b'Running the RaceWHY IS MY HORSE FLOATING IN THE TURNS?By Betsy Nunnhowfastdouwannab@gmail.com, facebook.com/Willnunnp3, youtube.com/user/howfastdouwannabI bridle. Hes the one you walk the pattern a ton with and see horses floating in their turns and I have actually feltwhen you get to that rate spot you stop him and maybe this a lot when I get on otherback him up. Hes the horse that may not horse show peoples horses. They arenthorse lope around the arena. He wont be the super ratey clocking and its all left on thejunior rodeo horse. Hes the kind that can usually fly and ground in the turns. The horse can run plenty but a lotthe last guy may have won a ton on him but in the wrong of times the jockey is not being a pilot and is more ofhands, it could be a wreck. This is the one that you cant a passenger whether they realize what they are doingput the kid that kicks his guts out and goes for first every to the horse or due to lack of skill. Sometimes it can betime on. On this one, you have to use your head and both. Maybe they buy a horse that is really tuned wellthen you might win a bunch on him.and is used to how the previous owner rode him. The new guy on the block doesnt realize that they are ridingI think the main thing on one like this is if its a big pen a pretty free horse and maybe they are doing all theseand pretty wide open you better screw your butt in the bending exercises daily. They might be balancing on hissaddle when you are coming to your X or rate point head around the turn, all the while gigging him as hebecause maybe the ground is real shallow as well and he leaves the turn with the inside foot, coming into the turnjust needs a little help. Be thinking whoa not go! When and kicking his butt out of gear as my dad used to call it.you are in a little pen, whether it is inside or outside, A horse like this needs to stay together in the turn.with some better dirt you can ask him to go a bit harder and that will carry him through the turn and you just Some folks are so worried about the shoulder that theymight get their money that day.forget the back end. Sometimes a horse that is a littlehas a hard time catching up when their horse leaves the freer has to start their turn sooner meaning a lot of theYou just really have to keep your inside foot out ofbarrel hence they are pulling on them, trying to stay time he cannot run his hip to the barrel, then rate andthem. Thats huge with horses like this. Maybe a littlewith them when the horse has powered out of there. prepare to turn. Its important to remember that youinside foot after your rate spot just to shape them a bitEven if the seller sends a gag bit, if thats what they used must start that front end around first, possibly ratingbut then release and use the outside leg. Bringing youron the horse, sometimes it may need to be switched him at your X (where your paths cross coming in andhand across, as I said earlier, will help that front to comeup a bit (no pun intended), and try using something out of the barrel). And to back up a tad they need to rateacross and finish that turn. At the backside open yourother than a gag. Thats all to be seen and comes with that horse at the X and then start their turn, meaninghand a bit and push forward on the reins. Get ahold ofthe learning curve of buying a new horse. We dont have get your inside hand out away from their neck and comethat saddle horn and pull yourself forward leaving thea crystal ball to look into the future. Thats where the across to start that turn. If they have their hand up like abarrel so you arent hanging on his head leaving andMullen comes in sometimes. bronc rider lifting on this horse their front end will takeheading to the snack bar!! Let him leave that barrel a step by the barrel and many times they will kick thatstraight like an arrow so your exit is clean and fast. ThisNow, this is when the bit shouldnt have been changed.butt out or float that butt. This is usually really slow andway your diagonal is straight to the next one. If theirI sold a 1D horse that I ran in that Mullen for a lot of more of a go by and come back turn.head is up in the air leaving because you are pulling onmoney. The girl that purchased him put a big long-the reins trying to catch up thats not fast.Doing someshanked gag on him and started hitting a ton of barrels. Again, folks are so concerned about the horses shouldersit-ups or riding a bike can help with that core strengthThat gag bit was supposed to keep him from hitting that they forget to engage the back end with their outsideto stay with them as well. the barrel but when you pick up on the bridle reins and leg at about halfway around the barrel. This is thehave that much pull on the side of their mouth? Most type of horse that will need continually to be put backThe other thing I see is folks are sitting so far back in thehorses will naturally come to pressure. Then she had him together in a sense.You are always backing him off thesaddle that its hard for them to get in the go positionducking in front of some barrels. The next owner put bit. Tucking his head and trying to keep him soft in thewhen their horse leaves the barrel. Ed Wright once toldthe Mullen back on him and guess what he went back to me that you either need to be in the middle or the frontwork! A lot of times when barrel racers think they need running barrels. Now I realize on some horses youto change the bit, its not the bit but the hands on the need to sit back coming in but then be in the middlebridle reins. Sometimes its just getting with the person transitioning to the front of the saddle as they leave.that trained that horse to have them help you put it back together instead of a huge bit change.Again these things are always my opinion and how I see things as far as how a horse can move from the 3D to theNow dont get me wrong here, I know we all have 1D. If you think about it, a second is literally a blink ofdifferent hands and may need to change and fit a bit to an eye. If a horse can really run but his turns are floatyour hands as well as our horse. We also need to get that and he is hanging on the backside these things can takeinside foot out of them and try not to balance on their up a lot of time. We want to be fast! Its a timed event asface as they leave the barrel. If their turn is finished my dad used to say and as my email address says how-then open your hand and slide some rein so you arent fast-do-u-wanna-b?pulling on the reins but pushing forward towards their ears when they leave the turn. Again, just my opinion Also, the barrel racing world is all about gag bits! Somebut I hope this helps someone. Everything I say is not for horses do not need to be gagged in a sense! I have soldeveryone and every horse. I think we have to assess our a gazillion horses and sent them with my dads (Jeffsituation and see if what someone says is correct. The Lemaire) Mullen mouthpiece bit. I call it the bar bit.Bible talks about getting wisdom. To get wisdom we have Sometimes these horses arent matched up to the riderto get knowledge and understanding. Such is life, my as well as we want them to be. Maybe the passengerfriends, such is life. Until next time. keep after it. ArizonaRealCountry.com August 2021 49'