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Location: midwest mama | I have a horse that wants to "float" way to the right going into the second barrel (left turn) and I am having a heck of a time trying to keep him in the right "spot." I try to ride him straight to the correct point and he fights me............or he doesn't get by the barrel enough and rolls over the top of it coming out. He does float a little going into the third, but not as bad.
Does anyone have any suggestions of exercises I can do to help with this issue?
Thanks! |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| like floating to the right to be able to dive into to turn it and when you try to drive him straight to his point he argues ?
^^if that is what your referring to I recommend slow work and working on giving him a new rate point that is past the barrel where he thinks he has to go by it before slowing/ turning because it sounds like he is rating/ turning way to soon therefore he has to float out to dive in to get him by to turn.
Just stand him up, use inside leg & rein to stand him up and outside leg to keep him from fading out on you (I only reccomned using the outside leg during slow work at home because it can be mistaken as "turn" for some horses at a run) and drive him straight. If he's truly fighting you then maybe a soundness issue. My mare wants to dive every now and again if I don't really PUSH her by but she doesn't fade out going in, she just compensated on the backside and has to really roll over her hocks to finish the turn.
might practice loping on the left lead with head tipped to left in a straight line. Might help him to learn to "stand up" and move forward with nose tipped to the left. |
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Location: midwest mama | Bump |
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 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | Read my article in last months barrel horse news. Should help! |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | You might want to take him to the vet and have his stifles & hocks checked. Sometimes when they're sore they'll "float" on the turn and no matter how hard you try they'll continue to fight you. |
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Location: midwest mama | I recently took him to the vet and had a total orthopedic exam done on him and everything is good.
Actually this issue is something that I created - I am just starting to compete again after many years off, and my balance was really off due to my saddle (and other things! LOL), so when he would come out of the first barrel I was so busy grabbing leather and trying to stay on him that I would let him float and start his turn too early. He is a ratey/turny horse anyway so the problem just got worse and has started to become a habit. I got by for awhile, but I want to get it corrected now before it becomes a permanent issue.
Now I am riding better and have a new saddle so I feel balanced enough to place him more where he needs to be. Which is a challenge as he wants to revert to the floaty thing. I have decided to slow it down for awhile at races and concentrate more on correctness (not on what time I run), but I also want to know about exercises I can be doing at home to help he and I with our muscle memory to get this straightened out.
Anyone else have any suggestions? And thank you Molli - I looked at your article and will definitely start doing the figure 8s. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24955
Location: WYOMING | If I told you to run out and turn right there and come back you would wonder where right there was. BUT if you had a visual cue/cone of where right there was you would nail it and you would eventually learn about where right there was... horse is the same. Maybe give him a cone out to the side he floats to so he can learn where better to approach with minimal handling. |
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  Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | geronabean - 2014-05-06 5:54 PM If I told you to run out and turn right there and come back you would wonder where right there was. BUT if you had a visual cue/cone of where right there was you would nail it and you would eventually learn about where right there was... horse is the same. Maybe give him a cone out to the side he floats to so he can learn where better to approach with minimal handling.
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| You need to,think about the turns around the barrel in a square go in pocket turn, turn and turn. Which is a three turn square. |
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Veteran
Posts: 223
Location: Louisiana | daisycake123 - 2014-05-06 8:10 PM You need to,think about the turns around the barrel in a square go in pocket turn, turn and turn. Which is a three turn square.
working on this with my 6 year old that is getting real strung out in his turns. It is all about riding not only the front end but the back end, keeping them under themselves when they turn - squares is the best way to get those results.
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| My trainer sets up 4 cones in a square and we practice straight to our spot coming from different directions. We don't do it around the barrels because the horse is finished, I need the practice, not him. We were working on me not clamping down too soon to get ready for the turns but I would think it would work for you too. If we get on the pattern on barrels, she will sometimes set a cone as a marker for us, "go through the gate" is the mental picture she gives me.
Edited by rodeomom3 2014-05-07 3:46 PM
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