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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | Me and my husband had this emotional discussion yesterday. I'm trying to figure out if I should stop running barrels for a while (months or maybe years). I'm a competitive racer, I like winning and going fast. I feel like if I'm not winning or making money off of running barrels, then I should just not do it until I can have enough money to buy a well bred colt and start from scratch in a few-ish years. OR I could just use my husbands horse and just do little races and maybe win a 4D check. It's still barrel racing but it's not the level that I'd like to be at. Trying to figure out if a little slow barrel racing is better than no barrel racing.
Has anyone else decided to stop racing before, either all together or just for a few years? My head is clouded and I'm not too sure what to do. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
 
Location: Kansas | I took a break, still on that break LOL. Have been for over a year now. I might start back up this spring, I still have the bug just lacking the confidence to go back out and start again. |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | I will stop when im dead....m |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | If you have the attitude of "if I'm not winning or making money I should not do it" you should just quit now. You can't make it in this sport with an attitude like that. There are going to be times when your going to have lows, but your love for the sport is what has to keep you trying. There are too many other people out there with better horses and the will to win and the love for the sport. They won't give up and they are gonna out run you because your a sore looser. Barrel racing isn't just about winning or making money (for sakes we all know we are in above necks deep in debt when it comes to horses) it's about doing your best and having fun. If you can't have fun and win 2nd or 3rd or even the 4D...you don't truly have passion for the sport. It doesn't matter what speed or division your running in that horse is going to teach you something. I think it's good to sometimes have those lows because it teaches you some valuable lessons and makes you stronger. It makes you a better rider. Not to mention its a lot harder to come back when you've quit so long.
I don't mean to sound harsh or say your actually a sore looser. That's just kind of the implication your post gave off. |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| TheDutchMan01 - 2016-02-08 11:45 AM
If you have the attitude of "if I'm not winning or making money I should not do it" you should just quit now. You can't make it in this sport with an attitude like that. There are going to be times when your going to have lows, but your love for the sport is what has to keep you trying. There are too many other people out there with better horses and the will to win and the love for the sport. They won't give up and they are gonna out run you because your a sore looser. Barrel racing isn't just about winning or making money (for sakes we all know we are in above necks deep in debt when it comes to horses) it's about doing your best and having fun. If you can't have fun and win 2nd or 3rd or even the 4D...you don't truly have passion for the sport. It doesn't matter what speed or division your running in that horse is going to teach you something. I think it's good to sometimes have those lows because it teaches you some valuable lessons and makes you stronger. It makes you a better rider. Not to mention its a lot harder to come back when you've quit so long.
I don't mean to sound harsh or say your actually a sore looser. That's just kind of the implication your post gave off.
I agre 110% with this. You run barrels because you love it. I used to run many 1D horses and did my fair share of winning. Now I have a 3D, myabe 2D on a good day gelding I love more than anything and each run, I come out so overwhelmed with good emotions because the feeling of running barrels is like a drug and to be doing it on a horse thats gives his heart, is icing on the cake. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | TheDutchMan01 - 2016-02-08 11:45 AM
If you have the attitude of "if I'm not winning or making money I should not do it" you should just quit now. You can't make it in this sport with an attitude like that. There are going to be times when your going to have lows, but your love for the sport is what has to keep you trying. There are too many other people out there with better horses and the will to win and the love for the sport. They won't give up and they are gonna out run you because your a sore looser. Barrel racing isn't just about winning or making money (for sakes we all know we are in above necks deep in debt when it comes to horses) it's about doing your best and having fun. If you can't have fun and win 2nd or 3rd or even the 4D...you don't truly have passion for the sport. It doesn't matter what speed or division your running in that horse is going to teach you something. I think it's good to sometimes have those lows because it teaches you some valuable lessons and makes you stronger. It makes you a better rider. Not to mention its a lot harder to come back when you've quit so long.
I don't mean to sound harsh or say your actually a sore looser. That's just kind of the implication your post gave off.
 If I only went when I knew I'd win, I would never go :) I KNOW I'm going to get outrun, but I truly love riding my horse, and I have fun doing it. I know people who have the attitude of "I'm only having fun if I'm winning" and man, they are NOT fun to be around when they're not winning.
