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 agree with most of the things you have presented. Whole-heartedly.
BUT people do things differently. A LOT DIFFERENTLY. Just because you do it one way doesn't mean everyone has to.
I take personal offense to the fact that you say a 3 year old has no business running the pattern. My gelding is just coming 4 in April and he's doing extremely well with it. I've always been around horses started at a younger age. That's just how we do it here I guess. Personally I can't stand the people that say you shouldn't break a horse until they're 5 years old. But that's a whole other topic that doesn't need to be started here.
I'm just saying that everyone does it differently, and that YOUR opinions/techniques are going to be WAY out in left field compared to somebody else's. Mine included.
It's kind of silly to take this personal considering these are MY personal opinions about the sport. I personally think a three year old has no business doing work that strenuous -- That's something I can't stand.
I guess I don't really see your point. But if it makes you feel better, here:
NOTE: These are my personal opinions and not fact, law, or the bible. I am not god. Sorry if I came off like I was, apparently?
Ha! I like you! Pretty sure number one and number ten are HUGE pet peeves of mine. I really do not understand how people seem to think that pumping their hands=faster horse? No. You look like a fool who really does not know how to ride. I also absolutely cannot stand it when I see people who cannot get their horse in the gate/alley.
For me, I see a lot of younger girls who seem to come across this issue quite frequently and I just don't understand it. They will sit there and beat on their horses who are obviously so gate sour that they have no business to be even anywhere near an arena. I just want to look at them and say "please go back to basics, then come back and try this again". Nine times out of ten their horses are so nuts because all they do is run run run and nothing else. If you are unable to achieve a walk with a loose rein with your horse, then you have no business running them. Period. Sorry for adding a rant on here, but I really could not agree with you more!
i do agree with most of it especially doing other things on them cause then your horse stays fresh it keeps my barrel horse happy specially if i take him to a show do WP and then he can turn around and do barrels.. I do agree with running a 3 year old around barrels is alittle early too you can take a really nice barrel prospect and burn them out and injure them before they are even seasoned and really going good but glad to see someone else with alot the same pet peeves barrel racers take alot of crap for this stuff specially over bitting and such any way nice Spastic dove
I guess what I was getting it is that I DO agree with a lot that you say.
There are far too many people that have these super amped up horses and they can't control them. They have no clue how to handle them. It drives me CRAZY!!:shock:
But I was also getting at the fact that no matter how much one person believes in something, another one will hate it as much as they believe it.
Its interesting to see the different methods/opinions that we all have here. It just shows that no matter what, everyone is going to butt heads once in a while.....
Ergh, I have to agree with you Spastic. I've been trying to learn barrel racing with my horse and we have been taking it really slow, he's only ever walked/trotted the pattern because I'm trying to teach him all of the other things I feel like he needs to know. Of course, I could be completely wrong . But it drives me nuts when I'm at a show and they are beating the crap out of a rearing crazy gate sour horse to get them into the arena. What do they say "she's just gate sour, but really loves to run the pattern". I don't believe it. Or the horse that gets ridden 3x a year and just for barrels. But, I do see a lot of good riders out there that take care of their horses and the horses seem like they really enjoy what they are doing. So, I guess its just like every other sport, you have the good and the bad. Unfortunately the bad give the rest of us a bad name. I can tell you my bf impression of horse riding in general took a real down swing after he came to the fair.
I agree. Totally. Granted I have run a 3 year old on the pattern. I think you really need to know what your doing. Its risky and I'd,personally, much rather wait until 4 to do it. (owner was pushing for futurities) On the other hand I followed the methods of a local futurity trainer who has had numerous horses go on to be successful NBHA and rodeo horses that are still running 1D at 18-19 soundly and happy. Although her methods had very little to do with the pattern and far more to do with a good broke horse.
Either way, I agree in that 3 is young and I wouldnt be running mine at 3. For those who do...I sure hope you had your baby x-rayed and approved by a certified vet...as well as know what the horse can handle mentally. Some things just arent worth those 15-16 seconds.
Bandit has the ok from my vet at Oregon State University. I don't run him COMPETITIVELY. I'm just getting him patterned. I won't be using him competitively until the summer after next probably. I'm just getting him started out. I wouldn't dream of competing with him yet. That level is too harsh on his young body.
I started racing when I was 8 for fun, and have been racing semi-competitively since I was 12. I've ridden some great horses but I've also got on some that I thought for sure were going to kill me. All hyped up, rearing, kicking, throwing their head, etc. I swore to myself if I had a horse, I would never do that to them.
