# I have a barrell racing prospect but i don't know how to start



## MyMazuriGoldMine (Mar 12, 2009)

I have had this mare since she was a yearling and she needs an occupation very badly, she was originaly breed for team penning. but i don't have much intrest for that. i have worked barrells with her but she doesn't go around the barrels.. i end up fighting her the entire time. she's fine when i ride her otherwise but when i try to get her to even walk around the barrels she side steps and won't go around them.. i have even hand walked her around them.. she was fine with that but when i;m on her back she won't go around them..i bought that book by Chyeene James and it hasn't really helped much.. please help\


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

How old is she? How long has she been riding? How long on barrels? 
Will she extend, collect, move off your leg? Can you back straight and move her shoulders and haunches independently? 
Your horse needs to be sound in mind to start doing barrels. If she is wiggly under saddle normally, she isn't ready for barrels.


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

I agree with spastice dove.

And just a side note...her name is Charmayne James...


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## bilyeuamber (Mar 2, 2009)

I have barrel raced for 10 years now and have had lots of experience training barrel horses. The best way to start a barrel horse is to make sure that the horse understands how to bend and walk, trot, and lope circles. Walking the horse around the pattern after the horse knows how to circle correctly. Getting the horse patterned is the most important part of starting a barrel horse. Make sure you walk, trot, and lope him on the straightest lines to each barrel. If your horse fights you, you may want to consider putting a tie down on. Tie downs are not "mean" to the horse. Most barrel horses use a tie down to brace themselves when they are really running and digging. It also prevents the horse from throwing his head so high that he hits you in the face. I have had that happen, and its not fun or pretty! Hope this helps and good luck! Post pictures of you barrel racing when you get him going!


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Bleh. I don't like tie downs. They're just quick fixes. If you condition and train your horse well enough, you don't need them.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Respectfully disagree, Spastic 

I'm not sure if this is allowed, so mods if it's not just let me know, but Mugwump had a really good post recently about tie downs on barrell/roping horses. A lot of horses need them to help them balance to better perform there job. This is a link to the article: Tie Down

Go down to about the 17th paragraph, this is where the talk about tie downs comes in. There is not much about barrel horses here, but there is in the comments. I think they are all good points.

Sometimes, the head check is sued as a quick fix, a cheaters method. Soemtimes, the head check is needed for safety. And sometimes, the head check is needed because the horse needs that extra support. It all depends on hwo you use it :]


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Haha I have heard every argument for tie downs in the book and I still think you can run just as well if not better without the. *Shrug* To each his own.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Yep it is each to their own, I just don't like to statements like this:


> If you condition and train your horse well enough, you don't need them.


 That imply that if you use one you haven't trained or conditioned your horse properly.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Sorry but that's how I feel. Doesn't mean you have to believe me. 
In my experience the great majority of horses do not need them. The majority of riders that use them use them because they have gate sour horses who rear and are not trained properly. They can be used how you described, but that is not what I am talking about.

If you want to continue this discussion, feel free to PM me. I don't want to steal the board.


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

bilyeuamber said:


> I have barrel raced for 10 years now and have had lots of experience training barrel horses. The best way to start a barrel horse is to make sure that the horse understands how to bend and walk, trot, and lope circles. Walking the horse around the pattern after the horse knows how to circle correctly. Getting the horse patterned is the most important part of starting a barrel horse. Make sure you walk, trot, and lope him on the straightest lines to each barrel. If your horse fights you, you may want to consider putting a tie down on. Tie downs are not "mean" to the horse. Most barrel horses use a tie down to brace themselves when they are really running and digging. It also prevents the horse from throwing his head so high that he hits you in the face. I have had that happen, and its not fun or pretty! Hope this helps and good luck! Post pictures of you barrel racing when you get him going!


I apologize but I don't find this to be very good advice.
I've ridden several horses who know how to bend and flex but do not know how to move their body part independently. Causing them to be prone to dropping shoulders and bowing out when they anticipate the turn ,while the rider desperately struggles to maintain their composure by pulling their head away from the barrel and ripping it back to make the turn.
A barrel horse MUST have SHOULDER control if nothing else. I'd rather have control of a horses shoulder while barrel racing than just have control of his face.

Tiedowns have their place but it isnt where you stated.
"If your horse fights you, you may want to consider putting a tie down on."
This was on the verge of disturbing to me. If a horse fights you...its a dead give away that something is lost in the translation and its time to take a few steps back and re-check your training OFF the pattern. If the problem doesnt get resolved through training, then its a possibility that the problem is physical.

"It also prevents the horse from throwing his head so high that he hits you in the face."
This action screams I HAVE A PROBLEM HERE! and a tie down would be a foolish decision.

Barrel training starts off the pattern. CONTROL is everything. You need a solid base before even touching a barrel pattern. Meaning a horse that will whoa (by shifting your weight and still staying soft in the face),Extend and collect without throwing the head or gapping the mouth, counter arc @ walk trot and lope, pivot smoothly, and roll back calmly.
Once these maneuvers are embeded in the brain, slowly move onto the pattern. Slow work differs from horse to horse. Some horses like to drop into a barrel and others like to be loopy.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

BuckOff you are far more articulate than I am


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

Lol...thank you


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## MyMazuriGoldMine (Mar 12, 2009)

wow u guys are super helpful. Mazuri is almost 7 and she knows all her basics but she fights me when i do the "routine" like i said before i think it is because she is bord with all of it. she extens, collects, and does everything u ask her to do but she has now started to when i ask her to lope she thinks it's play time and wants to take off bucking and just take off. now she has never done this before til about 6 months ago.. and i have gotten her back to where she will lope w/o buckin and takin off with me, but she still tries to do it every now and again..i really don't know where to go from here. i thought about just taking her to some walk ,trot classess at a local show but i'm not sure she would behave her self. i think she would just be so overwhelmed at all the sights and sounds that she might not listen to me... Any advice there?


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

MyMazuriGoldMine said:


> wow u guys are super helpful. Mazuri is almost 7 and she knows all her basics but she fights me when i do the "routine" like i said before i think it is because she is bord with all of it. she extens, collects, and does everything u ask her to do but she has now started to when i ask her to lope she thinks it's play time and wants to take off bucking and just take off. now she has never done this before til about 6 months ago.. and i have gotten her back to where she will lope w/o buckin and takin off with me, but she still tries to do it every now and again..i really don't know where to go from here. i thought about just taking her to some walk ,trot classess at a local show but i'm not sure she would behave her self. i think she would just be so overwhelmed at all the sights and sounds that she might not listen to me... Any advice there?


Well, personally, I would start with a vet check. Just to make sure that it isnt a soreness issue. If your vet gives you the thumbs up... 

How often do you ride? What do you do when you ride?


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

*applause for BuckOff41570*


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

JustDressageIt said:


> *applause for BuckOff41570*


Hehe...I feel special today :mrgreen:


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