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Introduction What Makes a Barrel Horse Equipment Conditioning Initial Training Barrel Basics Maintenance and Up-keep Problem Solving Hauling in Competition
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Barrel racing has become a very popular sport in the world of rodeo. From starting out as a pastime for women on their husband’s roping horses, to one of the most exciting events in the National Finals Rodeo, barrel racing has come a long way. People all over the world enjoy this event no matter what their level of riding experience or competitive goals are. There are organizations that are family-friendly and have age groups ranging from small children to adults. Then there are the national organizations which include the top barrel racers in the world and a highly competitive atmosphere. Barrel racing can appeal to even the beginner horseman because it only takes you, your horse and three barrels. Anyone can learn the pattern, but it will take practice and patience to become a great barrel racer. As simple as it may seem to run around three barrels, there are a lot of things that you will need to know to make training your horse easier and more productive. You should also know how to pick out a good horse for barrel racing whether he is already trained or just a prospect. You should know how to ride a barrel horse that is already trained and how to train a prospect. There are other aspects of barrel racing besides having a good horse. You should know how to take care of that horse to help him reach his full potential and to keep him there. The rodeo scene is full of challenges for the horse and rider, both physically and mentally. The way you train your horse from the very first day can help you years down the road while competing. This book will help you find the right horse, train him, condition and care for him. Whether you are looking to ride at local shows for fun or want to compete at national rodeos, it all starts with a solid foundation.
Whether you already have a barn full of horses or you are looking to buy a horse, these tips will help you make the best choice. First you should decide what you will need the horse for. If you want a horse to ride in a few local rodeos and on trail rides, you won’t need the same caliber of horse you would use to compete full-time in major rodeos. Either way, you will want the right horse for you. An ideal barrel horse will be athletic, smart and sound. Buying a registered horse does not mean that the horse will be any better at barrels than a grade horse. Breeding can make a difference, but having a registered horse does not always guarantee a good horse. Papers can let you know what the horse was bred for and can help with the re-sale value later if you choose to sell. Before you even look at one horse you should make a list of everything you are looking for in a horse first. What do you want the horse for? How will you be using this horse? If you want a horse for local shows he will not need to be the same caliber as a pro-rodeo horse. Also, take an honest look at your own riding skills. Would you be able to handle a high powered pro-rodeo horse? Or do you need to look for a horse who stays and reliable and is easy to control? You don’t want to spend your money on a horse that you can’t ride. If you don’t have a lot of experience training horses, you should probably look for a horse that is already trained for barrels. Also, if you want to start barrel racing immediately you should buy a horse that is already trained and has been used for barrels. There are things you should look for if you decide to buy a horse who is “finished”, meaning he is fully trained and has proven that by competing successfully at rodeos. First, find a horse that is at your level. If you are not very experienced and want a horse to compete on at pro-rodeo levels, you shouldn’t buy a horse only proven at local shows. He may improve in the future, but you can’t be sure. When looking at finished horses, you should ask the previous rider lots of questions. Find out how the horse is trained, exercised, fed, shod and ridden. It is best to watch videos of the horse running barrels and being ridden slowly. Watch how the rider uses cues on the horse. It is important that you can adapt to what the horse is used to and not force the horse to adapt to your ways. If he is running and winning, you shouldn’t interrupt his pattern. Ask to ride the horse through the barrels at a rodeo. If there is nothing to hide, the owner should agree to let you make at least one run at a rodeo. You should be able to see if you and the horse are a good fit. It may take some time after buying a horse before you both get together 100%. If the horse is sound, well-mannered and easy to ride you should not have a problem selling him to get your money back should you still not get with him after a few months. There may be nothing wrong with the horse. Sometimes the fit between horse and rider just doesn’t work.
