# Exercises to get snappier turns around barrels?



## impressivesundae (Aug 1, 2014)

I have an 8 year old gelding who's been on the pattern for almost a year and a half but had 4 months off because of an injury after about 8 months on the pattern. I took him to my first show this year and he did pretty good. I'm just looking for exercises I can use to get him to be snappier around 1st and 2nd. He tends to get hung up behind them. Would love to hear people's input. He placed second in the 3d in the video. 
https://youtu.be/qTiekmV-6bU


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

He isn't really using himself at all. What I mean by that, is that he's turning but he's not using his hind end or adding any drive into the turn. 

At the first, you bow off wide (He's also very stiff in his shoulders) and on the backside he immediately crossfires in the hind. He needs to stay in that lead the whole way around the barrel and not switch until he has left it. That tells you right away he can't drive off his inside hock because he isn't loping on his inside hock - He's loping on his outside which throws him off.

Approaching the second you duck and weave a little bit. That's just anticipating and very common, but you see him do that same thing - Switching his leads, shouldering, and that is not conducive to getting a turn with him driving. That is why he is not snapping, he has no idea what to do with his body.

Watch these videos and try to achieve this with him. Exaggerate the inside bend and leg, and get him broke through his nose, ribcage, and hindquarters. That will be the start to it.






This is the next step, keeping them on a circle and encouraging that lead to stay in position.






If you cannot get him to keep his leads and position his body, he will never get the drive you are looking for.

He is displaying typical green horse behavior, so don't be discouraged. Once you get him a little more broke he will learn to shape himself. Just remember it is muscle memory, you have to work him on the pattern and shape him every day perfectly in order for him to understand. If you let him get away with it every now and then in practice, he will continue to throw his hip around like he did in that run.






This is a video of my little mare for good measure, she is my lesson horse now, but watch in every photo where her hip is - Up underneath of her. She was young in these videos so she still makes mistakes just like yours does, but you can see her naturally trying to correct that because she knows she has to.

Now this is her "sister" (They aren't full sisters but they come from remarkably similar breeding). She is much farther along than my mare is. Watch how this mare turns - You won't find a snappier or quicker turner than this mare, never. She turns like she is supposed to - Shoulder up, hip in, inside leg up under her and she DRIVES.






There are more advanced drills to help as well, but try this first. And if you think your horse is past that, tell me, I am more than happy to post some other advice.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Complete ditto to everything SH said above ^^



impressivesundae said:


> I have an 8 year old gelding who's been on the pattern for almost a year and a half but had 4 months off because of an injury after about 8 months on the pattern.


Curious; what injury did he have?




impressivesundae said:


> I took him to my first show this year and he did pretty good. I'm just looking for exercises I can use to get him to be snappier around 1st and 2nd. He tends to get hung up behind them. Would love to hear people's input. He placed second in the 3d in the video.


Along with what SH said, I also see a horse that just needs to be "more broke". I see him resisting you with the bit when you cue him to lope to start your pattern and when you turn the 1st barrel . I don't necessarily mind a horse that runs with their head up (as that works for some) but I do think he could be much softer to your hands. 

I see you are running him in a combination bit. Is there a particular reason why you chose that bit?

I agree that he just needs to be shown how to use his body better. He's kinda "all over the place". I'd work on lots of circles with him and that doesn't necessarily have to even be on the pattern. Teach him to round his body to match the curve of the circle, so he needs to have that hip IN and under him. I think the Barrel Position video by Dena shows a great view on the horse's body position and how it should look.

Think BEND! Now this video is an extreme version of bend, but I always think that the great horse Martha is a over-achiever example of _bend_ and just _wraps_ her body around the barrel.


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