|
|
Veteran
Posts: 134
 
| I have really enjoyed lurking around the boards and reading everyone's post trying to make sure I do everything "right" as move from years of leisure riding into competitive riding. I am hoping some of you would be willing to provide some of your favorite tips about barrel racing. Any info would be appreciated from how often you work on the pattern to different drills you find helpful or even what is that one (or many haha) things you see beginners do that drive you nuts. I am taking general horsemanship lessons now, communicating with someone who barrel races in the area to hopefully get some barrel lessons in the future, and doing a ton of online research. I am just trying to establish good foundations for both me and my horse and everyone seems so willing to help on this board I thought I would ask. I am trying to avoid being the person that all of you more experienced riders are shaking their head at.
Edited by EagleJess 2017-03-31 10:03 PM
|
|
| |
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I think I'm going to really like you  , I like it when someone is willing to ask questions and wants to learn, so bumping this up for you and Welcome to the board  |
|
| |
|
  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4641
 
Location: Texas | Welcome to the board! I think that one can always learn something from every single person they run into, whether that thing is something you want to emulate or something you want to make sure you don't do. Something that drives me nuts is seeing someone running barrels and can barely ride to begin with. What I mean by that is someone who is pushing their horse above their own ability, flailing around, stiff as a board in the saddle, hauling on the horses mouth, etc. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 134
| Thanks for the responses! It is nice to meet both of you. I definitely agree about being able to ride being a priority. That is why I started taking general western lessons first. I have ridden with many people that have given me riding tips throughout the years, but they had different backgrounds from dressage to hunter jumper to team ropers, so I wanted to have someone critique and really work on my riding first to ensure I was riding properly before any problems were exacerbated by adding speed.
I thought that I was getting a good basic barrel racing foundation of skills down by watching a variety of videos, reading on here, etc. But then I found a post on here from a while back where someone had ask the forum to critique their run. The feedback was great and really showed me how much I have to learn.
|
|
| |
|
A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | EagleJess - 2017-04-01 12:45 PM Thanks for the responses! It is nice to meet both of you. I definitely agree about being able to ride being a priority. That is why I started taking general western lessons first. I have ridden with many people that have given me riding tips throughout the years, but they had different backgrounds from dressage to hunter jumper to team ropers, so I wanted to have someone critique and really work on my riding first to ensure I was riding properly before any problems were exacerbated by adding speed.
I thought that I was getting a good basic barrel racing foundation of skills down by watching a variety of videos, reading on here, etc. But then I found a post on here from a while back where someone had ask the forum to critique their run. The feedback was great and really showed me how much I have to learn.
This board is full of learning experience's and can get quite playful too at times, lol..Theres always room to learn something new..  |
|
| |
|
 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| I guess the number one thing that drives me nuts is when Lardo can haul butt up the pasture when I go to catch him then won't get out of a lope at the barrel race. Seriously don't know whether to kill him or love him for taking care of me. The horse is res world champion in poles and top ten in barrels so he can actually run
Edited by streakysox 2017-04-01 11:53 PM
|
|
| |
|
 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I don't work the pattern all that often because right now I have only finished horses. But as a new barrel racer, you need to develop muscle memory. This can be done at a walk and trot though. You want to be careful to not run your horse too much but again, you will only develop a feel for running by actually running. Pretty much just use your own discretion. If you keep making the same mistake over and over when you try to canter through, you probably need to go back to a trot and perfect it a little more. If your horse is suddenly getting really anxious or acting like he wants to refuse the start the pattern, he probably needs a break.
My only pet peeve is not limited to beginners but people in general. I hate when people can't handle constructive criticism and have an arsenal of excuses for why they did something wrong. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| I like to make sure my horse is soft in his mouth, poll, neck, shoulders, ribs, and hind end. Usually when my horse missing something in his run, I go back to those basics and can find the problem. One of my favorite drills is square corner. You will have to google it, it helps keep the horse up under himself. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Hello and welcome to the board!
One thing that irks me with new riders is their facade that they know all and have no areas to improve. They blame everyone but themselves.
It' a step in the right direction that you are allowing yourself to be constructively critisized and that you are willing to learn new things. That being said, everyone hass dsifferent riding styles and each horse has a different riding style. Sometimes, your style and a horses don't match. You can either spend years trying to change the horses style, or quickly adapt your own riding style to the horse.
We are all a big family here and a lot of people would do anything for anyone here on the Boards. We have a few here that are very sarcastic and very playful in their responses. Don't take much to heart when you see posts or replies like this. I promise they aren't doing it to be mean to you, they do it because they're ornery like that LOL. You will learn to laugh at their responses and play back. It's quite fun actually.
|
|
| |
|
 Half-Eaten Cookies
Posts: 2076
Location: Fort Worth / Springtown | 3 things that pop into my head immediately -
1) If you mess up on the pattern, whipping and jerking hard on the way home or when you are back in the alley does not teach the horse anything good and doesn't make it look like it was all the horse's fault and not yours.
