Getting Into It..

I went to the GNR last night and the barrel racing was awesome! I've always loved barrel racing and have planned and plan to get into it someday. Only problem is, I have NOTHING western, no tack etc. I don't even have a horse for it. I've fooled around with Errika through a pattern, but that's it. What is some advice, pointers, riding tips you Barrel racers can kindly offer to me?

I know how to ride western, but not familar with the form or anything with running barrels..

You go girl. Hope you get the information you are looking for as I would like to get there one day but I am several steps behind you. It is fun to watch though. I really would like to get to some smaller rodeos this summer here in Alberta. I know High River has one on this weekend.

Are there any barns in and around your area that deal with Barrel Racing??

I am sure there is someone here on E-E who can point you into the right direction!

I got nadda for yeah!!! I wish I could help you out but I am E for empty! :(

Hey Ink:
I'm glad we have another person on here wanting to try barrel racing out. You & Academyrider both, if you guys try it out I know you'll be hooked. It's a blast and such a fun & exciting sport.
As with any sport in riding, it's good to hang out with other people who do that sort of riding. Go watch some barrel races, talk with other people who do b-race. Talk to everyone who know.
As far as reading, read everything you can on barrel racing. Charmanye James' book on barrel racing, which is a western horseman book, is really good. In the barrel racing section fo this forum, I've posted, along with sammygal, posted alot of good barrel racing info and just read every thread in the b-racing section. Learn the tools of trade used in barrel racing. I'll post the same info I posted in Academyrider's thread for you. Good luck & I hope you try it! It's a ton of fun. :)

Here's some information I've posted previously! I hope you find it interesting and if you do ever try barrel racing you'll be hooked! It's a blast!

"Over & Under Whips."
A certain type of whip popularly used in barrel racing.
This is where people go wrong in barrel racing & get the blown-up horses. No...you don't need a over & under. Yes...a lot of people use them. It's to get, Like Sammy said, to get sudden bursts of speed there at the end. People slap the tar out of the horse inbetween barrels too. I don't use one, I'll admit I tried one. I made a home made one. All it causes is fear.
And the end results are both rider & horse frustrated and tired.
Just keep it fun & simple!! That's what barrel racing is SUPPOSED to be. Fun!

What is 4D,3D, 2D? What's the difference?
1D refers to the time. Say 100 horses run and the fastest time is 15. seconds. In a 4D Barrel Race with half second splits all the horses with times between 15. and 15.5 are the 1D times. 2D times are 15.5 to 16; 3D is 16. to 16.5 with 4D being 16.5 to 17. The higher payout goes to the 1D & 2D time. The 4D system was introduced to get payout/prize money down the running list and it worked.

What is a "rollback?"
A "rollback" is, by deffinition a rollback is a snappy 180- degree turn over the hocks, executed when the horse's forward motion ceases to a stop. Immediately upon completeling the stop the horse moves out in the same tracks he made approaching the stop.


Good Barrel Horse Conformation Tips:
He's a gorgeous horse and you should be so proud of him! Very tanky well built horse you've got there!

He looks like an awsome barrel prospect! In barrel horses you want them to be around 14.2- 15h mark. As you probabley know there are alot of taller barrel horses around such as Cherie McQualter's Whytes's," TOMMY," but generally speaking smaller, low to the ground horses suits me better. My current barrel racer is 14.2-14.3.

I like a potential drum horse to have short cannon bones and hocks which are set lower to the ground than say the higher set thoroughbred types. With lower set hocks even hind legs which are slightly cowhocked, horses seem to be able to get down and really use their back end alot better and easier. A horse which has good pasterns which are not too upright, or too long and sloping. These upright or long sloping pasterns cause excessive strain on a horses tendons and joints and the horse will most likely end up 'breaking down.'

Some of the top American barrel racers say that a horse which has a barrel (middle part of horse) which is rather short yet proportional to the size of the horse is best. From the looks of it, it seems your horse fits that description.

But above all, the thing I look at most is that butt & neck. I love a horse with a butt that looks as thoguh it's been built to be a powerhouse. And a short, yet stocky mucled neck. I like the way your horse's neck ties into his body smoothly and his butt looks good. As with time and riding he'll muscle up even more and that butt will too of course.

I say you have a wonderful barrel prospect on your hands. And the best thing about him is he's colored, there's hardly no colored horses barrel racing today, the mojority of it is solids such as sorrels and bays. You'll get noticed on that splashy baby!

I hope this is what your looking for...sorta..Academyrider. And if you do ever try barrel racing, I hope you find it fun & exciting!
-Sarah / CanChaser

WOW thanks Sarah!!!! That's a lot of helpful info, yay!!

An old family friend (a little younger than me) is into barrel racing, and just got a lead pony off the track she's training for barrels with her trainer. She's just a 3 minute drive from where I board, so I might try taking lessons with her trainer. I'll see how strongly I can persue it, been suuuuppper busy these days with my Ink and keeping Errika in daily work. Yay, it would be sooo exciting if I could get into it!!

Thanks for all the support gals, I'll keep ya updated!

here in Oregon, we got my daughter into barrels by entering her in a game day they have once a month. There are alot of inexperienced ppl and kids that ride there and its all for fun and learning. We've been doing this with her for a year now and she is getting faster. She just turned 7 and is in a pre-peewee class. When we first started she was leadline but now she is running to the barrels by herself. If they have anything like that where you live I'd try it out. I finally decided to enter myself in the last event and I had a blast. We didn't place except in Pole Bending but that is because some of the faster horses broke the pattern and got no times. All I did was trot thru the patterns and gallop on the straight aways. My youngest enjoyed coaching me from the rail. We also have a trainer in mind that will train us for $20 an hour per person which I think is reasonable and she usually wins saddles every year on her horse. So just ask and hang out with ppl and you'll find lots of help. Hope this helps you ;o)

first off thanks to ink for asking that question. i have always been interested in barrel racing. thanks so much sarah for all that info, it realy was very helpful to me. :)