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Regular
Posts: 57
| I am having trouble sitting down before the turn. I have always struggled with this. I am wondering if a new saddle might help the problem. I currently have a Coats. It seems to be very flat. I am looking for suggestions on brands of saddles that have deeper seats that might help with my issue. Or if anyone can give me other tips or suggestions, they would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| I rode cow horses for a long while before turning to barrel horses, and the one thing every trainer would drill into you about sitting down was to sit back on your pockets and to PUSH on your horn. Hope this little tid bit helps!
Also, I won a Shiloh saddle, I believe its the Jerri Man, and it sits you down very nicely :) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| It's always been a struggle for me, i finally broke the habit with my latest horse i didn't start him, so he wouldn't stop unless i planted my but in the saddle took me 30 days to retrain myself I've always rode the shoulders and on my crotch. It was a bad habit |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 364
| Honestly I don't think a different saddle will solve the problem. You really need to work at it. Cutters know how to sit and cutting saddles seats are flat like the Coats barrel saddles. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | rpreast - 2015-11-18 12:20 PM I rode cow horses for a long while before turning to barrel horses, and the one thing every trainer would drill into you about sitting down was to sit back on your pockets and to PUSH on your horn. Hope this little tid bit helps! Also, I won a Shiloh saddle, I believe its the Jerri Man, and it sits you down very nicely :)
This, grab your horn, stick your elbow in your belly, and push as hard as you can. You will lock your butt in place. I practice this at every speed when I do pattern work. |
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 Regular
Posts: 67
| I'm a very forward rider and tend to sit way soon but I try to not go to my horn as fast. I think if I went to the horn and sat at the same time then I would be 6 feet off the barrel and completely stopping, lol. Then it gets very interesting when I go from a push style to a free runner. I have no skills and very tolerant horses. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | I know I would practice really pushing the horn, then pull myself up. But during slow work, I'd really practice sitting deep. Like overdramatic sitting. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| LabRat - 2015-11-18 6:51 PM
Honestly I don't think a different saddle will solve the problem. You really need to work at it. Cutters know how to sit and cutting saddles seats are flat like the Coats barrel saddles.
AND ... cutters and reiners tend to ride bigger seats than many of the barrel saddles which allows you to rotate the pelvis which allows you to actually sit on your pockets .... just something to think about OP. |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| I have the opposite problem.l lol
It is actually easier to sit deep in a flatter saddle.
Practice, practice, PRACTICE! Start with a lot of slow work, starting from a walk, just like you would if you were starting a young horse. Walk through the pattern, when you get to the spot where you want to rate, tuck your butt underneath you (rotating your pelvis), so that your back has what I call a "barrel racer's slouch", while putting the heel of your hand against the horn while wrapping your fingers around it. When you get to the backside of the barrel, where you look up towards your next barrel, you pull yourself up, finishing your turn and driving your body (and rein hand) up and forward.
Repeat, making sure all aspects of your turn are correct, from the approach, the sitting down and rein hand position. When you have this down to habit at a walk, move to a trot. When you have it down at a trot, move up to a lope and so on. If you get this down to a HABIT (and make sure that it is a good habit, so practice correctly), your action of sitting down will become a cue for your horse, and many times you won't have to use your reins much at all.
My horses all seem to end up cuing off my butt and then if you sit down too soon, ti becomes an issue of getting your horse PAST a barrel, which is what I am having issues with now, on the horses I am running.
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Haha, I switched saddles and what a difference! I'm riding a Mary Walker now. I would recommend a saddle with a little rise to the swell. If you think you might be having saddle trouble-try someone elses rig and see if you can figure out what you like-had a friend gently tell me I was riding like a Monkey :) couldn't get my butt to stay where it was supposed to..... |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| If you get a new saddle, make sure you get a big enough seat. A seat that is too small will throw you forward. It keeps you from getting your feet out in front of you and keeps you from getting back on your butt. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2258
| I am just starting to add some speed to my 4yr old I usually don't have a problem sitting down but I really got tossed forward on her. I ended up pushing on her neck it caught me so off guard. I have been borrowing a saddle and letting my daughter use mine since hers had to be fixed. I am hoping it is the saddle but next time I will remember to get the horn and push. She is just a baby so sometimes I have to help her more I thought for sure I was going over her head. The good part was she was really working ! |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I have the opposite problem and sit too much and get thrown forward. (Years riding pleasure) But then mine are pretty ratey. I do better staying up and not sitting as hard and don't get thrown forward. It's like anything else, developed the muscle memory with repetitive practice. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Saddle can make a huge difference depending on your riding style.
Rode hunters for years and always had trouble sitting. Rode crown c's for a little while and got tossed forward terribly. Double j Pozzi pro helped some, but on my really ratey one if he hit hard on the front end I still couldn't stay back.
I ride an FX3 now and love it, I feel like when I stop my feet are nice and out in front of me and I have no issues sitting a lope on my pockets where I would start to creep forward in the other ones.
