Slow time in narrow arena

Any one here get a slow time if they have to run in a narrow arena?

Do you mean like a long and skinny arena?

I know my mare gets really ratey on me if she has to turn close to the wall. I have to really kick her into her turns otherwise she won't make it all the way. That can easily slow down a time. Plus, in the narrower area, there's not as much room to build speed between the first and second barrels.

Yeah, that's what I meant. LOL My arena is really narrow and I got an 18.81 even though my turns were super good and we were going as fast as I could without smacking in to the walls. Luckily I was able to make up some time on the run home.I was just wondering if anyone else had issues with a narrow pattern.

That's not bad. Depends on the pattern size altogether too.

How narrow is narrow? My barns indoor is only 60 ft wide, its a few strides inbetween the 1st and 2nd and that's it. Many people wont run in our indoor. But the average winning times are low 14s and high 13s.
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My gelding does the same thing as your mare SorrelHorse. He won't turn around the barrel because he thinks the wall is going to eat him. So I have been working with him on tight place such as the gate. He is getting a lot better and we have gone from 18's to high 17's.

I think my problem is that the third barrel is too far up in comparison to the first and second barrels. I'll measure and make it proportionate to a standard pattern.

Because my mare gets bored pretty easy she runs better on smaller patterns.
She surprised us all by making a nice pole horse and she like texas barrel the most out of all the barrel events. To much time between barrels she gets bored. She still does well on the bigger patterns just not as "in to it" as she is on shorter patterns. She has also been trained and seasoned on smaller patterns so that could have a lot to do with it as well.
I am hoping with more shows under her belt this will change. I have been showing her since 2009 but all in all it has equaled up to only about 8 months to a year of seasoning because of an injury that put her out for 3 months and another injury that had her out for about 6 or 7 months. I am hoping this year will be her year to step up and show me what she's got. She has so much heart and works hard for me, just has not had the time to get consistent.

(also know the injuries she suffered were not related - first one she ripped her shoulder open, second was a torn tendon she sustained in the pasture somehow. She has been cleared by vets and is 100% sound)

I have always had horses who did well in small arenas. My old mare turned into a 1D horse in a small/narrow pen. Even my old 16 hand Appendix mare could get around them pretty quick. And my new horse considering he hasn't been to a bigger arena yet, he's pretty good on the small ones. Most horses have no issues running in a small or narrow pen.
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Nikki seems to like the smaller arenas better but Lark likes to larger ones..I think it really just depends on the horse and rider's preference. I've never really had a slower time because of a narrow arena, if anything thing it seems faster to me..but that's just my opinion..

Now the arena in Unadilla, Georgia is HUGE. I mean HUGE...