If you are looking for a barrel prospect rather than a finished horse, you will be in for a slightly easier task. You need to be looking for a horse that has the physical and mental capabilities to become a great barrel horse. The most important thing to look at is the horse’s confirmation. Barrel racing is a very physically demanding job. You will want a horse that is built well enough to be a good athlete and last more than one rodeo season without coming up lame. The horse must have good solid legs and feet. If the legs are crooked the horse will be much more likely to become lame. This will prevent him from performing to the best of his abilities and may cause him to associate the barrels with pain. When you are looking at a prospect, always look at his confirmation first. Don’t fall in love with every other thing about him and then be forgiving on bad conformation. If the horse is broke to ride, ride him through each gait. You can get a feel of how he moves under saddle and how you like riding him. You don’t need to take him around the barrels, but you can try some maneuvers with him like stopping, backing, turning, side-passing and giving to pressure. If the horse is willing and tries to please you, even if he doesn’t know how to do exactly what you are asking him, he will probably make a good barrel horse. If he is stubborn and unwilling to try anything he doesn’t know, that doesn’t mean he will not become a barrel horse, it just means that he will be harder to train. If the prospect you are looking at is not broke yet, watch how he moves in the pasture. Watch him run, stop and turn freely. You will be able to see how well he moves, how balanced he is and how athletic he is. Also, you should see how the horse interacts with you. Is he friendly and outgoing, or withdrawn and nervous? The most important thing to do before buying a horse is to have a vet check performed. You should be allowed to have a vet of your choice look the horse over extensively for any soundness issues or other problems. You should go into horse buying knowing that there are people out there who will lie just to make a sale. Having a veterinarian perform a pre-purchase exam will keep you covered should the horse show any signs of illness or unsoundness. If you are spending a lot of money on a horse, you may want the vet to do an extensive exam of the horse, including x-rays. A lot of rodeo horses do have some maintenance problems, but they should not be extensive. Talk to your vet and think about how much work you will want to do to keep your horse healthy.
Tack and equipment are important tools in barrel racing. Using improper or ill fitting equipment can cause your horse to become sore, stressed and uncomfortable. These things will affect your run and your horse’s performance. Also, if you are uncomfortable in your saddle you won’t be able to perform to your full potential. Saddles When selecting a barrel saddle you will be faced with many possibilities. The most important thing when selecting a saddle is that it fits your horse properly. The style, color and shape can be whatever your preferences are, but proper fitment is key. If the saddle sits too low on the horse’s back it will put pressure on the withers and create soreness. Sitting too high can cause the saddle to put pressure on other points of the horse’s back causing injury and soreness. Once you find the right saddle for your horse, make sure it fits you as well. If you ride in a saddle that is too big or too small it can put you in an awkward position. Also, your movement in the saddle can cause problems for your horse’s back. Make sure the cantle of the saddle is at a height you feel comfortable with. If your horse is big and makes powerful runs and turns, you may want a taller cantle to help keep you in position. The swells of the saddle shouldn’t be so big or straight that they restrict your movement. You should be able to get your leg forward without hitting the swells. The horn should be tall enough for you to hold if you need to balance yourself but not so tall that it gets in the way of your riding. Saddle Pads Saddle pads are also very important. You should use a pad that cushions your saddle, but is not so thick that it keeps you up and away from your horse. Padding that is too thick can make your saddle slide around causing pressure to be applied unevenly. Breast Collars Breast collars are often used as a decorative accessory in the arena, but do serve a purpose. A breast collar helps keep your saddle in the proper position while running. The breast collar should be at least two inches in width so pressure is applied evenly. Thin breast collars can cause pressure in concentrated areas, which can cause your horse to react. Bits Every barrel racing bit is usually made of some sort of snaffle bit. Solid mouthpiece bits have many uses, but are not recommended for training or barrel competition. Solid mouthpiece bits can not get the same reaction needed for flexing and bending that a snaffle
bit can. You should keep a few different bits for your horse; one to use in competition, one for training and exercising and another for everyday riding. Snaffle bits come in many different styles, but the most widely used for barrel racing are gag bits. The mouthpiece of a gag bit is not fixed at the side, but instead slides up and down the shank. This gives the horse a chance to respond to the cue before the bit fully engages. Pay attention to the shank of the bit which can be found in varying lengths from long to short. The varying lengths will offer different amounts of lift and leverage. The longer the shank the more lift and leverage you will get. Combination bits are also popular. These bits are snaffle bits but also have a rope over the nose that works with the bit. These bits work by engaging the horse’s mouth and then the nose, usually resulting in more control. Reins All barrel racing reins are short round reins. Split reins or reins that are too long can become dangerous if you drop them during a run. Barrel racing reins are normally made of leather, nylon or parachute cord material. Many barrel reins are made with knots in them so that you can easily locate the center of the reins if they are dropped. The knots also help when you need to reach down and pull. Tie downs Tie downs have been under a lot of controversy in the barrel arena. Some say a tie down can help your horse balance himself around a turn, while others say any tie down hinders the horse’s ability to run and turn properly. If your horse is throwing his head up during a run, there is probably a problem occurring that is causing pain or discomfort. Using a tie down in this situation will only mask the problem while creating others. If your horse uses the tie down to balance himself in a turn, you can use a loose tie down. A soft rope or leather noseband works best across the nose. The tie down strap should be loose enough to push up to the horse’s throatlatch. This will allow the horse enough movement to do his job, but will prevent him from throwing his head up so high that he loses sight of the barrels. Leg Protection Protective boots should be used every time you make a run through the barrels whether you are at a rodeo or just practicing. No matter how well your horse is shod or how balanced he is, he may still overreach and hit himself in a turn. Front boots, bell boots and back boots are all necessities in barrel racing. Front boots will protect your horse’s legs and tendons if he hits himself. Bell boots protect the front heels from the back hooves. Back boots, or skid boots, protect your horse’s fetlocks from hitting the ground when setting and turning. You should keep all boots clean and free of dirt and sand. After removing the boots, make sure to clean them and your horse’s legs. Dirt and sand will get into the boots and rub against the horse’s legs while wearing them.
