barrel racing

Question
ok wlel i have this horse who will not stay off of the second barrel i have tried everything that i can think of.  It seems that everytime we fun barrels he wants to hit it. oh also what is the weight limit is that a barrel racer should weight

Answer
Bruce,

Well this is a first.  I'm not what I would consider an authority on barrel racing but I'll make some suggestions.  

I am going to make a suggestion of another approach on the barrels.  Since everyone is trying to make time they want to do this fast.  Start over again with him.  Walk him through the pattern.  Do it from both directions.  Stay at least 5 ft. away from the barrel.  Do this and do it until the horse does it quietly and under control.  Once he's doing it at a walk repeat again at a trot.  Don't worry about being close to any of the barrels, stay clear of them.  Same thing, repeat until he does it calmly and relaxed and responsive to you.  Horses can easily get hooked on the speed aspect and sort of turn off as far as listening to the rider.  And you get problems like you are having.  Happens in any sort of discipline.  What you are looking for is to have him working with you, not just doing what he wants or thinks you want.  You have to stay relaxed and focused too.  You are a partnership and right now the partners aren't communicating very well.  Don't drill him into the ground with this but work until you get the response you want then reward him and back off for a few minutes, maybe once around the ring, then you can repeat.  You don't want this to be a stressful experience.  You want it to be a learning experience.  Keep your training sessions to no more than an hour at most, 45 min. better.  The horses lose their focus, and begin to resent the work.  Once he's working with you at slower speed you can increase it in small increments but insist on a wide clearance of the barrels.  You can decrease the distance from the barrels once he's doing it the way you want him to.  This is going to take some time and a lot of patience.  Some treats will help a lot when given for doing it correctly.  What you are looking for eventually is a horse that will be attentive and ready without jumping out of his skin before you go in.  He'll approach in a business-like fashion.  Resist doing stupid stuff like spurring the crap out of him, better you use your legs and spurs just as a reinforcement if needed.  Same with a crop or slapping with the reins.  He'll give you all he's got, there's no point in abusing him.  Same with pulling up at the end.  Work on getting him to come to a stop nicely without pulling hard on him. You want him to keep his wits about him when competing, not get full of adrenelin and excitement and lose his mind.  

Horses aren't really very smart.  I read somewhere that they have brains the size of a small potatoe and rank on a scale with white mice.  I love them passionately but tell people to work with them like you would a not very bright 2 yr. old.  Patience and repetition one step at a time works wonders.  

Love 'em to death and they'll do anything for you.

Lyn