How do you think my horse is doing on barrels?

Question

I'm just starting my 6 year old morgan gelding on barrels. this is the first time i've ever trained a horse to barrel race and i was just wondering if you could give me some pointers. also, how do you think my horse is doing? does he seem like he will succeed in barrel racing with more training? i know his turns are pretty wide right now but he's just starting. won't they get tighter with more practice? I walk, trot, and canter him around them but i haven't tried running them yet because he bucks whenever i get him to go faster than a canter. does anyone know how to fix that? it's not a tack issue and he's not in pain..he just gets excited.

here's a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoBOEhbbERo&feature=channel_page

Thanks!!

Answer 1

For training you and your horse are doing very well. When your doing slow work like that, you can take your horse around once like you did, and then try to get a little closer by looping around the same barrel a second time. Practice practice practice is all that can make your horse better at this time, you're doing great making a pocket and then pulling it close. When he goes too wide around the barrels at a lope apply your outside foot to push him in further. Do some carrot stretches to build up his bending muscles. Just show him the carrot, then move it to about where his girth would go and make him stretch to eat the carrot (on both sides). Also you might want to make sure he knows flying lead changes by the time you start loping the pattern fully. I'd suggest going to local barrel races and buying time onlys and practice in different arenas around the barrels. At most places the people are really nice and will give you tips and help you out.



The bucking is probably just a vice. When he starts bucking ask for forward movement then go in tight circles for a while.

Answer 2

There is no reason a calm horse can't run barrels. My good barrel horse, 1D when he's in shape 2D when he's not, is calm and cool as a clam. He walks in the gate and walks out flat footed. It's actually really fun to get the gate keepers worried that they're going to be trampled then have the horse walk in looking half asleep. As far as height goes there's no reason a short horse can't keep up with tall ones. The thing you really need to pay attention to is how well they can turn. A really tall horse might be able to run faster but that doesn't mean much if it takes them twice as long to turn each barrel. Good luck. Just take your time and I'm sure she'll do fine for you

Answer 3

Any horse can be successful at barrels. It's just a matter of proper training, body placement, sound pockets, and the right kind of riding.



Given the way you go about your pattern I'm assuming you haven't started a barrel horse before. It is really easy to sour a horse on barrels - if he's bucking its a good sign and you're probably not moving in the right direction. The following is just some tips from me to try and keep the pair of you safe while learning how to make a good run.



Your pockets won't get tigher unless you start riding agressively through the pocket. Your horse is just tipping in his nose and not shaping his body. You need to actively shape his body around that can and if necessary circle each barrel until he understands that his body needs to be rounded.



Here are some tips for you:



1. Get nice, even pockets. A pocket is the shape you take around a barrel. You want work your horse at maintaining the same gate throughout the pattern and so that they can bend themselves around the barrel - right now your horse is doing the barrel like a square dance. You need to help him by rounding his body (use your inside rein and round his form with the inside spur if necessary).



2. There is no point in loping between barrels at this point. Your horse can't lope around the can so don't lope him on the rest of the pattern. Loping some parts but not all teaches a barrel prospect that the can is meant to be a slow part - if you get him into this habbit it can take a professional barrel trainer to get him out. You need to jog the pattern maintaining a steady gait the entire time. Do this until you can keep an equal distance (prefect circle) around each barrel.



3. I'm not sure what you've got in that horse's mouth but you need something sidepull. I do a lot of my barrel training in a loose ring snaffle. Get in the habit of reaching down close on the turning side with one hand and grabbing for the horn with your free hand. If your horse ever actually turns hard you're going to be left in the dust.



So - do not lope that horse on the pattern again until he can trot the whole thing with nice, round pockets that are close (not tight , just close) to the barrel. I would think about getting a set of barrel reins if i were you as this will be easier to handle in speed events and many of them have knots to help your hand placement.



Last but not least - NEVER lope back from the 3rd can. This is where a lot of horses get hot heads and you don't want to get him too excited while training. I run a horse straight home from the can only after they have been loping a steady pattern for 6-8 weeks with nice pockets and then I only ask for it maybe once per week.



Best of luck and have lots of fun!





**UPDATE** This isn't an ideal tutorial but it can help you out. There are a lot of sound fundamentals here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZbms2Fb7jo

Answer 4

Have you ridden a trained barrel horse before??



You constantly are switching your hands around--stick to having both hands on the reins, especially while training.



Also when you are lining up for your barrels, you can make him hug a little closer---my 3 yr old does smaller training circles than your barrel "turns"....he is capable of making his turns a lot smaller, especially at a trot/jog.



Work on pivots, small circles, impulsion and side-passing....he needs to become more flexible and more willing so that you can ask him to turn tighter and he will understand--rather than you dragging him around the barrels by his head...





Work on leg yields, weight shift and then light rein turning---the head is the last thing you should turn during a barrel pattern



Coming into the barrel you should slightly shift your weight (which will signal his lead change if you train him correctly) then apply leg pressure to shift him closer to the barrel, as your leg is passing the barrel on the inside, take your inside rein pull it out at a 45 degree angle (over the top of the barrel) and kick him forward out of the turn. As you turn his heed he will pivot with his inside hind hoof, thus making your turn tight and quick. If you turn his head too early, you will knock the barrel--too late and you wont be lined up for the next barrel....



As you come out of the turn you should be aimed straight for the next barrel, about 2 feet from it...







Good Luck



Also don't lope him yet--he is definitely not ready for it...keep him at a trot or lower until he gets the "shift, leg over, head turn" thing down---when he gets it you will know. You will be able to feel him anticipate the next step and eventually he will begin doing it by himself...when this happens you can take him to the next level at a lope and then a gallop when he perfects his lope pattern--





When he gets too excited, keep him going. Make him get down to work. He will realize that barrel racing is his job and is not the time to kick about and have fun....my sisters horse did that for the first couple years of her barrel racing career---they get over it...don't worry!



Good Luck!

BB

Answer 5

You Doing Really well.



Very Good For 6 :)



Just Practice More And Try And Keep Him In Canter Do



Bigger Circles Round Then Start



To Close The Circle In More



he Will Get Used To It With Time.



Theres Not Much You



Can Do With Time He Will



Get Better And Faster



x x x x

Answer 6

well i think you're doing good but you need to lope around the barrels. if he does wide turns look up some bending exercisess. he need to bend more. with the bucking problem..... u should try to make him run and when he bucks when your in the air still automatically pull back on the reins and have a crop with you and smack him on the butt. ive trained horses that have bucked and that seems the best way. the smack on the butt shows how hes doing something wrong back there and the stop is so you can tell him no. keep repeating to make him go and when he bucks just repeat doing that. that should help. i hope that yousucceedd with barrels cause i know its fun. trust me i do them and if you need more help don't be afraid to email me at [e-mail]

Answer 7

you both look really good but his lope looks like a jog(trot) but the horse i ride has kinda a fast trot but you both look really good i think he will do better you should practice turns before you do the barrels and flex's i would tire a running madrigals on him

Answer 8

I think you both did a really good job but when you start to go faster then just lean with you horse a little bit more

Answer 9

both you look good and you say that he does wide turns i would keep him at a steady pace the whole time try keeping him at a canter when your running the barrels but other wise good job

Answer 10

haha I know you by your name! I commented on you like 2 weeks ago about your birds and stuff. My youtube name is diegodelobo...anyways, you were doing really great in jumping. What happened? Oh and Crisco is very cute!

Answer 11

You guys look pretty good. Is he a gaited Morgan?





Um.... why did I get a thumbs down?