Spurs Spurs are often used in barrel racing, but not to encourage a horse to run faster. Spurs should only be used as reinforcement for a cue. First you use your leg to get your horse move away from pressure and if you don’t get the response you are looking for, you can use spurs. Spurs should have a turned downed shank and dull, smooth rowels. Be careful you are not touching your horse with your spurs unless you need them. Constant spurring can cause a horse to become less sensitive in his sides. Whips If you go to a rodeo, chances are almost every barrel racer there will have an over-and-under on their saddle. Not all of them will use it in the arena, but it is left there should it become needed. An over-and-under should be attached to the horn of the saddle and easy to reach while running. This way you don’t have to hold it in your hand during a run. Before entering the arena you should lay the over-and-under across your leg so it is easy to grab without even looking down. Your over-and-under can be made of soft or stiff rope whichever you prefer. The end should have wide leather so it pops the horse but does not hurt. The length of the rope should reach about 10 to 18 inches below the skirt of your saddle. This length allows you to reach your horse but it isn’t long enough to reach sensitive areas like the stomach or flanks. Some people prefer short bats. Normally the bat is held in the mouth and used between barrels and on the run home. But horses can see the bat and may shy to one side when you reach up to grab it. The best thing to do is to use what works best for you and your horse.
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Keeping your horse conditioned is just as important as his initial training. A barrel horse has to be in top condition to be able to perform. If not, he may associate running barrels with getting sore. Even thought a barrel run only lasts a few seconds, it is very strenuous on the horse’s entire body. A horse in top condition also has a better chance of staying sound. You can’t expect a horse to get into top shape overnight and you can’t keep him there without frequent exercise. The best thing to do is come up with a program so that you can monitor what exercise your horse is getting. This will also make it easier to add or takeaway parts of your program according to your horse’s condition. Before starting an exercise program you should determine what condition your horse is currently in. If the horse’s coat is shiny it can mean he is healthy, although he may not be in condition. When you ride him you can see how heavy he breathes after a short amount of exercise. If he is breathing very heavily, he should be walked until he is breathing slow and normal. Part of getting your horse into shape is building his lung capacity and stamina. You should also observe how much the horse is sweating so you can see how hot he is. If he has sweat on most of his body after a short workout, he is out of shape. He should be walked and allowed to cool off slowly. Also, check puffiness and swelling around his joints and legs. A horse that is out of shape may have swelling and should be exercised lightly until in better condition. When conditioning any horse, no matter his current condition, there are three giants you will use almost every day. These gaits are the walk, long trot and slow lope. You will want to build up your exercise program gradually, building your horse’s lung capacity and stamina slowly. If your horse likes to lope fast, get him to slow down by gently pulling one rein and then the other. This will slow him down to a more collected lope. This is actually important conditioning a barrel horse. Between barrels you want your horse to lengthen his stride and stretch out. Long trotting will make your horse reach out in his stride. When going into a turn, your horse should shorten his stride to quickly turn the barrel. Slow loping will help your horse learn to shorten his stride and become more collected. When starting your exercise program with a horse that is not in condition, you should start out with short distances. Alternate long trotting and slow loping for a half a mile. Of course you should always walk your horse before and after trotting and loping. Go this distance for one week and then extend the distance two-tenths of a mile every week after. The goal is to reach six or eight miles each time. It will take months to reach this distance, but it takes a long time to get a horse into top condition. You should do this three or four days a week, every other day. The other days should be used to ride your horse easily, or just turn him out to pasture. This will help him not get bored with the exercise program. After 90 days into this program, your horse should be in very good condition, but not yet to his peak. Now is a good time to add sprinting into your routine. Once a week you can
