# The downsides to running barrels.



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

I am highly considering this sport and need to know all the details. Tonight I went and watched a local competition and almost every other horse was in some way lame from recent injury or confirmation. Some were more obvious then others. 

When I mention to most "non" horsey people that I may participate, they have lots of negative views. My trainer and I have a different view and out look on how to run, turn, ect that I am assuming is better for the horses movement and not just "flying by the seat of our pants" and running. 

What are your opinions on the sport, drawbacks, and long term damage it can cause to the horse? 

IF I choose to only participate for fun, I may pursue reigning, cutting, and/or maybe dressage (Thunder would be good at it  )


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I think the most damage is to thier head. Most riders spur spur spur then they haul back on the reins and then as the horse is trying to slow down they spur spur spur again. The worst part of barrel racing is putting up with barrel racers. Even bull riders won't put up with some of it.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Kevin I completely agree with you! That is why I had such a negative image at first was because of the ones I had seen and met. After meeting and getting to know my trainer, she has a completely different outlook on the sport and her attitude is amazing. She does it for herself and no one else. I really like that. I think I may start with this sport and see if it's for me, if not then move on to the next. 

However, I do think I want to train my gelding in dressage and western (maybe reigning?) we'll see if it's for him though.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

The more reining training you both have the better your barrel experience will be.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Very good point thank you for your responses


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Agreed. I can't help but shake my head at all these PETA protesters going after bull riders and calf ropers - if they bothered to open their eyes, they'd see the vicious little witches with jaw breaker bits and no brains to save a rock are the most appalling abusive rodeo go'ers. It makes me cringe watching how idiotically half these women treat their animals - but somehow because they're women, they must be kinder then cowboys?!

Kudos to you for doing it right. Barrel racing has developed such a tarnished image, and it ticks me off because I love it as a sport. Racehorses don't need to be razzed before a race. Show jumpers don't need to be razzed before a course. Why on earth is it acceptable for barrel racers to have uncontrollable mounts who disolve into neurotic puddles as soon as they see a gate? I do not believe for even a second that amping an animal up that much give you ANY competitive edge. They run so blindly into their turns nowadays, it's amazing we don't see more wrecks. These girls just drill the pattern into their poor brains and then hang on for dear life, kicking and hollering and bouncing the entire way. It's disgraceful that such a sport has allowed every last shred of horsemanship fly out the window, waving as it goes.

Haha, anyway, sorry for ranting. I agree totally with kevinshorses, a good reining foundation on your horse will automatically put you three steps ahead of most of your competitors. It also gives your horse more to think about then just a pattern - it teaches him not to lose his marbles when he sees a gate because he's not quite sure exactly what you guys may be doing, so he doesn't have to get "excited" yet. After seeing what barrel horses have become, I don't think I could ever do my mount a disservice by turning him/her into ONLY a barrel racer. Horses need more stimulation then racing around the same pattern forty times a day. I think in the long run, your chances of winning are going to be much better when you have a horse that responds to you, not to the pattern. Heart isn't developed by making your horse such a neurotic mess that he looks "amped to run!" Heart is developed by understanding and making your horse enjoy his work.

As long as you keep those key elements in mind, I have zero issues with barrel racing and I can guarantee a lot of horses find it hella fun as it's a little less controlled then most disciplines and let's them really rip. The only negatives I see in barrel racing are obsessive twits with NO regard for their mount. I do not see why injury should be prevelant if they would actually bother to do something OTHER then slamming their horses tendons into the dirt, or their asses on their backs for that matter. These same idiots are usually running 2 and 3 year olds around the patterns, so that could be a huge issue in lameness as older horses.

Best of luck! It's always exciting to meet someone who wants to do it RIGHT and instill the good old heart and soul of true barrel racing!


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

Barrel racing is a fun sport...but there are a lot of negative effects from it.
Most of which is RIDER caused...not because of the sport itself. 
As far as wear and tear, barrels and reining are in the same ball park. 
THE BEST way to persue barrels is to surround yourself with KNOWLEDGABLE horsemen, not only in the sport of barrel racing, but also on horsemanship in general. Being green is the one thing that will work against you in barrels, and it'll happen fast.
Before touching a barrel pattern I suggest drowning yourself and your horse in fundamentals. Take reining lessons. Take dressage lessons. Both would help you no matter what you choose. And if/when you decide to barrel race, you'll have a better understanding of your body position, as well as your horses.


