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Barrel Racing

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S4E28: Working a Green Horse on the Pattern
After a good warmup drill focusing on shoulder elevation and keeping square across the pen, Emily works three year old Dreamer through the barrel pattern and talks about the expectations she has for her young horses at this stage in their training.
S4E27: Working a Young Horse that is Tall
Emily talks about how size can effect the way a young horse moves and learns. She explains that a larger young horse may have a harder, more awkward time learning maneuvers, and it is important to keep that in mind throughout training.
S4E26: Working a Green Horse
Emily uses Dreamer, a two year old filly by Guys Canyon Moon, to demonstrate how she goes about warming up, softening, and dry working a young green horse.
S4E25: Switching Bunny to a First Left Barrel
After about 30 days of barrel training, Emily decides to switch Bunny to a first left barrel. She explains the reasoning for the switch and hopes to set Bunny up for future success with the barrels.
About +

THE CHASE.

Principles Of Barrel Racing

Futurity barrel horse trainer Caroline Boucher coaches horses through their first years of training and competition. This series shows you horses from their very first time on the pattern to horses that are actively competing. Caroline believes in the importance of developing a strong feel and solid basics. She focuses on becoming a team with every horse, preserving their natural style, having them work by themselves around the barrels and keeping them happy. Her goal is to train horses that other people can ride after her and have long careers. She loves to share her knowledge with others. 

