Anyone have advice on training a horse for barrels?

Question

I am going to train my 5 yr old Quarter Horse mare for Barrel Racing is there any tips or pointers anyone could give me?

Answer 1

start slow  doing it if you psh your horse to much he well not do any thing only run him hard ones a week  and if the chogh are any thing let them walk for about 5 mins bc they are geting stuff from the bottem of there lungs out and thats a good thing. but once a week just take ur horse out for a nice trail ride so they feel good but COOL THEM DOWN RLY GOOD are the can get rly sick afther run  thing wash them off and dry them and rub his legs and mucles. it well help you a lot and u can tell at a show the horses legs move way better

if u need move info u can email me  o yea and make sure u use BOOT bc if ur house brekes a  bone some time u have to put them down

Answer 2

Start her out slow. Just let her walk around the barrels and get to know the pattern before you ask for speed out of her. The speed will come with time - she needs to learn before she can just jump on it.

With my barrel horse, I work in flexibility excersizes for him. I take the rein, while on him, and pull it back to my knee, without kicking him. I ask him to 'whoa' until he does so, then I wait until he stops fighting the rein. I count to ten and pat his neck, giving him his head back. I then repeat with the other side. This keeps him very flexible and soft for me. You can also do this on the ground, with a lead rope.

Also to keep him flexible, I do a different ground excersize. Standing with a long lead rope, I get to one side or the other of him. with a key [or spur], I push into his midsection, right inbetween two ribs. I only do this until he takes at least one step over, then I pull the key back and let him rest and get praise. I do this until we make a full circle, move to the other side, and make him do a full circle over there. It keeps him very flexible in the midsection, enableing him to bend around the barrels nice and tight.

I'm assuming you do not want a nutcase barrel horse, so I would also work her on trails. This way, she knows that not EVERY time she goes out she isn't running barrels then getting put back into a stall. It really has helped me keep my horse sane.

Hope this helps hun!

Answer 3

Find a good trainer that can help train you and your horse. Find someone that is knowledgable and experienced, they can definately help you.

Answer 4

Id start with basic western training. get a good walk, trot, canter on him before anything else you have to have a good fondation. Start off slow with your horse, some horses will never be barrel horses. Start with walking the pattern, than troting and so forth but dont push him let him take it at his own pace. Dont get mad at him either, spurs and crops are never the answer.

I trail ride and team pen and barrel race with Quarter horses also there the most versital breed you can find out there.