ask your horse to run as fast as he can for about 250 yards. Slowly bring him back down to lope, trot and then walk him out. On the day that you do this you can skip some of the long trotting and slow loping. The sprint will have your horse working harder, but he will get to go a shorter distance. This will help build the horse’s lung capacity and let him have a little fun. After your horse reaches his peak condition and you start competing regularly, you will not need to keep this strenuous exercise program going. Once you are competing and running your horse most weekends, you will need to move to a maintenance program. If you are competing heavily, 30 minutes of walking, trotting and loping three days a week will be enough to keep your horse going. Always remember that your horse needs to be warmed up before a run whether you are practicing or running in a competition. Remember to not over work your horse before a competition run. You don’t want him too hot and out of breath before entering the arena. A calm warm up of 20 to 30 minutes of trotting and slow loping should be sufficient. Cooling your horse is just as important as warming him up. After any workout or run, walk your horse until he is cooled off and breathing normally. If the weather allows, always rinse your horse off after every ride. Dirt and sweat will build up and is much easier to get off right after riding. This will also allow your horse to be completely cooled off. Depending on the climate where you live, you will have to watch your horse for signs of overheating. Anytime your horse is out of breath or is too hot you will need to walk him slowly until his breathing and temperature return to normal.
When training a barrel horse you should not go straight to the barrels. It is possible to get some decent runs training a horse that way, but you will probably end up with more problems than winning runs. Before even thinking about the barrels, you should make sure your horse has a good, solid foundation in basic training. Whether you are working with a young horse or an older horse, he will benefit with these basic maneuvers. He will become flexible, supple and responsive to leg pressure. The exercises will prepare him for barrel training, which will make it easier to work on problems in the future, or possible avoid them all altogether. An important point to follow is to take things slow. If you rush through any part of the horse’s training, you will regret it later. With a solid foundation in training, you and your horse will have a greater chance at succeeding in barrels. You should start out using a mild snaffle bit, like a ring snaffle. Start your horse with a light bit and try not to move to a harsh bit unless you absolutely have to. Keeping your horse’s mouth soft and responsive is easier with a mild snaffle. Using too harsh of a bit may make your horse hard mouthed. If the horse does not respond with the ring snaffle, try a twisted wire snaffle or a “dog bone” snaffle. If your horse responds better to curb pressure, find a short shank snaffle with some amount of curb pressure. Be sure to leave the curb chain loose, but not so loose it never touches his chin.
Remember during any training that you shouldn’t overdo it. Horses get bored doing the same work repeatedly and when they are bored the lose concentration. An intensive training session should not last more than 20 or 30 minutes. Some horses can only take 15 minutes before they get tired. If your horse is good at side passing to the left, don’t work on that as often as you work on his side passing to the right. Before starting your horse on barrels, he should know some basic maneuvers and be able to work off of pressure. Moving off of pressure should be taught from the ground first. Ground work is a very important part of any horse’s training. When teaching to move off of pressure, start with the horse’s side. Start by touching his sides, asking him to move away from the pressure. Keep applying pressure until you get a response. You may have to poke with your finger before getting a response. When riding you will use this same technique, but with your legs. Your horse should be able to move off of pressure from his sides, shoulders and hindquarters. Another thing your horse should know is how to bend and flex. You should be able to bend your horse’s neck both ways while your horse continues to travel straight. You should be able to move your horse in any direction at any speed. This will really help when working on the barrel pattern.
