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Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!

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Last activity 2021-12-16 8:02 PM
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SSCOTT
Reg. Dec 2021
Posted 2021-12-03 1:05 PM
Subject: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!


boon


Posts: 1
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Hello! I recently bought a barrel horse and have been having a very hard time getting her to turn the right barrel. I have tried almost everything. Vet checks, chirowork, lameness exam, teeth work, and change of bits all very recently. I've even tried runnning her both ways (left and right). Whats weird is that if I run her to the left she will do fine at the first, then the first right (second barrel) she will fight me on and sometimes rear, but if the third barrel is to the right she will turn that just fine.There is something about the first right barrel that doesn't sit well with her. We can walk the pattern just fine but if I ask of her anything above a walk to that right barrel she just wont do it. If anyone has delt with this issue before or has any advice for me I would greatly appreciate it. 

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streakysox
Reg. Jul 2008
Posted 2021-12-05 11:59 PM
Subject: RE: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!



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I am not trying to be smart but I learned about 45 years ago that If you have a problem that you cannot fix, find someone who can.   I had a horse that was slinging his butt around the second barrel.  He needed a little tune up on leads.Someone who has more experience than you can figure it out pretty quick

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run n rate
Reg. Feb 2007
Posted 2021-12-07 5:29 PM
Subject: RE: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!



Balance Beam and more...


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Location: 31 lengths farms

streakysox - 2021-12-06 9:59 PM


I am not trying to be smart but I learned about 45 years ago that If you have a problem that you cannot fix, find someone who can.   I had a horse that was slinging his butt around the second barrel.  He needed a little tune up on leads.Someone who has more experience than you can figure it out pretty quick


Yep, and sometimes our help doesn't come from your normal sources.  Take my new to me gelding. Got him, tried like heck to ride him the way I thought it appeared in the videos he needed me to, asked questions, things were falling apart. So then I tried to ride him the way I ride all the ones I've raised and trained, things fell apart even more. Thankfully about that time I had a week off work and some good February weather so stayed home and rode and realized he felt like he moved better when I sat back a little and pushed him forward out from under me (up to that time I am a more forward rider, think Ed Wright and Easy was not appreciative of that style shall we say) so I started researching and watching more videos and something triggered that a woman I know that I have ridden on and off with just enjoying each others company always talked about these same ideas but I was hearing the same thing with new terminology that made sense and I also remembered that the woman I bought him from said "he just likes to be ridden like an old  ranch horse"...great!  IF you use your legs and not your hands on him ;-)  

I literally wore out a pair of jeans inseams on my calves reteaching myself and the help of my friend yelling at me  "USE YOUR LEGS!!!! MORE LEG!!!" LEAVE HIS FACE ALONE!!!!"

Her answer if I said "my leg is cramping!!!....you guessed it "MORE LEG!!!!"  lol!!!  

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okhorselover
Reg. Feb 2016
Posted 2021-12-08 7:51 PM
Subject: RE: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!



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SSCOTT - 2021-12-03 1:05 PM

Hello! I recently bought a barrel horse and have been having a very hard time getting her to turn the right barrel. I have tried almost everything. Vet checks, chirowork, lameness exam, teeth work, and change of bits all very recently. I've even tried runnning her both ways (left and right). Whats weird is that if I run her to the left she will do fine at the first, then the first right (second barrel) she will fight me on and sometimes rear, but if the third barrel is to the right she will turn that just fine.There is something about the first right barrel that doesn't sit well with her. We can walk the pattern just fine but if I ask of her anything above a walk to that right barrel she just wont do it. If anyone has delt with this issue before or has any advice for me I would greatly appreciate it. 

Have her looked at by a QUALITY equine vet. Could be sore in stifles or hocks. My mare was coming off the 1st & humping. Took her to my vet. She needed her stifle injected. Now she is fine 

 



Edited by okhorselover 2021-12-08 7:53 PM
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JR_Horses
Reg. Apr 2008
Posted 2021-12-09 7:39 AM
Subject: RE: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!


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Posts: 109
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Check your saddle and pads.

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jewishprincess
Reg. May 2013
Posted 2021-12-09 2:15 PM
Subject: RE: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!


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Posts: 227
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I assume you bought a horse that was already trained. I would see if the previous owner had any issues and if not, maybe have them ride the horse to see what they do differently. 

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r_beau
Reg. Apr 2010
Posted 2021-12-10 10:44 PM
Subject: RE: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!



Born not Made


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Location: North Dakota

SSCOTT - 2021-12-03 1:05 PM


Hello! I recently bought a barrel horse and have been having a very hard time getting her to turn the right barrel. I have tried almost everything. Vet checks, chirowork, lameness exam, teeth work, and change of bits all very recently. I've even tried runnning her both ways (left and right). Whats weird is that if I run her to the left she will do fine at the first, then the first right (second barrel) she will fight me on and sometimes rear, but if the third barrel is to the right she will turn that just fine.There is something about the first right barrel that doesn't sit well with her. We can walk the pattern just fine but if I ask of her anything above a walk to that right barrel she just wont do it. If anyone has delt with this issue before or has any advice for me I would greatly appreciate it. 


It is interesting that she will turn the right barrel to the right just fine, but not the first.

Dare to share a video?

I feel like the longer I am playing this barrel racing the game, the less it ever seems to do with my riding and training. And instead, something was hurting the horse that they were trying to express. I know you said you've done the lameness checks ..... but my first hunch would be that something is being missed. I get that that theory is not supported since you say she turns the third barrel to the right just fine. But if something hurts to the right, could it be she's more aware of it and anticipating it on the first barrel?

Or what about your regular riding? Is there anything resistant going to the right?

Some of the best insight and advised I've gotten for my barrel horses are from NON-barrel trainers. For me, that's going to a reining trainer and a couple English trainers. For example, on my prior horse Shotgun, I couldn't decide which way to take him through the pattern. I took an English lesson on him and it was plain as day that his "bad habit" was to fall inward with his shoulder to the left. But not to the right. So that right there, I decided to switch him back to the way I started him (leftie) and we didn't look back. If he's naturally better to the right, let's capitalize on that. (Still need to do our homework to make the left as good as it can be, but let's face it, we all have natural tendencies.)

So that can be something you can explore too. Go take some lessons with different disciplines. See where your horse's weak points are in training. Then take it back to the barrels.

That is, .... if pain is not the factor.

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SmokinBandits
Reg. Dec 2003
Posted 2021-12-16 8:02 PM
Subject: RE: Needing advice on my Barrel Horse!



Having Smokin Bandits


Posts: 4572
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Location: Woodstown, NJ

Could it be something to do with his right eye? Maybe the wall is closer to the first barrel on the right but not to the third barrel and he thinks he's going to hit it or something?

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