Starting a barrel horse?

Question

I have a 2 year old mare that I want to train to be a barrel horse. She is very good natured and already is broke. I do not want to run her but what I do want to do is walk her throught the barrel patterns now while we are training her. I only ride her 2 times a week because she is so young and I never do anything but walk her, but she seams bored with what we are doing now. So my question is, will I bore her with the barrels if I start her now. We do figure eights and circles already, she just seams bored with it.

Answer 1

Okay - first...you can do more than walk your 2 year old horse.  You should be walking, trotting, loping, side passing, pivoting, backing, and practicing transitions (i.e. walk to canter, canter to walk, canter to trot, trot to canter, canter to stop, etc.).

You ABSOLUTELY can start the horse on barrels now.  Don't ride her hard or push her - she doesn't need to sweat a ton - but you can lope her!

Now - yes, begin by walking the pattern.  Show them that the barrels move (it's great to roll barrels around on foot and make sure they know they move and that it's not going to eat them!).

Always go from the last barrel toward home one step faster than you did going around your barrels.  So - if you walk around your barrels - try to trot back from the 3rd barrel and also in between the barrels.  You can slow her down for the barrels - you MUST have pretty barrels.  Teach her to pocket (go wide into them) and turn it nice and close.  Make sure you have control of her shoulders and that she's bending around them - not throwing her shoulder into it.

Use your inside leg at the girth to ask her to bend around the barrel and your outside leg behind the girth to push her in toward the barrel.

Slowly ask her to go faster and faster.  Remember - the most important part of teaching them is keeping the barrels pretty - if they're not pretty then you need to slow down.

Horses can get bored with barrels.  You can do a couple of barrel patterns, then go for a trail ride.  If you do it too much, that's when they get gait sour and learn that it's no fun.

Make sure that she knows the basics too.  That should keep you plenty busy with a two year old.  She needs to be able to walk, trot, and lope.  She needs to be able to pick up both leads - she can start out doing simple lead changes - but work on teaching her to do flying lead changes.  Teach her how to move off of your leg in both directions.

Have fun with her.  You don't need to push her, but you can ask her to work.  Best wishes!

Answer 2

I fully realize that there are barrel futurities that require two yr olds to be started much too soon, too soon mentally and too soon physically...all of us have to make that choice and decide what our responsibilities are to our horse. Personally, I don't even think you should be past the ground driving stage (no loping yet in the round pen) and teaching lots of communications, lots of verbal cues, lots of turning out on grass, grooming, watching how what you are doing so far is affecting her legs, getting her used to a farrier as at this time, she is still growing and the farrier is likely trying to correct some travel ling flaws that she might have.  It's like building a house if you don't have a good foundation, you don't have a good house.  Now, on the other hand, when she is old enough and mature (mentally and physically) enough, you can follow the other suggestion that have been off erred, they are good ones and one to remember when it IS time to begin them.

Answer 3

I have a young 4year old gelding that i have resently taught to barrel race. I just started out by leading him around the barrels and the next day riding him around that barrels withn a week i had him cantering around them. He is now great at it and so far has not knocked a barrel over. I have only been training him for 3weeks if that n it took him no time before he got the hang of it. If you take the time on this you will have no problems. It is not a hard thing to teach a horse it is just time and understanding.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I board my horse on a barrel farm, the girl that owns the farm won the world championship in barrel racing 3 times. i would say that i would wait until your horses knees were "knit"-- i prob spelled dat wrong but w/e. anyway i would say just keep doing what you are doing and if i could i would tell you how to start your horse on the way to be a really good barrel racer!'

and it depends where do you live then i could tell you about this barrel racer and maybe you could talk to her about what you want to do or you could always contact me about it if you ever wanted more help! i also do barrels sometimes just messing around with my horse not in competition!

Answer 5

Two years old is TOO YOUNG for her to carry a rider.  She is not physically nor mentally mature enough to be ridden.  For GOD's sake she is still just a baby!!!  Give her another year to mature, then just ride her out on trails for another year.  You can really damage a horse by starting him on barrels too soon.  I've seen it hundreds of times...a promising young horse is started at 2, then running hard by 3 and blown up by 4 or 5 and sold as a nut case.  Please do not do it!!!  Take it slow, nothing is to be gained by starting your horse too young.  Like I said Once she is old enough (3 or 4) ride her on trails for a year, learning how to carry a rider and being a horse.   Then when she is 4 or 5 let her see the patterns, at this time you can trot her through them.   By the time she is fully mature at SIX years old you can start pushing her.  By following this schedule you can have a barrel horse that has a better chance of being sound of mind and body for many, many years.

Here is a very informative article than every horseperson should read:

http://www.equinestudies.org/knowledge_b...

Answer 6

Go ahead and walk her thru the barrels.  Here are some other things you might consider to keep her thinking and prevent being bored:

1.  set up a trail pattern i.e. walk over a small bridge (if you have one)

2.  set up logs and teach the horse to step over each one without touching

3.  set up logs in an "L" shape and use them to back the horse thru and turn (without touching any log)

4.  set up a low jump and have the horse jump it on command.

5.  ride figure eights (when you come out of the figure eight, then ride a straight line and do a stop and then back up. (Yippee, Great Fun)

6. teach the horse to side pass, using your leg to push over and keep the horse's head straight.  You can use a fence as a prop to keep the horse from moving forward.  (This is fun too)

7.  Teach your horse to ground tie.  Stop the horse, dismount, drop your reins on the ground, then walk around the horse. The horse should not move until you return.  

8.  Set up cones (if you have them) and ride in and out of them.



These are a few things you could work on.  You will feel good on your accomplishments!

Answer 7

an thing to do with your horse is when you are practicing or training him on barrels, take time every now and then to simply face him towards the barrels and stop. Just stand there and look at the barrels and don't do a thing. This is a great exercise to do, because it shows your horse that he can see an arena and 3 barrels and he doesn't always have to run madly after them and do his pattern.

Always be sure and make time for you and your horse. Just spend time together being friends, or getting to know each other. The better you know each other, the more that will pay off in the arena.

1Warm your horse before starting on the barrel pattern. The horse should be warmed up but not breathing hard.

Step2Start your horse walking around the barrel pattern a few times. Once the horse realizes where you want him to go you can start trotting.

Step3Trot around the barrels for a week or so by doing it only a few times each day. Make sure when turning the barrels that your horse is not close enough to touch the barrel, but about a foot from it.

Step4Lope around the pattern once your horse car trot the entire pattern without making a mistake. Lope your horse without making a mistake before going any faster.

Step5Ride in a rodeo once you and your horse can consistently run the barrel pattern with no mistakes.