What is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Experienced

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

Barrel horse racing has been around for quite a while now. It is basically a sport event that aims to display speed.

The race is quite simple to watch. It is played on an arena with three barrels arranged in an isosceles triangle pattern where the intention of the racer is to gain the fastest speed by circling the three barrels within a cloverleaf pattern. While there may be standards as to the distance of each and every barrel, governing bodies normally have various preferences regarding how far each barrel should 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 is applicable to all competitors.

The game begins as soon as the racer enters the arena towards the first barrel. On this, the rider must enter with a slight angle since its much easier for the racer if he would not come straight on to it. A complete turn must be accomplished on the first barrel before moving towards the second one.

A second turn, but this time an opposite one, will need to be made around the second barrel. And again, the rider will have to race towards the third barrel. The 3rd barrel then will need to be circled around in the same direction as the second one. After a complete loop, the rider will need to accelerate to the starting line, which is also considered as the finish line.

Like a number of other horse racing events, horse barrel racing does have its common problems too. We will enable you to distinguish many of the most common problems and would try to suggest a couple of things to find a solution on it. Please read on.

The 1st barrel is generally termed to as the “money barrel”. This makes by far the most difficult turn because the horse has got to approach it at full speed. Keep in mind that the primary aim of the game is to take it as fast as you can. This is also the most tricky barrel because if you knock it off, you’re certain to be out of the game right away and if you passed over it, you will have the opportunity to take some money with you.

The challenge though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel due to not enough rate. Since the horse is charging at top speed, it’s got the tendency for being too aggressive. Thus, they will often either knock the first barrel off or they could pass over it. This problem is usually resolved through conditioning your horse to do 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 usually to do trail riding.

Some horses tend to have no breaks at all. In such a case, you mustn’t let your horse to run unless control is gained upon it. Fix for your problem can begin with running at slower gaits until progress is achieved. Run your horse on barrels only once you are confident enough of its speed and its ability to halt.