I don't know what you mean by "mentally" however. Could you enlighten me? Are you talking about temperment? Or respect? Or what?
Some of you (especially Spastic Dove) may have seen my post a while back in response to a question about what I do to start out a barrel horse. My reply seemed to shock a couple people as I had said that repetition is key and I had mentioned far more reps than others thought necessary. I'm just going by what I have been exposed to and learned from other ladies who have been in the business way longer than I have. Everyone has their own ideas of how to do things. There are many barrel ladies on here that comment on these kind of posts frequently. But I could almost guarantee that if you asked 10 of them the same question you would get 10 different answers. Its all based on personal preference and experience. I agree that green riders should not ride green horses. But who's going to tell them not to? Its a difficult thing to try to control.....
Wholeheartedly agree with you Spastic. One of mine I would like to add to the list is the parents that lead the horse into the arena with a 3, 4, or 5 year old aboard and turn the horse loose only to have it run flat out with the poor kid screaming the whole way. It took every ounce of self control I had not to knock this one lady out at a ranch rodeo one night. I still called her a stupid b!&%$ though.
Also wanted to add...The only thing that I saw that spastic dove posted as "opinion" was about the age. Everything else is fact. Intensity differs from horse and rider to horse and rider but these things are true. Barrel racing is one of the most intricate sports there is. It demands the knowledge,patience, and control of dressage or reining but at a much faster pace. You think of things in terms of "stride" or "half-stride" but not at a trot or lope, but rather a gallop. Barrel racing isnt for the light weights or the passivists. You have to know how to get in there and ride. If you don't have the ability or knowledge to navigate a dressage pattern, then more than likely your one of the ones who give the rest of us a bad name.
Im just saying this because I work VERY hard to accomplish a barrel pattern and it frustrates me so much when someone belittles or simplifies years of work into "All you have to do is run really fast around 3 barrels". Greenies DO NOT belong on a barrel horse.
I agree with the taking it easy when training and practicing your contesting horse. When we practice at home we keep it to a trot/slow canter. It helps to keep the horse calm, and for every show we hit we try to work in a trail ride after. I don't necessarily agree with everything that you've said, I think you need to give the kids a break, the arm flapping is something they will be able to control with practice. Just like the young horse the young rider is also learning. I think that kids need experienced horses to ride, no matter what their discipline is. A green horse and a green rider are a dangerous combination.
I don't necessarily agree with everything that you've said, I think you need to give the kids a break, the arm flapping is something they will be able to control with practice.
I was talking about the people that have been riding forever and have had plenty of time to work it out and think they are "urging the horse forward" or something. It's my general pet peeve with bouncy, floppy, slouchy western riders.
(Which, btw I am a western rider. I just dont flop. I'm not saying all western riders can't ride)
Aside from the fact that I do not think their joints are ready for it, nor are they mentally ready to be running a pattern, horses need to be really broke to run the pattern. There is plenty of things I would rather seea 3 year old doing other than riding a pattern -- Getting down all the basics and getting soft for one.
I'm sure those gate sour horses start out loving to run the pattern but they get burnt out on it and for some reason the riders can't figure out why. I agree with smrobs too, I can't stand those parents. Barrel racing is just a legitimate a sport as cross-country or dressage and you wouldn't send your kid out on a cc course when they had no idea how to ride.
There are A LOT of good barrel racers out there. Unfortunately most of what non-rodeoers see are the people I am talking about.
I DO NOT RUN THE PATTERN. I AM GETTING MY YOUNG HORSE PATTERNED ON THE BARRELS. I AM WORKING THE PATTERN.
I just said that I am not competing with him. And that he is too young to be running the barrels with. I guess I shouldn't have used the word "running", I agree that was the wrong word to use. But as I just stated, he is too young to be using to compete. I agree with that totally. I would probably be upset if I saw a 3/4 year old competing, definately. But starting a barrel horse out at 3/4 years old is perfectly fine in MY eyes. And that's what I'm doing here.
We are working on w/t/c on the pattern. He already collects/extends, moves off the leg, bends/flexes, smooth pivots, great roll backs, etc. He is still perfecting these things but we have gotten a great base on him. He already moves the hind and front independently very well. But I don't know why I'm explaining myself here.
And FYI in my thread about the bit, I don't run the barrels in the tom thumb. Just a plain old snaffle works great!!
You will notice in my origional post, I said GALLOPING the pattern. There is nothing wrong at all with walking and trotting a pattern and occasionally throwing in a nice controlled lope. The problem I have is GALLOPING the pattern. (Like you would for a time)
Does that make sense?
