Trainers Pen

Trainers Pen

 

Reaching Peak Performance

Ten Tips to get you and your shooting horse back into shape for the new season

 

So the cold of winter is giving way to the warmth of spring. And among other things, that means it’s time to get back in the saddle and get ready for another year of mounted shooting.

 

Being properly prepared for the new season will ensure you and your horse reach peak performance and most importantly you will have a responsive partner that will be fit, and ready for the long road ahead.

 

But don’t limit your preparation to just your horse and his fitness. There are a lot of factors that contribute to a safe introduction back into competitive mounted shooting. Follow this guide for a checklist to the new shooting season.

 

Horse health check

A horse that needs to run at peak performance has to feel it first! If there are problems in your horse’s performance, always make sure he is sound and healthy.  First eliminate the possibility that he is in pain. If you are inexperienced with horses, have a vet check your horse to ensure he is ready to start the season. In fact, this is a great time to have a vet evaluate your horse’s soundness for competition if you are unsure about any problems he may be having.

 

Always make sure you have all the paperwork and state requirements for travel. Know the legal regulations of your state and the states you show in. The start of the year is a great time to check your horse’s coggins papers; make sure his worming and vaccinations are up to date, and that his teeth are in good condition.

 

Hoof check

Don’t neglect your horse’s feet. As the saying goes, “No foot, no horse!” I like to shoe all my competition horses every five or six weeks. Know your horse’s shoeing schedule. Always make sure he is shod correctly and before each competition, make sure his shoes are secure. And don’t let your horse run with shoes that have been left on too long. Running with shoes that have been allowed to grow out too long puts unnecessary strain on your horse’s suspensory ligaments and joints.

 

Bring him to his peak fitness slowly

After a long break from consistent riding, it is important that your horse is brought back to peak fitness slowly. I usually take it easy on the first few rides back; they consist of nothing but long walks, with phases of long trotting. I usually hit the trail, to avoid multiple and boring laps in the arena. A nice paced working trot is excellent for fitness, since it enables your horse to develop cardio-vascular strength without the repetitive strain on his joints that comes with loping.

 

Know your horse. If he has a tendency to come back fresh from after a break, it may not be a great idea to jump on and ride the trail. Take him to the round pen or arena for the first ride, to make sure he will be safe and well behaved when you do hit the trail, and let him burn off his extra energy in a controlled environment. Also, for such simple fitness exercises I like to put my horses in a loping bosal, or a simple snaffle bit. This lets them take a break from their shooting bridles and relax out on the trail. Again, know your horse; if he doesn’t respond well to these basic bridles, stick to what you feel safe and comfortable in.

 

After long trot work, Matt and I take our horses onto a half-mile track at our house. I keep the track ploughed and the ground is very soft, so I know I can lope my horses safely here. There’s no worrying about the uneven and hard surface you can come across out on the trail. Cardiovascular fitness enables your horse to run mounted shooting patterns at his full potential and speed. He will have plenty of air to last through long stages, and his fitness will contribute to his ability to remain sound.

 

Make sure you have a responsive horse

Be sure when you are developing your horses fitness you are not neglecting his behavior. A great shooting horse needs to be responsive to your every request. It doesn’t matter if you are out on the trail or in the arena, be sure he stops, rates and turns when you request.

 

To develop perfect mounted shooting patterns, you have to ride perfect, consistently. Your horse will run the match patterns the same way you ride him everyday. If you let him walk or lope too fast out on the trail or warming up in the arena and do not check him back to your desired speed, he will do that while running a pattern.

 

If you don’t demand his attention out on the trail and let him wander wherever he wants to go, he will do that in a pattern.

 

There is an old saying that relates to riding your horse: “When you’re riding, you are either training or un-training.  There is no such thing as just riding.”  This is so true, so make your rides count!

 

Keep your horse mentally fresh

Don’t bore your horse with endless arena exercises and drills, everyday. Your horse needs to get out of the arena and take a break from schooling. If you are not fortunate enough to have trail riding nearby, go haul to a friend’s place, or to a state or national park. Maybe try another discipline like team sorting or roping, if your horse has experience in these areas.

 

Our shooting horses here at the ranch spend some days out gathering and sorting cattle. They seem to enjoy the break from the arena, and always come back fresh and ready for work.

 

Keeping yourself mentally fresh

You have to be focused and confident if you’re going to compete at the highest level. And after a winter break, you may need to work on your own mental and physical conditioning to prepare for the upcoming season. What works for you may not work for someone else.

 

Matt and I are two totally different shooters. He can come off a six month break and jump right back in to competitive shooting, and be confident in his chances of succeeding. I, on the other hand, know I need to haul to a few practices before I feel I am back into a routine. I need to ride; I need to shoot.  It comes down to knowing what I need to do in order to feel confident in my shooting ability, and I make sure I am prepared before my first competitions.  You’ve got to do the same thing.

 

Gun check

 

Know your pistols. I have an experienced gunsmith go through and service my guns at the beginning of each season. I want to make sure all the inside parts are checked and are in good working order.

 

I used to neglect my pistols; I left them dirty, didn’t have them serviced, etc. Then… I happened to be shooting in Tunica, MS, at the 2006 CMSA National Championships. I was having a great (and clean) match until Stage 5. An inside spring of my pistol broke, and the cylinder didn’t rotate through my blanks. After hitting the first balloon, I incurred four misses. Lesson learned, although a little late.

 

I am fortunate enough now to have two sets of identical pistols: one for practice, and one for competition.

 

Tack check

Don’t neglect your horse’s tack. Make sure it is clean and oiled. Check your cinch and the adjoining latigos; make sure your saddle blankets are clean of debris. See that your horse’s bit is in good order and free of rough edges.

 

Readjust your tack. Sometimes over time, leather stretches and needs readjusting, and holes in leather that worked before are now too long. Tack checks are not only for the comfort of your horse, but also for your safety.

 

Truck and Trailer check

There is nothing worse than getting stuck on the way to a shoot! Make sure you have the necessary equipment to change a tire on your truck or trailer. Gather a list of important phone numbers you may need along the way and keep them in your truck, including horse motels, vets, car dealership repair centers, and road service.

 

Make sure all your trailer lights and brakes are working. Every trailer should also have a simple first aid kit for your horse. Take this time at the start of the season to re-stock your first aid kit for your horse.

 

Set realistic goals!

This is very important. If this is your very first season, don’t expect to win a Pro Class. Be realistic. This is fast becoming a very tough and competitive sport. If you set unrealistic goals, you will end up disappointed, you may lose faith in yourself, and you can become burned out. Many years ago, when I was first starting the sport, Matt was already a CMSA National Champion. He always outran me, even when he incurred a five second miss on that stage! That annoyed me, so I set the goal: he would not outrun me in a stage where he had a miss, and I would stay within five seconds of him.

 

Fast forward to today … and I am still setting realistic goals for myself. My goal at the 2008 CMSA World Championships was to shoot a clean match. I knew I could be outrun by other competitors, but if I had a clean match, I would be happy with my performance, and that’s what I had in mind as I entered each stage. I accomplished that goal—and won another World Championship.

 

My goal for 2009 is a little different. This year, I’m working to season a new horse I have, and to enjoy riding him through his first season.

 

We all shoot because we love the sport. In order to continue enjoying it, be properly prepared for the new season. This will ensure you have a successful and, most importantly, a safe season.

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