Barrel Racing horses with reins

I wanted to know do some of you get to where you can't use the rein and just on hold to your horse when your horse run so close around the barrel? My horse Luke come in so close and so sharp that I can't use the reins, just hold on and he seem to be doing the job himself. I wonder if that normal for horses to do their job themslevs? If a horse is wide around the barrel you have to use rein to sharp the horse turn but Luke he seem so close around those barrel and not knocking them down. Have any of you ever had a horse come so close that you coulnt use your reins ?I also wanted to know if it normal for horses who do the barrel themsleves and run around barrel so close without you able to use your reins?

Yeah, they get to doing that... I rode a barrel horse, and he would always duck in when he was where he "thought" the barrel was (it was just an empty arena) and he would start running the pattern by himself, but I wanted to just trot circles :roll:

So I don't think it's unusual when they know the pattern and what they are supposed to do... not sure if that's exactly what you want though, but I'm not a professional barrel racing trainer either...

Luke know his pattern really well and he seems to go where I am looking at the pocket of the spot next to the barrel. However he goes so fast and so close around the barrel that I can't use my reins :o He just started recently running close to the barrel after my new video was made and when ever I start his run, he still go on that same pattern coming in so close without knocking the barrel down.

Hmm, sorry i'm not a barrel expert... I can't tell you :(

That ok

I have a barrel horse that seems to do that on occasion. What I do is place a cone about 4-6 feet from the barrel, where you are entering the 'pocket'. It sounds like your horse is so caught up with the pattern that he forgets to check himself. Walk the barrel course and stop him on the outside of the cone. This is where he needs to check himself. Do this and say "check". Eventually you wont need to stop him, he will check himself (put himself in the right positsion). This spot is also where he will begin the 'snap' around the barrel. This is where 'checking' comes in handy. Once he is checking himself, increase to a trot, canter and finally the finished run. I hope this helps. This should get him back on track and away from the barrel.
Sorry if this was confusing. Its easier to show then to tell someone