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Barrel Racing Myths

13K views 80 replies 29 participants last post by  iridehorses 
#1 ·
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.

We're not all cowboying idiots. I swear.
 
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#63 ·
I agree that riding in general is strenuous enough for a three year old. That's why I think you should give them plenty of time where they can get it all figured out (the basic commands and foundation you would want on a barrel horse or any horse) before you ask them to run the pattern.

Walk it, trot it, fine. I just think you should save the more difficult demands until they are older.

(Sorry for any typos you guys, my keyboard is acting up.)
 
#65 ·
Poor Spastic. All she wanted to do was vent a little to other horse people who might understand where she's coming from, and she's practically getting crucified for it. Why does everyone have to be so SENSITIVE and take everything that everyone says as a personal attack? It's not like she was naming any names.
 
#66 ·
My, My! this thread got all sort of grumpified since my last visit!!

I barrel raced (not anywhere near professionally.. just some fun runs) and i am not offended by any of this because I never did any of the things she listed off :p

My horse was conditioned, he wasnt 3 years old, I rode with good equitation, i wore a helmet, etc. The only reason i'd get offended was if I was doing one of the things she picked on.. and if THATS the case, i'd only be offended because I did something that can be construed as dumb/cruel to myself/my horse, and wanted to turn it back on someone else so no one thinks im cruel to my horse, or a bad rider... its human nature ;D

So.... with that being said.. how come the barrel racers of the forum can't see the humor/truth in the stuff Spastic posted? Heck, i never made it to any "division" of barrel racing and i've seen most of the stuff Spastic listed! Helmetless kids, insane barrel horses, poor equitation, stiff horses, etc... you professional/amatuer barrel racers probably see a lot more of this than I did! So rather than taking offense as if the comments were pointed directly at you, just laugh it off and recall all the times you've seen the "bad apples" of the barrel horse world.

I'm more than certain that Spastic is well aware of the GOOD Barrel Racers... i'm sure she didn't have the intention of offending any members of this message board... and i think the reason why she thought it wouldn't offend anyone is because she assumed (correctly, i'm guessing) that the Barrel Racers of the Horse Forum DID NOT do the things she listed =)

So laugh it off! Find the humor/truth in the list, post/share your memories of seeing some rotten little kid yankin' on her horses mouth... or how funny some lady looked Runnin-for-home with her "bingo wings" floppin' in the breeze, like a heavy-set chicken trying to take off! LOL!

I hope that makes more sense now :p i hope i didn't put words in your mouth Spastic ^^
 
#67 · (Edited)
Well thanks for the support guys! I just want Barrel Racing to get recognized for the sport it really is. Maybe I should go picket at City Hall, but for now this is where I will vent my frustrations..though onetoomany, you're probably right...I should stop hitting keys so much. :P


Bingo-Wings *gigglesnort* Skippy! that is totally what I was going for. I'm glad most everyone else seemed to get the angle I was going for. Your analogy was far better than I could have ever come up with so kudos to you :)
 
#69 ·
Well thanks for the support guys! I just want Barrel Racing to get recognized for the sport it really is. Maybe I should go picket at City Hall, but for now this is where I will vent my frustrations..though onetoomany, you're probably right...I should stop hitting keys so much. :P
Yeah, I'll mail you some signs or something when you want to go picket. Heck, anything to get you off your self-righteous keyboard! :)

I'll put in my input on my biggest pet peeve. It's not one you see so much at higher levels but a lot at local levels. I hate the kids that run the snot out of their horses and the only reason they ever step foot in an arena is to bang around on their horses in an attempt to win a freaking ribbon. Then they wonder why their horse won't go in the gate and they do everything under the sun to get their horse in the gate but it doesn't occur to them to actually fix the problem.
 
#72 · (Edited)
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.

We're not all cowboying idiots. I swear.
Exceptionally put!:wink:

And I thought a discussion board is for being able to discuss things? So, SD has chosen to discuss a pet peeve....
 
#75 ·
Yes, I WAS joking about city hall.
I have made plenty of mistakes. I never denied that. But I learn from my mistakes and see others.

It's a public forum. I was just commenting on my pet peeves. I'm not trying to bring about any radical changes which I guess you think I am.

I never claimed to know it all, and I spend plenty of time out in the REAL world believe it or not. The REAL world is where I saw this and I thought other barrel racers would agree. I was correct. The ones that didn't either posted (and we discussed it calmly) or thought I was dumb and ignored me.

If you have some brilliant idea in mind about how I can go around making sure everyones horses are properly conditioned, good horsemanship is practiced, and a utopia is born, I would be glad to hear it. Until then, I'm going to keep having my ideas and you are welcome to x out of threads by me because yet again, I have no idea what your intentions are other than to start an argument.

Sorry you disagree with me. :)
 
#76 ·
Folks, in this forum there are rules against rudeness and offensive posts and there are infractions for their disregard. Get back on the point of the original post.
 
#81 ·
OK folks, this thread has run it's course and is now disintegrating so it's time to end it.
 
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