I understand if your livelihood depends on you winning, but that is only a small percentage of barrel racers. There are so many people who would kill to be able to go, even if they know they'll be at the bottom of the 5D, so I remind myself how lucky I am that I'm able to go at all. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| I took an 8 year break from running barrels. Still had horses and roped every weekend at jackpots but no barrels. Had 2 amazing 1D horses when I quit, and now have a solid 4D horse and those checks mean just as much to me now as the others did years ago. Would have loved to have not had to quit at all but thats life... Be happy with every run you make, win or not. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| TheDutchMan01 - 2016-02-08 11:45 AM
If you have the attitude of "if I'm not winning or making money I should not do it" you should just quit now. You can't make it in this sport with an attitude like that. There are going to be times when your going to have lows, but your love for the sport is what has to keep you trying. There are too many other people out there with better horses and the will to win and the love for the sport. They won't give up and they are gonna out run you because your a sore looser. Barrel racing isn't just about winning or making money (for sakes we all know we are in above necks deep in debt when it comes to horses) it's about doing your best and having fun. If you can't have fun and win 2nd or 3rd or even the 4D...you don't truly have passion for the sport. It doesn't matter what speed or division your running in that horse is going to teach you something. I think it's good to sometimes have those lows because it teaches you some valuable lessons and makes you stronger. It makes you a better rider. Not to mention its a lot harder to come back when you've quit so long.
I don't mean to sound harsh or say your actually a sore looser. That's just kind of the implication your post gave off.
I agree with this.
Even if you buy a well bred colt, you may get a lemon.
Even if the colt has all the ability in the world, they humble a trainer every day, as soon as you think your horse is patterned enough to be in contention, it all falls apart, bad ground breaks their confidence, or it could be the one banner they are afraid of.
I believe winning isn't everything.
This is my hobby, personally I love the experience with the colts, seeing them learn and grow with you to me is more fun then winning.
Having other people succeed on horses you train. Priceless.
If you want to win and are looking to buy a horse, I suggest buying a champ, start pinching your pennies, a guaranteed winner is like a unicorn, they don't exist. To get a constant winner, your looking at 200k plus |
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| You will learn from every horse you get on.
Are you are rodeo girl or a horse girl? |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | If I competed on my horses with the goal to WIN MONEY, I might as well stay home, haha.
Yes, it's nice to win a check. Don't get me wrong. But that's not the reason why I barrel race. I do it because it is fun and I love it. It is something that I can do in my free time (hobby) and I can always try to improve myself and my horses.
So I would question you to examine you own personal thoughts on WHY you want to barrel race?
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Location: Mississsippi | I understand where you are coming from.
After being lucky enough to have 2 super top horses, then quitting for 10 years, its hard to start at the bottom again.
I still think the funest time ever was back in the playday days...... before you ever win anything on a National Level. No pressure to live up to or repeate those big wins. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | I got bucked off when I was 58 and thought maybe God was telling me I needed to quit horses. I sold everything....LQ trailer, saddles, horses (all but one that was injured at the time and I COULDN'T sell) and over half my bit collection (was slowly selling the rest piecemeal). I lasted for 3 months. I was MISERABLE. I was bored, gained 30 lbs and did nothing but sit in front of a computer. I missed my friends that I ran barrels with, I missed my horses; I missed having to have something to take care of and tend to.....something to make me anticipate the future. So I went out and bought it all again (and, of course, paid more for it than I sold the previous stuff for) and I'm 63 and still trying to do it. Yes, I'm not nearly as competitive as I used to be, but I'm still trying and having fun (and selling a few good ones each year) and I've found lots of people like old lady safe horses. ROFL Sometimes you just have to realize that 4D checks spend just like 1D checks and sometimes it's a lot more fun w/o all that pressure. |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | I'm still on a hiatus. Go to one or two races a year if I have the itch. I don't feel pressured to ride or participate or make myself go broke chasing a fantasy. I love my horses dearly and I strive each day to make sure they are happy and have full bellies. I enjoy that, I enjoy petting my horses in the morning and grooming them at night. I don't want to compete anymore and that is just fine. The pressure is NOT worth it for me right now. I am not willing to sell them and will keep them around (I may decide one day I want to go at it again..they are only 9 and 10)
Racing wasn't fun for me anymore. I think it was because I was so busy criticizing myself I couldn't get out of my own way to enjoy it. I put on a really good face though when I forced myself to load up my trailer and go to a race every week. I was just plain miserable. Now I feel like I can avoid riding in crap weather and when it's just too darn hot, my horses are hosed off and in front of a fan... not soaked in sweat just waiting for a few exhibitions. That is just fine for us, I don't think my horses mind being fat and happy either ;) |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I still ride horses every single day, train colts for myself and other people, but I haven't entered a barrel race in years.
