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Member
Posts: 28

| What do you guys like to do for a horse that shoulders? My mare is only 4 and it hasn't become a really engrained problem yet so I want to prevent that. Are there any drills you like to use? |
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 Expert
Posts: 2158
    Location: NW. Florida | You may not like this, but if she's 4 you more than likely have a training issue. Sounds like you've skipped some steps. Go to a clinic, get help from some of the girls that are winning in your area. |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
    Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | Is she shouldering going into the barrel or coming out of the turn.
Edited by BS Hauler 2023-03-22 4:10 PM
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  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7606
    Location: Dubach, LA | Don't lope circles. Lope squares. Then find Connie combs square exercise. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
          Location: Texas | Shouldering is something they start when they think they know what they are doing. You need to slow down and make sure the approach is correct and she is not trying to turn too soon. And I second the squares exercise. |
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  Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
          Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | Slow down and work on inside leg pressure. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
     
| Find some cement and fill the barrels with it. Let her hit it, she won't do it ever again. JUST KIDDING..... LOL I do kmnow a trainer that does this though with barrels and poles believe it or not. Its been a long rainy muddy winter, I needed some entertainment this morning. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12831
       
| Shouldering is probably the hardest issue to fix. I learned about 40 years ago if you can't fix something, find someone who can. You HAVE to have complete control of your horse before you start in the pattern. I suggest a trainer. |
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Member
Posts: 28

| Going into the turn. Off the barrels she is super broke and listens to leg and rein cues perfectly. I don't know why but when i get her on barrels she just likes to cut in |
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Member
Posts: 28

| I live in New Brunswick Canada, so there are literally no good trainers here I could take her to. I would love to take a few lessons or get advice from someone but there is really nobody here. |
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Member
Posts: 28

| What confuses me the most about it is that she is super well broke off the pattern, and usually listens to my inside leg perfectly. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
     
| Have you ever switched directions and went to the other barrel first? SOmetimes when they think they know it all, that helps keep them fresh, |
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Member
Posts: 28

| I have tried both directions with her and practise both. She does fairly similar both ways as far as the shouldering goes. I haven't started really going faster than a quick lope because I want to fix this first. Not in a rush to win, I want to get her solid at this speed first. |
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     Location: Not Where I Want to Be | if the mare is cutting you off goign both directions I would propose it is a rider error issue.
you are giving her some sort of que to do what you are describing.
Might be wrong,(it usually doesn't happen) and without video it's hard to really tell. But it's possible. |
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Member
Posts: 13

| This is usually caused by the rider cueing the horse to turn and/or set too soon. Practice going straighter longer, like they told us at a Josey's clinic. Wait until your horse's hip is past the barrel before turning. To fix this, I would approch the barrel and at the set point, pick up the reins and keeping the horse's head turned toward the barrel, but counter arc (using heavy inside leg pressure if necessary) away from the barrel. Make a complete counter arc circle, then come back and turn the barrel correctly. |
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Member
Posts: 28

| I understand what you are saying here. Only thing is that I can race both my sisters horses without an issue. So Im not sure if it is me or her. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24952
             Location: WYOMING | Kinda an open question. Many reasons one picks up this habit. Good videos may help. Rider error, training hole, pressure issues, etc, etc. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2930
       Location: North Dakota | vintage cowgirl - 2023-03-23 10:37 AM
I live in New Brunswick Canada, so there are literally no good trainers here I could take her to. I would love to take a few lessons or get advice from someone but there is really nobody here.
Take a video, upload it to Youtube and then post it here. 99% of the problems we have with our horses is due to the rider. If she rides fine away from the barrels, then what are YOU doing differently around the barrels? If you are like most riders, you get in a hurry to turn the barrel. But don't turn the barrel. What you actually want to do is lope a circle. You're just going to happen to do it around a barrel. If you stop thinking about the barrel as a turn, and instead think about making a smooth, effecient circle, then the shouldering problem magically goes away. Heck, go lope a barrel pattern without any barrels. The shouldering problem goes away. So really pay attention to exactly what you are cueing your horse to do, where your seat bones are (and your weight), where your hands are, etc etc etc. If you can't find a trainer in your area, then contact Phil Haugen or Between the Reins and do VIRTUAL training lessons. |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
 
| i had that problem rider error if i listened to dan and vicki on jetta 1 hand on reins drover her in to pocket killer turns but i forgot rode 2 hand to pocket barrel down doc same thing it was me not them call them they the best |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12831
       
| If there are no trainers in your area, I suggest you go to BETWEEN THE REINS and pay for atleast a month of theit videos. They are very informative. There was one the other day that was for horses whostart the turn too soon but would be perfert for the shouldering horse. |
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