What exactly is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Experienced
Originally a sport developed 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 many years now. It is basically a game event that aims to display speed.
The race is pretty straightforward to watch. It is actually played on 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 within a cloverleaf pattern. While there may 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 racing results.
The general distance is 90 feet from each barrel. However, some may use 60 feet up to 100 plus feet. The setting applies to all competitors.
The action begins once the racer enters the arena towards the first barrel. On this, the rider must enter at a slight angle since its much simpler for the racer if he would not come straight onto it. A whole 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 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 need to accelerate to the starting line, and that is considered as the finish line.
Like a number of other horse racing events, horse barrel racing does have its common problems too. We will help you distinguish some of the most common problems and would try to suggest a couple of things to find a solution on it. Please keep reading.
The first barrel is usually termed to as 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 the game should be to take it as fast as you can. This is also probably the most tricky barrel because if you knock it away, you are sure to be out from the game in no time and if you passed over it, you will get the opportunity to take some money 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 may either knock the first barrel off or they could pass over it. This issue is usually resolved through conditioning your horse to do the turn perfectly.
Some horses often have problems entering the arena. In cases like this, the horse is called “barrel sour” or “ring sour”. This is known to have rooted from running too much in the arena or during practice. This can be resolved through taking some time off the track and giving your horse a break from the barrel routines. One ideal method of doing this is to do trail riding learn more here.
Some horses are apt to have no breaks at all. In this case, you mustn’t let your horse to run unless control is gained on it. Solution to this problem can start 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 and its capability to halt.