clover girl - 2014-05-05 11:25 AM If the ground is deep my lefty has ground issues at the 3rd.. She finally figured out how to get around them, but it required changing the way she turned.  



With 1st & 2nd you are not going against the ruts only on 3rd.  1st can offer some trouble onthe backside, but if the ground is decent you should be fine. 



Where is he getting hung up?

barrelbasher - 2014-05-05 12:31 PM He is not per se getting hung up he is just getting bogged down crossing ruts at 2nd and 3rd barrel. The first isn't a major issue but he is a rately type horse and previously needed to be driven up into his Pocket and now he is having to cross the ruts at 2nd and 3rd.

barrelbasher - 2014-05-05 3:05 PM I can't load a video of him from phone. But it your run to leafy first you have to cross the rut where people are making going to the right barrel first. Same as you have to cross rut at the 3rd barrel. Maybe if you draw it on paper it will make more sense. It's like when you get to the right hand barrel the horses who have already turned it have left track and banks that you end up getting in line. I guess that's the best way I can explain it

cyount2009 - 2014-05-05 5:05 PM

I think I understand what you are saying. You are saying that when leaving his second barrel he is getting bogged down in the slides that are created by a right handed horse's rate point, correct? ETA: Because he is a lefty, he would, essentially, rate the same distance from the barrel, just not the same spot. A right handed horse would start rating going to the barrel at a "semi vertical angle" to the barrel, if that makes any sense at all, a lefty would rate parallel with the barrel, basically the rate points differ in such a way between a lefty and a righty that their slides would make a goofy looking "T".

I would say if your horse is having this much trouble with ground after switching directions it could be one of two things< A. He is hurting somewhere or B. He needs hauled more to learn how to use his body.

If it is not a soundness issue, I would start doing a lot of exercises that makes him drive his inside leg up under himself going to the right, and getting him to really use those kind quarters and pull with his front end. Roll backs, quark screws and lots of "endless right handed barrel turns" at a nice controlled lope (set your barrels up like you are going to work the pattern but rather than doing the traditional pattern turn all the barrels to the right instead, my best explanation is: second barrel, third barrel, first barrel, then back to the second and so on, all right handed turns.) Just remember, these drills wont help unless he is using himself correctly.