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Veteran
Posts: 233
 
| It's been the better part of 20 years since I've done any competitions, and never any western events. I'd like to haul out to a local arena tomorrow and pay for an exhibition to trot the pattern, if that's "allowed". But in the interests of not embarrassing myself any worse (after last week's warm up pen fiasco), I figured I'd ask y'all what I need to know.
So from the time I pull up and try to find some place to park out of the way where I'm not going to get stuck, what do I do next? Find the person throwing the race and pay for an exhibition? Is there a particular order people go in?
Is it okay to leave my horse on the trailer if I'm not sure she'll chill without company, or should I drag her around with me?
Is there a time limit on an exhibition? Do I need to be loping, or is trotting okay?
Is there any equivalent to a green ribbon in the tail for a rider, short of wearing a shirt that reads "I'm new here"? I'm mostly joking, but I really don't want to step on anyone's toes, and I would rather people told me when I screw up so I know not to do it again.
What are the unwritten rules I don't know enough to ask? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | hannahbug - 2017-09-23 7:51 PM
It's been the better part of 20 years since I've done any competitions, and never any western events. I'd like to haul out to a local arena tomorrow and pay for an exhibition to trot the pattern, if that's "allowed". But in the interests of not embarrassing myself any worse (after last week's warm up pen fiasco), I figured I'd ask y'all what I need to know.
So from the time I pull up and try to find some place to park out of the way where I'm not going to get stuck, what do I do next? Find the person throwing the race and pay for an exhibition? Is there a particular order people go in?
Is it okay to leave my horse on the trailer if I'm not sure she'll chill without company, or should I drag her around with me?
Is there a time limit on an exhibition? Do I need to be loping, or is trotting okay?
Is there any equivalent to a green ribbon in the tail for a rider, short of wearing a shirt that reads "I'm new here"? I'm mostly joking, but I really don't want to step on anyone's toes, and I would rather people told me when I screw up so I know not to do it again.
What are the unwritten rules I don't know enough to ask?
I would suggest as soon as you get there befor unloading go to the sign up table and ask who ever is in charge what the rules are there at this race, everybody runs things different. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 110
| You usually sign up as soon as you get there. Most races have their exhibitions before the race, so say you need an hour to get ready, make sure you get there an hour before the exhibitions start, not an hour before the race starts.
It is okay to leave your horse on the trailer for a few minutes while you sign up as long as you know your horse is good with that. At most races, you do not want to bring your horse around while you sign up (cash windows, lines, dogs, kids, etc).
Time limits depend on the race but there's nothing wrong with trotting as long as you stay in the time limit. Just for reference, most horses trotting the pattern take 30-45 seconds but that obviously depends on horse and pattern size.
There aren't really any apparel "codes" specific to barrel racing but I have seen the red ribbon in tail a bit so I guess you could watch out for that.
The biggest unwritten rule I can come up with is don't be a jerk in the warm up pen and just be considerate of others. Also never ever go in the gate/alley area when its not your turn to go and if you have a dog, don't have it off leash in the horse area/don't keep it near the fences if it barks while horses go by.
Most important don't stress and don't worry about embarrassing yourself. You'll do great. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: nj | when I had a horse that I had to circle a few times or stop and sit etc, where I knew I would be there for a while - I explain and offer to pay for two exhibitions for the one time I am out there. That seems to satisfy producers. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | Most places when you get there to exhibition early its not as crowded. Do that for you and your horses sake. Ride around at a walk and a trot for an hour after you enter just getting the horse to relax. Then go in and make your trotting or slow loping exhibition. You feel any tension in your horse break down the speed and get him thinking. I've been known to do serpentines out from the last barrel on a horse that's wired up. But I have him thinking of me and my intentions for him. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: nj | Great idea on the sepentines coming home... don't believe I never thought to do that!! |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Only suggestion I have (as it has been a few years since I have done exhibitions and I have a new horse that I'm going to start exhibitioning soon) is just ask of there is a time limit. At big races, they sometimes limit you to 60 seconds, but at the jackpots I held this summer where there weren't many people and you were out there for fun, there was no time limit. Sometimes, and you could ask about this too, they will sell time slots where you can have the arena for 5 minutes or something like that.
But trotting the pattern is just fine, again I'd just ask if there are any time limits, and if there are, don't do anything crazy slow or lots of circles, etc. If I get to go to do some exhibitions/time onlies this week, I plan on buying 3 exhibitions/time onlies and trotting the pattern once or twice and loping it once.  |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12842
| My suggestion is to get there really early because around here exhibitions sell out quickly. I try to get to the barrel race before the books open and ride my horse around to debooger and warm up. Then when books open, go sign up for whatever time slot I want. |
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 Thick and Wavy
Posts: 6102
Location: Nebraska | Check the rules before you haul. Several producers around here only let you buy exhibitions if you are entered. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | brlracerchick - 2017-09-25 8:14 AM Check the rules before you haul. Several producers around here only let you buy exhibitions if you are entered.
Oh wow I've never heard that one before. What about us people hauling green horses who don't have anything sound or ready to enter? It's hard enough to make yourself go just to exhibition, I can't imagine someone telling me I cant. |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | Check online (FB). I know A LOT of the associations around here will have a sign up list for exhibitions online PRIOR to the event. Some of our producers also have time slots vs single exhibitons, in order to move more people through. If the slots (up to 10 people for a 10-15 15 minute slot) aren't your cup of tea then you will know prior to getting there. Most of of the producers around here prefer you keep forward motion, especially at the big races.
When I'm hauling a young one I take them EVERYWHERE with me, except to sign up. To me that is where you can get them out to see the sights without any pressure. I also make sure my horses are safe to be in public before we actually go in public.
Go, have fun, be safe, and enjoy the experience of no pressure.
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