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## ilovestitch (Dec 22, 2006)

I run barrels and I agree with kevinshorses and buckoff41570. It is a wonderful thing to get into as long as you have knowledgable people around you to teach you and uyou start your horse off with the patterns the right way. Thats where alot of people go wrong, they think they will just 'punch it to the floor' and wrench their horses face around the barrel, thats how horses get sour and get messed up in the head. As long as you do it the righ way and start teaching your horse the pattern correctly at a walk and trot and slowly move up your speed it can be a wonderful thing to do with your horse.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

You also need to keep your horse the hell away from a barrel pattern except MAYBE one time per week. If I were to train a barrel horse I would do everything I could think off that was not in an arena.


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## SmoothTrails (Oct 1, 2009)

^ I agree Kevin. Ours only get on the pattern a few times every couple or three weeks. Other than that they work on basics and trail riding to keep their mind right. It makes such a difference to your times to do that. I don't ride barrels, but my step-dad and best friend do. (I'm learning) The horses have to know the basics. Our horses aren't pulled around the barrels, they are moved mostly with legs and then you follow their head with the reins. (there is normally slack as we go around) My step-dad always says a good lazy horses is the one that wins. They don't use up all their energy, and they can actually focus on the barrels.


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

I have ran barrels for years. And I run my horses in a D-bit, no tie down or spurs. And I am consistently 2-D. I have never had a lame horse. But they are fitted to it. And I agree.... when I do slow work starting the pattern on a horse... Ill do it 3 days a week. And trail rdie the rest. Once I start asking speed... the horses knows the pattern well enough that I dont need to work it but a couple times a month. And you can practice your turns and such on trails... pretend a tree is a barrel. That way your horse is still working the muscles needed.... but its not gonna blow him over and make him a nut job because its not everyday on the barrels run, run, run. I also work cattle on my barrel horse and compete in many jackpots in Fl... and have won. So the more you do with him.... the more sound his mind will stay. My barrel horse gets ran at shows... thats it... I will do figure 8s and such at home... but i dont need to run the barrels. As he has a good, calm, solid foundation. 
But if your horse doesnt and they are not fitted you can lame a horse for life. And if all you do is run run run... your gonna end up with a nut.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

MacabreMikolaj- Thank you so much for your insight, that is exactly how I was feeling. I just like to know what I'm getting into. 

Thank you everyone for the great advice, I plan on keeping all of it in mind during our training. 

I definitely don't want to "fly by the seat of my pants and hope I win". for me it's not about winning it's about finding a skill and a passion and doing the best I can. I am very very interested in reigning though, which is good because that passes over into barrels! :-D

Thank you my HF Friends, gives me a bit more insight.


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> You also need to keep your horse the hell away from a barrel pattern except MAYBE one time per week. If I were to train a barrel horse I would do everything I could think off that was not in an arena.


I've had a couple horses that could work on the pattern a couple times a week. Granted, they werent run on it, but they were able to go through and apply the fundamentals without me worrying if they could handle the pressure. I wouldnt RUN a horse on the pattern more than once every week or two. But simple fundamental work wont sour a horse on the pattern.

Now, on the other hand, Ive had a horse who wasnt shown the pattern...even at a walk, but maybe once every few weeks.


It's about knowing the individual horse. There is no secret recipe that will be sure fire, bullet proof for every horse. The trick to being successful in this is to KNOW the horse your riding. Know their limits and how far you can push them without them getting fed up. 

I had one horse, used to be my main competition horse, who I gave lessons on. He could go through that pattern over, and over, and over again. Never made a peep. Never refused. He had the mind set to be able to handle pressure. Then, after the novice finished her lesson, I could hop on and bring him through without him dropping, dipping, bowing, or tensing. But that was JUST him.

The horse I have now will always turn right around to head back into the arena. Always willing and ready to listen. BUT he still isnt ridden on the pattern often. MAYBE once every few weeks to a month. His problem is that, while he can mentally handle the stress of the pattern, he gets to where he wants to cut corners and cheat me if he rides it often. So schooling the pattern for him is, bring him through...if he does it right... do something else. No repetition on him with the pattern.

Anyway, my point is, its ok to test your horse to see what he can handle... but dont push him passed that limit. Just gotta learn your horse.


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

I did barrel racing for bout 2 years. I couldn't stand the attitude of the girls in it. They were all so stuck up and then they would go and call themselves cowgirls. I usually spent most of my time with the bull riders. I had a 17 year old horse that I ran barrels with and she was never lame in those 2 years. She loved to run and I used a gentle bit, no tie down, no spurs, nothing except my legs. I won alot becasue she loved to run but when we weren't competing, we only run the pattern like twice a month. We trail rode and worked on some other stuff the other time. She was kept on a joint supplement and a nice high quality feed.

