Running hard is a reactive response for a horse. This is the same response that is triggered when a horse is afraid of something. Their natural instincts tell them to run away at a high rate of speed. In the barrel racing, we ask our horses for this same reactive response four times during a run—coming through the gate and after turning all three barrels.

For this reason, it is essential to have a strong foundation that allows our horses to seamlessly flip from the thinking side of their brains to reacting side. If we don’t have 100% control of our horse’s speed and direction, achieving a high level of performance in timed events can be very difficult.

One major indicator that we do not have control of these two elements is elevation in a stop and/or turn. When our horse’s head becomes elevated, its back becomes hollowed out. This causes our horse to lose balance and lateral softness. In the barrel racing, the effects of this can often be seen when a horse “shoulders into a turn.”

The three exercises I use to fix this common problem are:

These exercises not only help create balance in the horse’s hindquarters, but they also put our horses in an optimal body position that makes it as easy as possible to complete the task we’re asking.

At the end of the day, our horses don’t change unless we change. They don’t get better unless we get better. Progress is an everyday challenge. We must be intentional about our actions every day. Create clarity in your actions, and this will create clarity for your horse on what you are asking of them. It is easier for our horses to clarify the signals we are sending when we are consistent. When they have clarity, they have confidence.

Learn the 3 exercises mentioned in this episode with our Foundation to Finish online training program at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/courses.