# Barrel Racing, Bending,



## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

Does your horse know shoulder control? Adding leg and rein won't do anything unless you have a horse that's soft in the face and body. What bit are your riding him in? How long has he been on barrels? What was your training process?


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## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

Shoulder control and being soft in the face are good ones. Good questions buckoff


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I too would like to hear your training process to see where Chinga needs help.


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

I'll just observe and listen, maybe i'll learn some knowledge from the ladies.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> I too would like to hear your training process to see where Chinga needs help.


Ditto :]


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Just a comment until you reply, but your horse should not necissarily hug the barrel. When doing the pattern at a walk, you want to be at the same place as you would at a run. If you hug at a walk, you often knock at a gallop. The inside rein should generally be used with the inside leg to help lift the shoulder around the barrel.


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## amy (Nov 26, 2008)

One word:
Basics.

To fix this issue, I, personally would:
Draw a circle around the barrel. The ideal place you want your horse's feet to be while running the course. Be sure to allow room between the barrel and feet so he can have balance without running into the barrel. Work this circle at a walk, trot, and canter. Be sure to treat these practices just as you would if you were running. For instance, make sure you have to correct lift of the shoulder and that your horse knows where his feet are. Once he is "hugging the barrel" like you want him to, start doing the pattern like this, drawing circles around all three barrels. First walk, then trot, then canter. If at any point he starts to stray from your circles, circle around that barrel until he is on your line again.

Now, whenever you run him, make sure he stays on your line. Check his shoulder and his leads. If at any time he strays, canter around it a few times, making sure he's on your circle. He should learn by habit that that is where he puts his feet, if you allow him to learn it.

Just do other things, too. Make it interesting. I hated running my horse in endless cloverleafs. You can practice on trees while your out on the trail... anything.

Have fun!
Hope this helped.

amy


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Thanks Amy thats alot of help I'll try it with Chinga sometime soon. I'm riding him in a normal snaffle bit and refuse to use anything else on him unless adviced by my horse riding instructor (sorry if that sounded mean he has a soft mouth) 
Spastic Dove: I'll try and use inside leg and rain that should help as I've been only using inside rain, out side leg.


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

ChingazMyBoy said:


> Thanks Amy thats alot of help I'll try it with Chinga sometime soon. I'm riding him in a normal snaffle bit and refuse to use anything else on him unless adviced by my horse riding instructor (sorry if that sounded mean he has a soft mouth)
> Spastic Dove: I'll try and use inside leg and rain that should help as I've been only using inside rain, out side leg.


Your training process?


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Snaffle will work perfectly fine. 
Still curious to see how you have been training.


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## amy (Nov 26, 2008)

I love snaffles. I just feel like I can have a lighter, more responsive horse with the bare minimal 
Glad to help.

amy


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Oh yea sorry about that, I was a bit busy.

Well this is a re run of our training, I starded walking him in circles around trees when we where just riding then we started trotting that but didn't take it faster then a trot. So then I introduced him to my barrels....cones I was just riding him around one and he seemed very good at walking,troting,cantering around the one but when I asked him to ride more then one he wouldn't "hug" the barrels. 

I still didn't get a chance to try the inside rain outside leg yet, so I will let you know how that goes soon,


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

ChingazMyBoy said:


> Oh yea sorry about that, I was a bit busy.
> 
> Well this is a re run of our training, I starded walking him in circles around trees when we where just riding then we started trotting that but didn't take it faster then a trot. So then I introduced him to my barrels....cones I was just riding him around one and he seemed very good at walking,troting,cantering around the one but when I asked him to ride more then one he wouldn't "hug" the barrels.
> 
> I still didn't get a chance to try the inside rain outside leg yet, so I will let you know how that goes soon,


Ok, I suggest working, not on barrels, but on control. Get control of that shoulder. A good barrel pattern will come with that.

Usually, what I've seen, is that when horse's are introduced to barrels too quickly they tend to get frazzled about turning...anticipating, not staying collected. They tend to focus on "omg...I have to turn" When that happens they usually will lose the frame they need. Whether it be throwing out a shoulder, a hip, or everything.
Break it down for them. Trot them until all you have to do is sit down at the barrel and lift your hand 3 inches or less for a turn...and I mean executing a flawless turn. Once that is established, move on to a lope/trot...etc.
Just work on getting your horse confortable on the pattern. Speed comes with time. Slow work should be perfect...not ok, because when that horse speed up...things go from ok to oh $hit.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Personally, I don't like the whole tree, cone, drawings in the dirt, approach. I like to have barrels set up if I'm running barrels. Yes, it's good to practice turning around things out on the trail and such, but if I am teaching him a barrel pattern I prefer to have the pattern set up. Personally, I don't find a horse that is learning the barrels makes the connection between a tree and a barrel. 

Like BuckOff suggested, you want to get control of him without the barrels before you add the barrels to the mix. Like she said you should have a perfect turn, you should also have a perfect pattern at the walk before you ask for it at the lope. 
Ride the same pattern every time. Be in the same place at a walk as you would want to be at a gallop. You want him to learn where he will want to be. If he is hugging it too much, and you can't get him to pick up his shoulder and move his body to where it needs to be, he's going to hit the barrel. 

Just some more to add to what BuckOff said.


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## bama20a (Nov 27, 2008)

Some very GOOD advice here,Another thing you can try, is run the barrels in a oppsite direction. left brain right brain.


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

alright thanks alot, I can't wait to try some of your advice with him. Although one thing I do do with him, this is not training him for barrels but it would help (not sure though) and we both enjoy it is. There are two hedges in a paddock I ride him in and the two hedges are in line with each other and we ride around them the same way you ride around a top barrel.

Its more of a fun game then anything because he seems to enjoy it.


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