What is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Experienced
Originally a sport developed by rodeos for their wives and girlfriends, barrel horse racing has now 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 showcase speed.
The race is quite simple to watch. It is actually played upon an arena with three barrels arranged in an isosceles triangle pattern on which the goal of the racer is to gain the fastest speed by circling the three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. While there could be standards as to the distance of each barrel, governing bodies normally have various preferences on how far each barrel needs to 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 is applicable to all competitors.
The game begins as soon as the racer enters the arena for the first barrel. On this, the rider must enter at a slight angle since its much easier for that racer if he would not come straight onto it. A whole turn has to be accomplished around 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 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 have 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 will enable you to distinguish some of the most common problems and would attempt to suggest a couple of things to discover a solution on it. Please keep reading.
The 1st barrel is generally termed to as the “money barrel”. This may cause the most difficult turn since the horse has got to approach it at full speed. Remember that the primary aim of this game is 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 get the opportunity 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 to become too aggressive. Thus, they will often either knock the first barrel off or they may pass over it. This issue can be resolved through conditioning your horse to do 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 taking some time off the track and giving your horse a rest in the barrel routines. One ideal method of doing this is to do trail riding.
Some horses tend to have no breaks at all. In this case, you mustn’t let your horse to run unless control is gained upon it. Fix for your problem can start 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 as well as its ability to halt.