What exactly is Barrel Horse Racing and Typical Problems Experienced
Originally a sports activity created by rodeos for their wives and girlfriends, barrel horse racing has turned into a sport event where everyone can join.
Barrel horse racing has been around for quite a while now. It is basically a game event that aims to showcase 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 regarding the distance of each barrel, governing bodies as a rule 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 use 60 feet up to 100 plus feet. The setting is applicable to all competitors.
The action begins once the racer enters the arena for the first barrel. On this, the rider must enter with a slight angle since its much simpler for the racer if he would not come straight onto it. A complete turn must be accomplished on the first barrel before moving towards the second one.
A second turn, but this time around an opposite one, will need to be made on the second barrel. And again, the rider will need to race towards the third barrel. The 3rd 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 to the starting line, which is also considered as the finish line.
Like a number of 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 couple of things to discover a solution on it. Please read on.
The first barrel is usually termed to as being the “money barrel”. This may cause the most difficult turn because the horse has to approach it at full speed. Keep in mind that the primary aim of this game should be to take it as fast as you possibly can. This is also the most tricky barrel because if you knock it away, you’re certain to be out from the game in no time and if you passed over it, you will have the opportunity to take some cash with you.
The challenge though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel due to lack of rate. Because the horse is charging at top speed, it has the tendency to become too aggressive. Thus, they may either knock the 1st barrel off or they may pass over it. This problem is usually resolved through conditioning your horse to perform the turn perfectly.
Some horses generally have problems entering the arena. In cases like this, the horse is called “barrel sour” or “ring sour”. This is recognized to have rooted from running too much in the arena or during practice. This can be resolved through a little time off the track and giving your horse a rest in the barrel routines. One ideal way of doing this is usually to do trail riding.
Some horses tend 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 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.