Nothing changes if nothing changes right?  

What are your best tips to really level up your barrel race game?

I've started working my horse bareback multiple days a week.  Making myself find true balance - i am getting better! Makes me wonder what else I could be doing. 

waxing vintage cars and painting fences works as well. 

Cute. Unnecessary and extra unhelpful. But Cute. 

I like the idea of riding bareback! I used to always as a kid and well its not pretty anymore. I should try that!

A couple of things that I have found helpful.... meditation and visualization. It take practice but it really works! I started with videos online to walk me through and now I can pretty much do it on my own. I watch a lot of drills from the top trainers. I find those on YouTube. I just did a drill by Dena Krickpatrick called the 'pinwheel' on my 3yr old yesterday and it was fun and really helped me pay attention to my straight lines and coming out of my turns. I record my self just riding. I set up my ipad at the end of the arena and push play. I watch it over and over looking at my leg, hand, and body potistion. Also, ride with someone who has great horsemanship and is willing to critique you. Clinic's are expensive but they do make a difference. Hope these give you some ideas!

Riding bareback is excellent for you and your horse,  in my opinion.  It's a totally different feel and i for one do not do it enough! So I got some new boots in yesterday and I was running my horse thru the pattern and my foot slipped out of the stirrup on my left side first, I kept going and then my right foot slipped out... I finished up my 3rd and realized i need to either ride without my irons or ride bareback more often to help my balance! When i rode predominantly English, my trainers always had us riding without our irons at least twice a week, even a day of over fences without irons ... my balance was impeccable back then.... ummmm not so much anymore lol! I also wore said new boots to town and scuffed up the bottoms on the sidewalk some ... they were slick!

Man, I thought the wax on/wax off comment was on point. More speciically, how is your fitness? Cleraly you're riding regularly, and working on bareback which great, but there's a lot to be done out of the saddle to improve strength, flexibility and cardio.

I also like to take my trot sets and lope sets out into new terrain. I will haul out to new places for the purposes of getting out of the normal routine. I think it's critical for the horses, and for me! 

Yoga 2-3 times a week. It is great for balance and core strength. I also do an elliptical during the week and free weights on the days I do not do yoga. Resistance bands are a great add in to workouts also.

For the horses lots of concentration on using their bodies correctly. Hip up under them, lifting through the ribs and nice snappy responses. Working on keeping them light/responsive with min cues from me and working on me riding more with my body/legs and less with hands. 

Ahhhh yes YOGA! I forgot about that. I too have been practicing yoga for about a year now... at least 3xs a week, I follow body by yoga @ home and it's been an absolute game changer for my back issues and just overall fitness. I lost 45lbs over the year with incorporating yoga into my schedule. I do all my workouts at home... I live too rural to make a commitment to a gym. I have a rowing machine, elliptical and treadmill I use during the week as well. I'm in the process of getting some free weights too. 

I use the down dog yoga app. We lived in the country also (30 miles out) till a month ago so going to a gym for anything was not really feasible. Love the app. It allows for a variety of settings so makes customizing the sessions extremely easy!

Yay thank you guys for responding!  I am happy to hear such positive feedback about riding bareback.  I read a great article on how no matter how good of a rider you are there is always ability to brace yourself against a saddle/bridle and riding bareback takes that all away YOU have to find your own real balance point.  It definitely started rocky (because like most of us I haven't done it since I was a kid in 4-H games!) but I am now starting to lope again.  It certainly works your inner thigh like nothing I've done in a gym.

I am a regular at the gym but hearing many votes for Yoga is cool, may have to give that a try too.  

I really need to start bareback again. I never rode with a saddle as a kid, but my last few barrel horses have been a little cracked out for me to try exercising bareback

I hadn't run super regularly since having my toddler via CS. Babies are needy, my mare was getting older, and my grandmother got sick, so the comeback process has been so slow. I finally got a new little mare (5 yo) and boy has she stepped up. She is getting it and slinging me around like a ragdoll, so I've been trying to focus on my own strength. Working core, running some, stretching, and doing some tabata. I can certainly tell a difference and I've not been as consistent as I'd like to be (see part about toddler ). I guess every bit counts.