I think KindaClassey was very classy in her response, I didnt see her being rude at all.. And thats a 2 way street too. When people gave great advice and then get shot down by the person asking for advice now thats rude and thats why alot of the ones that did give great advice dont give advice anymore. So we're lucky to still have the few that will come on here and try to help.. I think the OP didnt get twisted either, she sounds like a really smart young lady and I hope she gets her horse running on the right track so she can go kick some serious butt at the next event she gos too.

bull right back at you   some never hunt just  go where you send them some hunt it. i have ridden both , but hay your entilted to ur opionin

or maybe ur idea and mine are 2 different ideas   mine is they come fly in they hone in with out my help. others let me help them

either way   everyone is entiled

I agree we both have the right to our opionions. I don't get wound tight about it, and I don't believe you do either.

We actually have the same opinion about what a horse that hunts the first barrel is.  They come hauling through the gate and they are looking for their spot to turn.  As a rider, our job is that our body position is also taking them to that spot - but my horses would run to that spot with a chicken on them. I've trained push style horses  and horses that everything in their dna/how they look at life screamed that they should be free runers. I have never had one that didn't hunt the barrels because I'm slow as molassas about how I train them. Each was an individual that you have to figure out where is "their" spot- then consistantly take them to that spot at the speed they can turn it correctly. NEVER asking for more until they are deadly consistant.  I've been asked what makes my horses turn a barrel they way they do. My response is that they never know there is a diffient way to do it. They have different styles in how they turn because of how they are made, but they all run like they are on rails.

Most people will not take that time. I have to, because while I'm a good trainer, I'm not a 1D jockey. I don't have the reflexes that a top rider at speed has. Mine have to be super consistent and confident to make up for my short comings. Most people want to blame the horse for mistakes- 99% of the time we make them happen because of our training or riding.

yeppars  we totally agree just said it differently  martha josey figure my problem out  i was right handed but could drill left barrel first but it was totally the horse going to right.   i was  never 1-d rider  even though we had then my son could and did.

but now  i just drool  as ii watch  and dang wanda johnson on that run bareback shee

hve a great day enjoyed it

I’ve thought about this a bunch and I agree I could have worded my response differently. People don’t like to be bluntly told that they are the root of their horses issues. Other posters gave the same type of advice, but worded in better, and the original poster seemed to be more receptive. I did not intend for the original poster to feel attacked. There was nothing remotely personal about it. For that, I do apologize. I am blunt. I’m a blunt thinker and a blunt speaker. I’ve always been analytical enough to separate the message from how it’s been delivered. Especially when I asked for the advice in the first place. But not everyone is that way. I suppose when your intention is to help, one should take into consideration how the other person will receive the message.

So- let me try to word this another way. I do not know the original poster. I have never seen the horse run. I can only go with the words she herself typed. Once again - THERE IS NOTHING PERSONAL ABOUT THIS

One of my pet peeves is people that are not aware enough or are not willing to listen to what their horses are trying to tell them. Horses are not born knowing how to run barrels. Therefore, every move that they make in a barrel race (other than that caused by ground) is a reflection of their training. If a horse steps past or off a barrel- if it drops a shoulder- if it shakes its head- if it doesn’t stop well - all those things were either taught / caused / or allowed to continue by the rider. What caused the stepping past or off? What caused the dropping of the shoulder? What caused the head shake? What caused the run off? A lot of riders are not critical thinkers and do not want to take the personal responsibility for what happens during the run. They don’t listen to what the horse is telling them, sometimes because it isn’t convenient for their plans. I want to run a barrel race/ rodeo/ futurity now.

My horse is not stopping or is dropping a shoulder – get a different bit or try a drill. Let’s find something to fix it quick so I can still run this weekend.

Sometimes a horse does need a certain bit. I’m definitely not one that believes that every horse is going to run in a plain ring snaffle. Maybe it’s how their mouth is made – maybe it’s how their brain is wired- maybe it’s because how the rider uses their hands. Just don’t let it be because the rider doesn’t want to put in the time training to correct the root problem. I have nothing against drills. I use them all the time to help develop a solid foundation. But if the rider mindlessly does a drill without critically thinking about what the drill accomplishs and how to extrapolate that knowledge and apply it in order to NOT make the same mistake in training again - well - It’s just a Band-Aid.

My goal with the post was to get the poster to critically look at what is going on. If your horse is consistently stepping past a barrel (understand it isn’t blowing a barrel, but is doing it enough that the post was made about how to correct it)– or isn’t laser focused on turning when coming through the gate, it is trying to tell you that there is something off. There is a place where the horse isn’t feeling confident about its job. The job of the rider / trainer is to be aware of that and help them through the rough patch. In my experience, helping one through a bit of an anxious spot is not achieved by continuing to ask for the very thing the horse might be anxious about in the first place – SPEED. Continuing to do the same thing over and over (allowing one to step by the barrel) only teaches that that response is acceptable. It’s like telling them “YES – that’s what I wanted! GOOD JOB!!!”

I still stand behind my advice – Sometimes you have to slow down and correct something so you can speed up later.

Lynn McKenzie just posted on Facebook a story about taking Missile to tht NFR. I had forgotten he was a 4 year old the first time she went