Many basic exercises can be used in patterns. You can use the patterns when training your horse and also later to keep him tuned. A great pattern to start with is a corkscrew pattern. Start out with a large circle. Ask your horse to lope either to the right or left and make sure he is loping on the correct lead. If he wants to go faster than a slow lope, let him but keep him in control. Don’t pull on him but keep him going in the circle. After he slows down you can start the pattern by continuing to make circles. Make each circle smaller than the last until the circles are so small the horse must drop down to a trot and then a walk. The entire time you are making the circles, keep a little pressure on the inside rein to keep his nose tipped in towards the inside of the circles. Use your legs to keep his body slightly arced towards the inside of the circle. Once you are walking in a very tight circle, switch the reins and leg pressure to the opposite side and ask for large circles, starting again with a slow lope. Doing this a few times each direction is a great warm up. Another exercise that will help your horse prepare for running barrels is to use stops and roll backs. You should ride in an arena or pasture with corners. Start this exercise by loping big circles until your horse is calm and relaxed. Take him out of the circle but continue loping down along the fence. When you get about five or six full strides from the corner, ask the horse to stop. Do this by sitting down in the saddle, taking up the slack out of the reins and saying “whoa”. After the horse stops, turn him towards the fence and lope towards the other corner, repeating the process. Once your horse is listening to your cues really well, you can stop anywhere along the fence, not just in the corners. After a few good stops, ask your horse to stop, but turn him before he has time to completely stop and stand still. This is a roll back and will keep him quick on his feet. If your horse is having trouble with this, ask for a stop and then back him up a few steps before turning. The key is to get him to lean into his back end to turn. Now you can move into asking him for rate. This will help him rate before tuning a barrel, When loping down the fence, use your inside rein and outside leg pressure to get the horse to arc his body towards the fence. Complete the stop and roll back like this, which is how you will be approaching each barrel. After completing this exercise correctly a few times, you can go to the middle of the arena and top using the fence as an aid. Just be sure when doing this exercise that there is continuous motion. You shouldn’t actually stop completely at any point. Also, your horse should pick up the correct lead after leaving each roll back. Your horse should also know how to back correctly. You should be able to back you horse as many steps as you want. When backing, sit down in the saddle, pull evenly on the reins and release pressure as soon as the horse responds. You can use leg pressure to get him to respond faster, but don’t allow him to step forward. You can also get your horse to back in an arc or circle for exercise. This will not only help him follow your commands, but it will help with his balance.
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Since your horse should know all of the basics by now, he is probably ready for the barrels. If your horse can be controlled at any position and at any speed, he will look like he has done barrels before, even if this is his first time. This just shows that he is properly trained on basic commands. Horse learn by repetition, so walking and trotting around the barrels the correct way each time will help them form a good habit. Make sure you turn the barrels correctly and the same way every time so you are reinforcing a correct pattern. For the first initial time through the barrels you can walk the entire pattern. Your horse will probably get board if you walk the entire pattern more than a few times. You can trot up to and between the barrels, but slow to a walk around the barrels, but slow to a walk around the barrels. You can bring your horse through the pattern a few times the first day, but don’t overdo it. You can wait a day or two before trying the barrels again. You should not work your horse on the barrels everyday, even at a slow pace. You should exercise your horse, but skip the barrels for a few days. When you start back on the barrels you can try the pattern at a walk and them a trot. If your horse completes the pattern well, you should stop. Always end the ride on a good pattern. If you are working at a trot and can’t get everything right, slow to a walk until your horse makes a good pattern. If your horse has the correct foundation, he should progress in barrel training fairly easily. If he does not, go back to a slower pace and start again. There is no such thing as too much slow work, but moving to a faster speed too soon can lead to many problems. If your horse is progressing fairly well, you can start loping slowly two to three weeks after your first day. Slow lope to and between the barrels, slowing to a walk or trot around the barrels. You should always slow down before you get to a barrel to teach your horse to rate. Rating is when your horse collects himself, shortens his stride and slows down before a turn. When you trot the pattern he should slow to a walk around the barrel. If you are loping he should slow to a trot. Always get your horse to rate before each barrel every time you go through the pattern. If you are walking, stop your horse, back him up a step or two and then continue at a walk. Your horse should start to automatically rate himself before a barrel. If
