What exactly is Barrel Horse Racing and Typical Problems Encountered
Originally a sports activity created by rodeos for their wives and girlfriends, barrel horse racing has now become a sport event where everybody can join.
Barrel horse racing has been in existence for many years now. It is basically a sport event that aims to display speed.
The race is pretty 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 always to gain the quickest speed by circling the 3 barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. While there could be standards as to the distance of each barrel, governing bodies normally have various preferences regarding how far each barrel should be set from one another.
The typical 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 for the first barrel. For this, the rider must enter with a slight angle since its much easier for the racer if he would not come straight onto it. A complete turn must be accomplished around the first barrel before moving towards the second one.
A second turn, but this time around an opposite one, will need to be made around the second barrel. And again, the rider will have to race for the third barrel. The third barrel then will need to be circled around in the same direction as the second one. After a complete loop, the rider will have to accelerate to the starting line, and that is regarded as the finish line.
Like a number of other horse racing events, horse barrel racing has its common problems too. We will enable you to distinguish some of the most common problems and would attempt to suggest a few things to find a solution about it. Please read on.
The first barrel is usually 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 purpose of this game is to take it as quickly as you can. This is also probably the most tricky barrel because if you knock it off, you’re certain to be out from the game right away and if you passed over it, you will get the opportunity to take a little money 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 to become 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 perform the turn perfectly.
Some horses often have problems entering the arena. In this case, 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. This can be resolved through taking some time off the track and giving your horse a break in the barrel routines. One ideal method of accomplishing this is to do trail riding.
Some horses are apt to have no breaks whatsoever. In such a case, you must not allow your horse to run unless control is gained upon it. Solution to this problem can begin 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.