[cowgirlkayt]

Okay so i have a 4 year old quarter horse cross that im currently trying to train for barrels. This is my first time training a barrel horse on my own but have trained many horses for basics. Anyways my question is how do i get my horse to stop blowing past first? If i work her slow at a trot she comes in perfectand is in the pocket nice and curves around nice and comes out but as soon as i add speed she blows past and has a hard time turning no matter how hard i try and keep my hand up and give lots of outside pressure she still just keeps fading out in a large circle around it. Second and third are perfect she comes in at a nice distance and leaves really good we never knock a barrel and can get some really good turns. So why is first such an issue with us, i know this is not her better lead so just doing lots of small circles that direction will that help, i just dont know really how to deal with this issue ive tried coming from different corners of the arena to start and doing lots of circles before taking off but still nothing seems to help! I know im horrible with my terms for barrels lol so ill try to explain as best as possible if you need more answers! Here is some pictures of us practicing.

[cowgirlkayt]

anybody????

[Nuu]

I'm thinking its a balance issue. I had a similar problem with a horse I use to barrel race -- he'd absolutely blow past whichever barrel was on his bad side.

Circles are definitely a good idea -- you need to work on her balance and maneuverability. I'd start by trotting a 20m circle one direction, slowly spiral it in until you're doing the smallest circle you can without her breaking apart. Go back and forth between the two directions. Then go up to cantering, and do the same thing -- gradually spiral in and out, in and out. Put a barrel in the middle of your circle and spiral in as close to it as possible.

We did this a lot and in the end it benefitted him a lot. Its all about getting them more flexible and under themselves and stepping with their inside legs.

[cowgirlkayt]

Thanks i will try that tomorrow see if it helps at all, did you do that for awhile before trying to run the pattern again and just work on the circles for a bit?? Or did you start each training session with this circle type pattern and then practice some runs after???

[Nuu]

Its more of a warmup, but I made sure he wasn't getting stiff in his spirals before we moved on. If he was, we'd add some bending and counter bending to work the muscles. We'd do that at a walk, then trot for a bit, and then try the spirals again. We started doing bending excersizes and spiral work as well a bit later on too.

[IIIBarsV]

Does your horse have speed control at the canter? If not, there's your problem. They need to have slow, medium, and fast at walk, trot, and canter. Also, does your horse know how to come into a nice frame, neckrein (with two reins), move off your legs, trot a circle without "headbobbing" (dropping the inside shoulder), serpertine without dropping the shoulder, and perform a semi-rollback (basically a 180 small circle at a trot or canter), without breaking gait or "headbobbing"/dropping the shoulder... or perform a trot and canter on a small, small circle without breaking gait or dropping the shoulder..................

Also, what headgear do you have on the horse? (Snaffle, shank bit, hackamore, combination bit, etc, and what mouthpiece). Shank bits do not always allow for a horse to want to turn nicely, especially at a canter when they are inexperienced or green. Snaffles don't always provide enough lift or feel to do this on a 4 yr old either.

So basically, if she's running off on you and taking super-wide barrels at the canter, then you've missed something crucial (giving to bit pressure, speed control, moving off leg are probably the ones- and if not these, then it's in how you're asking, or in the equipment), and you're not ready to be working the pattern any faster than a trot until you fill in the gaps.

[IIIBarsV]

Also, you're going to notice more of a problem on first barrel for two reasons:

1) Could be her bad side, so she needs more flatwork on that side to get her "equal" strength on both sides.

2) You have a longer run into first barrel than you do from first to second and from second to third- much easier for the horse to get too much speed. This is especially true when you're running a chute, or if you have a long run to first.

3) You're taking the approach at the wrong angle. Too steep of an angle can result in you having to grab her face and pull, which causes the hind end to swing out, throwing her off-balance. You should be starting in the center, and gradually coming into first barrel at a "perpendicular to fence" angle-- in other words, run straight and then swoop in- don't run on angle that is directly at the barrel.

I can draw diagrams on this one if you would like to see it Might be able to find a video or two to demonstrate it also.

[cowgirlkayt]

Im running in a loose ring snaffle, ive tried putting her into a gag bit but she hates any kind of pressure and ends up doing horrible on second and third then too. So i just stick to the snaffle she is super soft and sensitive. As for control we have no issues with that and like i said second and third are fine its just first and if i do it at a trot even a fast trot shes fine but as soon as we are in a canter she swoops out on me around the barrel. Its so hard to understand what you said about what to do, she doesnt bob her head at all either. I hopefully have a clinic coming up soon which im really hoping they can show me how to get her threw this. Im horrible at things unless i can see it or do it. BLAHHH LOL

[shepherd406]

Ok. First question: How did you start off training her? Did you just start doing the pattern straight off? Or did you use the stop, back, & walk technique?

[cowgirlkayt]

Yah i used the stop back and walk one, when i first started with her i did a clinic with her we had did the pattern a bit before that but not much. But it was only two days and ive been trying to do the rest on my own. I finally just got a trailer a few weeks ago. So im going to start trailering to my friends indoor riding arena to practice with her she runs pretty heavy and do some more clinic but i was hoping to maybe get maybe a few good drills to practice before hand to do. I think our biggest problem is that is her bad side and i need to work her more on that. But im also going to start trying to do some roll backs and stuff too and setting up the barrels in other patterns just to get her working on going around them no matter where there set up. I remember a few of the patterns and drills i was taught just need more pilons for it lol!