Bit of the Week - Lance Graves Rope Nose Sidepull

We haven't had a chance to throw together our "Bit-of-the-Week " section lately, but this one is definitely worth a mention.

This Lance Graves' sidepull  is way more than just a hackamore. It's shanks rotate outwards, giving you the feel and connectivity of a snaffle bit while maintaining the pull of the hackamore.

Right now, I'm using it on my six-year old that needs a little bit of a check before a barrel but still needs the lift and guide around a barrel like a snaffle would provide. I can lift her shoulder with this bit and still reach down and pull her around with it if she needs more help. My team roping, horse-stealing boyfriend also heels off of the same horse using this, and it gives him enough pull to slide to a stop on the heeling side.

Part Two with BillieAnn Sexton

With a herd of top horses, Sexton 

has the ability to change horses depending on the arena. Below, she talks about what 

she does to season young horses to get them ready for 

the rough IPRA circuit. 

Training

How much training to do you do of your own horses? 

Exercise everyday, long trot them in a pasture for 20 minutes. I mainly work my horses off the barrels, I keep them flexing and moving off my leg, I also like to work all off them on calves and steers to keep their minds thinking of more than just barrel racing.

Who else helps you train and and tune horses?

Myself. 

What is your favorite training tool for a young horse?

The round pen. The confined arena helps there attention go to the person on there back. Its a great way for a young horse gain consistency for perfect circles. 

How old do you like your horses to be before you start rodeoing with them?

I think it depends on the horse. Some mature quicker then others. If they are four and can handle being pushed hard then I believe they can be hauled.    

What is your favorite bit for a young horse?

Sherry Cervi snaffle or a twisted wire draw bit.

How do you get a horse ready to rodeo? 

There is a big difference in rodeo and going to barrel races, so first I will get a young horse seasoned going to barrel races with them, then it's time to be under the big lights at a rodeo. 

What type of ground do you have in your arena at home?

Sand, it gets pretty deep but I think it helps a horse find its rear end while going around the barrel.

Do you ride horses for other people?

I am still young and also learning myself on training my own barrel horses, but i believe I may start that soon. 

BillieAnn exercising her horse, Brownie, at home in Westville, Fla. 

Overholt - In the Arena - Part 3 of 5

A true competitor, Overholt talks about her adaptability to different arenas and ground in the rodeo pen.

In the Arena
What type of ground do you prefer to run on?
Prefer good footing and to be at top of drag but I take whatever it is and make the best of it.

Do your horses have any preference of ground or do you pick horses that can take anything?
Casey the horse I run the most will run on just about any type of ground, but it has taken a lot of hauling and running in different pens to get her that way.

Do you like big or small pens?
I like medium sized ones the best but it doesn’t really matter I just try to adapt to the situation.

What is going through your head when you’re running to the first?
Oh no don’t hit it...

What are you thinking running home?
To push as hard as I can and don’t stop till I’m at the gate. Way to often I see horses shut down before the timer line.

How do you approach a barrel (i.e. with a wide pocket, straight at it, etc)?
Fairly straight with little pocket.

Do you run with spurs, a hand whip, or nothing?
Usually with spurs and a whip. It depends on the horse. I have one horse that hates whips and if I carry one he tries to run off and loses his head even if I don’t use the whip.

What is your horse’s cue to turn a barrel (i.e. lift, leg pressure, etc.)?
My horse Casey rates barrels really good so I just have to drive her all the way. Most other horses I just sit back a little and barely touch the inside rein.


What is your favorite bit for a finished horse?
O-ring, jr working cow horse or a half wonder bit.

Overholt Covers Training Techniques and Tools

Overholt is far from just a jockey. The Michigan cowgirl has trained her own horses for years and spends her days on the backs of young horses. Below, she covers her training ideals and some of her favorite tools.

Natalie and Casey at the IBRA Ultimate Challenge in Cloverdale, Ind., where she won the 1D out of 500+ horses.

Training
Do you train your own horses?
I usually train my own horses. I have had some that were already trained or started on barrels. But now I do the majority of the training myself.

What philosophies do you stick to when training young horse?
Horses have different personalities, characteristics, abilities and athletic styles. Because this stuff varies from horse to horse, each horses learns at a different pace and needs individualized attention. What I do and how I train a horse depends on the individual horse. I try to do what will work best for that particular horse. The more natural something is to a horse the easier it will be for the horse to learn and do.

How far will you push a young horse?
Depends on the individual horse and what they can handle.

What sort of horse body style do you prefer?
I like smaller built horses because I am more comfortable on them. However I have had some big horses and know of other big horses that do a great job barrel racing.

Any bloodlines you think are better than others?
Jet of Honor and Sun Frost breeding is probably my favorite.