you don’t enforce rating during every pattern, your horse may still complete a good run, but later when you start asking for more speed your horse will overrun the barrel and pick up a bad habit. A good position to rate your horse is 12 to 15 feet from the barrel. This will allow him time to rate and slow down when you start running through the pattern. Besides teaching your horse to rate, making a pocket in is one of the most important parts of the barrel pattern. You should start making a pocket before each turn from the very first time you bring your horse around the barrels. Start our making a pocket about four to six feet around the barrel. Once your horse starts to respect this position you can bring the space between your stirrup and the barrel down to about two feet. You should never practice getting any closer to the barrel than two feet. This pocket will reinforce to your horse that he should never touch the barrel. If he gets closer to the barrel than you would like, go back to making your pockets six or even ten feet wide. After he learns to respect this distance, you can then slowly bring the pocket back down to a smaller width. If he continues to get too close to the barrel, keep bringing him back out until he learns to respect the pocket that you set. You should maintain the slower pace until your horse shows you that he can rate, pocket and turn on his own. This can start in the first few days, but will take much more time at a faster pace. Once your horse can complete the pattern consistently without one misstep, you may begin to increase his speed. Slowly increase your horse’s speed by urging him with your legs and moving your body position forward. These are all things that you will probably do later at a rodeo to urge your horse to run faster. You can start showing him now that these are the cues for him to move faster. Always remember to work your horse slowly through the pattern after you have gone through with more speed. You can’t have too much slow work, but too much speed can stress your horse. Once you ask for speed in the pattern, make sure your horse is still
completing the pattern correctly. If he takes one wrong step, start over and take him through at a slower pace. Always end the day with a slow, correct pattern. When your horse makes a pattern correctly while remaining calm, it is time to end the training session for the day. Too much repetition through the pattern can get your horse stressed. He may start associating the barrel pattern with being unpleasant and stressful. Your horse will let you know if he is becoming stressed. If your horse is becoming stressed he may try to turn away from the barrels when you head for them. He may also try to go through the pattern faster than the speed you are asking for. He may try turning the barrel too early, or blowing past the barrel and not turning at all. If your horse does any of these things or shows other signs of being stressed, you should stop immediately. Give him time away from the barrels. A few days, a week or even a month away from barrel training may be what it takes to get your horse refreshed and ready to start again. When you start on the pattern, start slowly and do not push your horse. You may have moved too fast with speed or repeated the pattern too much for your horse to handle. Also, remember to ride your horse away from the barrels regularly. Trail riding and working cattle are great ways to get your horse’s mind off of barrels and keep him from becoming too bored or stressed.
To keep your horse running his best race you need to keep him in top shape. There are many areas that you need to pay very close attention to for the health of your horse. Make sure you have a good quality feed that your horse will eat. The best feed in the world won’t do you any good if your horse doesn’t like it and refuses to eat it. There are literally hundreds of different types of feeds out there, but you need to find the one that suits your horse’s needs. For instance, you won’t feed your competitive horse the same feed or the same amount of a pregnant mare, or an older retired horse. Once you find a good feed for your horse, you should stick to a consistent daily routine of feeding times. If you don’t feed your horse until 11:00 am, and then feed early in the evening, you may be looking at problems. Horses are meant to graze all day and too much feed at one time or too much feed on a completely empty stomach can cause colic or other stomach problems. The best thing you can do is to feed multiple times a day. Figure out how much feed your horse needs first. Most feeds are measured by the weight of your horse and the weight of the feed. Once you find out the amount of feed your horse needs each day, divide that amount up three or four times. Feed your horse early in the morning, mid morning, afternoon and then again in the evening. Between meals, allow your horse to have free choice hay and clean, fresh water. Roughage is a big part of a horse’s diet. Having hay and water available at all times will keep your horse’s intestinal track moving. A very important thing to have is a great veterinarian. You should find a good veterinarian whom you trust and get along with. Your veterinarian will know your horse and what is normal for him. Barrel horses have jobs that are demanding on their entire bodies, especially their joints. Your vet can help you keep your horse sound and pain-free if you both work together on problems. Your horse’s teeth are another thing to keep in shape. Most horses should go in yearly for a check of the teeth. If he seems to have problems, go in sooner. Many teeth problems are easily corrected, but can cause major problems while they are there. Teeth that wear unevenly can cause a horse to chew incorrectly, or not at all. This can cause him to not properly chew his food, which can cause digestion problems. Other teeth problems can make your horse’s mouth sore, especially when you put a bit in his mouth. Having his teeth checked regularly can prevent all of these problems. Your farrier will become a regular at your barn. A horse’s hooves are the most important thing to keep in shape. If your horse seems to travel different or is extremely sore after a trim or shoe job, talk to your farrier about it. If the farrier insists on continuing in the same manner, get a farrier who will shoe your horse correctly. Not every horse can be shod the same way. Each horse is different and will require a different shaped shoe. In barrel racing, there are barrel shoes that a lot of people use. You can also use aluminum racing plates. Both of these types of shoes have rims in the front for better traction in the dirt. Many horses are hurt from slipping in a turn, and these rims can help them get their footing. These types of shoes can be used on the front and rear hooves.
