Alright guys. Let’s kick off a debate.

What’s everyone’s
Favorite ways to keep there barrel horses in good weight. And nice and shiny.

How many days a week do you train/tune

What barrel stud lines do you look for in your horses

we have a French Too Fame 3yr old Stud 

ham 

Good question. I'm following for tips.

Well considering there is a well bred stallion on every corner with major accomplishments. I had a French Too Fame colt. He became part of someone else's program. A well known trainer who is a friend had a French Too Fame colt in training and he never really did much. If she could get something out of a horse it isn't there! By He was sold and the guy that bought him didn't do much. The first thing I would do is geld him. The two I have now just turned three. One is by Guys Easy Jet and one is by Sir Seth ( First Down Dash). Both are fairly late colts. Both are well patterned so they just get basics almost everyday, weather permitting. We just located a covered arena so weather won't be a factor. The Guys Easy Jet colt (gelding is a grandson of Frenchman's Guy and is paid into every incentive he is eligible for out of a This Snow Is Royal/Windy Ryon mare. The Sir Seth colt is out of a multiple world champion mare by Leaving Memories out of a daughter of Timeto Thinkrich and is eligible for the TQHA FUTURITY. Around here if you don't have a race horse you may as well forget it. This one is still a stallion but the first time he squeals he won't be. 

My horse is always probably chubbier (hay belly) than she should be. I do self care and go out once a day. I use slow feed hay nets so she has hay 24/7. She gets a 1/2 pound of ration balance w/her ulcer supplement. I will be putting her back on Renew Gold w/alfalfa pellets once I start riding again.

I am a weekend warrior so I try to ride whenever I can but not necessarily daily. On average I try to ride 3-4 times a week. This can be arena work, long trotting or trail riding.  If I don't feel like riding I will either tow her off the gator a couple of miles or lunge her.

Mine just get free choice alfalfa in a slow feed net, one flake loose on the ground morning & night. Anyhwere from 1-3lbs Tribute Kalm n Ez, depends on the horse. And they get Exceed 6-Way also, one scoop if they're not in work and the normal 2 scoops if they are. When working, they go 6 days a week. One rest day, if the rest day falls on a day they're stuck in a stall I will usually lunge at a walk for 30 mintes to move them around. I never do patter or drill work more than 2 days, unless I can do what I need to do without a barrel present. But even then I stop at 3 days, just straight ride the rest for conditioning. 

As far as lines go, mare lines are far more important than stud. The mare side has far more influence on offspring than studs do, this is why breeders invest in good mares. Stud owners should do the same, find a stud prospect that comes from a line of proven producing mares. For example, take Slick By Design offspring. The one's really doing the best in the barrel world are mostly out of successful mares like RC Back in Black. Those are the things to look at when picking breeding stock. Successful mares on both sides, successful pairings in the past, and compatible conformations. If I'm going to breed my mare, I also want to see what the stud has done in the barrel pen. I want something thats been ran and proven himself as an athlete. There's maybe 1 or 2 studs I would consider in the industry right now that haven't shown themselves in the barrel pen. And I'd have to have a hell of a proven mare to breed to them to consider. 

Mine are turned out 24/7 on small (3/4 acre) pastures of thier own (each has different nutritional needs ) we also feed a combo of beardless wheat and some alfalfa.  They get just enough oats to give them thier supplements (joint for the old man, kidney herb for the mare with kidney issue and inflammation herb for the mare with head shakers) The get thier teeth done once a year typically and I think most important, they get ridden. Which means they get brushed and thier feet picked out and hands on type stuff , even the older ones who are not competing anymore.  I've found older horses tend to do better when they are kept in shape especially.  The pictures are from last fall, we had been without measurable rain for 6 months plus so pastures had zero grass in them, so I fed 3 times a day to combat that.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4396772227084604&set=pb.100002556096270.-2207520000..&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4396772187084608&set=pb.100002556096270.-2207520000..

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4396772140417946&set=pb.100002556096270.-2207520000..

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4396770860418074&set=pb.100002556096270.-2207520000..&type=3

I have two horses, one is my barrel horse and the other is a trail horse soon to be my breakaway horse (she didn't want to do barrels, lol). I ride them both almost everyday. I take them out on the trails at least twice a week doing long trotting, mountains, breezing in sandy washes. I ride them out in nearby fields doing at least 30 minutes of some sort of cardio..long trotting or loping. I race my barrel horse maybe once a week, sometimes twice depending on the races that I want to hit up. I feed them both alfalfa twice a day, pasture turn outs daily as well. For supplements, they both get Purina Healthy Edge nightly..my trail/breakaway mare is on CEP Daily Lung once scoop a day, I just started this and want to see if it helps her, she has allergies. My barrel mare gets Race Today two scoops daily, I just started this as our last run she has been coughing. I think she is bleeding so we are making some adjustments. It's something everyday....lol!!