So if you do it right and put your horse before yourself and winning, everythings gonna be fine. Its when winning comes before everything else that the horses are lame and still running the barrels. It sickens me and I actually got into a fight with a girl cause I confronted her about her horse that was lame, she ran him and he did major damage to his leg coming around a barrel and then she had the nerve to say,"'He must have been weak. Guess he wasn't meant for winning.'" She's lucky I didn't knock her stuck up little self on the ground. You seem to actually care about your horse and know how to take care of him and his well-being.

I'm not saying all barrel racers are like that but there's alot out there like that. More people like you in the industry will hopefully help to change the way people look at barrel racing. Hope this helped! =)


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## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

the disadvantages for the rider

-bruises from bumping into the barrel(always wear shin guards!!)
-arthritists in the knees

for the horse

-essesive(spelling?) spurring from the rider
-navicular disease
-cannon bone injuries
-a bad attitude from running the barrels to often.

barrel racing is really fun! but make sure you take care of your horse!(always do cold therapy!)


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Thank you folks for your opinions and information! Very very helpful indeed.


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

Barrel racing is different where I'm from - don't get me wrong, there's a lot of incompetent riders - but they're very nice people and very friendly. The guy I'm learning from has instructed a lot of youth riders and he knows how important it is that a horse remains sane. 

As far as staying away from a pattern - what hell is that going to do? Nothing. You need to walk and trot and lope that pattern a lot so you know where your horse needs to go to find his pocket. Not only does the slow work make them chill out and think, it also lets them know that just because there's a barrel, doesn't mean we're going to run around it.

As for running the pattern? Rarely. Running the pattern needs to be saved for shows, and to figure out where your horse needs work on the pattern, which inevitably leads to slow work.

Don't get me wrong - don't only do the pattern when you're working. Do the arena work, move the shoulders over, move the hips over, side pass, leg yield, etc. Because the more control you have, the better of a run you'll have. But SLOW pattern work is an essential part of your training regime.

Slow work gave me the insight that even if I work Cowboy in the perfect pocket at a walk and trot, he tends to hug closer at a lope and faster - so when we're doing slow work, we go waaaay far out there, which lets him hit his pocket where he needs to.

Do some poles too! Poles are fun and challenging. You really have to focus, or your face and elbows will be to suffer for it. They'll also help those flailing arms you were talking about ;D I know I suck my elbows in as tight as possible now.

I know Martha Josey does lots of slow work, and most of the videos you find will give you good ideas for your training.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Martha josey is one of the few barrel racers that might fall in the category of horseman. It would pay to watch her videos or attend a clinic. 

You don't need a barrel to teach your horse to pick up it's shoulder or move away from your leg and unless your horse has oatmeal for brains it will know the pattern after about the 5th time though it. Many of the problems barrel racers try so hard to fix come from too much pattern work. the same can also be said for reiners or ropers or jumpers. Too much repetition dulls the edge you want to build on your horse.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Agreed with kevinshorses. Overdrilling a horse in any competition can cause an otherwise flawlessly responsive horse to stop listening to certain aids. It follows the age old adage of training something out of horse being 10x harder then actually training the horse. If your horse is learning to anticipate the pattern to much, he's not thinking about patterns and pockets, he's thinking about getting around those barrels as lickity split fast as he can. I believe this is the number one cause for dropped shoulders and resistant turns, and it can be DARN hard to train this out of a barrel racer once he gets it into his head he's faster that way. 

You can teach a horse pockets and turns without actually doing a pattern, and you keep him sharper. I like to think of it as schooling multiple elements, and then just putting them together for your run. It keeps your horse on his toes and listening to you better when he doesn't know something "by heart". If the foundation is there, and your horse is feather light responsive, adding a pattern to your ride should be fluid even without practice.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

I hate barrel racing/games in general. The horses just cant go any faster and to actually win you have to know how to ride. Last thing people think games are the only western sport there not!


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> I think the most damage is to thier head. Most riders spur spur spur then they haul back on the reins and then as the horse is trying to slow down they spur spur spur again. The worst part of barrel racing is putting up with barrel racers. Even bull riders won't put up with some of it.



I agree very much with Kevin on this.

Also I would like to add that most people believe that your horse can just up and become a barrel racer by running a pattern. 

