What Your Horse Needs to Know to Barrel Race
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Monday, 12 December 2005
A foundation is the basis on which a thing stands, is founded, or is supported. We need to have a solid foundation to build on, otherwise our structure will simply fall apart.
You could just take your horse out and run around the barrels, but wouldn’t you like to make an effortless run? Have your horse working off your seat and legs instead of having to yank on his mouth? Wouldn’t it be great to feel your horse turn so tight around the barrels that you have to hang on for dear life so you don’t come off the other side? That is how I want my horses to turn, on a dime and give you change back.
Before you start your horse on the barrels, he should be able to do these exercises, and perform them practice perfect. Being able to do these things will build your horses foundation for barrels.
Lead Changes
When a horse goes into the barrel, he needs to be on the correct lead in order to turn the barrel. He also must be able to change leads between the 1st and 2nd barrel. If you go to the right barrel first, he needs to be on the right lead, and then switch to the left lead between the 1st and 2nd barrel. Being on the incorrect lead going around the barrel can hurt your horse, or make him fall because he doesn’t have the balance needed for the fast turn.
Cue for a correct lead by putting pressure with your outside leg behind the cinch. For example, if you want the right lead, use pressure with your left leg. To work on lead changes or putting your horse in the correct lead you can do circles of all sizes and in both directions using leg pressure. Circles, Spirals, and Figure Eights will all help with correct leads.
For the switch between the first barrel and the second barrel during training, slow your horse down to a trot a little more than half way to the second barrel, and then you can pick up a lope around the barrel or stay at a trot. When you are going at a high speed your horse will do it himself, just like they do out in the field. If he doesn’t, it could mean he is having pain somewhere. Have your horse fully checked out, and also check your tack. Another thing to check is your body position. Are you leaning on that side making it difficult for your horse to pick up that correct lead?
I have heard a lot of people say, “My horse can’t go on the right lead,” or “my horse can’t change leads.” But I guarantee when you put your horse away, and he goes charging through the field with his tail up you see perfect flying lead changes. If you watch foals in a field playing, you will see them switch their leads while racing around playing. If your horse can do in the field, he can do it under saddle, it just takes work convincing him that he can.
If you are having trouble distinguishing which lead your horse is on, have someone watch you or better yet video tape you so you can see for yourself. A good tip for telling if your horse is in the correct lead, if you are loping a circle to your left, your horse in on the left lead, your left foot will be slightly farther out front than your right foot. You should be able to feel it in your seat what lead your horse is on. You will know instantly if your horse is on the incorrect lead going in a circle. Just be in tune to your horse and it will come to you.
Whoa and Rate
This is one of the jost important things your horse needs to know. To teach your horse to rate properly you must use your seat and legs to work on collection, not your reins or a bit. Train your horse to collect when you sit down in the saddle. This will be jost beneficial especially when you start your barrel training, because we want our horses to rate (collect) before they turn the barrel. Here is how to teach this to your horse.
In an enclosed area, like an arena or small pasture, ask the horse to walk. After a few strides, sit deep in the saddle and ask the horse to stop. If the horse doesn't stop by just sitting down, pick up your reins. After stopping and standing for a few seconds, ask the horse to walk again. After maybe about 30 feet, sit down and ask the horse to stop again. If your horse doesn't, pick up the reins. Do this starting and stopping until you can get your horse to stop from a walk just by sitting down in your saddle. After he does this once, stop doing that for the day and do something else. It may take a few sessions for your horse to understand what you are asking, or it may take 5 minutes.
Next step is to ask your horse to walk, and then urge him into a slow trot. After a few strides sit deep in your saddle and ask him to walk. If he won’t, pick up your reins and ask him to walk. Then, ask him to stop by sitting deep in your saddle. Move this up to where you can get your horse to come to a stop from a trot just by sitting down in your saddle, without having to use the reins.
Do you see where this is going? How great would it be to have our horses slow down from a run just by sitting down in the saddle, without having to yank them down? Wouldn't that be great?
So now your horse will stop when you sit down in the saddle. Time to move up to a faster pace. Ask your horse to lope and give him a little more distance to get going. Sit deep in the saddle and ask him to whoa. I bet you he will pick this up in one session if you did right in the walk/stop and trot/stop.
A rate is not a Whoa, it is a collection. To rate is to slow before the barrel turn. Your horse needs to collect himself to get around the barrel and still keep momentum. Your horse needs both these things for his foundation. You can practice whoa and rate anytime in the arena or on the trail.
Collection and Extension
Along with rating, your horse needs to be able to extend. After collecting to get around the barrels, he needs to stretch back out to run between them. Work on collecting and extending your horse at all speeds, in the ring and out on the trail. Ask them to pick up a long trot and sit down in your saddle to ask them to collect. After going around the ring at a collected trot, push them back into an extended trot. You can do the same thing with a lope. Being able to ask your horse to slow down or speed up with just your seat will be highly beneficial to your barrel racing because you wont be interfering with his head, allowing him to find and hold his balance going around the barrels.
Back Up
This gets the horses weight off the front end and distributes it to hind end, enabling the horse to free up his front end allowing the horse to better turn the barrel. Backing up can also reinforce rate throughout the barrel pattern. If your horse doesn’t rate when asked by sitting down in the saddle, or he doesn’t feel like he is enough off his front end before turning the barrel, stop him and ask him to back up to shift the weight back.
Bend and Flex
Your horse must be able to bend to get around the barrel quickly and smoothly. Horses can tend to be one sided so do exercises to strengthen both sides evenly. To help with bending, use the inside leg to lift and flex the rib cage. Use the outside leg to control the hind end, and move it back in if it moves out.
If your horse can’t bend, he won’t be able to properly execute a barrel turn. Something about body position while asking your horse to bend. Keep your shoulders up, don’t look down at your horse, keep your hips up and don’t lean to the side you are asking your horse to bend to. All of this will help your horse to carry himself around evenly. If you do all or any of the above, you will be allowing the horse to drop into the bend, which can cause him to knock barrels or cut off turns. You want a nice arc in your horses body, all the way down, you don’t just want him to turn on his front end or off his hindend.
Transitions
The act of changing from one pace to another. Walk to trot and trot to canter are known as "upward transitions". Canter to trot and trot to walk are known as "downward transitions". You ought to be able to go through all the transitions with your horse. This is to help the horse move quickly away from the barrel and also to assist with rate, collection and extension.
You should also be able to go from a stop into a walk, trot or lope, and from a lope down to a stop. All these exercises will help your horse learn to be light while rating and extending back between the barrels.
Try all of these combinations:
Walk to a lope to a walk to a stop
Stop to a lope to a walk to a lope to a stop
Trot to a stop to a lope to a walk
There are many more you can do. Go a few strides to ½ an arena length in each gait.
Leg Pressure
Being able to use your legs effectively will allow you to move your horse’s body where you want it to be. You will be able to move him away from the barrel if he comes in to close and move his hindend if it swings out too much. Use your leg pressure along with body weight to emphasis on the direction your horse’s body needs to go. I like to train my horse to bend around my leg for barrel racing. So when I ask him to turn, I put my inside leg on him to help pick up his ribcage and shoulder, and he will have a nice bend all the way around my leg. I then have my outside leg to bump him over if needed.
If your horse and you can effectively do these exercises, you are ready to start barrel training. You will be surprised how much easier it is to turn the barrels with a horse that already knows bend, and a horse that will rate with just your weight in the saddle. These things make it easier for both you and your horse.
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