I Learned So Much This Weelend!!

Well, I went to Athens, TX to the ebarrelracing.com Laura's Ladders to Success this weekend. I learned a lot about myself and my horse Gabe. First of all, I learned that I have trained and finished my horse!! WOW. All this time i have been in training mode. I have always sold my started horses and never finished them. Well, other than TJ! I can now say that I have won two saddles (on on TJ and another on Gabe) and have finished two successful barrel horses! :) We had a lot of kinks and basically, it was because I would not let Gabe work! Also, Gabe has lost some confidence in me and my abilities. I have done the same to him. He has been trying like heck to keep from upsetting me and to stay under my flopping butt. The whip issue came up again too. Gabe does not need a whip! That horse WANTS TO RUN!!! But he was worried that I did not. To whip him was to scold him in his mind. So, no more whip! OMG he can turn a barrel!! I did try a finished horse this weekend. After riding Radar, I realized that I have one already! I can now ride Gabe with one hand to the barrel, sit, grab horn and let him turn the barrel on his own!!! I also found out the trigger that makes him duck. One hand to the first with a spur (while i was trying to whip) made a lot of confusion in Gabe's mind. I was telling him to turn. So, we shall go two hands to our pocket, then I drop, and let him roll around the barrel! I need to do one hand and inside spur (forward motion) to the second and third. He wraps it all on his own!! Oh and the speed has always been there, but my jerking body was sending mixed signals! I need to sit up and RIDE!! I also added a little GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR on my second and third making Gabe realize that we will push and drive away from that barrel to the next!! :)
I have been in tears a lot this weekend with the realization that i am the one holding my horse back. I knew I was the issue, but I was having a hard time figuring out what exactly I was doing! The light is on now and I cannot wait to run again! I want to say thank you to everyone that supports Gabe and I! Thank you for having faith in us! We will win the 1D in Deridder this coming show!!