Barrel racing for any length of time, you will almost certainly come across a problem or two. Most problems can be fixed by going back to basics and correcting the problem. Some problems occur over time because your horse develops a bad habit. If your horse becomes nervous or hyper in the alley-way, he is what is called “alley sour�. This is usually caused by doing too much fast work and not enough walking and trotting the pattern. Many people think that once their horse knows the pattern, they only need to run through the barrels. This is almost opposite of what should be done. You should not need to run your horse through the pattern at all when practicing unless you are working on a specific problem. Most of your work should be done at a walk or trot. If your horse refuses to go into the alley, or engages in some type of bad behavior, you need to go home and work on him. Start by entering the arena and loping in the opposite direction of the first barrel. Lope the horse around the arena and then exit. Do this a few times until the horse is calm. Once you have the problem under control at home, you should do this exercise in another arena. Often times, the horse will not even have the problem at home in your regular practice area. You will need to haul him to a different arena in different environments until the problem is corrected. Also, your horse may be getting nervous because you are nervous. Horses can read what you are feeling and he may feel you get nervous or excited and this may scare him. Try to stay calm when working with him.
Many barrel horses get into a habit of running past the first barrel. This is usually caused by too much speed going to the barrel and not enough rate. When you come into the arena, you will want to be running, but still have your horse under complete control and listening to your cues. You should maintain the correct position and ask for rate at the appropriate spot. You should ride your horse with the same cues during a barrel run that you do during practice. Consistency is key in running a pattern correctly. Start over by going slow through the pattern, making sure you stop your horse before the barrel, then continue at a slow pace around the barrel. You can even stop him and back up a few steps before the barrel. This will help set in his mind that he should slow down before turning the barrel. Don’t jump to a stronger bit because your horse is going wide or past the first barrel. A harsh bit will only cover up your problem, not fix it. Sometimes the problems are not with the horse, but with the rider. Even people who have been riding for a long time will make mistakes. Many times when your horse seems to always be in the wrong position to make a correct turn, it is actually because you are in the wrong position. You may be looking directly at the barrel, which will lead you straight to the barrel instead of making your pocket. You may be leaning one way or the other, or even applying too much pressure with one of your legs without even realizing it. These things are easy to correct, but hard to figure out. The best thing to do when you start having problems out of the blue is to video your run and watch it closely to pick up on things that my be going wrong. If your horse starts going in tight around the barrel and then coming out really wide, look at how you are riding him through the turn. If you are kicking or urging him faster through the turn and then stopping to head for the next barrel, you may be sending him confusing signals. You should sit correctly through the turns and ask for speed between the barrels. A smooth, correctly run pattern will be faster than a choppy pattern where you whip and kick more. It may seem like urging your horse to run faster will make him faster, but this is not usually how it goes. Again, the best way to pick up on these mistakes is by looking at a video of yourself making a run. Another thing you should always look for is sudden changes in your horse. For instance, if your horse is normally calm going into the arena and suddenly starts to refuse, or if he usually turns correctly, but suddenly runs past barrels or turns wide. You should first check him for obvious injuries and then check all of your tack and equipment. Something may be pinching or poking him. If you can’t find anything wrong, have a vet look him over. There can be all sorts of hidden things wrong with him. Horse can pull muscles just like we can; his teeth may be bothering him; he may be sore somewhere; or he may need a chiropractor. These things can all come up suddenly and cause your horse to drastically change his behavior. Many times after a quick fix your horse will be as good as new, but it is important to take care of these problems as soon as possible.
