What exactly is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Encountered

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

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

The race is pretty straightforward to watch. It is played upon an arena with three barrels arranged in an isosceles triangle pattern where the goal of the racer is always to gain the quickest speed by circling the three barrels within a cloverleaf pattern. While there may be standards regarding 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 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 on to it. A complete turn has to be accomplished on the first barrel before moving to 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 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 has its common problems too. We shall enable you to distinguish many of the most common problems and would try to advise a couple of things to find a solution about it. Please keep reading.

The 1st barrel is generally termed to as being the “money barrel”. This may cause by far the most difficult turn because the horse has to approach it at full speed. Keep in mind that the main aim of this game is to take it as quickly as you can. This is also the most tricky barrel because if you knock it away, you’re certain to be out from the game right away and if you passed over it, you will get the chance to take a little cash with you.

The problem though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel due to lack of rate. Since the horse is charging at top speed, it has the tendency for being 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 referred to as “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 a little time off the track and giving your horse a break from the barrel routines. One ideal method of accomplishing this is usually to do trail riding.

Some horses tend to have no breaks whatsoever. In such a case, you mustn’t let 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 once you happen to be confident enough of its speed as well as its ability to halt.