Rate the First Barrel or Blow Off the Third

[Bob Gould]

Hello,
I have written you before, and now I'm writing on behalf of my daughter. She has a open barrel horse and he works fine at home either slow work or if you ask for speed, he does everything you ask and almost perfect, but when she runs him at a jackpot he might not rate the first barrel or blow off the third but usually his second is perfect, anyway he's not been having any good runs and she works him at home and he seems fine, everyone tells her he's sore somewhere or hurting and that's why he's not working, she can't afford to take him to the vet every time he don't work for her, but he don't limp or seem to hurt anywhere to me and you would think if he was hurting why wouldn't he hurt at home or when we take him anywhere and work him slow. I think he's just being silly and not listening. Can you please give me your input on what you think.
Thank You,
Pam

Pam,
It's really hard to diagnose problems via the internet - not being able to see the horse and rider both together and separately. Just from what you're telling me, I'm thinking that your rider rides differently when she goes away from home. Is this a possibility? If the horse works at home doing slow work and when you run him and doesn't act like he's sore or hurting but he's acts differently when you go away from home that tells me that he's confused and most of the time confusion on the part of a horse comes from a rider giving him incorrect or bad cues. If you have a video camera, video them at home doing slow and fast work and then video them away from home doing slow and fast runs and compare the two.
Martha Wright