At what age do you expect one of your prospects to be ready to hit the rodeo trail?
That all depends on how early the horse was started.

Any favorite techniques when putting a young horse on the barrels?
Start out slow and give them plenty of room coming into barrel to prevent them trying to slice it or cut into close as they get older.

What is your favorite training tool?
Martingale

What is your favorite bit for a young horse?
O-ring

Michele Dibert - Inside the Arena - Part 3

In the Arena

What type of ground do you prefer to run on?
Deep

Do your horses have any preference of ground or do you pick horses that can take anything?
My horse likes it deep!

Do you like big or small pens?
The horses I ride are big so I prefer big pens so they can stretch out.

Where is your favorite arena and why?
I have a couple favorites. Diamond 7 Arena is on the top of my list. The ground is always super there and the facility is nice. The stalls and arena is under one roof. They also have a nice warm up pen and hook-ups are a plus! I love going to Murfreesboro, TN to the Tennessee Miller Coliseum. For an out door pen I like Clyde Saddle Club, another big pen, and the ground is always good.

What arena have you had the most success in?
Diamond 7 Arena & Tennessee Miller Coliseum

What is going through your head when you’re running to the first?
You will laugh at this one, I always tell people I don’t remember my first, I usually have my eyes closed.

What are you thinking running home?
Go all the way to shut that clock off!

How do you approach a barrel (i.e. with a wide pocket, straight at it, etc)?
I have been taught to go pretty straight to the first.

Do you run with spurs, a hand whip, or nothing?
I use bumper spurs and I have an over & under that I may use from time to time.

What is your horse’s cue to turn a barrel (i.e. lift, leg pressure, etc.)?
I have gotten myself into trouble a lot this year by bumping my horse to soon to clue him so I’m trying to stay up and out of my sit and dropping my hands till I get by the barrel.

What is your favorite bit for a finished horse?
I’m using a Jim Warner gag right now that I really like!

Bit of the Week - The Traditional Chain Bit by Sharon Camarillo

This week's bit (I use the term 'week' very loosely) is another that I didn't think I would ever own and certainly didn't think would work on my seasoned barrel horses - Sharon Camarillo's Traditional Chain Bit.  

The bit is nothing fancy. A trainer I work with went to one of Camarillo's clinics, taking a 12-year-old mare that she had been having a hard time getting a first barrel on. The mare had been shaking her head and running a half-stride past the first barrel. Camarillo suggested the bit change, and the woman and her horse haven't looked back yet. She's been using this bit in rodeos and barrel races for the past five years, and its been all good news. 

I switched to the bit on my barrel/pole horse after she started diving on poles just a few weeks before the 2006 Congress. I needed something that I could really hold her shoulder up with but would not completely stop her. I tightened the curb chain, and even though I rarely use a shank, I found that this bit really worked with my hands.  Two years later, its all I need to get through a pattern. 

The bit has enough pull in the event that I end up past a barrel and need to pull my horse around, but it also has the perfect lift to keep her shoulders square going into a barrel. Like any bit, I've found that if I over-use it on the back side of a barrel, my mare shakes her head and over-bends. Obviously, I shouldn't do that, but it happens. 

Around the roping arenas, I've noticed a lot of team ropers also using different variations of this bit. Team ropers with hotter horses seem to use this bit to give them the right amount of control before needing to switch to a higher port bit. 

Bit of the Week - "The One Hander"

As strange as it looks, the "One-Hander" seems to work on my boyfriend's rope horse. It may be the craziest looking bit I've ever seen, but that's why I'm mentioning it!

The bit has an adjustable mouthpiece so you can fit it to your horses bars exactly, and the shanks that come together are connected by extremely flexible springs. 

I was so skeptical of it when Corey, my boyfriend, brought it home to try. He is a team roper, and his horse Cherokee has always been very strong and hasn't had a great stop. Corey had a correction bit on him for the better part of the horse's life, and his mouth was a bit tough. He would always stick his tongue out and play with the bit, and every time Cherokee was asked to turn he would begrudgingly fight the bit. 

Now, with this bit, however the pressures hit him, he never fights it. The "One-Hander" is not nearly as severe as the correction bit Cherokee was used to, but its mechanics just keep this old broke horse much happier. He's been roping steers with the bit for a week now, and as strong as Cherokee is coming out of the box, Corey's had complete control. 

I can't say that this particular bit would work for most barrel horses, but it seems like a great riding bit for a nice broke horse. The maker of this bit, American Bridle Bit, makes different bits with an adjustable mouthpiece that aren't connected, so they might be a better choice for barrel horses. They also have custom port options for varying port needs. 

Made only in America and available only from the inventor of the bit, this bit is sort of expensive. It's on sale now for about $140, when it is normally $160. It comes with a lifetime guarantee and a 30-day warrantee, though.