For me, it wasn't this big decision I had to make. Hauling to barrel races and rodeos just wasn't fun anymore, so I stopped going. Slowed down at first, only going to local stuff, then stopped altogether.
I think that's the easy way to do it. Decide one race at a time. Do I want to go run barrels today? If so then GO, if not Don't! It doesn't have to be this huge emotional decision. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| Maybe it's different when you've been on top, but for me heading out the door and meeting up with a few girlfriends to haul for a weekend of barrel racing and beverages is a BLAST!!!! I always hope to have respectable runs and I love the adrenaline of it all, but at the end of the day it's just plain fun for me.
The other thing that comes into play for the majority of us northern girls is that we are generally forced to take 5 months off every year. About this time of year I am practically salivating to go run barrels. But we won't go until early May. That right there keeps my desire very high - 1D or 4D don't care, I just want to run some barrels! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | I haven't barrel raced competitively since 2013. Had a really really nice mare and a TON of fun that season too. Like, literally the time of my life. She taught me a lot. My husband and I just bought our first house at the time and so I sold said mare at the end of that season so we could work on said house. Figured I'd just run my 3D/4D mare for a few years, and I was totally happy with that plan.
In 2014 I got pregnant and we had our first baby. 2015, I had plenty of time to ride, and still do ride, but I wanted to stay home with my daughter most of the time so I traded only having to work 2 days/week for having the money to go like I'd like to. I don't regret it. Planned on getting back into it this year but surprise....we found out on New Years that were expecting again. We haven't announced it yet but I don't think anyone on here knows me on Fb or in real life so I'm probably fine to say that here. ;) So, I'll be sitting out this year again. My husband is also dealing with really bad chronic back pain (for the last 4 yrs now) and we're shelling out money left and right to try to find answers and get him better. So I may be able to get back into it in 2017, but maybe not too. A lot will depend on my husband's health situation at the time. I do want to continue bettering myself as a horse person this year though, still ride, and really work on ground work, etc with my horse, but at this time in my life competing just isn't in the cards for me and I've come to terms with it. I told my hubby if I could get back into in at some point within 4 years, when our kids aren't babies and (surely!) he is not in pain anymore, that would be wonderful. |
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 To the Left
Posts: 1865
Location: Florida | The day you hear something you were planning to go to has been canceled, and you are relieved. |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| mruggles - 2016-02-08 11:12 AM
I will stop when im dead....m
^^^this^^^ |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| I barrel raced for 6 years, but my confidence to run is shattered after I had a bad fall last August that ended my mare's career. I did manage to take her to one more small race four months after the accident and run her when she was feeling better, but both of us were not over it and it was obvious in our run that we were both afraid to run. I was not injured in the accident, but my horse was, and that was devastating. I would rather be so hurt I can't move than to ever see my horse hurt like that again. All I can think now is, what if it happens again, and she doesn't recover from it - and that thought of losing my best friend is enough that that mare will never see the competitive arena again. She's going to be bred next month and that's her new job (not that it's much safer, but....). I guess we will try again in three years when it's time to start her foal under saddle. Maybe I will have come to terms with my fears by then, maybe I won't. |
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 A very grounded girl
Posts: 5052
Location: Moving soon..... | I've been racing for over 50 years. I enjoy it and I have a horse that I love to run. I go to win money regardless what "D" I end up in. My opinion is that you continue to go as long as you enjoy it. |
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