Just some of my own observations/pet peeves/annoyances whatever you want to call them:
1. Just because you are in the arena for 16 seconds, does not mean you get to forgo basic horsemanship. You are not flying -- Stop flapping your arms and for gods sake stop bouncing your horses back.
2. A good barrel horse should be able to run a pattern in a snaffle or gentle bit. Only finished horses and extremely gentle-handed and knowledgable riders should be using gags and other harsh bits. Stop slapping them on your 3 year old.
3. On that note, your 2/3 year old has zero buisiness galloping a barrel pattern.
4. Parents? WTH. Please get your child some lessons and at least a helmet. Barrel racing/horseback riding is extremely dangerous. The horse doesnt need 50lbs slapping around his back throwing him off balance and when he does slip and fall, at least have your kids skull covered. (Anyone need videos? There are plenty)
5. Training a barrel horse does not mean running the pattern 20zillion times and going really fast. It just doesn't. Period.
6. A barrel horse should be able to walk on a loose rein. They need to be sane or else you're going to end up dead or with a crabby, sour horse.
7. Barrel horses need to be soft and supple. Your horse needs to be able to move his front and back independantly, collect, extend, sidepass, pick up his shoulders, etc to barrel race. I get so sick of people just running around on horses that are stiff and have no idea what they are doing.
8. Again with the stiff. Your horse needs to be conditioned. Would you go sprinting around like a madman after sitting on the couch all winter and expect to not to be sore the next day?
9. Get your barrel horse out of the arena. Jump him, do trails, do dressage all of this is going to help your times and is going to make him happier. I don't care how much he loves to run, you're going to kill it if he never sees anything but a pattern.
10. HANDS! When you are running home, if you are going to "pump" your horse faster, please at least have some idea of rythem. He does not like being wacked in the mouth.
I have plenty more.
I see far too much "BARREL RACING IS EVIL" because people are spurring the crap out of their over-bitted, under muscled, un-trained barrel horses. Kids are getting sent out full-tilt around a pattern and gettinh thrown and people wonder why.
If you're going to barrel race, please be a good representation for the rest of the equestrian world. You are not exempt.
I mean, WP horses are so slow, you could feasibly examine the detail on the saddle. A barrel horse moves way too fast. I LOVE the bright colors. I think some hot pink/electric blue/lime green leg wraps look AWESOME on a horse in motion! But the saddle -really- doesn't need the detail.
Like i said though, its totally fine and great if you want to put the money into it, but don't down on those who DONT want to put the money into it. Its the time that matters, not the appearance.
I like the bright colors! Bandit is all in green. He's fairly dark so it stands out really well and looks pretty darn snazzy! But I could do without all of the "bling bling" lol
I like the glitz and stuff...I just never wear it. I'm waiting until my winning NFR round to wear the sparkley stuff. lol
I'm not into embellished saddles and tack...turns out you actually have to clean in those little nooks and crannies. My saddle is PERFECT in every possible way. Has very little silver, light, very good quality, my favorite seat, and it was 500 bucks.
i argree outlaw is turning 5 in april im just starting him. and like 5 & 4 year old should not be running on younge barrel horses. if its on an older horse at a jog or walk thats fine but full out gallop no way. the youngest i think they should lope/gallop it is like 8 when they don`t just cry and wet their pants. but, i love flashy sparkly things. i have a glitter slinky,my silver wp stuff,purple&pink expenive show cloths and barrel stuff
There is plenty wrong with that if you actually work/gallop them-- And thats my opinion.
I agree about the whole stopping thing. Alleys are great, but I know people who without them try and just get their horse to slide to a stop or just expect them to stop/turn at the gate on the way back. Seen plenty of accidents that way.
I just wanted to clarify ^^ that the the Previous Post might not be true for all horses, and that it might take some breeds longer to hit some parts of this timeline. Just thought I'd through that out there.
I agree, alot of barrel horses are ruined because all the horse ever sees is a barrel pattern, they never get to see a trail, or anything else but three barrels. Then the owners wonder why the horse refuses to run. I agree that 3 year olds should not be running the barrel patter, all these futurities are pushing these horses to fast to hard, i have seen 2 year olds running the pattern. Futurities should be for horses 4-7yr. I think. Barrel racers get bad raps because of the tards that do this kind of stuff.
