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 Member
Posts: 33
| I know the worst thing to do to a barrel horse is work them every single time you get on them on barrels, but how many days a week would be a good idea until you and your horse get good and consistent?
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Veteran
Posts: 138
| I come from the eventing/show jumping world. Most people only jump their horses twice a week. Once in a lesson, and then again to practice things learned in the lesson. Maybe three times if they are just learning things. The rest of the time is spent doing flat work/dressage. The top riders mostly only jump their horses once a week at home, they want to save their horse's best jumping for at shows. I would think that it would be the same thing with a barrel horse. There are lots of things you can work on without a barrel. Lope or jog to roll back...lope to whoa to roll back or turn on the haunches back to lope or jog...work on lateral work, side passing, shoulder-in, haunches-in, things like that to get your horse bending and moving their shoulders and hind end independantly. | |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| draftmare - 2016-11-29 7:25 AM
I come from the eventing/show jumping world. Most people only jump their horses twice a week. Once in a lesson, and then again to practice things learned in the lesson. Maybe three times if they are just learning things. The rest of the time is spent doing flat work/dressage. The top riders mostly only jump their horses once a week at home, they want to save their horse's best jumping for at shows. I would think that it would be the same thing with a barrel horse. There are lots of things you can work on without a barrel. Lope or jog to roll back...lope to whoa to roll back or turn on the haunches back to lope or jog...work on lateral work, side passing, shoulder-in, haunches-in, things like that to get your horse bending and moving their shoulders and hind end independantly.
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Member
Posts: 33
| Perfect! Thank You! | |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I disagree, and several of the big names I've ridden with would disagree, on the don't work your horse everyday on the barrels.
Don't RUN your horse everyday on the barrels. Don't aimlessly work them without a plan. If I'm at my arena and the barrels are up I may do a single quick lope through, I may walk, I may trot a couple times, but 1 - when I point the horse at the 1st barrel he needs to go to work, go to his spot and perform, it's his job no matter what's going on. 2 - if the only time a horse is pointed at the barrel he's told to run, I firmly believe that this is where a lot of issues start.
Again, work might be one trip walking through on a loose rein and that's it as long as pony does everything he's suppose to do, could be a lope through, could be more intense drills.
That being said - this is idealistic of me, I share an arena with ropers and rope myself, and the arena is down the road at my in laws place. So no, they don't end up on the barrels every ride, we ride our pasture a lot, and depending on the time of year we don't always have the daylight to rope and work the barrels, and I rope off my barrel horses so if they've done well roping I'm not going to work them into the ground.
But no, I'm not afraid to take one to the barrels in some capacity every time I swing a leg over them.
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 Lone Wolf in my pack of One
Posts: 2825
Location: North Texas | I mentioned this before on another topic, but I view things very much like I would a track athlete because that is a world with which I am very familiar. There has to be a balance between conditioning and technique work and days that combine the two.
I hurdled and I work with hurdlers so technique is important, much like with barrel horses...however, it is still a sprint race over 60, 100, or 400m.
My rodeo horse gets worked on the actual pattern once or twice a week in the addition to any races that week. However, we usually start each day with a little technique work (perfect circles, spirals, ect.) before conditioning or pasture riding. My mare is almost 12 years old, completely finished, solid rodeo horse and we spend a lot of time on fundamental stuff—just as much for me as her. For her benefit I like to mix in various drills/pole work just to keep her interested. But usually I don’t have too many issues…she loves to work.
So, sorry for rambling but I would say a finished horse needs at least a couple of days on the pattern in addition to runs that are made. But drills and technique work are just as important as patterning.
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 Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | I stay away from the pattern unless I have a problem to fix or I feel the horse is not consistent. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| Agree, I have 3 finished horses.. THey never see a barrel unless its at a jackpot. Keeps them enjoying their job. And when there is a problem to fix, takes 3 minutes. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I think im kinda in the middle of the road. If a horse isn't finished they need about 3-4 days a week "shown" the pattern. I would say high lope/run twice a week but I like to walk/trot the pattern once or twice other times. The main thing is don't do the same thing every day. You have to work on fundamentals and horsemanship. My geese I wish I could explain to ppl sometimes that they need to work with their horse instead of against them. One of the most important things to me is make sure they are relaxed before you stop and get off. With young horses especially, after I run I turn around and make them walk the pattern, stop at the barrel and let them relax.
My finished horse gets exercised usually 3 times during the week and at some point walks or walks/trots the pattern just to make sure she's listening to me, unless we need to fix an issue. But I like to ride in the pasture and on trails whenever I get a chance. | |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | FLITASTIC - 2016-11-30 11:46 AM Agree, I have 3 finished horses.. THey never see a barrel unless its at a jackpot. Keeps them enjoying their job. And when there is a problem to fix, takes 3 minutes.
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 Saint Stacey
| You can do a lot of training and tuning at a walk. Walking lets you stay consistent and it builds muscle memory. Too many people think they need to make runs to train. All our seasoned horses walk a lot of barrels. Not necessarily on the pattern, we do mix it up. Walking keeps a horse sounder and saner too. | |
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Barrel Practice