You need a solid foundation and grasp of not only the physical but mental and emotional effects on the horse.

Not only does your horse need to be able to rate and move individual parts of its body almost without notice, he must be able to enter and exit the arena with a cool focused head. 

Very little training for barrels should be done near a barrel pattern or even an arena. 

To keep a horse mentally sound and emotionally cool, it is best to spend 98% of your time away from an arena and pattern. Lots of field and trail work are great for a barrel horse, it teaches him balance.

Your horse must have the heart to run, otherwise he can become very burnt out very quickly. If you feel you have to whip and kick him to get him to do his best he does not need to be racing.

I could go on and on and on about why most people fail at barrel racing(failure in my book is not laying the proper foundations that make the horse wear unnecessarily both mentally and physically, it is not understanding the concepts required for a happy healthy barrel horse, it is selfishly wanting to follow your "barrel dreams" with little regard to the well being and suitability of your horse), and would be happy to if you would like to pm me.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

PaintsPwn said:


> As far as staying away from a pattern - what hell is that going to do? Nothing. You need to walk and trot and lope that pattern a lot so you know where your horse needs to go to find his pocket. Not only does the slow work make them chill out and think, it also lets them know that just because there's a barrel, doesn't mean we're going to run around it.


 Horses have amazing memory and only really need to learn a pattern 2 or 3 times long after they have been in training learning the proper aides necessary to run a successful pattern.

Even too much walk/trot can sour a horse and make them make up their own ideas of how to run the pattern.

Ask any competent barrel racer you see not beating the crap out of their horse through the pattern and jerking on their head and they will tell you the mostly ride trails and maybe a few figure 8's and such while on the trails to keep them in shape and moving properly.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Honeysuga said:


> Ask any competent barrel racer you see not beating the crap out of their horse through the pattern and jerking on their head and they will tell you the mostly ride trails and maybe a few figure 8's and such while on the trails to keep them in shape and moving properly.


This is my trainer 

We will not be running my horse through barrels, it's not for him mentally or physically. My trainer has a TB (I want to say TBX) who LIVES to run, and is very competitive even in the field. 

We will see if my training progresses on an already finished older reining horse and if things work out, then maybe in a season or few we will attempt to compete.


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

I think you should try any and all things with Thunder , you sound like you have a very good trainer , full of knowledge...
I only did barrels as a child at some local fun shows so I can't offer you any advice.
Thunder and Radar seem so much a like , I live in a prod. English riding comm. H/J & Dressage and I have been told that Radar would be a great dressage prospect : )


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Good luck free_sprtd! Be safe and have fun! You sound like you have a great trainer and should have a great time as a barrel racer in training!


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Thank you so much!!!

I still do a double take everytime I see Radar!


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

Most disciplines are warped in the show ring, when the shows transition from fun and training to money prizes and big titles. Dressage has rollkur, TWH shows have soring, jumpers have chili-pepper drugging etc. I am not familiar with barrels so I won't pretend to be, but when I watch some of these competitors I just see someone stabbing into their horse with spurs and jamming on their mouth in a way that makes my light-contact-on-the-snaffle-seat-aids-self have a miniature heart attack. However, I also know a barrel racer who isn't competition driven who is a pretty good rider. She only does actual barrel patterns once or twice very two weeks, the other times she is doing trail rides, reining, and more. I suppose it is the same as jumping: You only want to use the obstacles once a week. I would encourage you to look into non-competitive barrel racing before making up your mind because like I said before, many show rings give a mutated and exaggerated form of the actual discipline.


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> Martha josey is one of the few barrel racers that might fall in the category of horseman. It would pay to watch her videos or attend a clinic.


Hey now, I can't agree with that. Who do you think makes up "team josey"? ... OTHER barrel racing trainers. What about Sherry Cervi? She focuses SO MUCH on the basics. She is a beautiful rider and a talented trainer. And Kassie Mowry? Same... Started off her riding career in dressage. Very knowledgable and talented. 
Perhaps a more local level is needed? I personally started barrel racing under the instruction of a VERY talented woman. Very traditional in her methods but understood the horse. Very in tune with how to communicate what she wanted to do. She was the initial shove to inspir me to become a GOOD barrel racer and a great rider.

There will always be the backyard riders who ruin the image of the sport... it's often hard to see beyond them but it's important to remember to recognize the hard work of the "horseman" out there. They are the people who strive for excellence not only in the competition pen, but on every other level of riding as well.


