# Pursuing Barrel Racing!



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

I am so excited to be finally in a direction of a sport. I am working with a trainer to get me up to par to compete in barrels. I am so excited! There is so much I need to work on, but I suppose I can't expect it all to come together in 2 lessons . Anyone have any tips/suggestions, things to remember or watch out for? I am a tall girl and I know that can work against me, and at the moment I have octopus arms lol, I need to control 'em. Anywho, I'm stoked!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

That's awesome. Are you going to be doing it with Thunder or do you have a maybe.......faster........horse to work with? LOL. I love stangs but they aren't exactly the most fleet of foot.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Right now I am working with a reigning finished QH, just working on my position and learning the skills, then we will be moving on to finishing a QH/TB gelding that's fast like nascar


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

That's great. I don't have any tips cause I don't run barrels but I wish you luck. There is no doubt in my mind that you will be successful.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

thanks! I am just excited to have a goal. Riding western and learning reigning is so completely different than the dressage lessons I had last year! I have to change my habits from them! hehe


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Awesome!
I'm 5'5" tall and I was just practicing today.
Right now I'm working on figure eights and turning around the trash cans I set up(don't have barrels so I made do!).
I was able to keep my arms down and not bounce as much.
I plan on doing barrels,key hole,and poles eventually.

I'm excited as well!


Good Luck.
You'll do a good job. Just make sure you keep positive.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

I'm 5'9"!! Not working in my favor, but I need to learn to work my core and utilize it as opposed to having it work against me. We worked on hand position, leg cues, and transitioning before the turns today.

Good luck to you as well!


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## SmoothTrails (Oct 1, 2009)

Good luck. I'm 5'3", so I have that for me, but I'm going from gaited to QHs doing barrels...lol. It is an interesting learning curve.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Boy I can imagine!!


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Awesome! Have fun with your training.

If you need any help feel free to ask. I've been running for many years now 

The biggest tip I can give you is don't be all up in your horses mouth. Give him his head and make sure you sit down around the turns and use your legs to make him curve around the barrel as you're turning, but not so much that you slide out too far. If you slide out around every barrel I'll be able to _walk _faster than you. 

It's great that you're going after this. Its a great sport for us cowgirls


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Thanks so much! that's a great tip! Right now I'm riding a reigning horse that is deadened by spurs so he really needs a lot of pressure to un-stick him. I did great with the distance from the barrel (ball in my case) clockwise, but counter clockwise he continues to run through his shoulder. We are just practicing right now at the walk/jog to have me focus on my position and controlling his body. 

I have a tendency to hang on the mouth since I previously had taken dressage lessons. I need to break that now! hehe thanks again!

Oh I see you are in Oregon! Me too


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

What part of Oregon are you from?
I live in a small city called Grants Pass,OR


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

I know of Grants Pass! I am in the Canby, Oregon City, Portland area... I only say that because im in all 3 each day hehe


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

that is sooo cool! 3 people who are from oregon!

I was working with my horse today and we did some walking through obstacles and sometimes a gallop but she seemed a bit sore today so we took it slow. How many times do you take lessons?


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

I am on 2 lessons a week an hour to 1 1/2 each. We just started talking serious competing last week, so up until then it was just working on my 3 yr old.

Thats great that you had a good ride today besides the soreness . Im off to watch a movie get back to you soon!


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

you're competing already?! wowww...thats awesome


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Oh heck no im not competing yet!! hehehe We're talking goals . I need a lot of practice.


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

free_sprtd ... I can't remember who said it.. and I'm kicking myself for it.. but he's a BNT in the barrel world, and someone asked him advice on getting better at barrels, and he said "Just get out there, and compete with people who are better than you." And, by your times, you can track how far you've come.

OH! And always bring extra pants O_O I ripped mine, and ended up running in my show slacks. Apparently it happens often because the lady next to us was like "LOL! I did that last week!!"


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## xEquestrianx (Aug 30, 2009)

wow! i thought I was tall, and I'm 5'7". But anyways, I agree with the above advice. And really get your seat and position and get comfortable with the horse before you go. And also, like mentioned above, be really careful about being on the bit.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

PaintsPwn said:


> f "Just get out there, and compete with people who are better than you." And, by your times, you can track how far you've come.


Forgive me for being confused, but was that meant as a joke? :-| Or did I take it in the wrong context? Because that's possibly the worst advice I've ever heard in my life. I'm pretty sure it's doing that that creates the monstrosity of a barrel horse we see competeing nowdays - just hurl him at a pattern with no training and hope for the best!

I'm not calling you down, just whatever trainer said that either needs a kick in the pants or needs to learn how to re-word his statements!


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Paintspwn thank you for the advice! I am more focused on control and leg cues, pocket distance, and the horses body language than the time I get. If I learn to cue my horse at the right time, not have him bog out around the turn, and we both have heart, then that's all I care about .

thank you all for the advice! That pants thing is a good point! I'll be sure to remember that~


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Forgive me for being confused, but was that meant as a joke? :-| Or did I take it in the wrong context? Because that's possibly the worst advice I've ever heard in my life. I'm pretty sure it's doing that that creates the monstrosity of a barrel horse we see competeing nowdays - just hurl him at a pattern with no training and hope for the best!
> 
> I'm not calling you down, just whatever trainer said that either needs a kick in the pants or needs to learn how to re-word his statements!