I will say other folks who've ridden my fx3 don't find it to have the same feel though. I am tall, about 5'10 with a 35" inseam and an athletic build. Other friends who have ridden it are shorter and find that they feel their legs are getting behind them. I think the individual angles of a particular rider must match up with the saddle - that's why we all have our individual favorites.
It really is trial and error - a lot of it is muscle memory but it's a heck of a lot easier to build good muscle memory when you're not working against your saddle. |
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Miss Not Exciting
Posts: 3279
Location: Ft Worth TX | Just something that I was told that made a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR ME, is that most barrel racers are ridding SADDLES TO SMALL with CANTLES TO HIGH. I was having an awful time sitting, ridding, doing anything in my barrel saddle and had 0 confidence ridding in it- was making AWFUL runs too. Within days of switching to a 16in cutter w/ a 3in cantle I was back to running with confidence and ridding better then ever! I can also ride a LARGER barrel saddle with a low cantle just as well so I would have to say the wife of a saddle maker that told me that was correct! Everyone that thinks you need the cantle to "hold" you in needs to probably get some ridding lessons- just look for a deeper "pocketed" saddle. I like Roohides! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| rodeoveteran - 2015-11-19 12:12 PM
I have the opposite problem.l lol
It is actually easier to sit deep in a flatter saddle.
Practice, practice, PRACTICE! Start with a lot of slow work, starting from a walk, just like you would if you were starting a young horse. Walk through the pattern, when you get to the spot where you want to rate, tuck your butt underneath you (rotating your pelvis), so that your back has what I call a "barrel racer's slouch", while putting the heel of your hand against the horn while wrapping your fingers around it. When you get to the backside of the barrel, where you look up towards your next barrel, you pull yourself up, finishing your turn and driving your body (and rein hand) up and forward.
Repeat, making sure all aspects of your turn are correct, from the approach, the sitting down and rein hand position. When you have this down to habit at a walk, move to a trot. When you have it down at a trot, move up to a lope and so on. If you get this down to a HABIT (and make sure that it is a good habit, so practice correctly), your action of sitting down will become a cue for your horse, and many times you won't have to use your reins much at all.
My horses all seem to end up cuing off my butt and then if you sit down too soon, ti becomes an issue of getting your horse PAST a barrel, which is what I am having issues with now, on the horses I am running.
This this this!!! |
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 Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2409
Location: Wisconsin | jetscowgirl - 2015-11-18 10:56 AM I am having trouble sitting down before the turn. I have always struggled with this. I am wondering if a new saddle might help the problem. I currently have a Coats. It seems to be very flat. I am looking for suggestions on brands of saddles that have deeper seats that might help with my issue. Or if anyone can give me other tips or suggestions, they would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Having a forward hung stirrup will help you IMMENSELY!! seriously had that problem.! |
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| Whoop Z Day Z - 2015-11-22 8:18 AM
Just something that I was told that made a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR ME, is that most barrel racers are ridding SADDLES TO SMALL with CANTLES TO HIGH. I was having an awful time sitting, ridding, doing anything in my barrel saddle and had 0 confidence ridding in it- was making AWFUL runs too. Within days of switching to a 16in cutter w/ a 3in cantle I was back to running with confidence and ridding better then ever! I can also ride a LARGER barrel saddle with a low cantle just as well so I would have to say the wife of a saddle maker that told me that was correct! Everyone that thinks you need the cantle to "hold" you in needs to probably get some ridding lessons- just look for a deeper "pocketed" saddle. I like Roohides!
Well, guess I need to get some riding lessons since I like the Pozzi Pro for its high cantle as I know most people do who ride them. |
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 Regular
Posts: 74
Location: North Pole | Try a bigger seat. If your seat is too small, it won't allow you to soften your lower back and rotate your pelvis like you need to in order to sit deep. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1261
| I am having trouble with this too! I had it down with my free runner but the horse I have now is a very ratey little thing and I get so worried about driving her far enough into the turn that I don't seem to have time to sit before she's turning out from me and forget getting ahead coming out of the turn! Of course sometimes she turns before I ask even though I am driving her still so that doesn't help but I don't know if I will ever get the hang of riding her correctly ?? |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| Thank you all for the advice. Would you recommend I practice off of the horse as well. Maybe just sitting my saddle on a saw horse or something.
He really doesn't need to go around the barrels for my benefit a million times. It won't hurt him to do some but he doesn't need the excess.
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Oh, I have done that in the past and it really did help! But I made sure no one was around because I am sure I looked ridiculous because I was trying to mimic the motion of my horse running and then really exaggerating my movements, lol.  |
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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Kaufman, TX | How is your practice coming along? What helped? I too need to sit and keep my eyes up and not look in towards the barrel. When I practice at home I do great from body position to eyes. My competition run it falls apart. Out of all the advice what helped you the most? |
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Sitting before a turn?