What is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Encountered
Originally a sports activity created by rodeos for their wives and girlfriends, barrel horse racing has now turned into a sport event where everybody can join.
Barrel horse racing has been around for quite a while now. This is basically a sport event that aims to display 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 intention of the racer is to gain the quickest speed by circling the three barrels within a cloverleaf pattern. While there could be standards regarding the distance of each and every barrel, governing bodies as a rule have various preferences on how far each barrel should be set from one another.
The general distance is 90 feet from each barrel. However, some may also use 60 feet up to 100 plus feet. The setting applies to all competitors.
The action begins once the racer enters the arena towards the first barrel. For this, the rider must enter with a slight angle since its much easier for that racer if he would not come straight on to it. A whole turn must be accomplished around the first barrel before moving towards the second one.
A second turn, but this time an opposite one, will need to be made on the second barrel. And again, the rider will need to race for 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 need to accelerate back to the starting line, and that is considered as the finish line.
Like many other horse racing events, horse barrel racing does have its common problems too. We will enable you to distinguish some of the most common problems and would attempt to advise a few things to discover a solution about it. Please keep reading.
The 1st barrel is usually termed to as being the “money barrel”. This may cause the most difficult turn since the horse has to approach it at full speed. Keep in mind that the primary purpose of the game is to take it as quickly as you possibly can. This is also the most tricky barrel because if you knock it away, you are sure to be out from the game right away and if you passed over it, you will get the opportunity to take a little cash with you.
The problem though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel on account of lack of rate. Since the horse is charging at top speed, it has the tendency for being too aggressive. Thus, they will often 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 cases like this, the horse is called “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 taking some time off the track and giving your horse a rest in the barrel routines. One ideal method of doing this is to do trail riding.
Some horses are apt to have no breaks at all. In such a case, you must not allow your horse to run unless control is gained on it. Fix for your problem can start with running at slower gaits until progress is achieved. Run your horse on barrels only when you are confident enough of its speed and its ability to halt.