You need to use body english to make a winning team. You need to be able to recognize the cause of your barrel horse problems and how to solve them. You need to be able to put the finishing touches on your current horse in order to reach your goals with that horse. These things may require you to go to a professional for help. There is no shame in that. The best ball players in the world go to spring training every year.
Being realistic is important. You and your horse need to match. A laid back person and a horse that needs lots of hustling is not a good match, as is a horse that is over excited and a rider that is too aggressive. Never forget that steady hands make a steady horse. You have to continually work at keeping a good horse good. Your work is not over after you win your first race. Remember, there is more than one way to do things and it does not happen overnight.
There is a long journey of a lot of hard work and wet saddle blankets before being able to go to the pay window in that pretty rodeo shirt. Lots of training sessions and lost entry fees also.
You need to understand the basics of having all five parts of your horse under control to be able to make that winning barrel run.
Number 1 is control of the head and poll. Being able to ride your horse up into the bit with forward motion, and your horse giving and breaking at the poll is fundamental when asking your horse to rate for a barrel. It never makes a pretty picture or turn when he has his head stuck in the air.
Number 2 is control of the neck. Will your horse bend from side to side, giving his nose to his shoulder? Can you do one rein stops from various speeds? This is necessary when asking for the horse to give his nose and finish that snappy barrel turn.
Number 3 is control of the shoulders. Being able to move your horses shoulder over and where you need it to be will result in lots more clean barrel runs.
Number 4 is control of the rib cage. Obtaining a bend in the rib cage at all speeds will allow your horse to be able to maintain four-wheel drive, with the hind end tracking where the front end just left.
Number 5 is control of your horses hip. Being able to get the horse’s hip up under himself, not in or out, but in four-wheel drive mode, makes for fast powerful turns. Can your horse back up well? Can you use one leg and move his hip to the right and to the left? I have found that a horse that locks up in the rear end will hit lots of barrels and not be very fast. If the rider has control of the hind end, taking off on the correct lead is easy.
All of our horses are started by Lance in the round pen. After they are comfortable in there, he attaches a line to their snaffle and lets them get used to giving to the pull of it. Then he drives them with two lines. This way they learn to turn right, left, stop and back up before the rider ever gets on.
By the time I get this 3-year-old, they know how to give their head and neck from side to side. Once they are bringing their nose in on each side, I ask them to move forward. I will move forward in a 10-foot circle, with his eye to the inside and his body arced around my leg. This gives me control of the rib cage. I will also keep my horse driving forward and into my hands, braking at the pole and maintaining four-wheel drive.
Horses are sensitive animals, and every move you make with your body is transmitted down through them. Where you look and turn, your horse will look and turn.
Steady hands equal a steady horse. Many times, I will have a student that wants to split their hands too far apart on the reins. I will have them stick their thumbs straight out while holding the reins, and then touch the tips of their thumbs together. Next I tell them to not split their hands any farther apart than that. This way when they go to the horn they will have their rein hand only slightly to the inside of the rein. This brings the outside rein tight when going for the turn and helps to control the hip and the opposite side of the horse. If the outside rein does not come tight while bringing your rein hand toward your hip, your reins are too long. If you run your hand way down the inside rein and pull, you only have control of the front end of your horse and you lose the hip and the 4 wheel drive power in the turn.
When you are asking your horse for collection before your turn, think of the lines in the road and how we keep the car between them. Now transfer this thinking to riding your horse and your hands and legs as the lines. Keep the horse between the lines. As you approach the barrel, tighten the lines (your reins) for some collection in his legs. Sit deep and then go to the horn and turn the barrel. Always remember you cannot turn the barrel until it is behind your leg. Horses turn from the rib cage, not on the shoulder. If you do turn your horse on his shoulder he will either slice by the barrel, hit it or at best, swing his rear and lose his four-wheel drive power and speed.
When I work my horse on the barrels, I always reiterate a fluid meltdown or speed transition before and around the barrel. I will break down to the next slowest gait going to (about two strides back from the barrel) and around the barrel. For instance, if I trot to a barrel, I will walk around the barrel. If I gallop to a barrel, I will either trot or slower gallop, (if my horse is advanced enough in his training for this), to and around the barrel. I want my horse to know that he can collect his legs and prepare for the turn while still going straight. I have found this to eliminate a lot of hit barrels. Again always remembering to ride deep into the turn until the barrel is at your back cinch. As riders, when we are going warp speed we tend to react sooner and start the turn a little sooner. I think the horses do also. This is why when I work my horses I will go a little farther up on the barrel before starting the turn.
When you are confident in your horses slow work and ability, it is time to make a run. You have to push the envelope to find where your horses knowledge is lacking. This way you know where to help him in the next run. You will also know where you need to go back and slow back down and go back into training mode.
As much as perfect practice makes for perfect runs, problems can arise. However with a solid foundation of the five parts of his body corrections will come easier.
If you have a free runner with a big engine and a sensitive horse, you need to do as much as you can to keep him calm. You will most likely have to do lots of slow work during the week and make sure you have good control. You may need to do a lot of stopping and petting while working the pattern. You need to not train this horse by the clock or the calendar. He may take longer to make.
If you have a horse that does a lot of anticipating the turn, possibly even a barrel hitter, you will need to work the pattern long. This means going past the barrel some before turning when practicing. A good drill that I use: is to ride my horse to the spot on the barrel where I would turn from, Stop, Roll back, and turn away from the barrel and ride back to the point you just left and start over. This can be done at all gaits and also in between the start line and the first barrel. Remember, to always turn away from barrel. This will encourage your horse to stay honest and run true to the spot you want to turn from.
Always remember to try to position your horse where he needs to be to do his job, and let him be the best he can be.
God Bless! Hope your spring racing is going well.