Where is the perfect pocket & how do I make it?

It does depend on the horse. My paint mare, I give her a little more room. My moms gelding needs a ton of room too, he's a big boy. My lease mare is only 14 hands. Honestly if I were to take her wider, I'd barely place because the turns are where I make up my time. She doesn't have a long stride, but she doesn't have to slow down much in her turns because of her shorter legs. I've only hit one barrel with her and it was my fault. I was fighting with her to set her up and couldn't get her where I wanted so I let her go. She dropped her shoulder before we even passed the barrel and got into the pocket.

Every horse has a different running style but I don't agree with the first drawing with the consistently spaced turns. But that's just me and my style. I prefer to go wide and come out close.

If a horse hits coming out...the horse wasnt pushed deep enough or he cut in on his corner.

This is where knowing the horse you're on comes into play.

You can't stop in front of the barrel on any of the horses I know or mine....they start rating entirely too early and some eventually dive.

I think Charmaynes techniques work for her...but arent entirely user friendly for others.

Whatever you're doing on JJ don't change it! Its working!

It just comes down to what works best for your particular horse. I have never tried for a square turn; it is always interesting to read other about what has worked for other people. You can never know to many differrent ways of doing something! I guess I just aim for even and round around the barrels because it is smoother for my horses (and I say aim for, things are never "perfect". That wouldn't be as much fun! ) Just goes to show how much the horse's turn style affects how they go around the barrel. Experiment and find what works best!

Can somebody explain the square style a little bit and how you train for that? I'm a little mythed...