Slowing down in turns

[love2race]

I just started my horse Mare on the barrels. She is doing great, she's got speed and there is a show up and coming on the 16th of this month. She runs to the barrels fine and all, but she wants to slow so far down going around the turns, it's like she quits or something and doesn't keep her rib cage bent. I switched her bit from a roll port shank to a rope nose three piece bit. It keeps her flexible and she listens better and can't drag me all over the arena with it. Her teeth have been worked on and she has no health problems.
Sometimes she gets it right and keeps up her speed in the turns, but not very consistently. I know that she's supposed to rate, I've worked on that, I just can't get her hind quarters under her to lift her up and around the barrel. Can you help?

[lauraSchumann]

hi...

It sounds like to me that you problem begins in your approach to the barrel.  Flex begins long before you ever get
to a turn.  Its hard to accurately answer your question without seeing your horse, but I'm going to assume that
your approach to the barrel is not like it should be.  Is your mare drifting towards the barrel, trying to get closer as
she goes, and then dropping her shoulder down when she gets there?  I would start from the beginning and school
her to the first barrel, making sure that she keeps her shoulder up and her ribcage in position in the approach and each
time I felt any hardness to her body I would turn her around to the inside (a wee small little circle, no larger than
the barrel that you would turn--in the direction of whatever barrel you are headed to), and put her body back into position where she should travel to the barrel and continue on.  I would make sure that I stopped and backed her up at the barrel at the point where her hocks should become engaged and turn her around there as well to the inside and then step back into my tracks and turn
the barrel.  Each time you do this, you are positively reinforcing the lift of the ribcage and the lift of the shoulder and you
should not feel any hardness to her body or in your hands.  Also, check the position of your hands to make sure you are
keeping them in the upright position and are not carrying your hands too low....either going to the barrel or around it.

Hope this is something that you can use.

Thanks,
Laura Schumann
Lauras Ladder To Success
I BELIEVE TOUR 2009

[love2race]

Thanks! I'll try it today because I'm gonna practice with my sister! Thank you for your help! :)