Do you count the time on your run, personally, if you tipped the barrel? Watching the PB over the weekend got me to thinking about that. We all know that an Eddie Stinson ran a 16.6, but she tipped 2 barrels. Now if the horse taken enough steps around the barrels to not tip them, the time would be slower; probably 16.8/9; still a fast run, but not the 16.6 that shut the clock off.

Now, when I tip a barrel I personally dont say I ran a 16.8 on a standard if I tip, because I know that my horse cut off the barrels or didn't take enough steps to get all the way around the barrel like all the horses that ran fast times that kept them up... is that just me?

If I tip / drag one over leaving the turn then I like to think the time would be a close / fair for comparision.  Anytime you tip tho there is a hesitation so technically nope not a good comparision but the thought of "what if" is a fun conversation.

And watching videos of the one at the PB that ran .2 faster, the horse just didn't seem to take enough steps around the barrel to get by it, so I would think if the horse had taken that extra step to ensure a clean run, it would have been slower.

It is a shame too, that mare is nice, but is a barrel tipper.

I think it depends.

If your horse dives in, slices the pocket, smashes the barrel .... yeah, probably not an accurate representation of the time.

But if (for example) you barely catch your knee on the barrel as you leave to go to the next one, then yes, I think it's pretty accurate to compare your time, because the tipped barrel didn't change anything.

I have always just figured that if you hit a barrel coming into it then it cost you time(you have to take more steps to get around the down barrel) but if you hit it leaving it then you were faster(you took less steps then you should have if it was left standing).  Either way it is just what if's and really doesn't matter

I think that you would also have to figure in positioning as your approaching the barrel, did you take too much of a pocket, to little? Was that 6 inches further from the barrel, the cause of the tip? How far out of position were you when leaving the previous barrel? I watched a really nice run a few years ago that would have been a arena record, girl caught the barrel with the tip of her toe as she was leaving it, watching other runs of hers, she had held the mare a little longer on that turn to get her to finish the turn ( Mare would almost always come out about half way to the previous barrel, but still clock). There are soo many factors to consider. I love the videos comparing your run to the winner, you can really see where you are losing time in comparision. 

I keep it simple. . dones't matter how perfect my run was. . (clean or not). . I can always do better and the run is never good enough.  Drives me crazy how I will pick a run a part and it could have been amazing! 

If I do tip. . .I always wonder.. how much money did I just leave in the dirt?  Like it makes you feel better if the time wouldn't have placed.    

Those ghost videos are so much fun! i wish more places would do them!

Agree with this! Tip going in it would be slower, tip on backside/slice it, probably faster since your horse cheated you to get around the barrel. I would rather take that extra step and be .1 slower than to not give my horse that extra 6" and constantly leave money in the dirt. 

If I ran a 16.6 on a standard and tipped a barrel I would still post it on the internet and be proud of myself. Everyone knows it was a No time so it doesnt count for anything but even if it was a smidgeon faster than it would have been clean, that's a **** good run and brag worthy IMO. Gotta find the positive in everything. 

Yes let's be honest. Most of us would do the same. Sometimes bragging a bit is good for the own psyche.