# how to get a barrel horse to go faster???



## chika1235

i have a 4 yr old tn walker cross mare and ive been training her for barrels for about 2 months now and she is running them barely above a lope now.i usually dont have time to whip her to make her go faster because of her big strides and i really dont ike the idea of spurs much,she is really good at barrels and since i have an arena at home almost 2x the size of a training corral im going to go to the local horse show arena when their not doing shows and im going to try her out in a big arena with proprer footing and space.so how far apart do i set the barrels and how do i make it so she does the fastest time possible???ill try to get a video when i go.


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## Spastic_Dove

Conditioning will bring you speed as well as running a consistent, balanced pattern. 

As far as placings on your barrels, it depends on the size of your arena but the standard pattern is 45 feet from timer to first barrel, 90 feet between first and second, and 105 between the 1st and 3rd and 2nd and 3rd.


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## westonsma

tn walkers aren't necessarily built for speed, honey. And she may just not feel comfortable running. My 6yr old TB still doesn't LIKE to run. He's just not made for it. Great on trails? Yes. Great on the barrel and pole patterns? Yes. Fast at any of them? No. I'm new to the site, but I can see a lot of interesting things! Good luck with your endeavors, and since she is still young, it may just take a little more time!


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## MacabreMikolaj

Unfortunately, it's very likely she won't ever have the speed to compete in barrels. TWH simply aren't built for any sort of speed, their conformation just isn't built for that purpose and they have extremely "different" conformation compared to typical horse breeds, being gaited.

A friend of mine owns four TWH, and although her mare Jessi LOVES to run, she's slow as molasses. If I turn my Arab mare loose, we'll leave her a 1/4 mile behind within seconds.

Obviously there are some exceptions to the rule, just a warning to be prepared that she likely isn't the best barrel prospect. And thank you for agreeing on the whipping and spurring, it always bugs me to see that.


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## Spastic_Dove

She's probably never going to be your 1D barrel horse or running at the NFR, but there are ways to add speed. If she has the heart for it, there are ways to help her. Proper conditioning, trot sets with some sprinting, and balanced patterns are the way.


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## reining girl

i think she needs some more time on barrels. 2 months is not long enough to be going out and running them. In my opinion. It sounds like she is not quite confident on them yet to be running. Spend some more time loping and trotting around them and what not, and i think she will get braver and go faster. good luck!!


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## Spastic_Dove

I totally missed that. I haven't been reading very well today for some reason. 

In most cases, if the horse is 4 and has been on barrels for 2 months, you need more slow, suppling, basic work before you worry about speed.


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## chika1235

Spastic_Dove said:


> Conditioning will bring you speed as well as running a consistent, balanced pattern.
> 
> As far as placings on your barrels, it depends on the size of your arena but the standard pattern is 45 feet from timer to first barrel, 90 feet between first and second, and 105 between the 1st and 3rd and 2nd and 3rd.


 
i ride my horse for 2 hours everyday so she will be strong enough.i trail ride her,jump her,and barrel race her and she is in pretty good condition but right now im looking at muscle builders so she can be even more durable.


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## chika1235

she isnt full tn walker though.the person who i got her from also had quarter horses and a tn walker herd.so i think she mighteve been an unplanned breeding with one of his quarter horses.


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## Curly_Horse_CMT

chika1235 said:


> i ride my horse for 2 hours everyday so she will be strong enough.i trail ride her,jump her,and barrel race her and she is in pretty good condition but right now im looking at muscle builders so she can be even more durable.


Hills, hills and more hills. Lots of walking and trotting. Cantering and galloping build endurance and wind.


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## Spastic_Dove

What are you doing during those two hours? What is your training schedule like?


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## chika1235

Spastic_Dove said:


> What are you doing during those two hours? What is your training schedule like?


it varies but at least 3 times a week i do trotting,canter up hills,and then do barrels
sometimes ill start in the arena and then go and do trails for those 2 hourse with no walking just trotting and loping
and once every week ill do a rough workout with just loping and cantering and working on my one rein stops


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## NewHeart

My question is how long are you practicing the pattern for? At four years old, your horse is still pretty young. Physically, your horse may be in great shape which is good. However, mentally your horse may not be ready for more speed. This is just my opinion, and everyone has their own, but asking too much now may have an end result of a sour horse later. It can also create leg issues later on down the road which won't benefit you or your horse. 

I think what SD and others have said is very good advice. Slow work really is key, and will benefit you a lot in the long run. Why rush it?


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## morganshow11

To get my horse to go faster i grunt, it works!


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## chika1235

morganshow11 said:


> To get my horse to go faster i grunt, it works!


 
what?!? like a tennis player grunt???


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## morganshow11

No, i cant really explain it.


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## BuckOff41570

At 4 years old faster is the last thing that should be on your list. Unless your heading down the road for futurities (which your not) I would not be pushing to much for "run". This is the precious time that you should be working on quality slow work. Getting that solid foundation on your horse so that you can have the CONTROL you need when you add speed. Barrel racing may have the word "racing" in it...but in reality it's not about the speed, it's about the control.


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## amy

You need to work on control. Obviously, even though you're asking for speed, your horse isn't listening. Go back to the basics. Do some groundwork, then do basics in the saddle. Get your horse light and responsive and where he'll move off your leg easily. THEN you can ask for speed.

However, I must say that if your horse doesn't like barrels, he'll never be great at them. I don't like the idea of forcing him to do them. But if he likes them and is just not great... Help him get better. He may never be a 1D horse, but if he enjoys it and you do, just have fun and do the best you can.


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