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Veteran
Posts: 103
| I'm at a crossroads and feel like it's time to make some decisions.
I have been barrel racing for 30+ years, and even pro rodeoed for a living for awhile. A lot of my friends from back in the day no longer barrel race or even ride barrel horses, but I just keep plugging along.
I'm starting to wonder lately though, if I really still want to compete. I have a really nice horse, and when I watch videos, etc. of other people making runs I get excited........but when it comes down to actually going myself - well that's another story. My motivation seems to run and hide.
For those of you who have made the decision to quit, how did you know when it was time, and why did you quit? |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
   
Location: Displaced Iowegian | I first retired from barrel racing to travel with my husband to his team penning events across the Midwest. He had supported me for many, many years by staying home and working so that I (and the boys) could go down the road. I found that I loved to pen and sort but unfortunately, a couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with degenerative sacroiliac joints that make it too painful to even ride…..but I am pretty old and that’s OK with me……now. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| I am 66. Not as fast as I used to be but isn't that why they have 4D races? I don't foresee quitting |
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 Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | Pain from multiple degenerative disease processes. It just wasn't fun anymore with all the pain. The secondary incentive to quit was the expense. I sold the horse I was running at the time and it was like someone cut my arm off not being able to compete. That lasted for about 6 months. Then I got used to it.
But I wasn't ready to sell out. I had some nice mares so I started breeding them. Then I bought a stallion because of the unreliability and expense of shipping semen. I'm still trying to keep this going. But it gets harder every year. |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| I'm 65, will be 66 in October. I didn't retire per se, I moved to another state after a divorce and started over (at 60 years of age). Been rough going and I had to go back to work. I have my horses, my truck and trailer but haven't went to a barrel race for like 3/4 years now. I miss it, I miss riding and I have no excuse not to ride. I don't want to quit and I don't want to sell the horses and some day I hope to breed my mare. |
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 Lived to tell about it and will never do it again
Posts: 5409
| Im 54 and haven't really cared for a few years if I went or not. I have only been making 5 or so runs a year for the last 6 or 7 years. Hubby and I team rope and have a lot of fun going to the USTRC ropings and such. I was keeping my barrel horse for our grand daughter but this spring I got to thinking that we are still about 2 or 3 years away from her riding him and he is just getting older (13 now). I decided it was either sell him now while worth some money or bury him when he die's later on. I decided to sell and if I get the urge to go to a barrel race one of my heading horses will be just fine with a little tune up. |
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Regular
Posts: 62
| I am a younger barrel racer and let me tell you I am getting pretty burnt out on racing. I have a super nice mare but I feel I don't ride her well. Sell her? NO WAY she is my daughters horse and my go to for anyone to ride. Very easy going mare and nice to be around. I also have a very nice paint gelding that runs 4D and I am happy with that. He is also my boyfriends horse and I can have most anyone ride him as well. I am just finding not motivation to go. I used to love it. Now it almost seems tiring and not worth the energy. I took a short break a couple years ago for a month or so just to get my groove back. I love to ride and ranch. I rope as well. Maybe just a change of scenery so to speak? You could always try that and see where it takes you. Sometimes a break is the best thing.  |
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 Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | A lot of things in the barrel racing/rodeo world lately have made me think about retiring and I don't run as many weekends as I used to. But I guess the fire is still there because I'm still going a little bit. Part of it also is not feeling I'm competitive anymore. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I tore my meniscus and had it repaired but the pain was still there as the Dr. scraped my joint and sped up my osteo arthritis that hadn't bothered me before. By the time I found pain relief through injections (I was told by 3 doctors I needed a full knee replacement and I doubt that will ever happen) ...the fire was pretty much gone to go so I keep saying I'm going to start riding again and it just hasn't happened. |
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Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
| I'm on the fence. I've stopped riding several times for various reasons. I always seem to come back. I'm back at the needing a break ... I think I'm at the point where any excuse is a good excuse to not ride. Once I'm out there, I'm good and happy I went. I'm excited when I enter a barrel race, but when it's time to get out of the house to go, I find myself not wanting to go. Husband and son are not interested so many times I go by myself. Sorry, I'm no help! |
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Veteran
Posts: 103
| azsun - 2016-07-22 5:20 PM
I'm on the fence. I've stopped riding several times for various reasons. I always seem to come back. I'm back at the needing a break ... I think I'm at the point where any excuse is a good excuse to not ride. Once I'm out there, I'm good and happy I went. I'm excited when I enter a barrel race, but when it's time to get out of the house to go, I find myself not wanting to go. Husband and son are not interested so many times I go by myself. Sorry, I'm no help!
You sounds just like me.
I know part of it is that I have an insecure horse and sometimes he makes me crazy. :)
What to do?????? |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | The rodeo days were fun and exciting when I was younger. 4-D not so much. Waiting around all day for exhibitions and barrel racers with a trailerload of horses who often got the pick of the ground because they had multiple horses......it was easy to give it up. Too much work and expense for too little reward. Too much aggravation.
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | Frodo - 2016-07-23 7:11 AM
The rodeo days were fun and exciting when I was younger. 4-D not so much. Waiting around all day for exhibitions and barrel racers with a trailerload of horses who often got the pick of the ground because they had multiple horses......it was easy to give it up. Too much work and expense for too little reward. Too much aggravation.
