What exactly is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Experienced

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

Barrel horse racing has been around for quite a while now. This is basically a game event that aims to showcase speed.

The race is quite simple to watch. It is actually 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 in 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 needs to 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 is applicable to all competitors.

The action begins once the racer enters the arena for the first barrel. On this, the rider must enter at a slight angle since its much simpler for that 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 2nd turn, but this time around an opposite one, will need to be made around 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, which is also regarded as the finish line. horse racing stakes race schedule

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 keep reading.

The first barrel is usually termed to as the “money barrel”. This makes the most difficult turn because the horse has got to approach it at full speed. Keep in mind that the main purpose of the game should be to take it as quickly as you possibly can. This is also the most tricky barrel because if you knock it off, you are sure to be out of the game in no time and if you passed over it, you will have the opportunity to take a little 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 has the tendency to become too aggressive. Thus, they may either knock the 1st barrel off or they may pass over it. This problem can be 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 recognized to have rooted from running too much in the arena or during practice. Sometimes it is resolved through a little time off the track and giving your horse a break in the barrel routines. One ideal way 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 when you happen to be confident enough of its speed and its ability to halt.