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

There's was an article in the December issue of Horse and Rider bout keeping a barrel horse(or an horse)sound. I'll try to find it online. It was really really good and informative.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

ooh I would love to read it! Thank you


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

BuckOff41570 said:


> Hey now, I can't agree with that. Who do you think makes up "team josey"? ... OTHER barrel racing trainers. What about Sherry Cervi? She focuses SO MUCH on the basics. She is a beautiful rider and a talented trainer. And Kassie Mowry? Same... Started off her riding career in dressage. Very knowledgable and talented.


I didn't say she was the only one. I said she was one of the few.


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

free_sprtd said:


> ooh I would love to read it! Thank you


Think it would be copyright infrigenment if I typed it up and then attched the file here? I can't find it anywhere on the Horse & Rider website.


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## ilovestitch (Dec 22, 2006)

As long as you cite it correctly it should be fine


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

TheRoughrider21 said:


> There's was an article in the December issue of Horse and Rider bout keeping a barrel horse(or an horse)sound. I'll try to find it online. It was really really good and informative.


yes I read that to it was very interesting...

And yes its the backyard riders that ruin my view of the sport.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Oh I don't expect you to type up the whole thing! I think like other said that if you stated who wrote it and where it came from it would be fine, but please dont feel like you need to take that much time to bring up the whole article! I would love to read it, but maybe can track down a copy myself?


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

free_sprtd said:


> Oh I don't expect you to type up the whole thing! I think like other said that if you stated who wrote it and where it came from it would be fine, but please dont feel like you need to take that much time to bring up the whole article! I would love to read it, but maybe can track down a copy myself?


Don't worry about it...I'm bored anyways. It will be no problem for me. I'm a speedy typer and I love writing/typing stuff.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

ok ill keep looking for it then


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

I'll probably have it finished tomorrow cause I'm gonna have some supper and watch the Grammy's now. But don't worry it will be finished between tomorrow and Tuesday. I can assure you. =)


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

hahaha No rush friend, thank you for the upcoming info


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I find a lot of the people who compete in my region are ignorant stuck-up witches who don't have a bloody clue about horsemanship and drill the poor horses until they know nothing but "run like hell and turn." But if you were to throw one of those horses at a speed barrel course they would be so confused that they would end up knocking every barrel down. And their spurring, shouting, flapping burdens don't help.

You wanna be a good barrel racer? Learn from an expert. Find a nice calm horse who has all the leg training and start by trotting, loping, then running the pattern. Although I often scatter the barrels in random places to keep the horse guessing. Most of the time I work in the reining arena however, because I think that teaches more than the actual barrel training does.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

It's funny, but I just thought of something you can really equate barrel racing with:

Don't think of barrel racing as a discipline. Think of barrel racing as the competition you use to show off your reining horse :wink:


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

That is a great way to think about it!!!^^ Good Job Macabre!


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> It's funny, but I just thought of something you can really equate barrel racing with:
> 
> Don't think of barrel racing as a discipline. Think of barrel racing as the competition you use to show off your reining horse :wink:



I absolutely love that description. Thanks so much!


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

Here's the first part. The second part has pictures but I will type up the words for you...I just thought I should give this finished peice to you since I'm already a few days late. Enjoy!


*From The Ground Up*
By: Sherry Cervi, with J. Forsberg Meyer
​A performance horse takes a lot of pounding on his legs and feet, especially if he competes in speed events. If you run barrels, as I do, your horse is subject to the stresses of sprinting, sudden slow-downs, and sharp turns. 
To keep my barrel horses sound over the long haul, I've developed a plan that addresses both the maintenance needs of hard-working legs, and the ground-savvy I need as a rider to give my horses the best chance to perform well and avoid injury.
I'm going to share all my strategies with you. I'll talk first about ground issues, then show you the key ingredients of my leg-maintenance plan.


