Tips for starting a horse barrel racing. Video link.?

Question

I am training my horse from scratch how to do barrels. We have trained for a few weeks at it & she has caught on very well. Here is a video my boyfriend made me of us cantering barrels for the second time. Any tips? Please no rude comments, it is only our second time cantering & I am very proud of her. She does get a little excited coming off the second barrel though.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JZZOMzXUf-8

Answer 1

Hello,

Not bad for the second time loping good job!  I do have a couple of tips to share.

1. Keep both hands on the reins when running towards each barrel including the first.  Unless you MUST hold the horn, use both hands to drive your horse deep into your pocket.

2. Rate your horse around the barrels.  Do this by shoving you butt down into the saddle deep and saying whoa.  *you just want to inforce this now even though you are going slow.

3. Instead of yanking his head around the barrel as you are now, lift the rein up and into your saddle horn.  This will help a BUNCH!

4.  Press your inside leg(the one closest to the barrel you are turning) up and into his side.  Tap with the out side continually.  Kick normal in-between barrels.

5. Drive your horse out of each barrel using two hands, TURN WITH ONE! GRAB THE HORN WITH THE OTHER! So good job on that! :-)

6. Make sure your horse is in the  correct lead before starting the pattern. (I am just adding this although you looked good!)

7. DO NOT PUSH YOUR HORSE TO HARD! This is important especially if you are training him.  DO NOT CONTINUOUSLY LOPE OR RUN THE PATTERN WHILE PRACTICING! This is important horses can get blown up so easily on the pattern.  So just be sure to walk and trot a lot, and only lope a couple of times a week at most!!!!!  I cannot stress this enough! Especially once he is patterned!  

And there you have it.  All my tips.  I wish you the best of luck and GOOD job so far, your horse is looking good!

Hope I helped!

AFTER READING ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Good!  Don't run her unless you are at a barrel race! I'm glad to hear that!  Just be sure to take it slow and you and your horse will do great! Don't worry about rushing her patterning slow and easy gets the job done!

EDIT:

SECRET is WRONG! There is no wrong or right barrel to start on!  The "correct pattern" is left or right barrel first! Don't listen to her!  I go left my sister goes right! We both win and run qualified runs!  IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE HORSE! YOU are 100% okay with this!

EDIT EDIT:

SECRET: I am sorry if I insulted you.  But that is wrong if people are disqualified for that! Sorry! Don't be mad but even at the NFR they can run either left or right.

PS. I did not just ASSUME this! I run my horse to the LEFT! At shows and WIN!

SECRET:

No worries, I get mad sometimes too!

Answer 2

she looks great for only doing it a few weeks!

just work on lots of dif things so she dont get worn out on barrels, but it looks likes you are already doin that

Answer 3

u look ok, she is a very cute little mare.

i only start on the right barrel because thats the correct pattern. u need to work on your pattern and body position a little more. especially if u r just starting her u really really should be using 2 hands. try not to pull ur arm out over the barrel, but look at where u r goin to go next.  i would go back to a walk/trot and keep workin on the pattern and your body position. make sure u r comin about 3 feet from the barrel and let her back end finish goin around the turn. u should teach her to flex and bend around the barrel.

also check out Charmayne James. read her books and buy some of her videos, she is 11 Time World Champion Barrel Racer.

Good Luck!!!

CNH -

look i prefer to only go to shows and do barrels on the right barrel first. I PRACTICE both ways. but i have seen alot of people not place in shows because they started on that side. so i guess each show is different but please next time dont just assume things if u do this again u got another thing commin.

CNH -

sorry i did not mean to get all mad. its cool.

Answer 4

I would try to improve her stamina, and to do that just have her do a lot of troting or cantering at a fairly slow pace for a long time, really get her sweating, other than that she looks great!

Answer 5

Hi,

Well I would recommend that you practice the barrels at a slow easy pace and take him both directions. (left or right)

Try and choose the side that you feel your horse is most comfortable with. (my horse is left my sisters is right) It does not make a difference.

Now just turn a barrel, be sure to show him how to turn a barrel properly.

Then walk the pattern, nice and slow and just let him get familiar with it. I recommend that you DO NOT lope, canter, or run the pattern. Slow trot or walk only!

If you just let your horse get familiar with the pattern before you know it you will be able to go faster.

The best way to train your horse to do something like the barrels is nice and slow!   The only time we EVER run our horses around the cans is at a competition.  Pushing and asking for too much too soon, only blows up the horse.  I have seen this over and over in competitions.  GREAT barrel horses are trained slowly and correctly, it doesn't happen in a few months!

Believe me you don't want to blow your horse up on the pattern I have seen some pretty sad excuses for "barrel horses" thanks to being blown up on the pattern.

If you are looking for other things to do then just barrels try pole bending or figure eights. Maybe even just turning the last barrel and trotting home! Nice and simple!

Be sure not to over work him on the barrel pattern as well, try and find a nice balance of working and play. I recommend that you trail ride or do other fun activities that are slow and calm.

Just take it nice and slow and you and your horse will have a great time!

Hope I helped and Best of luck barrel racing is a blast!

EDIT:

IT is TOTALLY legal at barrel racing and rodeos to run to either the left or right can first!  YOU pick which is best for your horse!!!  SECRET doesn't have a clue!  SHE must not compete, or watch the NFR>>>>

Answer 6

I would try to find a good trainer around you.

They can pin point exact things you should fix, and can give you exercises to make you two better.

It was making me nervous watching the video though. You should wear a helmet. They now make troxels that are hats but have helmets in them.

Answer 7

Don't circle before you start the pattern. Your horse should be able to go into the correct lead without that. Some competitions don't allow you to circle. When you are going slow, you need to go wider around the barrels. The main thing I would suggest to you right now is to teach your horse to rate. This means, whatever pace you are going, go a gait below it around the barrel. At a walk, stop and back up, then continue. At a trot, walk around the barrel. Etc. And remember that the slower you go the more you need to exaggerate the pattern. Hope this helps!