How long will it take to teach my horse to run a barrel pattern?

Question

: I have a very broke, supple, responsive 10 year old quarter horse I would like to teach to do a nice barrel pattern. I'm not planning on being real competative in it I just want him to do a nice clean pattern whenever I would want him to. He is about 15 hands and real stocky, athletic and powerful. I use him for high school equestrian team and we excell toghether. He is a good learner too. The only thing I can think of taking awhile is teaching him to gain speed. For some reason he doesn't like to go fast with someone riding him. He runs around in the pasture a lot and he is very fast. Sometimes he has a tendancy to be a bucker too. lol. So how long do you think it would take to teach him to do a nice, smooth barrel pattern? Will it take long to fix my issue? WIll it be hard to teach him it's ok to move out?

Answer 1

a)  A horse who doesn't like to go fast when someone is riding him is WELL-TRAINED.  People don't like horses to bolt or be crazy, they want them calm and well-mannered.  This horse has learned that lesson and trying to make him go fast will only confuse him and mess up his earlier training.

b)  A horse who bucks is also trying to avoid going fast, it's a resistance to a request for forward motion.  This horse DOES NOT like to get up and go, forcing him is only going to make him do a mediocre job at something that does not suit him

c)  It is extremely rare for a horse to do well in both equestrian competition and barrel racing.  My opinion is don't s***w him up for equestrian competition by doing barrels.  Go buy a barrel horse.

Answer 2

well depends on the horse, if hes never done it before, then set up the pattern, walk him through once or twice for a few  days, then try to jog, work your way up. but everytime you get him out, dont do just barrels, your horse will get board and not want to do it at all. my moms horse bucks every once in a while, usualy when we start doung barrels again in the spring. but once he gets that hes go to do it, then hes amazing. just work with your horse, if you dont want him very competitive, then dont push him once you get him running the pattern. try looking for  "the art of barrel racing" its by martha josey, helped me a lot

Answer 3

All the "how long"  questions depend on you and the horse.  First,figure out why he doesn't like to go fast with a rider. Why is he bucking? Saddle fit? Your position? Shoeing? Conformation or an unknown ache or pain? Make sure ALL your equipment fits both of you correctly.Second, make sure he's fit. A barrel horse uses his butt a lot. Got hills? Ride them! Work both the leads at an easy lope, gradually picking up speed and tightening turns.Third...work your pattern SLOWLY. Start at the walk, work into the trot, then a lazy canter. Is your horse left or right handed ?  If he prefers the left lead, take the two turns going left..BUT if he's a right sided horse, take two turns to the right. Once he has it all down and you have your act together (is this a horse you need to ride on the forehand or does he carry you better sitting back?) ask for a little speed, first on the final run ,then going into the barrels. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but it's easier for them to run a straight line and that's where you make time. Hitting a barrel costs you pointsThe best barrel horses  are built to "get down". If he can't dig in to get around the barrels, he won't be "in the money". He'll learn it's ok to  move when you feel secure enough to let him blast off. But don't jerk him up to stop. Give him some runway and ease him up at first , otherwise he'll start anticipating the stops and brake before your finish line.And remember, don't throw your reins at him. Ride him. Hold him with your legs and reins for support and control  until that final blast off the last barrel and then go for it baby!!

Answer 4

Wow! That is a hard question to answer, maybe impossible, since every horse and every rider are individually unique. And so is the relationship between rider and horse and sensitivity to one anothers cues. But you couldn't have chosen a better way to mentally connect with your horse. I can't help you with how long it will take you to teach your horse except to say that probably depends most on the skill and patience of the teacher. So I will just give you a few pointers. First, go slow. Walk your horse through the barrel course, and then do it again and again and again, and as you do, learn to become less and less reliant on the reins, cueing the horse around turns using your legs and balance, always shifting balance to the inside stirrup to cue the turn and pressure from your outside leg when the heinie swings wide. Then gradually speed up after you have mastered the walk. As you progress to a gallop, the most challenging task will be to master and time lead changes on the fly.