maybe get him in an open field and just open him up.
i had to do that with my gelding. my gelding is the same way with the first turn, just crank his head around and apply pressure with your legs, and tell him to GET.
maybe use spurs ? small dull ones, not anything big.
If you have to, be aggressive, kick him hard if you have to. Sometimes you have to be rough in oder to be gentle.

I have the same problem with my TB mare only it was her second and third barrels. I took a "lesson" from one of my friends at the barn who has been running barrels for a while. She said i need to use my outside leg when going around the barrel to push her closer to it. My left leg is stronger than my right which is why i think my mare takes wide turns on her second and third so i have to either build up my legs or use spurs. If just using your leg doesnt move him closer get spurs but get dull ones like J said. If you get big ones and he isnt use to them it could tick him off. also does he bend well for you. another thing she told me to do to loosen up my mare before i run her is ask her to stand and drop one rein and use the other to bend her head back towards your leg. If your horses isnt use to bending or doesnt bend very well he will probably start doing circles just keep asking him to stop and stand while your bending his head once he does hold for onlya few seconds release and praise then do the same thing with the other side. between doing that and the 2 months of bending training and english riding with my trainer she has gotten a lot better.

Try praising her after she takes a few steps and stops. she might be getting confused when she hears you and she might think you want her to do something else. each time try for a few more steps if she starts doing better, so instead of just 2 or 3 go for 4 then 5 and so on. hope this helps you!

Hi Jodie,

I just joined Equestrian Life and saw your question above. In order for your horse to be able to do lateral movements, you first have to get control of her shoulders. Once you have her moving her shoulders left and right with ease, her rib cage and hips will also begin to move laterally. You may want to consider checking out my website at www.EquestrianResouceSolutions.com. Under my Weekly E-Tips section, I have an article specifically on gaining control of your horse's shoulders for lateral movements. The article tells you step by step exactly how to gain control of your horse's shoulders. If you subscribe to my Weekly E-Tips, where you can then ready the article, you'll also receive weekly tips on training your barrel horse as well as Natural Horsemanship and riding tips. It's a great value at only $15.00 a year.

Wow thats amazing!