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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Kaufman, TX | In a competition run where do you look? At the fence? Do you find you a spot? The dirt? Between your horses ears? Anywhere but the barrel? Thank you for your response... |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
 
Location: London Ontario | Pick a spot on the fence and ride to it |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Depends on the day, lol. I am not consistent yet since starting back. In practice I look up and to my spot on the fence and then to my next barrel, but the few times I have competed, I look at the dang barrel all the way around.  |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | I look at the dang ground where we're headed, and then I look down at the barrel all the way around. I KNOW that is wrong, but I just can't break myself of the habit! There was one race a couple months ago that I actually looked to my next barrel instead of the one we were going around and it was our best run ever, with the exception of knocking second as we were leaving it.
I just need to get over the mental block of thinking that looking at the barrel will help not knock it over. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
Location: Loma Linda, CA | I look at the ground right in front of us over my horses ears when turning a barrel and in-between I look the spot I am riding to, but never at the barrel. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 634
| I pick a spot at the fence and then when I start to turn I look at my next barrel's spot. |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
 
Location: 31 lengths farms | I try to look between their ears to the point I want to ride...I'm not a fan of looking at the fence but it seems to work for some people, in the turn itself I still try to look at the ground between their ears. NOrmally the only time I look at the barrel is to find my entry point and then I try like heck not to "see" it in the turn itself, LOL!!! |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | As I am heading to a barrel, I look at the spot on the ground where I want my horse's feet to go so that I can get him to his pocket. Then I'll usually look at a second point on the backside of the barrel where I want to go. And as I am finishing the turn, I will look up to my next barrel and pick my pocket point on the ground to start heading toward.
I don't look at the barrel. And I don't look at the fence. I look where I want my horse to go.
Now, I certainly will not be perfect each and every run, but that's what I try to do.
Edited by r_beau 2016-03-08 11:54 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 285
| I've always looked at the rim on the barrel. I know they say not too but I can't get the idea of looking through my horse's ears. When I look at the rim, it helps me know if I need to bump her over or not. I feel like it I look anywhere else my vision would be restricted as far as not knowing how close I am to the barrel or if I need to move over. My made has always been a barrel hugger and seldom hits barrels. Idk, I may be completely wrong but i feel it works for me. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | Inbetween barrels, I look over her ears to the spot I want her to begin her turn at the barrel. Around the barrel, inbetween her ears, never at the barrel. (Or I try really hard not to anyway!) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
Location: SE KS | I don't know or can't recall where I look heading to a barrel, however I need to do something different bc when i sit my horse turns & I have trouble 'staying up & getting him past the barrel" before I sit!!!
Hopefully I can gain some insight from this post!!!
Thanks
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 747
| I like to ride to my point on the fence when running in to a barrel... However, where I look once we start the turn I have no idea, I have been known to close my eyes for the majority of the turn and then open them and look down at the rim as I am leaving the barrel... I know, it's an awful habit |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | r_beau - 2016-03-08 11:50 AM
As I am heading to a barrel, I look at the spot on the ground where I want my horse's feet to go so that I can get him to his pocket. Then I'll usually look at a second point on the backside of the barrel where I want to go. And as I am finishing the turn, I will look up to my next barrel and pick my pocket point on the ground to start heading toward.
I don't look at the barrel. And I don't look at the fence. I look where I want my horse to go.
Now, I certainly will not be perfect each and every run, but that's what I try to do.
This is what I do also.
If I have one that is getting short (my big gelding will get short at second when it's time for his knee injection), I will look past the barrel toward the fence to make sure we clear it.
But I really want my horses to be honest and run to their spot, not drop and cut me off. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 349
Location: texas | Same here, I pick spot I want her feet to go.... |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | In practice, I look more where I'm going and try to "look" to my next barrel. Also, I'm watching out for gopher holes, LOL. In competition, I look to the fence (my horse is very ratey) and that works good for us, especially indoors. But once I get there until the time I look to the next spot at the fence, I'm watching the barrel, I swear, LOL. However, either way, I'm also watching to stay 2 handed until my mare's shoulders are past the barrel before I drop to 1 hand and start to turn. If I drop too soon, we turn right over the top of the barrel. We don't shoulder it, we just turn into it as she is ratey and turny, and fairly small and compact (14.2 hh, and not too long...just right for me). At the risk of being TMI, that's where I look. :) |
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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Kaufman, TX | Thank you for all your responses. I appreciate each response. I am going to focus on correcting some bad habits I have and have caused. Your input is great. Have a great day!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| Before I start running, I will look at my pocket. When we start to go I will run to that spot but I have a habit of looking between the cheek of the horse and the barrel. (I have no idea where this habit came from). Coming out of the first going to the second I look at the pocket. From the second to the third, it depends on the arena. If the barrel sits out in the middle of nowhere, ill look at my pocket. If the third barrel is close to the fence, ill look past my pocket (about 5 ft) |
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Veteran
Posts: 195
| My mare is very ratey and really hunts the barrels. When she started shouldering in, I started picking a spot on the fence and staring at it. When she starts to turn, I go with her. My thinking of go forward and her wanting to turn has created a compromise and a better barrel for us. |
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Riders eyes/Where do you look?