I'm kinda curious why the majority of people run to the right. Running left really isn't popular at all where I am, is there a reason for this? Are most horses righties? It really seems like 90% of people go to the right. I was running to the right, but he rates so bad at the second(especially second) and third I switched to the left and had the best second barrel I've ever had, I am going to stay to the left at least for now. I am wondering if this is a popular decision to do if your horse starts rating really bad? I know we all have different opinions so no mean comments please. 

Edit: Also if we run left for awhile and he starts rating again should I switch him back to the right? Pretty much when he rates real bad switch it up to throw him off some? 

Edit again: This horse thinks he knows everything, that's why I asked if I should just switch it up as well. He insists he knows what he needs to do, even if you don't cue it lol

I think alot of has to due with personal preference. When I started my mare, I started her to the right  but figured out she was right lead dominate, so I switched her to the left, to get the weaker turn done first. I also heeled on her to help strengthen the left lead. I let a friend run her for a couple of shows and she forgot that she went to the left and ran her to the right, and actually did pretty well. To have a switch hitter, is a great thing, especially on ground that is becoming extremely rutted to the right with no matter how much dragging there is done to it. Or for different pen set ups.

I started pattering my horse to the left because he's was trained as a head horse, it was just natural for him to go left lead first less fighting for me plus I noticed his right turns are better than left he tends to drop a shoulder more... it just worked better going to the left so we stuck with it.. it'd be pretty hard pressed for me to change it now. So to answer the question,  I think it's just personal preference based on what the horses rider think benefits the horse more. 

Yeah his right turns seem to be better than the left anyways, but I heard a lot of people like for them to be able to go either direction? He is 17 so he is will broke, which is probably why when I said screw it and did the left we didn't have an issue really. The first time he was a tad confused but the second time I had no issue. I gave him the whole winter off barrels though so I am probably gonna trot an expo or two. However, I have practiced at home some the last couple days and he was being hot. Not sure if it is because he feels better(I had multiple vet trips the past year and we now know what we have to do) or if it was because he hasn't been on them for awhile. Not going to lie I am a bit nervous because he was acting much more hot than normal, but we were practicing in the big outdoor arena, this race I am going to will be inside so I am sure he will back off some. Maybe lol. He acted like a fresh 5 year old not a 17 year old, which is a good thing I guess, I am just used to a chill dude not a hothead. 

Yes when I was running him to the right first I had to really really push to the second and third or else we would knock. So far to the left it hasn't been nearly as bad, but I have only ran him a couple times to the left so I can't totally say that won't happen. 

I believe the average horse is better with their left lead so two left turns vs one made sense.

Oh okay! My gelding is actually better on the right lead, at least to me he is. 

Has to do with the rotation of the earth. 

Going to the left the earth is rotating away from you, so you actually run further than going to the right. 

Umm...what lol

science 

That is why UPS Trucks only turn to the right. Used less gas. They deliver turning right down one side of the street then come back down the other side of the street making all right turns. 

UPS trucks turn right becasue that way they cross traffic less often as well as not sit at a light waiting to cross traffic....whatever that has to do with righty barrel horses.  Seems like most people see a lefty barrel horse and they assume that it had some first barrel issue as a righty and to tell you the truth , they may be right because a lot of people seem to lazy to fix an issue and want to slap a bandaid on it, Boom, you got a lefty.

Most people are right handed there for most go to the right. Horses are not any differant I think most are right leaded. I think people get in trouble when you are right handed on a left leaded horse and vice a versa.

i was told and in my case true  domiate eye

i write right hand shoot left handed  i liked to the left   that when i could ride

Seems like when I was starting back in the early 80's, that whole "If he runs to the left something must of forced them to switch it up" way of thinking was all you ever heard. "He must of run up the fence, or ducked the first one!" And I agree it was just a band aid or a quick "short" fix to a problem, that we'd now be at the vet the next day trying to figure out! I am a right handed person, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to the left barrel first!!! And as I gained more knowledge, grew up and soaked up everything anybody I idolized had to say, there were some things that I agreed w and some I think are BS to this day!  But bottom line, however it's the most natural and easy for a particular horse is what wins out in the long run in my program! And basically everything I train gets worked equally both ways--whether through drills or just so if I'm at a point where I'm needing something from one that I just can't seem to be feeling, maybe an out of the blue, run to the left would help me find that feel!!! I do know that in all the years I've done this, there are still some people out there that will not look at a horse that runs to the left--no matter how much it's won doing so!!! It's gotten better but old stigmas sometimes = old ignorance in our world ! I think Lindsay Sears and "Martha" running to the left is "LEFTY PERFECTION!"

And I say this as a person with 4 horse, 2 that run right,2 that run left.  of My original 3 horses that I started on the patten myself  2 were started as righty's, and 1 as a lefty because his right turns were amazing but as a young horse he wanted to only RUN in the left lead so I was dealing with him swapping leads all the time so until he matured we spent some time going right barrel first. One of my mares that was started as a righty got scared by dogs at her then 2nd barrel while we were at a clinic, 2 dogs were playing, they came running under the fence barking and growling at each other (again, just playig but she is my ADHD/bi-polar child) Scared the daylights out of her and for the rest of the clinic I and for about 2 months after that I had a heck of a time getting her over to that barrel.  I hate bandaids being slapped on horses as much as anyone but after trying like heck to help her thru that and feeling like we were spinning our wheels I decided to try her to the left just to see if a new approach would help leave those memories behind...who knew she was supposed to be a lefty the whole time!!!!?????