Should i compete?!?

Question

okay, so i barrel race and my horseback riding instructor asked me if i wanted to compete,

i've been riding for 2 years in july and i still only go at a canter no gallop or anything,but im working on it! I get scared about falling off,and i think thats my one and only problem

how good were u for ur first barrel race? and i know u dont know me but based on the information i've given you,do u think im ready??

thank you all soo soo much

Ahndrea

Answer 1

u need to compete and just go balls to the wall!  stop being so scared!

Answer 2

Well I would have to say No

Unless you trot your pattern and or walk it

but to run one When Your not ready !! No WAY

so save your money and wait till you can do it to really COMPETE ,

Like I said if you just want to get used to every thing

yea ,, If you only trot or walk your pattern

I am a very safe as a trainer If my students are not ready I do it

I will   not allow them to get hurt or fall off or have something happen to them or the horse

When we really Compete we do it to WIN

Or just go and watch ,, you can learn so much by that ,,

Answer 3

I don't barrel race, but it's sorta the same as having your first jumping show.  Of course, whenever you go in for your first class when you've never shown before, you're going to be really nervous.  It's not really because you're concerned with your riding abilities... it's more about the setting with the people watching you and getting judged and stuff.  Now I'm not scared anymore... I just go in and jump my course and come back out.  

My advice for you is to go to a show with your instructor and see what you think about it.  When I was first learning to ride, I went to a show and I was amazed because I knew I could do all those things that the people in the ring were doing!  They were just walk trot and cantering and I knew how to do that!  The same thing was true for an older lady at my barn.  She had a quarter horse and went to one of the shows when my barn manager was showing her QHs and when she was there she gained a lot of confidence by seeing that she knew how to do all the things the people showing knew how to do.

You'll probably catch the showing bug just like we did ;o)