I didn't want to be mean, but I was wondering the same thing. But that's how most barrel racers have their training.


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

*MacabreMikolaj, just like in any sport - if you watch it, and you do it enough, you get better at it. Don't get me wrong, he's not saying "Go out there and be an idiot!" No, there's too much work to be done at home, and a horse who's been out in the pasture used for light riding isn't going to run a good set anyway.

But the only way to track your progress is to go out and get timed, even you just trot or lope the pattern. It gets you and your horse out there to get use to the possible chaos of barrel racing horses.

Speaking of which, it's probably a good idea to park out by yourself at shows. I'm just sayin', some of those horses are crazy.
*


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Forgive me for being confused, but was that meant as a joke? :-| Or did I take it in the wrong context? Because that's possibly the worst advice I've ever heard in my life. I'm pretty sure it's doing that that creates the monstrosity of a barrel horse we see competeing nowdays - just hurl him at a pattern with no training and hope for the best!
> 
> I'm not calling you down, just whatever trainer said that either needs a kick in the pants or needs to learn how to re-word his statements!


 
I think he was talking about making better barrel racers not better barrel horses. Big difference there.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

PaintsPwn said:


> *Speaking of which, it's probably a good idea to park out by yourself at shows. I'm just sayin', some of those horses are crazy.*


 
That is good advice for any competitive riding.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

PaintsPWN - Ok, I think that was my problem then, the guy needs to learn how to word his statements better. We have enough idiots in barrel racing without them being encouraged to "just go out and run the pattern!" Because unfortunately, we have way to many people with the mentality of "I paid to compete, we're going to try and win **** it!" 

But I agree, it's a good method IF you've spent time at home developing a good reining type horse. Once you have that foundation, showing them a pattern shouldn't matter, because they're fine tuned to listen to your aids. I'm just having nightmares of these kids careening around a pattern on an out of control horse because not only does it not know the pattern, it's never had a proper foundation either.

In these cases, it's worth your while to look up some fun gymkhana shows in the area. Little cheap events where you can school for very little money and get your horse used to the atmosphere, and get yourself timed before moving up to actual ladies barrel racing events. In my area, when we hit the gymkhana in Morris, I actually saw several competitors cross entering from gymkhana barrels to the actual main stadium barrel racing. Some were annoyed, but I thought it was a great chance to time yourself against people who ARE good enough to be winning the main events. When you pay $3 for a class, does it really matter if you lose as long as you've walked away with knowledge?!


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

kevinshorses said:


> I think he was talking about making better barrel racers not better barrel horses. Big difference there.


That makes more sense thanks for the clarification.

Macabre-You have great advice, I take it all to heart and will keep it in mind. I went into my lesson today with much more knowledge than I had.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> But I agree, it's a good method IF you've spent time at home developing a good reining type horse. Once you have that foundation, showing them a pattern shouldn't matter, because they're fine tuned to listen to your aids.


 
What's funny about this? My Dad used to show AQHA from the 70s to the early 90s. He was at the world show or whatever it is one year and they asked if he had a horse that could show in the barrels just to fill up a class. Apparently, the bigger the class, the more points are awarded or something. I am not sure how the whole show thing works. Anyway, he agreed and entered a little mare named Showboy's Graydoll that he was showing in the junior reining and team roping. In a class of 20 at the world show, he took 3rd on a horse that had never run the pattern in her life. IMHO, that's what a person should aim for, a horse that you can use for trails or working cattle one day and then compete on and win the next day.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

That's an awesome story smrobs, and exactly exactly what people should be aiming for. With what barrel racing has become, a finely tuned reining horse should realistically have no problems entering that ring and making them all eat dust just because a solid foundation is WAY more important then drilling a pattern into a horses head.

It's the same as when me and Shay-la competed in the gymkhana. We did it strictly for fun, our horses had zero gymkhana training and we were competeing against regional champion barrel racers. I guess that should have been my first clue that we'd do well :lol: The ONLY event those horses could actually do was barrel racing. They lost their **** minds so badly coming into that ring, they were completely uncontrollable. They couldn't understand where the hell the pattern was, and why the rider was asking them to STOP at a barrel (flag race). I was flabbergasted. 

Me and Shay-la, and a couple junior riders who rode English were about the only ones who could control our animals. We were the only ones who plodded quietly into the ring and waited for the cue. We were the only ones who didn't have to deal with rearing and bucking and balking and gaping jaws from having a death grip on the reins.

After watching that, I vow I will never seriously barrel race a horse without working with a reining trainer first. I will never seriously barrel race a horse without working different disciplines as well. I will never let my horse walk through that gate on his hind legs and then _race him anyways!_


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