Is she to young for barrels couple other QA's

Question

ok well she is 4 yr's old and the best most well behaved horse i have ever been on will getting her into barrels ruin her good distposition.

oh and is she to young,also i was wonder since i already know western and she has be around barrels before could i train her my self i am 14 and my english trainer also teaches western but i don't want to go to her unless necesary,plus my mom is experienced with horses so should i try and train her my self or what.

also how much does a coggins test cost.

Answer 1

Running barrels will not ruin her disposition. Ask yourself this:  If you start to take bowling or tennis lessons, will that ruin your disposition?

Answer 2

Most barrel horses drive me nuts because all they want to do is run run run.  They get all uppity and obnoxious, and never really settle down with someone on their back because they think that whenever someone rides them they ahve to run as fast as they possibly can because that's what they do when they run barrels and they know nothing else.  I don't find it fun to ride a horse like that.  If the ONLY thing you do with her is barrels, then yes, I would worry about ruining her disposition.  But if you keep it balanced, do a lot of different things with her so that she doesn't think that every time you get on she has to run as fast as she possibly can, she'll be fine.

Best barrel horse I ever saw was at Cheyenne Frontier Days a few years back.  All the other horses were doing their obnoxious jumping and rearing routine because they were so eager to get into that arena and run.  This one girl walked in on her horse like they were out for a Sunday stroll, loose rein, not in a hurry.  The audience was nearly laughing because it looked like someone was taking a trail horse to run barrels.  But as soon as that girl asked that horse to go, he turned it on, smoked around those barrels, and beat all the other horses by a mile.  It was AWESOME.  And as soon as she asked him to stop, he stopped, and walked calmly out of the arena.  But the key to that horse was that girl did everything on him: ranchwork, roping, trails, etc.  He was well balanced and knew his job when it came time for it, but also knew there was more to life than running as fast as he could every time someone got on his back.

So my answer to that part is that if you make your horse well rounded and do more than only barrels with her, you should be fine.  At this point you can just slowly start her on the pattern but I wouldn't push her too hard.  I personally think she's too young to be working really hard, turning and running as hard as she can.

Last time I had a Coggins test it was only $30, but that was a couple years ago.  All vets charge differently but they aren't that expensive...at least for something horse related!

Good luck and have fun.

Answer 3

Definatly go with the trainer! Don't chance training her yourself! I found out the hard way (teaching my horse to jump). Don't give it a second thaought! go with the trainer!

Answer 4

I can't top SupaVega's answer, that was very detailed and she obviously knows what she is talking about. I just wanted to add that 14.2 hands is good for barrel racing. Smaller horses can manuver around barrels easier than a taller horse.

Answer 5

I think you can get her used to walking the pattern and you could get up to a trot with her, but probably not more than that. Unlike race horses, barrel horses are started later when they are fully developed. This is why so many are still running barrels in their 20's. Take your time with her and don't run her. Shorter horses have a lower center of gravity and can turn faster and sharper than taller horses. This why most cutting horses are short horses.

Answer 6

you can begin leading her through the pattern, but don't start **REALLY** training her till she turns 5...

You probably could train her (it would be cheaper to try)(i'm trying to train my horse on barrels and I'm 15, but my mom's helping me some too (she used to run barrels))

barrels are not going to change her disposition unless you treat her harshly while training her...make barrels fun for her, when she makes it through the pattern without error or acting up, give her a treat...Also talk to her and encourage her while training her...(people who don't own horses may think you're crazy, but people who do own horses, will understand).....

ummmm.... coggins test is around $20-$30

paints can run barrels just as good as quarter horses (my mom's friend runs barrels on her paint sometimes)..

Also, your horse is 14.2hh, that's a great size for a barrel horse, because they normally are faster and can turn sharper!!

Hope I Helped! And Happy Training!! =)

ADD: I disagree with Juliane below me!!!

Barrel Horses do not take off right when somebody gets on them...if they are trained well the only time they take off is when they see a barrel!!!! That is how they are trained!!!

My mom had a barrel horse, that all you had to do was sit on her, and when it was her turn she would do the pattern herself, my mom wouldn't have to do anything!! She was trained very GOOD!!!

You rarely can find a horse like that!!

Also, my mom has a barrel horse that if he sees a pole or barrel, he takes off cause he thinks it's a pattern and he has to run it!!!!

Answer 7

Your horse is not very tall at 14.2 hands does she have speed? And at 4 she is not to young to start just take it slow you don't want to ruin her for the years ahead..

Answer 8

She is too young for barrels. Wait till she's 5 when she's done growing. You don't want this horse to break down on you by starting her too early. She sounds like a keeper.

Barrels will certainly not ruin her disposition. If you treat her right and train her right she will be happy to run the course with you.

It would be really ideal to get a trainer. Even if your mom is experienced with horses, she may not be experienced with barrels. I learned myself, but I had a horse who knew what to do so she would be quick to correct me if I wasn't doing something right. It's pretty hard to teach a horse to do something when you don't know how to do it yourself.

To do barrels your horse must know lead changes and flying lead changes. If she can't do a flying lead change she won't be able to turn correctly and that risks both of you getting injured.

A coggins is fairly cheap (at least over here) about $20-$50 and it lasts all year (in most cases)

My advice to you: go to all the rodeos you can, youtube your butt off and read, read, read! Join some horse forums for advice on barrels. My fav is forum.horse.com. Really helpful people who will treat you like family.

Forgot to add, Paints and QH are the breed BUILT and bred for barrel racing! I have two of my own and love em to pieces.

;)

Answer 9

The coggins test cost is based on what your vet charges for a blood test. Barrels should not ruin your horse. Take her around several times several days, several weeks, real slow and work your way up to speed times. She should adapt well with proper training with time allowed. Take it slow and watch how she responds. If she acts up before the speed time, then take her down a notch until she is comfortable.You should be able to "feel" her during your rides and adjust accordingly.