As far as bits, I can run in a D ring snaffle (Usually single jointed but I am going to be getting one of those mylers with the centre piece)
However at jackpots, I will put in a rather "harsh" bit on Diesel. I'm not having any contact with his mouth, he is a finished barrel horse, I will use it to tidy up spots.
I think all barrel horses need to be started off in a snaffle. The vast majority of barrel horses should be running (competing) in a snaffle or gentler curb, however in responsible hands with a seasoned horse, there is nothing wrong with more bit.
When I say over-bitting, I am referring to people with strong, tense hands and horses that are still learning.
I ride him in a d ring snaffle. I was riding in a tom thumb for a while at the advice of my trainer. But I posted a thread on here and got a lot of good information about that bit and have since stopped using it. I was using it while working him on the reining basics, but I switched back to my d ring last week. But whenever I was riding the barrel pattern, I used my snaffle. Why do you ask?
I agree with you SD. Although I dont know a ton about Barrel Racing, I know that it's not something I would let a baby (equine or human) do. No way am I going to through my 4 yr old on a barrel horse and no way would I jump on a 3 yr old to run. Both halves of the team need to be trained and conditioned. Same as with any sport.
I see what you mean. I've seen many OLDER horses that are psycho as well. But part of that is from the riders scaring the living daylights out of them to make them run. Anyway, Bandit is a very smart horse. very mature for his age. Super willing to learn and eager to please. He knows when its time to work, and when its time to play. We usually do an hour warm up in the arena and then go into working the pattern. Then we do about a 45 min cool down after. I've seen people come straight from the trailer, tack up, and then RUN the pattern about 5 or 6 times and then LEAVE all in about 30 mins. I hate that.
I understand what you mean now....And I can totally see where you're coming from!!
I used to barrel race, but not the ZOMG TURRRN N BURRRN sort of barrel racing. Skippy! LOVED to be wide open in the arena. So we would do the traditional patterns (single pole, texas barrels, and clover leaf) and my GOD was he a happy camper! We would walk in the arena and he could feel my heart beat, so it would turn into a little jig, then i'd pep talk him and we'd be jigging side ways.. then i would yell GOGOGOGOGO! and WHEW! He would practically capriole as he hauled his buns!
BUT.. the difference between me and a lot of the barrel racers i knew in person, is I did not take something my horse loved, and made it unenjoyable for him. We barrel raced -occasionally-. We jumped -occasionally-. We always rode to have a good time with eachother.
I love "spotting" barrel/goat tying horses at horse shows. They're the ones entering a non-barrel class, and upon seeing the gate they jig side to side and start shaking, then buldge through it and run at an uncontrollable speed. I have won Walk Trot classes in Schooling Shows because of this. I even sold a horse I was riding in the class before i made my first lap around the ring because a runaway barrel horse slammed into him and he didnt do anything.
The one thing on the list i'd add.. which is strictly cosmetic...
You do NOT need to spend hundreds of dollars on the clothes you'll be wearing into the ring. Your saddle does NOT have to be expensive and stretched with Ostritch Leather with great detailing and stars and hearts and zomg stuff.
IF YOU DO YOUR JOB RIGHT. NO ONE WILL NOTICE YOUR DARN CLOTHES!
I'd get mocked for riding in a T shirt and Wintec because ZOMG ITS NOT PROPER.
wth.. barrel racing isnt proper! it was founded by bored women who werent allowed to participate in rodeos :p
If the frills, fringe, and expensive clothes make you happy, thats great. but dont down on those who dont wear them.
Awesome post Spastic! I know you werent intending to be offensive to anyone on the board, just posting your observations :p very well said!
YAY!!! Somebody finally mentioned it! I know I wasn't going to... lol The clothes and saddles! What's the deal? I didn't know it was a fashion show! I see all of these saddles, headstalls, and breastcollars that are all blinged out and fancy. To ME, those just aren't practical. I mean honestly. There's nothing wrong with trying to look put-together and all, but the fancy hats, jackets, BOOTS even, as well as the blinged out tack just is too much for me. I like riding in my jeans, long sleeve shirt, and my carhart vest. lol But thanks for bringing that topic up!!
Haha. I feel the same way about the cosmetic stuff with everything. As long as it is functional, I dont care about fashion when I am on the back of the horse.
Some of those barrel racers blind me with their sparkles and bling.
Same goes for the silver in the WP pen :P
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