LEVEL OUT

Many horses move with their head up and back hollow, causing an up-and-down motion that makes them look like they’re “climbing” instead of travelling forward. This undesirable trait can be caused by poor conformation or the horse not knowing how to use his body.

Through exercises that create willing, freely forward motion that raises the back, lowers the neck, and softens the horse’s chin, you can improve a horse’s forward motion and “level him out.” This is especially helpful with barrel horses, as demonstrated here, because with proper movement, your horse can turn a barrel smoother, which impacts your overall time.

IDENTIFY THE ISSUE

Watching a horse in the warm-up pen or when he’s on pattern, it’s fairly easy for me to identify a horse that could move better and make a faster run. You might be so used to how your horse feels,