This is one reason - did not find the 4D thing much fun. My years at the rodeos were terrific and fun and exciting. In comparison the 4D thing was boring to me. Another -- marriage and made the commitment to raise my two stepsons, commitment to financial goals and career and lingering issues with a neck injury. However, about 15 years ago I stepped back into horses with horse showing. I enjoy showmanship, horsemanship and trail. And love the fact there is a division for the "old" folks. I enjoy the social aspect of showing very much -- and typically show locally enough to get qualified and attend the world show. Currently I have a 4 YO gelding that I'm working with to get ready for the show pen in 2017 (I love training them!) and my wise old showmanship mare. Still have a very busy career so barn time is a stress relief. I enjoy grooming and caring for them about as much as riding these days. It IS about the horse and the bond for me now. |
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 Life Saver
Posts: 10477
Location: MT | I have never found the 4D's much fun either, much preferred rodeoing to them. I get pretty bored with the waiting around. I haven't ran for awhile now due to breaking my back and also not having anything to run. I am trying to get the gelding I have now going on the barrels but the fire just isn't in me like it used to be for competing.
Edited by ruggedchica 2016-07-23 9:51 AM
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Life just keeps getting in my way, still have my horses, I keep my arena worked so I can play when I feel like it. But just dont have that drive to want to go anywhere,, out here I just stay so busy. I need my mojo back, lol.. |
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 South Texas Hottie
Posts: 12130
Location: IM A DUDE!!!!!!! | for me, I had lost the urge. I was about to saddle my horse and thought to myself that I didn't want to ride anymore. So I took off the saddle and turned her loose. The day before I was fine and dandy, but the day after it was completely different. One part of that was the lack of shows. Most local shows were more than an hour away and this was when gas prices was starting to go over $2 a gallon. Then those local shows just stopped so the only nearby ones for me were going to be more than 2 hours away. I had nothing solid and only 2 young prospects. I felt that I just couldn't justify taking them to do exhibitions (futurity prospects) and not make any money. So I just quit. That was 6 years ago and I have only ridden once in that time.
after contemplating what the heck I was going to do, I decided to go to culinary school and become a chef.....tons more stress than training horses, but I love it lol
Edited by cowboynsouthtx81 2016-07-24 7:20 PM
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Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
| Wow! That's quite the change.
I prefer rodeos. but ... my horse isn't consistent enough, thus I'm at the 4Ds. I like that the ground is almost always good but its just a huge gamble. Plus, rodeos require travel. As I mentioned earlier, my son and husband aren't into rodeo, so I'm usually by myself. That's not exactly fun. When they do go, I feel bad because I know they really don't care to be there and my son is the type that is always underfoot trying to be "helpful" so we can leave ... which makes me nervous too.
sigh ..... |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I agree with everyone that everyone that said rodeoing was great but the 4-D's pretty much suck. I loved going to rodeos and the jackpots and 4-D's have always felt more like a job but without having a rodeo horse, I wasn't going to donate so I found big added money 4 and 5-D's to go to. The well run big shows down here are very well run and you can pretty much figure out when you are going to run so you don't have to sit around all day. |
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Member
Posts: 26
| Am glad to see that am not the only one that loved to rodeo BUT hate the 4 Ds !!!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I want to go, I absolutely love it even if it is a 4D but don't have ANYTHING to go on... About a year and a half ago I bought myself a really nice mare and due to a freak thing earlier this year she's lame now. We were going a lot (by our standards, maybe 2x a month), I have a really good friend I travel around with and we have a ball. I've got a three year old I just started putting rides on and I can't wait until he's broke enough to just go as my portable lawn chair.
Before I got my mare it had been a few years since I had entered anything and by the time she was ready to go I had a lot of the same feelings you guys do, not fast enough, don't like 4D, don't want to donate my $$$, far away, I'm way fatter now (lol) why bother etc. My friend drug me out and I got bit by the bug again and just had fun, we were definitely not the most competitive but my mare was super solid and fun to take. If I can get her sound enough I'll definitely go again  .
Point of this story is maybe if you haven't been going much or at all to grab a friend and try and see how you feel after a few races? At the beginning having the friend made all the difference for me, and now I'm just pumped to go by myself even lol. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | when your not passionate about it anymore .. least take a break.. |
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 Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | I am coming to term with I won't run barrels anymore. I was going through a divorce and looking forward to getting through it so I could start running again when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a bilateral masectomy. Had a couple of less than stellar doctors and now I really have trouble with my right arm. I sent my colt with a friend of mine to finish him out and hopefully haul him a lot. |
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Veteran
Posts: 285
| sorrel horse ranch - 2016-07-24 8:51 PM
I am coming to term with I won't run barrels anymore. I was going through a divorce and looking forward to getting through it so I could start running again when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a bilateral masectomy. Had a couple of less than stellar doctors and now I really have trouble with my right arm. I sent my colt with a friend of mine to finish him out and hopefully haul him a lot.
Prayers to you! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 283
Location: On top of a Hill, WA | Try mounted shooting! |
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Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | pepsi97 - 2016-07-24 11:37 PM sorrel horse ranch - 2016-07-24 8:51 PM I am coming to term with I won't run barrels anymore. I was going through a divorce and looking forward to getting through it so I could start running again when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a bilateral masectomy. Had a couple of less than stellar doctors and now I really have trouble with my right arm. I sent my colt with a friend of mine to finish him out and hopefully haul him a lot. Prayers to you!
Thank you Pepsi. I keep hoping something will change. But whatever will be I will choose to be happy. |
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For Those Of You That Have "Retired" From Barrel Racing - What Made You Decide To Do So?