2) When you are practicing a pattern and a horse keeps messing up a turn to where you really need to "drill" on them (i.e. swinging their butt around, diving or throwing their head up in the air), step away from the pattern to "get after them" and then go back and try the turn. (really coming down on them hard all the time in the middle of a pattern will make them dread it) - eta - when I say get after them, I don't mean whipping, I mean the more aggressive reinforcement of "whoa" or bending or flexing, etc)
3) Keep the alleyway clear when it is not your turn
Have fun and you never lose if you learn :)
Edited by txbredbr 2017-04-03 2:12 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1304
| The only thing I can offer for advice is DON'T GIVE UP! With anything in life or any aspect of barrel racing/working with your horse. I've wanted to barrel race since I was 14 (I'm 23 now) and started taking any opportunity I could to ride horses, take lessons, and ride anyone's barrel horse that would let me and even though I don't have a horse right now or yet I know that I'm way better than I used to be and can actually consider myself a barrel racer. My riding skills and capabilities to barrel race have improved tremendously over the last few years, and I look forward to the day I can buy a horse again!! So anyways, always keep on keepin on with whatever you're trying to accomplish in the barrel pen, big or small |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2128
| Hello there and welcome! You'll find this board fun and informative, but also a good place to go if you are looking for honesty :). I feel most of us genuinely care for each other even though most have never met in person. Ask all the questions you like. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1141
Location: Somewhere across the SABINE | You can never go wrong with too much basic horsemanship. When i see a horse or rider having a problem with the pattern-i would say 75% of the time is miscommunication due to poor horsemanship and the horse not being "broke in the bridle" enough
The rest would be from poor fitting tack or internal problems with the horse
Keep it fun no matter what! |
|
| |
|
Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Welcome to the board! Good for you for taking lessons and growing your knowledge and building your tool box. As your knowledge advances so will your instructors. You will outgrow your instructors. Move on up to cutters and reined cowhorse trainers. The tools they posess will really catapult your knowledge and it is information you will have forever with every horse you ride and will make your barrel racing and your horses more and more successfull and enjoyable.
?My number one pet peeve at races and I see it ALOT with novices is jacking with your horse while trying to start your run. Just be smooth, work your way up to the mouth of the alleyway, keep forward motion, pick your spot to go and smoothly send him. I see so many go up to that presure point and want to start jacking around with their horse, circle back, stop, pick pick pick, on and on it goes. The horse gets higher and higher and more and more frustrated! It blows that horses mind and concentration and then their run is crap because they were jacking around with their horse. THEN they cant figure out why that horse has gate issues and their runs fall apart. STOP IT!! Just ease on up there, be ready to make your run, pick your spot to send him and pull the trigger. All that extra jacking around WILL work against you. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 111
| Welcome!!!
My tip/pet peeve is a simple one. Don't leave you halters tied to the trailer hanging down by the leadropes. I spend half my time at races walking around doing the halters up so they aren't hanging down. This is one thing where teamropers have us beat - they just drop theirs on the ground and walk off!! HAHA |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 134
| Thank you everyone thank you for responding with your tips and frustrations! I used to be an extremely quiet and shy individual that would rather just learn things on my own than to ask a question but over the years I have learned it is just better to ask questions than have an even steeper learning curve.
One question that I cannot seem to find a straight answer to pertains to rating and when you actually do it?? It seems like the consensus is to run straighter longer and not to start the turn until your leg is in line with the barrel. This is working well for me to produce nice tight turns while not knocking barrels over. But when do you actually begin slowing down for the turn? I find myself slowing down probably much farther away from the barrel than need be but I am nervous about blowing past the barrel too. I am not putting pressure on myself for speed right now and am still working on doing things at a trot/lope but as I am slowly adding speed I find myself wanting to slow down farther out which of course won't help the clock in the long term either. Thoughts? |
|
| |
|
Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | EagleJess - 2017-04-05 4:51 PM Thank you everyone thank you for responding with your tips and frustrations! I used to be an extremely quiet and shy individual that would rather just learn things on my own than to ask a question but over the years I have learned it is just better to ask questions than have an even steeper learning curve. One question that I cannot seem to find a straight answer to pertains to rating and when you actually do it?? It seems like the consensus is to run straighter longer and not to start the turn until your leg is in line with the barrel. This is working well for me to produce nice tight turns while not knocking barrels over. But when do you actually begin slowing down for the turn? I find myself slowing down probably much farther away from the barrel than need be but I am nervous about blowing past the barrel too. I am not putting pressure on myself for speed right now and am still working on doing things at a trot/lope but as I am slowly adding speed I find myself wanting to slow down farther out which of course won't help the clock in the long term either. Thoughts?
Thats where you being a horsemen comes into play and you will have to listen to your horse and let him tell you. They are all different. We have 1 horse you just cant touch untill the back side of the turn and another you have to set about 6 ft before the turn. When you add speed your horse will tell you.They all tell their story, we just have to be smart enough to listen to them. |
|
| |
|
 pressure dripper
Posts: 8699
Location: the end of the rainbow | Write down your goals (even if it's just to get to a certain race or number of races). Write down your plan (exercise for your horse, feed, travel, etc). Keep a log of your horses work outs and your runs. The most of all be flexible and adaptable and have fun .
Edited by willrodeo4food 2017-04-05 8:33 PM
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| My biggest tip ---- Have fun!! Enjoy running barrels. I try to enjoy every ride, you never know when it will be the last.
I work more slow work at home. I don't do it but once a week or every two weeks. I do work on fundamentals, but I turn one single barrel or go around a mesquite tree. I ask for flex both ways. I make sure my horse is broke and listening to my cues.
|
|
| |
Best tips and things that drive you nuts