If your horse is walking through the barrel pattern without making mistakes, it is time to move up to a trot. This should not be hard if your horse is attentive and focused on your cues at all times. Start in the same position that you did at a walk. This time ask for a slow trot. Taking the turn at a trot will be different than it was at a walk. It is important to keep your horse moving around the barrel at the same speed you complete the other pattern. If you start the pattern trotting, do not let your horse drop down to a walk in the turn. This will promote slowing in the turns and can let your horse think it is okay to slow down even while running. He should only slow enough to make the turn correctly and then continue with the pace. Remember to keep making the pockets before each turn. Also, make sure you follow through with the turns, not letting your horse start a good turn but come out wide. This will have him set up wrong for the next turn. This is especially important after the third barrel. Make sure after turning the third barrel that you keep your horse heading in a straight line for the gate. While trotting the pattern it is a good time to teach your horse how to finish and exit the arena. After turning the last barrel and passing the timer you should still be in a straight line heading for the gate. Make a wide circle in the same direction that you turned the last barrel. If you turned the last barrel to the left your horse will probably still be on the left lead while he is running later. Make a big circle, allowing your horse a chance to slow down and stop without putting too much stress on his joints by coming to a jolting halt right in front of the exit gate. Some horses are just moving too fast and their riders try to make them stop right in front of the gate. Sometimes they will end up hitting the gate, or worse, running through the gate and hitting someone that is on the other side. It is best to teach them to make a circle after each run so that they will keep this habit after making a hard run.