Whether you are going on the road to a lot of barrel races or are just competing at local rodeos on the weekends, you will want to be prepared for anything while on the road and at competitions. You should stock your truck and trailer with the essentials and other things that will make the trip much easier. The easier things are on you, the less stress you will endure. You should make up a check list of things to bring and where to put them. Keep this list in your trailer and go over it each time you head to a rodeo. Some things on your list should be buckets. Feed and water buckets should be kept in your trailer. You want to have your own buckets and not share with horses that you don’t know. You should also bring along a blanket for each horse if you are traveling in cold weather and a sheet in warmer weather. Shipping boots are a good idea for long trailer ride, but make sure they fit properly and are not too tight. Other things to bring along, besides your regular tack of course, extra halter, lead, bridle, bit, blanket, change of clothes, small tool kit, boots, extra horseshoes fit to your horse, feed and hay. You may not need all of these things, but they will be there if any problems arise. A very important thing to have in your trailer at all times is a stocked first aid kit, or vet kit. Gauze, bandages, extra boots, vet wrap, tape, iodine scrub, sharp scissors, some type of topical wound care for cuts/scrapes and numbers to the area veterinarians should a major accident occur. When hauling to rodeos, you will want your trailer to be in good condition. Always check the floor, hitch, gates/latches and tires before every trip. Keeping your trailer in good shape will keep both you and your horse safe. You will also want to keep your horse comfortable on longer trips. Insulating the trailer floor will keep your horse’s legs rested and will also keep the floor cooler on long trips. If you use shavings on the floor of the trailer, make sure they are heavy, or wet them down before leaving. You don’t want dust flying around getting in your horse’s eyes and nose. The best thing for the floor is thick foam matting underneath rubber mats. This should provide cushioning for your horses while keeping the air clean. Just make sure to clean the floor when it gets dirty to reduce chances of slipping. Warming up before a rodeo is important for you and your horse. It will give your horse a chance to stretch his legs and get out any extra energy and it will give you a chance to warm up and calm any nervousness. You will want to warm up your horse’s muscles and get him moving smoothly before asking him to make a fast run in the arena. The warm up should include some walking, trotting and loping. You should also do some flexing exercises to help him get limber. You should make time to cool your horse after warming up before going into the arena for your run. Your horse should be breathing evenly and not dripping with sweat. Before making your run, you should check all of your equipment including your girth, bridle, boots and your horse’s hooves.
After making your run, you should walk your horse until he is cooled off completely. Don’t take the run out on him if he hit a barrel or made a mistake. Leave that for later practice sessions. You should get off and loosen the girth after leaving the arena. The best thing to do is to remove the saddle and put a sheet on him and cool him off. Take his boots off and brush off any dirt that may have gotten inside the boots. After your horse is completely cool and is breathing evenly, you can let him have a drink of water. Never let him drink water when he is hot and sweating. Here are some things that can help you make a winning run: • Try to check out the arena you will be competing in. Ideally, you should be able to ride your horse in the arena before the start of the rodeo. This will allow you to see what type of ground you will be running on and will give your horse a chance to see the surroundings in the pen. • Stand in the alley way and decide where you will really start your run, according to where the first barrel is set up. You don’t want to send your horse in the arena running wide open and not know where the best angle for the first turn is. Some arenas don’t have the barrel pattern set up in the center of the pattern, so you will have to move your horse over before really starting your run. • Watch how the arena personnel work the gates. Do they close the gate after you enter? Is it held open or closed when you run home from the third barrel? Is the gate in the center of the pattern, or is it off centered? You should know the answer to these questions before you make your run and have a plan for an exit. You should always circle your horse after making a run. After you have run past the timers, slow your horse and turn him either to the left or right. Make a circle and then exit the arena. This is the safest thing to do. Many accidents have occurred when horses are run out the gate. Riders can have their legs hit on the sides of the entryway, horses may not stop in time before running into a gate further back, or other horses/people. You should have complete control of your horse before leaving the arena. There are other things to keep your horse in top shape for competition. Make sure you keep your horse comfortable. This includes the trailer ride and at the show. If you have a stall at the show, set it up as close to your own stalls as possible. Try to have the same kind of bedding, clean water, hay, and of course, the same feed. You should always make sure you bring your own feed on every trip. Changing your horse’s feed suddenly can really cause stress on his system, which can alter his performance. Bring your own hay if it is possible. You should allow your horse to have hay at all times during the day and night when on the road. This will keep his intestines moving, which is why horses naturally graze all day. This helps prevent colic, which can make any trip a disaster. Keeping your horse and yourself in top shape is the best thing you can do to give yourself the best chance to win.