What is Barrel Horse Racing and Typical Problems Encountered

Originally a sport created by rodeos for their wives and girlfriends, barrel horse racing has become a sport event where everyone can join.

Barrel horse racing has been around for many years now. It is basically a game event that aims to showcase speed.

The race is quite straightforward to watch. It is actually played on an arena with three barrels arranged in an isosceles triangle pattern on which the goal of the racer is always to gain the fastest speed by circling the three barrels within a cloverleaf pattern. While there may be standards regarding the distance of each barrel, governing bodies as a rule have various preferences on how far each barrel needs to be set from one another.

The general distance is 90 feet from each barrel. However, some may use 60 feet up to 100 plus feet. The setting applies to all competitors.

The game begins once the racer enters the arena towards the first barrel. For this, the rider must enter at a slight angle since its much easier for the racer if he would not come straight onto it. A whole turn has to be accomplished around the first barrel before moving towards the second one.

A 2nd turn, but this time around an opposite one, will need to be made on the second barrel. And again, the rider will have to race towards the third barrel. The third barrel then will need to be circled around in the same direction as the second one. Following a complete loop, the rider will have to accelerate to the starting line, which is also considered as the finish line. More in this article.

Like many other horse racing events, horse barrel racing has its common problems too. We shall help you distinguish some of the most common problems and would try to advise a few things to find a solution on it. Please keep reading.

The first barrel is generally termed to as the “money barrel”. This may cause the most difficult turn because the horse has to approach it at full speed. Remember that the main aim of this game is to take it as fast as you can. This is also the most tricky barrel because if you knock it away, you’re certain to be out from the game right away and if you passed over it, you will have the chance to take some cash with you.

The problem though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel on account of lack of rate. Because the horse is charging at top speed, it has the tendency for being too aggressive. Thus, they may either knock the first barrel off or they may pass over it. This problem can be resolved through conditioning your horse to perform the turn perfectly.

Some horses often have problems entering the arena. In this case, the horse is referred to as “barrel sour” or “ring sour”. This is known to have rooted from running a lot in the arena or during practice. Sometimes it is resolved through a little time off the track and giving your horse a rest in the barrel routines. One ideal method of accomplishing this is usually to do trail riding.

Some horses are apt to have no breaks whatsoever. In this case, you mustn’t allow your horse to run unless control is gained on it. Fix for your problem can begin with running at slower gaits until progress is achieved. Run your horse on barrels only once you happen to be confident enough of its speed as well as its capability to halt.