What does a correct fence turn look like?

A correct fence turn in working cow horse is one in which the horse gets ahead of the cow — past the cow's shoulder and into its path — before the cow reaches the corner, then uses its position in front of the cow to turn the cow back in the opposite direction rather than following the cow into the corner and turning with it after it has already changed direction. The distinction between turning the cow and being turned with the cow is fundamental to the scoring of fence work: a horse that gets ahead of the cow and turns it back is demonstrating the athletic ability and correct positioning that judges reward with above-average scores, while a horse that follows the cow to the corner and turns after the cow has already reversed is demonstrating reactive work that scores at or below average. The ideal turn happens in front of the cow when the horse has enough acceleration advantage over the cow that it can clearly plant a foot, roll back toward the cow, and drive back in the opposite direction with the cow turning because the horse has blocked its path. The turn itself should show the mechanics of a correct rollback — the horse plants its inside hind foot, drives its shoulder across, and departs down the fence in the new direction with forward energy — rather than a wide, drifting turn that loses position relative to the cow. The speed at which a correct fence turn happens is one of the primary indicators of difficulty and athleticism: a slow fence turn on a slow cow is technically correct but receives little credit for difficulty, while a fast, correct fence turn on a quick, athletic cow that required genuine acceleration to beat demonstrates the combination of training and athleticism that the highest fence work scores reflect.