Barrel Racing for Beginners

What is barrel racing? How do you start? What is barrel racing really about? You have heard people talk about it at shows. The sport was started when women wanted an event to compete in with each other that would be a challenge, but still fair. They came up with the idea of taking "Texas Oil Drums" 55 gallon barrels, and setting them up in a cloverleaf pattern, with one right turn and two lefts. Then they would take their husbands roping horses and see who could get through the course with the fastest time.

Today barrel racing is more complex. It is an event that you and your horse have to be physically and mentally steady to compete in. It demands stamina, concentration and synchronization from rider and horse. Just running fast will not win a barrel race, but it could get your horse or you injured.

When you decide you want to try barrel racing, there a few things you and your mount must know. Training for barrels takes time and effort on both of your parts. You need to set a good foundation before you can actually take your horse to a show and start bringing in the ribbons. Your horse should know his leads, be supple, know whoa very well, back up, and have acceptable transitions. Meaning, he should be able to go from a walk, to a trot, to a lope and down to a walk, and stop. He needs his leads for making sure he can turn the barrels and keep his balance. Being supple is a must! Barrel horses are some of the most athletic horses there are. They go from running full force to stopping and turning a barrel tight to full force again. Your whoa is very important because your horse must have decent rate. If you don?t slow down for the barrel, you can knock it over, go wide and lose seconds off your time. Backing up teaches your horse to disengage his front end, and put his weight on his hind quarters. This allows him to get down and get around the barrel. After you have a well-established foundation on your horse, you are ready to begin the barrels.