed me this year at the BBR finals. I tore my knuckle all up, I don't think my thumb will ever be the same after that wreck.

[Red Amor]

No worries ;) was kiddin , not the right time or place or person ,sorry ;)

[Skippersmom]

I am currently treating my Paint whos T-bred/Quarter horse as he was just diagnoised with EPM. He has never fallen down but I have heard of others doing what your horse has done. Think back is there other small things that have happened , or is she hard to keep weight on? My guy is only 10 and I have tried to get weight on him for the past two years, he just recently came up lame and then the Vet checked other stuff and the clinical signs were there, so he sent blood off to Kentucky and we have EPM. Its treatable and if caught early you can stop any additional progressive changes. Im not saying thats what you have, but please think hard and maybe rule it out. I wish I knew sooner, and started treatment sooner.
Good luck to you, Kathy in NC

[Jeanie Connors]

My thought was along the lines of what G&R said, too. It might not be in her feet at all. You may already have done it, but I would suggest having the vet take a look to rule out any disease or imbalance in her system, especially if this problem came about suddenly.

Otherwise, maybe look into an equine chiropractic; maybe something got out of whack and is giving her trouble now.