About the Trainer

Caroline Boucher

Native from Quebec, Canada, Caroline started her journey in English riding, where she developed her feel of the horse and learned fundamentals. At 11 years old, she discovered barrel racing and then was hooked on the discipline. Until 2014, she had a full-time job and was training her own horses, coaching and giving clinics on the side. In Canada, she won and placed at multiple futurities, derbies and rodeos aboard horses that she mostly trained herself. In 2015, her and her husband Olivier bought their ranch in Canada and offered boarding, training and coaching and, she started to compete in the USA in 2016. In 2023, Caroline and Oliver sold their ranch in Canada and moved permanently to Texas. Some of her biggest career accomplishments are: - 2019 Kinder Cup futurity slot race winner (or long go winner) - 2019 Isabella Quarter Horses futurity slot race reserve champion (Edna) - 2019 Lance Graves futurity reserve champion - 2020 Southern Rebel futurity reserve champion - 2020 Pink Buckle futurity champion - 2022 OKC Futurity slot race champion - 2023 Old Fort Days futurity champion - 2023 BFA Futurity finals long go winner
FILTER BY: Bullwinkle | Bunny | Chewy | Dreamer | Eddie | Fergie | Jesses Topaz Filly | Juice | Maggie | Slick Filly | Sly | ALL
S4E1: Working a Horse on the Pattern for the 4th Time
Emily talks through an exercise she uses to keep a horse soft and driving forward and independently move their body parts. She then takes the green four year old mare by Slick By Design through her fourth time on the barrel pattern
S4E2: Working a 3 Year Old After an Exhibition
Emily slows things down on Fergie, a three year old mare by Tres Oaks, after taking her to an exhibition. For this ride, Emily focuses on body control and later talks about the four parts of a rollback. She explains how these exercises corelate to the barrel pattern by promotion elevation in the front end and keeping the hind end engaged around the barrels.
S4E3: Getting a Horse to Be More Aggressive in the Front End
Emily works with Chewy, a three year old Stallion by Frenchmans Fabulous, to explain how to keep a horse free and moving forward in the front end and how it will help the horse through his barrel turn.
S4E4: Working a Horse After Running at an Exhibition
After an exhibition, Emily slows things down and works on rate, turn, and overall softness with a young fast horse.
S4E5: Working a Horse with One Month on the Pattern
Emily uses Juice, a four year old mare by Slick By Design, to talk about working a green horse on the barrel pattern. She begins her ride by using dry work to focus on softness and body control and explains how the dry work will translate over to the barrel pattern.
S4E6: Relaxing a Fast Minded and High Energy Horse
Emily explains how she goes about slowing down a fast high energy horse. She explains that a horse with a lot of go needs a lot of whoa!
S4E7: Picking Up the Lead After the First Barrel
Emily talks about and demonstrates how to correctly catch the left lead after leaving the first barrel. She also talks about the prerequisites needed prior to changing leads on the barrel pattern.
S4E8: Keeping a Horse Elevated Around the Barrels
Emily uses Fifty Shades of Darker, a five year old stallion by The Red Dasher, to talk about how she keeps a horse's front end elevated while going around the barrels.
S4E9: Working a Green Horse that Just Arrived from a Colt Starter
Emily works through a rough spot with a new two year old filly that has just arrived from a colt starter and is thought to have less ride time than expected. She works through loping on the correct lead and teaching the young horse to accept the pull of the bridle and push of Emily's legs. Emily also emphasizes the importance of understanding a horse's own knowledge and experience and letting that knowledge dictate the direction of each ride.
S4E10: One Month of Working a Green Horse
Emily showcases the progress of a young, green two year old filly after a month of training. She then demonstrates different exercises she uses to continue progressing the filly's confidence and knowledge by working on her body control and softness.
S4E11: Keeping the Hind End from Floating to the Outside
Emily demonstrates an exercise she uses to keep the shoulders elevated and hind end engages on a horse that has a habit of floating its hind end to the outside while moving around the barrels.
S4E12: A Horse Around 60 Days on the Pattern
Emily shows Juice's progression on the barrel pattern after about sixty days of training. Emily explains how, even though Juice has had a few months of training already, it is important that she still stays consistent with her routine of drills prior to working around the barrels.
S4E13: Starting a Horse on the Pattern Day 1
Emily focuses on the necessary prerequisites that she teaches all of her young horses prior to learning the barrel pattern. She later takes the young horse through the barrel pattern for the first time to begin building confidence around the pattern in a low stress environment.
S4E14: Working Older Horses off the Pattern During the Week
Emily talks about how she works her older horses and the exercises she uses to keep them legged up and progressing without working the pattern.
S4E15: Preparing a Horse the Week Before First Competition
After an exhibition, Emily works through some drills to focus on the overall softness and brokeness of Chewy in preparation for his first upcoming competition. Emily also talks about her hand and body position while giving different cues and how position translates over to working around the barrels.
S4E16: Working a Horse After an Exhibition
After an exhibition, Emily checks in with Fergie to make sure all her buttons and cues are still working properly. Since she is preparing for an upcoming competition, Emily's focus on Fergie is to continue building confidence and overall brokeness.
S4E17: Day One on the Barrel Pattern
Emily uses Bunny, a two year old filly by Kiss My Hocks, to demonstrate how she uses draw reins to help soften a horse that tends to be stiff. Emily later trots Bunny through that barrel patter for the first time. When doing this, Emily explains that her focus is to have the young horse maintain her form and stay soft while trotting through the pattern.
S4E18: Progressing Maggie on the Pattern
Emily works to progress Maggie on the barrel pattern after 30 days of training. Emily explains the consistency in her warmups continue to make her horse's more broke, soft, and responsive, and how that translates over to the barrel pattern.
S4E19: 30 Days of Barrel Training on Bunny
Emily shows the progress of Bunny after 30 days of barrel training. She emphasizes how she likes to start off her rides with a horse's strong points in order to build confidence and focus prior to working on any issues.
S4E20: Working a Horse After First Competition
Emily checks in with Chewy after their first competition. She found that Chewy lacked confidence and focus when competing, so she focuses on sharpening cues and building more confidence to prepare him for future competitions. During this ride, Emily takes Chewy through different exercises she uses to gain control in all body parts prior to working the barrels.
S4E21: Evaluating and Working a New Horse
Emily talks through the process of evaluating a new three year old mare by Jesses Topaz. Her goal is to figure out what the young horse knows and find any gaps in the horse's training where she may need some work.
S4E22: Working Off the Pattern with an Older Green Horse Part 1
Emily works with a green broke six year old stallion by Guys Fame. With the horse not knowing very much, Emily's goal is to stick to the basics. She works on steering, stopping, and the beginning of moving off of leg and indirect rein pressure. (Part 1)
S4E23: Working Off the Pattern with an Older Green Horse Part 2
Emily works with a green broke six year old stallion by Guys Fame. With the horse not knowing very much, Emily's goal is to stick to the basics. She works on steering, stopping, and the beginning of moving off of leg and indirect rein pressure. (Part 2)
S4E24: Body and Hand Position
Emily uses Fifty Shades of Darker to talk about the importance of a rider's hand and body position and how it can effect the movement of a horse when working the barrels.
S4E25: Switching Bunny to a First Left Barrel
After about 30 days of barrel training, Emily decides to switch Bunny to a first left barrel. She explains the reasoning for the switch and hopes to set Bunny up for future success with the barrels.
S4E26: Working a Green Horse
Emily uses Dreamer, a two year old filly by Guys Canyon Moon, to demonstrate how she goes about warming up, softening, and dry working a young green horse.
S4E27: Working a Young Horse that is Tall
Emily talks about how size can effect the way a young horse moves and learns. She explains that a larger young horse may have a harder, more awkward time learning maneuvers, and it is important to keep that in mind throughout training.
S4E28: Working a Green Horse on the Pattern
After a good warmup drill focusing on shoulder elevation and keeping square across the pen, Emily works three year old Dreamer through the barrel pattern and talks about the expectations she has for her young horses at this stage in their training.

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