Ground Control
In a perfect world, every competitive venue would have the same ideal ground, and every horse would run well on it. We don't live in a perfect world, of course, but there are things you can do to improve the odds your horse _will _perform well and safely at all the events on your schedule.
First, know that horses have their own preferences. Some run better on deeper ground; other prefer their ground a bit harder and slicker. Knowing which your horse favors will guide you when you plan how to compensate for different types of ground.
Then do a little detective work before the event in question to find out what the ground there will be like. Ground conditions can vary for a variety of reasons, and one of them is geographic area. Ground in California and Arizona, for example, tends to be harder and slicker on average, while in Texas and Florida it tends to be deeper and therefore stickier.
How often the ground is groomed can magnify or minimize these differences. For example, at rodeos the ground is typically dragged after every 10 or 12 runs. If you and your horse go toward the end of the set, the “bottom” of the ground, whether deep or shallow, will be more apparent by the time of your run.
By contrast, at single-event venues like jack-pots, the ground is groomed after every 5 or so runs. That equalizes the effect of the ground's depth somewhat, making it a little less critical.
If you don't already know what the ground will be like at the event your attending, call around among people you trust to find out. If possible, don't take just one person's opinion; try to find two or three riders who are familiar with the ground in question and can describe it for you. That way, the individual preferences of their own horses won't overly influence the information you gather.
If it turns out the ground at the event will be different from what you have in your own arena, try to find ground that approximates the event's to make a few practice runs on. For example, if your ground is deep and the event's will be relatively shallower/slicker, see if you can find someone-a neighbor or a friend's place you can haul to?-who has shallow ground you can practice on before the event.
The more prepared you and your horse are, the less chance the ground you run on will slow you down or cause injury.​


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## countrylady (Jan 18, 2010)

I completly agree with paintspwn....
everyone has their own thoughts and beliefs..what works for some dosnt always work for others it all depends on the horse.


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## WABRLRACER (Feb 10, 2010)

I have barrel raced for many years and it's an amazing sport that when done right really has the rider and horse working as a team. I don't know what race you went to but I rarely see lame horses, and most people I know spend more money on giving their horses the best care then they spend on themselves by FAR and I am one of those people. You need to have knowledgable people though, you can easily screw up a horse if you put them on the pattern to fast and push them to hard....I take it slow with my horses and people who say they these horses get yanked on and spurred all the time is ridiculous, I DO NOT yank on my horses head and GOOD riders don't at all, our horses are usually taught to turn by listening to your body language, my horses start to rate as soon as I sit, and the only spurs I wear are bumper spurs since I am 5"4 and my horses are 15.2 and up. This sport my look easy but it's hard and takes a lot of work and just the right horse...I have sold many horses over the years just because we didn't fit, there has to be a connection. AND my horses LOVE to run barrels, they get bored doing any other work, but my horses are also well enoughed trained that I can put kids on them. also you can work a horse on the pattern more then once a week, but you should RUN them through all the time, I rarely run my horses through the barrels except at races.


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## WABRLRACER (Feb 10, 2010)

also using reining horses as barrel horses isn't usually very easy, and this is a equine sport, the problem with trying to use a reining is one ....they aren't built for speed like these horses are and also they are taught to stop hard with you sit....you would have to retrain them to turn when you sit otherwise you are going to be crashing into some barrels head first. We spend lots of money, and training for these horses and they are like family to us and they are also how a lot of us make our living so don't enter a sport if you don't respect it.


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

i compete in barrel racing as well as many of my friends i keep my horses from becoming crazed running machines maunly by working mainly on loads of collection,trail riding, walking and slowing down rather than constanly speed speed speed so my horses are in no way uncontrolable(sp?). It depends on the rider but i don't think barrel racing is any worse then bareback bronc riding and reining any event you do has consequences. You don't have to pull hard if you train right and not all barrel racers spur spur spur pull back and spur some more i think that is an opinion because none of the barrel racers i ride around do this. 
That is my opinion but good luck with your horse :]


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## AppysForLife (Mar 31, 2010)

being involved in barrels... i resent some comments about barrel racers, but yes i do agree most barrels racers think spur spur spur is what is gonna make the horse go. My old barrel horse would literally walk the pattern if left in the arena alone. A lot of the horses if trained properly dont need to be continually spurred. But i do agree with kevin. I cant stand some of my competitors.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

I hate seeing women spurring the crap out of their horses, than pulling the crap out of their mouths and spurring again.


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## eaferg (Dec 26, 2009)

I just started barrels on a 4 y/o.
She is VERY sensitive in the mouth and listens to my seat aids like a seasoned 15 y/o.

THAT is what I think makes a good barrel horse. A horse that is light in the mouth, and engages the hind end with the your seat cue.

There are plent of barrel racers the jerk on the mouth and spur, spur spur. But the truly good barrel racers, that actually make it far, are those who have light, responsive, level-headed horses to compete with. 

I would rather have a good, responsive horse than win with spurring and yanking.


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## Angel5000 (Mar 30, 2010)

yah i have to agree alot of the i gotta win people like to push there horses to hard and then stop them by killing there horses mouth.


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