Too Much SET on a Barrel Horse!



This is an awesome picture that shows a "right"
body position - I call it a right stop!  (see right nose)
It would be the perfect body position
 for the 1st barrel (right barrel).  See that
back right leg - it is slid up underneath but is
also in position - to DRIVE. 
Hope you've learned something...if I can help
please call or write.  Much gratitude, Theresa

 Client, one of my biggest fans and a super good woman and friend – Tracy Chissoe (Kynder Starr’s mom) ask me a questiong the other day, "if I put so much SET on ONE of my student’s horses because she was young?" (Age 10 when we started, 12 now).

And, I said yes – but now that I think about it – I lied (smile). Not on purpose or maybe on purpose – because I’ve been criticized for putting too much SET on a horse but the truth is – I like a lot of set on barrel horses and here’s why:

When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – they don’t feel the need to drop a shoulder. Dropping shoulders comes from feeling insecure and trying too hard to make the turn happen. When their butt is good it is less likely they’ll “feel the need” to drop shoulders OR they are less likely and easier to correct.

When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – they can turn more comfortably and easily. Four legged animals have to sit on butt in order for the front legs to come around – logistically speaking – it’s a must.



When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – they can run like the wind – in MUD (slick wet dirt)!



When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – they can run like the wind and handle sandy arenas (loose dirt)!



When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – it frees up their frontend to turn and their backend is in position to DRIVE!



When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – they stay light in the bridle (bit) and easy to manipulate (bend & flex) – like using the right brake or the left brake on a tractor to turn SHARP (you country girls know what I’m talking about).



When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – they are NOT afraid of the task – at full speed (I see a bunch of freaked out barrel horses – everywhere I go). Freaked out barrel horses are afraid and freaked out because they were not taught how to use their body. Because most people do not know…the logistics – of how it works and works well.


When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – they’ll run for years and seldom lose their body positioning which is vital for long-term consistent RESULTS!




And, last but certainly not least - When a barrel horse gets their butt up underneath themselves – you can ENJOY and you will ENJOY – riding that set out of them rather than tugging, pulling, jerking, begging, hoping, praying, etc. that you can get that sucker to sit down and turn (smile). That is when running barrels is FUN!!!

Ride with a coach – Learn from a coaching – the information is like all continued education – it will SERVE you forever!

PS: if the butt is not in the ground – the frontend is – that’s why it feels heavy, and down, and tough in the bridle, and won’t give the head left or right or both, can’t or won’t scoot over and give more room – dropping shoulders – it’s because the whole frontend is DOWN. To get the frontend up – the backend must be down. Makes sense? If not call me…love to talk to smart people about logistics.

PSS: Learn something BIG / NEW by looking at the picture (and text below them) about body positioning!

Ride Right,

With much gratitude for the trainers who helped me over the years...

Theresa