How do you develop rate in a barrel horse?

Rate is the barrel horse's ability to collect its stride and shift its balance rearward in preparation for a turn, and it is one of the most critical and most trained skills in barrel racing. A horse that does not rate will run past barrels, turn wide, or knock them over because it cannot collect its momentum quickly enough to execute the turn correctly at speed. Rate is essentially a collected transition within the canter — the horse reduces its pace and shifts weight to its hindquarters without breaking to a trot or losing forward energy. Developing rate begins on the flat, separate from the barrel pattern, where the horse learns to respond to a rate cue — typically a slight increase in rein contact, a deepening of the rider's seat, or a verbal cue — by collecting its stride promptly and quietly. This response must be established and confirmed at a slow canter before it is asked for at speed. Once the horse understands and responds to the rate cue consistently on the flat, the cue is introduced on the approach to a barrel at a slow lope. The horse is asked to rate several strides before the barrel, execute the turn, and then be released to drive forward out of the turn. Gradually, as the horse's response becomes automatic, the approach speed is increased and the rate cue is asked for at a point closer to the barrel, simulating competitive conditions. A horse that rates willingly and correctly from a light cue gives the rider the ability to optimize each turn and adjust for variations in footing or approach angle that occur in competition.