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boon
Posts: 3
| Hello!
I am currently running two horses.
One horse (Polka Dot, a leopard Appaloosa) I take to the left barrel first, then two rights.
The other (Mammie, a black paint) I take to the right barrel first, then two lefts.
I used to be big into Cutting Horses, so I have learned where to apply proper weight in the stirrups as well as "sit" in the saddle or have a "Cutter's Slump,"
and when I picked up barrel racing 2 months ago, I noticed I was using these same habits in barrel racing whether it was being used correctly or not.
Polka Dot was one of my Cutting horses. Mammie was just my day cowgirl/ ranch horse. I have trained them to run barrels myself with no teacher (which is a problem for me.)
When I run to Polka Dot's first barrel, the left, I noticed myself using my Cutting habits to my own advantage and it seems to do me some good. However, MY second barrel and last barrel are AWFUL on my behalf. Polka Dot turns them sharply and quickly, so I know its not his fault. In videos, I notice my butt comes out of the saddle and I almost lean to the outside applying pressure in my outside stirrup. This causes Polka Dot to get off-balance and will sometimes run wider out of the barrels.
However, I do not seem to have this problem with Mammie. I have just come to the conclusion that maybe myself as a rider just turns better to the left (because in cutting, I use my right hand to hold onto the saddle horn.)
I have tried to correct this myself without help, but don't want to ruin my only barrel horses.
PLEASE, help me. What are some experiences you've had like this? How did you fix them?
What are some suggestions?
Thank you so much!!
Kelsey | |
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Member
Posts: 33
Location: Northeast Texas | I had a bad wreck shattering my left pelvis in 2001 and to this day that side is just weaker then the right. What has helped me was shortening my Left stirrup one hole so that i have an easier time with putting weight in that stirrup. I also have went back and rode bareback or in an english saddle to help with balance. This may or may not work for you but i know what you are experienceing. Good luck to you and i hope that some one has more ideas so that i can try different things as well. | |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
   
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | As far as exercises, kettle bells help me more than anything - especially those where you lift weights while you're in plank position. As far as riding itself, I have a pleasure /ranch background so I'm used to sitting more upright and deeper. I found when I run both horses I've been running, I do MUCH better staying up, almost out of my seat, through my whole turn. Sounds counter-intuitive but I don't get dash boarded nearly as bad and I stay with my horse a whole lot better. Also, keeping my stirrups a little longer helps me - I push up too much when they're shorter. I think my problem with losing my seat was because I was sitting too deep coming in and not realizing it and my horse shut down harder,.thus pushing me forward. If I don't think about sitting,I stay up and they don't rate as hard. Both of mine are natural raters anyhow.
Edited by Fairweather 2015-10-07 1:03 PM
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| Several suggestions......Make sure that your saddle seat is large enough, keep your weight in your outside stirrup and push back on the saddle horn. If you are popping up out of the saddle you are either leaning forward or your seat is too small. If you can only remember to push back on the saddle horn it will keep you from leaning into the barrel and will help you get your weight on the outside stirrup. | |
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