I like the bling, but i do agree, who cares what you have or look like, as long as it works, use it. I hate the people that look donw on you because, you dont have thiss brand, or you dont have this kind of horse trailer, or you dont have this or that. I dont care!! When my horse beats yours, im sure youll change your mind =)
Excuse you? That doesn't really make much sense. First you don't want her to get offended and then you say your intent was to offend her? If you don't want Spastic to go on and on (which I don't think she was doing), why try to pick a fight with her? I really don't get why you have such a bone with her. She stated her own opinions on what she saw as wrong in the barrel racing world and I would hardly call her self-righteous for doing so. If you go along that line of reasoning I could call you self-righteous for expressing your opinions about Spastic. But please, don't get offended.
Oh and Spastic your keyboard is probably broken because you use too much, ya know because you're so obviously hiding behind it, lol.
Well then maybe you shouldn't be offensive in the way you word things...it's a two way street dear.
And actually, I was just making a point- just because it's my opinion doesn't make it less offensive. (as you keep trying to tell the people who are offended by what you had to say about running 3 y/o..."it's only my opinion don't be offended") My soul intent was to offend you and I'm not sorry if I did because I DO think you are being self righteous and just going on and on- why don't you go out and DO something about it instead of sitting behind the safety of your computer screen and hitting letters on a keyboard?
THANK YOU SPASTIC!! I am currently training a JUST turned 3 year old QH gelding on barrels. We are doing LOTS of work just on basic dressage (bending, flexing, some lateral movement, accepting the bit) and I've walked him around the pattern too. He trots to the barrels now, then walks around them, and his owner is getting mad at me because I do not have him galloping the pattern yet. Oh, and that he's still in a simple, basic, snaffle bit. I keep telling the guy "Look, he's ONLY a three year old. He should JUST be getting broke now, BUT he's your horse. However, I refuse to ruin him by galloping him flat out on a pattern when he can barely trot around it comfortably." I can't stand it. Aaand that's my vent. LOL
I didn't see this anywhere, but even if it was written I might as well say it anyway...
You say stop Barrel Racing three year olds. In that case:
Stop racing three year olds!
Stop jumping three year olds!
Maybe just stop riding three year olds period?
I agree somewhat with what you are saying. But not EVERYONE rides like that. I know you didn't specifically say that but your opinions can be easily taken the wrong way.
I am a barrel racer. I do not take offense to what you say because I know I don't do those things. I personally think you came on a little strong but hey you have a right to your opinion as does everybody else. I have plenty of pet peeves with my fellow barrel racers. Although, I do believe what you say makes sense. However, I think it's a bit crude to just point out all the bad flaws you notice.
Anything can be taken the wrong way and I tried to be very clear in my posts that these were personal opinions. Everyone posts their opinions in replies in a strong way, but I just decided to make a thread about it. I don't see what is crude about pointing out flaws. I do not think everyone rides like that, and I think I made that pretty clear.I would not race or jump a three year old. I don't think you should do anything strenuous with a three year old again..these are my opinions.
Yes, I have been running barrels about 10-11 years which is why I compiled things I saw that give us a bad name. It stems from all barrel racers getting a bad rep because of stupid things people do. It's the same thing wp riders complain about ("All WP horses 4 beat, are ugly,are trained wrong") dressage riders (Rolkur, cruel bits, unnatural) eventing (cruel, reckless) or NH (Stupid, pointless).
I just looked at MY discipline, and noted some of the common misconceptions and bad practices that I see.
Fair enough. Seeing that you run barrels makes it a little easier for me to understand your point of view. I agree with not doing strenuous work with three years olds. But I think that is about the time they need to start under saddle. So that is fairly strenuous to a three year old because it is kind of new.
I'm just happy your are a confident rider that knows the discipline and not someone that is complaining about it and has never done it.
I don't feel I was coming off as being offensive and I'm sorry if you see it that way. If you have an opinion about the sport or riding three year olds or whatever, fine. However a personal opinion about me being "self-righteous" is something I will obviously take offense to. Again, if you have an opinion contradicting what I said, go ahead. I still don't understand what you saw as offensive?
I guess I don't see what the point you were trying to make is (Hence me asking if you were only remarking about the title of the thread or had other opinions).
Just because I post in a forum and go "On and On" (Which, frankly I don't even know what you mean by that as the vast majority of my responses have been to other members and this thread hasn't been active for awhile), does not mean I am hiding behind the safety of a keyboard.
I go out and ride and present what I think is good horsemanship, training, and riding. I have no intentions of trying to make any changes in the NBHA rule book or whatever and I think setting what I feel is a good example and offering advice when it is asked for (not talking about this thread as it obviously was not asked for) is doing plenty.
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